LCD Comparison: 17" & 19" Under 20ms

Nec LCD1960NX

The LCD1960NX is still around, although its lifetime is about to end. It uses a panel very similar to the that of the Hercules ProphetView II 191 Blk. Both monitors offer roughly the same level of features. Overall, both monitors have the same assets and failings, though with an advantage to the Hercules. Properly adjusted, the colors are well expressed and the blacks are dark. But there is a definite afterglow in games and a noticeable flickering effect during DVD movie play. you can notice, more than on the Hercules, flickering in movies.

In any case, Nec has no illusions about its monitor. It doesn't claim the monitor is for games, but for office applications instead. In this respect, we like its ergonomics, worthy of high-end monitors, and the price is right. The base is height-adjustable, DVI or analog as you choose, and the mains transformer is built in.

By default, the monitor is set on maximum brightness, with a white at 231cd/m² and a black at 0.4cd/m². That is a contrast rate of 575:1. If you opt for a lower rate of brightness at 50%, the white drops to 116 cd/m², without affecting the colors too much.

In the end, this monitor is about right for the (modest) purpose for which Nec intended it to serve. Other more recent monitors, built on new generation panels, do better for hardly any more money. For instance, the Samsung SyncMaster 193P beats its performance on all levels.