Monitor Reviews

This monitor is a good value for the money. It is not as sharp as most CRT (tube-type) monitors, and the display is not quite as sharp as most high-quality laptop screens. Text viewed on screen tends to be more or less readable, depending on where the text is due to inconsistent pixel quality.

However, it provides great brightness, and compares extremely well to all but the most expensive screens in its class.

I have owned this monitor for about 16 months now and still love it. It is big & bright and takes up very little room on my desk. Everyone who uses my computer comments on my "Great Monitor".
This monitor is probably the best 17" analog monitor you can buy anywhere. It's image quality will knock your socks off.

PROS:

* It is PC and Mac compatible and includes a 13W-3 input for connecting to Sun and SGI workstations.
* Very bright and clean resolution up to 1280 x 1024 (took the top spot in C-net Labs LCD performance testing).
* Optional 4-port USB hub connects cleanly to back of stand for extra convenience.
* Menu and controls are very easy and intuitive to use.
* Generous 80-degree viewing angle from all four directions .
* 3-year warranty, including coverage on the backlight.
* Long RGB cable (5ft) for extra slack when routing to PC.

CONS:

* It is analog not digital.
* Will not do 1600 x 1200 (I know I'm greedy).
* Only looks good at 1280 x 1024 resolution (lower resolution takes a significant quality dip) - this is not a big deal, but does require you to do at least two things:
1. Buy a good vide card that will run smoothly at that kind of resolution (32mb or better).
2. Bump the operating system display scheme from normal to large or extra large (if you want to read text without eventual eye strain).

Overall, this is a fabulous monitor if you:

- Need the space savings
- Use lot's of USB devices
- Have a solid video card and don't mind running 1280 x 1024
- Want a gloriously bright and clear flicker free monitor
- Want peace of mind with a factory 3-year warranty

We did the research and found this was the best flat screen monitor for the price. We bought a dozen of them for our employees (I use a pair in a dual-head configuration at home and at the office). We haven't had any problems and the image quality and color have been excellent. I couldn't live without mine and the price made it reasonable to purchase. Wonderful as far as I'm concerned.

I deduct one star only for Sony pricing. Others such as JVC seem to be better priced. However, I bit the bullet and bought Sony because I did not see anything with a better picture in the stores. The built-in speakers deliver a surprising top quality sound and the A/V connections are plentiful and easy to access. This unit really shines when playing a progressive scan DVD. Purchased my TV from Crutchfield, but I don't recommend them just because they used a delivery service that did not do a good job and they did not seem to be aware of our problem until I complained. My complaints to Crutchfield were eventually addressed and the delivery took 13 days from the day it was ordered. Also it was a good thing I was here to help. They were supposed to deliver with a two man crew, but only the driver showed up. No way can one man set up this TV, it weights about 200 lbs.

The KV-36HS500 is a joy to watch on a daily basis. If it matches your requirements for a new TV, I don't think you can go wrong with it.

Getting to the point of choosing it wasn't easy, though. Here's why:

If you are looking to buy a new TV these days, the vast array of technological choices is overwhelming. CRT, RPTV, FPTV, Plasma, LCD, DLP... each with their own unique pros and cons that makes them difficult to compare to each other. And these TVs are so expensive that you feel compelled to understand their value to ensure your choice will hold up over time.

After spending hours poring over minutiae and managing to scrape the surface of understanding, I had to just decide to decide. So I did. The KV-36HS500 became my new HDTV because it offered the best mix of features and compromises given the rapidly advancing state of television technology.

Here is what I learned along the way, in case this helps you make your decision:

0. Style
Unlike the more expensive XBR series, the HS series has a muted matte grey face. The current crop of XBRs has a shiny black border around the screen that I found distracting.

1. Aspect ratio
Widescreen (16:9) or regular (4:3)? That's one of the major questions these days when choosing a TV. The KV-36HS500 is not widescreen, which means it will show a widescreen program (usually a DVD movie or HDTV programming) with bars on the top and bottom. Since most TV content is not yet widescreen, I decided it was preferable to see it at its natural size, and to see the black bars only when watching widescreen DVDs or HDTV. Purists will explain that "widescreen is the future" and that most content will be produced in widescreen... and therefore a widescreen set is the best experience. Well, until that's true, we're in the early part of the transition. I will probably be able to afford a widescreen TV by the time most content is produce in 16:9 high definition format.

2. HDTV
HDTV sets look better than non-HDTV sets, even for non-HDTV content. Unless you feed the TV a terrible signal, such as poorly spliced analog cable, the result just looks sharper. Perhaps it's the TV, perhaps it's the processing -- my comparisons led me to believe that HDTV had better picture quality in all cases.

