17" LCD Part V: Four Panels Compared

Introduction

Earlier this year there were two. Now there are four panels in the under 25- millisecond (ms) response time category. In addition to BoE HyDis (previously Hyundai) and AU Optronics, LG and Samsung have entered the ring. Only one will emerge victorious as Best Game Monitor of the Year.

However, before reviewing the benchmark results of our tests, we address supply problems associated with the Hyundai monitor in our last test and erroneous product specifications vendors attempt to communicate to consumers.

We also describe why and how the response times that certain manufacturers report, when measured on some machines, don't mean very much. Worse than that, they can be completely misleading, as we realized when we started testing the new panels.

There are also problems relating to LCD color resolution specifications for many monitors. Are they really, for example, 18-bit or 24-bit color?

Finally, after the tests, we give our verdict on how you should ultimately spend your money.

Panels Tested

1. Hercules ProphetView 920 Pro - HyDis panel
2. Nec LCD71VM - LG panel
3. Samsung SyncMaster 172X - Samsung panel
4. Viewsonic VP170m - AU Optronics panel

But before getting down to the nitty-gritty ...