Planar PQ191 19-inch LCD monitor

Review:
I have my desk back! After years of sitting face-to-screen with a 17-inch monitor, I was amazed to discover what I was missing when set this 19-inch flat panel LCD monitor on my desk. It's only 8.8-inches deep, which is half as deep as my old 17-inch monitor.

But while the monitor is flat, the picture is very deep. On my old screen the photo of the Nova Scotia countryside I use as a screen saver looks like a typical snapshot. But on the 700:1 contrast Planar PQ191, the photo looks like a technicolor production. You expect to see Julie Andrews singing, 'The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music.'

The contrast ratio is one of the highest in the LCD market, which is what makes this a top quality monitor. The company promotes this monitor as ideal for use with public displays, such as lobbies, and the built-in power supply provides it the versatility to display it where it'll get the most visability. This monitor would be snazzy at a business presentation and with the 2-port USB hub you can plug in your laptop to share your presentations or display a Web site to a crowd.

It also comes with a DVI-D 24-pin connector for viewing DVDs (requires a special video card). The monitor comes with a 3-year warranty.

Reviewed by Greg Cusack