If you can receive HDTV signals over the air or via DirecTV, apparently the picture is amazing. I haven't seen this yet, but the KV-36HS500 is ready - it has a DVI-HDCP port waiting for the right HDTV set-top box. In the meantime, DVDs look fantastic, even with a DVD player that doesn't have Progressive Scan.

3. Flatness and thinness
Most TVs these days have flat screens, and I find the KV-36HS500's flat screen dramatically reduces glare from ambient lighting. Flat and thin are two different areas though. This TV is not at all "thin" like a plasma or LCD. If you want "thin" so you can hang your TV on the wall, you need either a plasma or LCD, not a CRT.

4. Size and weight
If you want a lightweight TV you can move yourself, run away! The KV-36HS500 is 225 lbs, it takes 2-3 strong able-bodied men just to get it into position. On the plus side, no one is ever going to steal it. Plasmas and LCDs are not only thin, they're light. RPTVs are also light, but they have a limited viewing angle.

On this note, make sure to buy this TV from someone who not only has a delivery service, but will happily pick up your return or pick up and deliver an exchange or repair. If you find a problem, you don't want to be stuck trying to move this TV.

5. Summary
If you watch mostly 4:3 programming (standard TV), enjoy good picture quality, need a fairly large screen, and want to be prepared for HDTV in the next year or two, this TV is for you. If you don't mind a shiny black border around the screen, you might opt for the 36" or 40" XBR version of this TV. On the other hand, if you watch mostly widescreen DVDs or HDTV, you should consider a widescreen CRT (there are very few!) or a plasma, both of which will cost more.

Best of luck finding your new TV!

The Sony 36'' Flat Screen HDTV Monitor (KV-36HS500) is an outstanding TV. The picture is absolutely remarkable!! It has a multitude of video inputs that allow me to connect my digital cable box, dvd player, vcr, and sony playstation 2!! It is so easy to use - so much so that my 11 year old daughter is an expert at using it.

If you're looking to treat yourself to a new monitor, you won't be disappointed with the SDM-81. At 18" you'll have plenty of bright, crisp display room. Also, with both digital and analog connections you won't be forced to upgrade your video card to enjoy this display.

The response rate is between 20 and 30 ms (according to Sony's site), allowing for good picture quality even during fast screen changes. I was a bit worried about this aspect of LCD monitors since I play fast moving games, but haven't noticed any blur or distortion.

Setting up the display is as simple as dropping it on your desk and hooking up the standard connections (oh yes, it is at this pont that you will truly appreciate the space savings :). Cables are inserted into vertical connectors on the back of the display and are neatly concealed by the rear panel and cable guides. Once you get it running you'll probably want to make some adjustments, especially if you're using an analog connection. The instruction manual does a good job at guiding you through the process. Personally I found I needed to adjust the phase and pitch as well as the color temperature (the default setting is much too blue) to get the best picture.

So, why only 4 stars? Well, nothing's perfect .. :) I have noticed that color can be uneven across the screen. Also, when the screen is predominantly black you can see places where the backlighting is uneven (mostly near the edges). Finally, the screen seems to have a bit of "sheen" to it. It isn't glare, but almost seems like the screen itself has a shiny quality. In all fairness, I don't notice this very much.

Overall, I love this monitor and although it has a few flaws I wouldn't think twice about owning it.

I bought the M61 - same specs, same resolution (1280x1024) - for an price comparable to that of high end 15" LCDs with a mere 1024x768 resolution. This is truly having your cake and eating it too.

This LCD replaced my Sony GDM-PS400 19" Trinitron. Wow, what a difference! Super-sharp at 1280x1024! This LCD has a gorgeous display. I'm currently running it in analog mode from a Matrox G450. I can't imagine how it could possibly look better with the DVI connector!

Unlike many other LCDs, this upconverts lower resolutions really well... smoothing the image to make it appear less blocky.

While this monitor looked great right out of the box, I finally got around to trying the Utility on the included CD that helps you adjust the Pitch/Phase and it image quality was even better.... so if you buy this don't forget to run that utility!

Looking forward to upgrading my G450 to a G550 for DVI... :-)

the picture on this monitor is great. everything is crisp and easily readable including text. The monitor itself is very bright (750 nits!) and displays all colors wll with no problems that i can see. All the connectors in the back make this a must have for any pc home theatre enthusiast, as the monitor connects directly to vcr's and dvd players (analog and s-video ports). Viewing images on the widescreen is great, as pages that require a scrollbar can now be viewed all at once. Not to mention how much difference a widescreen monitor makes for dvd's.

