Exploring the crystal maze

Do you really have enough space across your company for a bulky monitor on every desk? Do your employees suffer from eye strain and headaches from using fuzzy and low-resolution computer displays?

These might seem like extreme examples of why a monitor is a critical purchase, but the impact these devices can have on the bottom line and productivity through office space costs and lost man-hours is significant.

The traditional choice has been a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor based around the same glass tube technology used in a television. These have the advantage of being cheap, easy to manufacture and in plentiful supply, but have the downside of occupying large amounts of dead space and being low in definition.

The latter problem is most obvious at the high resolutions needed to make full use of graphical applications such as word processors and web browsers. Liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors combat this by being brighter, sharper and occupying a fraction of the space.

Initial displays were small and expensive, but the proliferation of LCD manufacturers, along with continued demand for larger size and higher resolution LCD panels, has pushed down the cost of a 15-inch display to about the same price as a comparable quality CRT display.

Sharp LL-T1511A

While Sharp has not implemented some of the innovations found in its 18-inch display, such as its Super-V panel technology, the LL-T1511A is still packed with the same useful features.

Sharp manufactures its own LCDs, so it has a better level of control over the design than companies that buy panels in from third parties. This is why only Sharp LCDs currently feature the low reflective black thin film transistor (TFT) found in the LL-T1511A. This cuts down on reflection and glare, making it an extremely useful display in environments where ambient light can cause problems.

The TFT panel used in the screen lacks the optical compensation layers of Super-V panels in other Sharp LCDs or Eizo's FlexScan L365, so viewing angles are far less impressive at 140 degrees horizontal and 120 degrees vertical.

The LL-T1511A is the only product in this group to feature an integrated USB hub, which includes one upstream and two downstream connections located towards the rear.

The base features a two-way hinge that allows you to adjust the position of the screen without moving the stand around. This is a thoughtful touch given you're likely to have USB cables running from it.

The power supply is built into the base, giving it extra weight and stability, but this means you'll need to buy a separate power supply if you'd prefer to arm-mount the panel.

Like ELSA's ECOMO 341LCD, this monitor only supports a single analogue connection and uses a captive video graphic array (VGA) cable that runs neatly through the base. Automatic calibration is reasonably effective, but requires a small amount of manual phase adjustment to remove signal noise.

Screen uniformity is a significant improvement over the ELSA submission, but has slight shadowing towards the corners. With a contrast ratio of 300:1, the LL-T1511A has the same problems with displaying similar tonal values as the ECOMO 341LCD and shares the auto-level function for adjusting the contrast setting based on the image being displayed.

However, it also features a built-in light sensor at the bottom right-hand corner of the bezel, which adjusts the brightness of the screen according to the level of ambient light. A dedicated button allows immediate access to this option, which can be set to low, mid or high or adjusted manually.

The monitor's settings, which include basic colour temperature, brightness and contrast, are quite easily accessed from the menu button, although the four-button interface could be a little simpler to use.

At £422.99 (excluding VAT), the Sharp LL-T1511A is similar in price to the Eizo FlexScan L365, but doesn't match it in terms of viewing angle or image quality.

You do get a USB hub, anti-glare TFT and brightness sensor, but if you can manage without these, then the FlexScan L365 would be a better investment.

Price as reviewed (ex. VAT): £422.99.
Pros: Black TFT; USB hub; automatic brightness control.
Cons: Awkward interface; power supply required for arm-mounting; single analogue connection only.
Verdict: A useful, office-oriented product with good image quality.

Eizo Flexscan L365

The Eizo FlexScan L365 monitor is a dual-interface display that supports both dedicated digital and analogue connections via the digital video input (DVI) and 15-pin VGA ports at the rear of unit panel. Unlike other displays, there's nowhere for cables to run inside the base, so you'll have to be content with them hanging down from the rear.

The FlexScan L365 sits quite low and has no height adjustment, which could cause you problems when trying to set up a comfortable viewing position.

Despite being only 48mm deep, the power supply is built into the monitor's chassis rather than the base, which allows it to be easily connected to the mains, even when you have it mounted on a monitor arm.

The FlexScan L365 is easily the best product in our sample group in terms of image quality. Screen uniformity is excellent, with no visible deviation in tone. This is despite having a narrow bezel, which can cause errors where the screen is clamped.

Colours are faithfully reproduced, but not over-saturated. In addition, there was no evidence of streaking or ghosting even on the high-contrast test patterns. The FlexScan's viewing angles are exceptional, thanks largely to the optical compensation layers in the panel's composition.

The vertical angle of 150 degrees means you can shift in your chair as much as you want without the picture dimming at the edges, while the 160-degree horizontal rating challenges most CRTs for side visibility. Contrast ratio is rated at a maximum of 450:1 and at 350cd/sq m, which is bright enough for use in offices.

