Out of all of the 16:9 monitors, we recommend the Sony SDM-P234 in the top-of-the-line category.

We also liked Sony's MFM-HT75W. It's a good choice if you know what you're buying - a good all-around video solution if your space and budget are limited. But it's not an appropriate choice for gamers.

The big news coming out of this roundup is Sony's return to the majors as a monitor maker. Let's hope Sony can continue their efforts to stay there!

As for the rest, I have to say that 20" 16:9 monitors left me with mixed impressions. With their disappointing video performance, they can't really fulfill the potential of their movie format. The poor reactivity of the models we tested won't really let them compete as gaming monitors, either. To us, their only advantage is their screen resolution, higher than what standard 4:3 monitors provide.

Still these monitors open the way for a new generation of multi-use monitors, halfway between pure IT use and video. So we'll be sure to keep you up to date on developments in this monitor format.

More information: LCDs account for three out of four monitors sold