My only gripes with the monitor are that it does not have a dvi port, it doesnt tilt very much (just a little up and down) and the max resolution is 1280x768. But if you can look past these faults then this is a great monitor, especially with the 200 dollar rebate being offered at the moment. I found mine at a store known for its best buys, for 799, with a mail in rebate for 200 bux. So the monitor ends up costing me 600 bux, which isnt too bad for a 17 inch, widescreen no less

I love the design. The remote which controls sound volume and the screen comes very handy. SONY's contrast ratio of 500 makes the best picture quality. Some other manufacturers may not be able to match it even with 800 ratio. I am able to use it for everything - as a computer monitor, TV, connect to VCR and DVD players, digital camcorder. Great for watching TV over the Internet. Also, after 5 months the store price only slightly increased which indicates to me that it's a quality product.

I bought this with the sole intention of using it as a display for playing XBOX and PS2 games on. I find myself using it more and more every day for also watching DVD movies on.

The display is super, and having it in 16x9 mode is even better. Then you throw in HDTV capability and it totally rocks. Granted, it does not do true 1080i, but it will display that resolution.

I do have a few complaints though - For some reason Sony decided to put the manual on a CD. What, they could not spend the 10 cents to print up a stinkin' manual? It would also be nice if this thing had more inputs on it. I can't be the only one with more than one component video device to hook up. Junk the composite I say and give us another component in.

My next step for this thing is to get a HDTV tuner and see what that will do.

Have used six ViewSonic monitors since I got into computing and the 17" E771 is a terrific monitor. Built-in speakers save desktop space. On-screen adjusments are very convenient and easy to use. Built-in microphone is yet another great feature. And the picture is sharp and crisp. ViewSonic got my vote for the seventh time.

... i bought this moniter, and i think it is nothing but amazing! im just in love with it... i had to decide between this moniter (an extremly good 17") or one of those "ok" 19" moniters, i couldnt be happier with my decision. ..., the colors are bright, vibrant, no distortion, high refresh rate, very sharp (both graphics and text) and it is totaly flat (thats probably why there is absolutly no distortion).. i do some web design, graphics, cad, and other stuff, and its all great (im beginning to feel that i sound repetetive, but theres a reason for that, this moniter is great:), one more thing, i play lotsa games, 3d shooters, strategies, u-name-it and it all looks perfect... u r probably asking why this moniter isnt in pc magazines editors choice, or pc world, etc..well the reason is probably because it is [costly], and magazines are looking for a "good value product" well, if u apreciate good graphics, you will think of this as a "good value prodcut" :)

to some it up in 4 words: T-H-I-S M-O-N-I-T-E-R I-S A M-O-S-T

The PF775 turned out to be a very good purchase for me. I was a little hesitant to spend the extra money for the Viewsonic but the picture quality is top notch and I didn't see any other brand on display that had as good of picture quality as this one. The .25 dot pitch gives a very sharp picture. I do some Photoshop work at home and the color representation is very, very good. This one is the best of the perfectly flat monitors, in my opinion.

This is a great LCD TV. The price is great too. DVDs and HDTV show an exceptional picture. The only problems I see are poor manual documentation and Westinghousedigital email support is slow and sometimes will not answer your email questions.

It is wonderful with Progressive Scan DVD player, well, not try HDTV yet since need an external HDTV tuner. Just ok with regular Cable TV. It is amazing when connect with my notebook computer. The color and brightness is far much better than my 18" LCD monitor. I need to sale my 18" LCD monitor.

Sound is great with DVD player. Very easy hook-up. It is 30" only, quite fit into a small living room. Pictures are smooth due to 16ms response time. It weighs so less, easily for me to move around. It looks much better when mounted on the wall than stood on it own.
The 15:9 makes black bar on top and bottom when watch in wide screen, I like it since the caption or any text just drop into the bottom bar.
Remote controller is great in simple and good at layout except the PIP function.

Wall mount is LCFL V200 made by Peerless that is too expensive for this very reasonable priced LCD. The PIP function in that remote controller is not as good as my old Sony 32" 's.

I just got this TV yesterday and hooked it up to a Pioneer digital cable HD receiver. This TV produces a fantastic picture when driven by a 720P or 1080i signal. I use it in 720P mode. You need a real HD signal to realize the potential of this TV. Discovery HD or HDnet provides suitable content for this TV. HBO and Showtime HD also provide true HD broadcasts several hours a day. Regular NTSC broadcast signals do not look good on this set as with ALL LCD TVs. The only complaint I have is that it only has 1 component input that is capable of handling progressive scan output. The other component input handles 480i only.