The twin one watt speakers on the FlexScan will only suit the most basic functions, because they produce tinny audio that quickly becomes distorted as you turn up the volume. A headphone socket is located at the side of the monitor.

Running this display at resolutions below its native extended graphics array (XGA) demonstrates the effectiveness of the image smoothing and resizing. You can keep a 1:1 aspect ratio if you prefer. The translucent menu system looks attractive, although it takes time to get accustomed to.

This is partly because of the unintuitive arrangement of the control buttons. It offers a variety of controls over image quality, including saturation and colour temperature. More common functions, such as auto-calibrate, have their own dedicated buttons on the control panel.

Like most Eizo products, however, the FlexScan is priced a little higher than average, and the only sign that costs have been cut is the absence of the usual microfibre cleaning cloth and a driver disk in the box.

Price as reviewed (ex. VAT): £429.99.
Pros: Wide viewing angles; excellent image quality; design.
Cons: Above average pricing; unintuitive menu system.
Verdict: One of the best 15-inch LCD monitors available.

ELSA ECOMO 341LCD

ELSA is better known for its graphics cards and networking products than for its LCD monitors, chiefly because the ECOMO 341LCD is the company's first stab at an LCD display. Aesthetically, ELSA has chosen an attractive blue-trimmed silver chassis and minimal design for its first display product.

The looks are let down by an unimpressive level of performance, however. There were two dead pixels in the lower right-hand area of the review sample - an indication of poor quality - and control screen uniformity was also disappointing. As well as dim areas towards the sides of the display, where the panel is clamped, inside the chassis the 341LCD has a decidedly patchy look when displaying large, flat areas of colour.

Automatic signal calibration fails to acquire an accurate signal lock and, while manual phase adjustment improves the image, we couldn't eliminate pixel jitter.

The contrast ratio of 300:1 and 250cd/sq m maximum brightness level is average, as are the viewable angles of 140 degrees horizontal/115 degrees vertical. Spotting the difference between shallow tones in our greyscale test patterns proved to be rather difficult, particularly towards the top of the screen, giving the ECOMO a slightly bleached appearance.

In high-contrast tests, we spotted some streaking and ghosting, which also revealed shadowing around the edges of objects and text during general use.

With a very basic set of control options, it's impossible to compensate for this effect - you're limited to brightness, contrast and colour temperature.

The ECOMO does offer an auto-level function, however, which adjusts the contrast level based on the image currently displayed.

A series of four buttons hidden beneath the monitor's bezel allow access to the menu system. Single-touch automatic calibration is provided, as are easily accessible brightness and contrast controls. While some might not like the hard-wired VGA cable, it's the monitor's redeeming feature, as it carries power as well as video signals via a socket located at the PC end of the cable.

This minimises clutter and makes the monitor most suitable in environments such as reception areas, where appearance is much more important than image quality.

As a monitor for everyday use, the ECOMO 341LCD offers average performance compared to the other displays in this group, but at a higher cost. It also lacks USB ports, speakers and digital signal support.

Price as reviewed: £379.99.
Pros: Single cable connection; attractive design.
Cons: Performance; stuck pixels.
Verdict: Too expensive for the level of image quality offered.

Samsung Syncmaster 151MP

The SyncMaster 151MP is an LCD monitor that attempts to please both business and consumer users. With a sleek silver chassis and integrated speakers, the monitor is appealing, but you're paying a premium price for style and connectivity.

Alongside an integrated TV tuner, the SyncMaster also features composite and S-Video ports for connecting devices such as DVD players. DVI isn't supported, but it has an infrared remote control.

With a resizeable picture-in-picture feature, you can watch TV or an external video source in a separate window while you work in the main image area. The panel's response time of 25ms ensures that high-motion video is clearly presented without blurring or after images.

The screen doesn't provide support for a digital signal, but the image quality from a standard 15-pin VGA connection is good, requiring no further adjustment after automatic calibration.

White uniformity matches this, with none of the dim areas or greying demonstrated by some low-end products. But SyncMaster has a tendency to bleach pale colours, and also suffers from slight ghosting on high-contrast patterns. Image scaling options include an effective anti-aliasing algorithm for resolutions lower than the native setting of 1024 x 768 pixels. The SyncMaster also supports pan and zoom.

The viewing angle is good, with the same 140 degrees horizontal/120 degrees vertical as the Sharp LL-T1511A, but the stand doesn't allow for height adjustment.

It's clear that the SyncMaster 151MP will appeal to those who need support for a wide variety of connection options in a compact and attractive monitor.

Price as reviewed (ex. VAT): £649.99.
Pros: Attractive styling; TV tuner; multiple connectivity options.
Cons: Price; no height adjustment; slight ghosting.
Verdict: A versatile LCD that works equally well in both business and consumer environments.