I love working with computers (mine or other people's). But the eyestrain gets to me after awhile. I also get a funny feeling in my head if I've been working on one for several hours. My current business involves making "house calls" to help other people learn to do specific tasks with their computers. I have a nice monitor at home, which helps the eyestrain and funny head feeling. But some of my clients have monitors that drive me nuts. One of my clients, however, purchased this monitor filter. What a blessing! The image on the screen is sharper. My eyes are less strained. And I can work longer before needing to give my eyes and head a break. My only complaint is that when people touch the filter to point to something on the screen (which happens frequently in this client's office), a very obvious finger print is left. The fingerprints, however, are easy to clean with a slightly damp paper towel. I have ordered a similar filter to fit my 15 inch monitor at home.

I'm using Sony GDM-F400 monitor, and although it is top of the line 19" monitor, I still get eye strain after working for 8 hours in my office. This filter significantly reduced this problem and now neither my eyes, nor my head get a funny feeling after I've been working on a computer for a while. I will highly recommend this filter to anyone.

On the side note, if you ever thinking about purchasing an anti- filter, make sure it is anti-radiation and not only anti-glare (anti radiation/anti-glare is the best of both worlds). That's what gives relief to your eyes and saves your health in the long run.

what can I say: Its the right battery for my Sony D8 camcorder. Longlasting and not overly big. 5 stars if the price was better.

This battery works in all conditions and is a never fail battery. I have used it for 7 years and never had problems.

My original sony battery was short lived, ordered this one...et voila! super long duration! I can film and film without worrying about the battery dying. another product that works exactly as advertised! congrats sony and thanks.

I'm a software developer. I spend long, long hours in front of my computer programming and creating graphics. I have a 21" Sony GDM-500PS at work, an excellent monitor. Because I often take some work home and the resolution of my home's 17" monitor wasn't giving me too much desktop space to work with all my windows, I decided to get a new 21" to use it at 1600x1200 as I do at work with the Sony GDM-500PS. I choose the ViewSonic's P815 because it offers about the same features of the Sony's GDM-500PS for $300 bucks less and ViewSonic's name reputation. Well, I just got my new P815 and honestly I would like to return it and get my money back. The monitor has a nice set of features. You can pretty much do whatever you like with the image to get it perfectly squared from edge to edge. The monitor offers good picture quality up to resolutions of 1280x1024. At higher resolutions, 1600x1200 and above, the contrast degrades badly. This is very annoying when using applications that display dark text over bright backgrounds (browsing web pages, Word documents, and most source code editors). The white background is so bright that seems to consume the text making it blurry and hard to read. It is like having an unsolicited anti-alias filter constantly running. I have the contrast level to max, and the text still blurry and hard to read. Over time it gets you eyes really tired. I won't recommend this monitor to any PhotoShop users, CAD users or Software Developers willing to use resolutions of 1600x1200 or higher and that will be spend long hours of development time in front of the screen.

Edwin.

I own 2 of these p815 monitors and they are fantastic!!
I am a High End Graphic Designer and do about 60 hours of work
a week on these monitors. I Run both monitors on a Matrox G400
Dual head and they work like a charm for my design work, the
Colors are so clear and perfect it is amazing! I have had
Sony and NEC monitors and nothing compares to the color of
these Viewsonic P815's. I have seen people state problems
at 1600 resolution with text... All I have to say is you might
want to check your video card or your cables because it is
not the monitors. I can view text and images with out any blur
at 1600 res. it is actually crystal clear. How can you not like
this monitor.. 96hz @ 1600 res. .25 dot pitch on a 21" monitor
with a flat screen! that is just amazing for a 21" monitor.
When you buy viewsonic p815 your getting an outstanding visual
quality monitor in all aspects.

Hi, I am a Tax & Investment Professional and Investment Advisor and I utilize the Viewsonic P815 for viewing level II split screen streaming stock quotes; tax preparation and preparing taxes on Windows-based tax preparation software. I have also used this monitor when reviewing and analyzing tax preparation software which allows you to view 2 pages of tax documents in the same viewing screen on the same page view...no problems in clarity here of the numbers or letters in any mode or pixel view.
(...)The Viewsonic is comparable with any SONY @ any resolution including 1600x1200;what is required is a better than average video card. At the time he wrote his review way back in year 2000 there were very few 64MB video cards on the market.As I recall only Diamond Viper and Nvidea had one of the retail ones and all the rest were high end professional products. Now in year 2001 every company on the market has a 64MB video card and there are even some 128 MB video cards out here too. I suggest using at least a 64MB Video Card with this product which is as it says a "professional monitor". Professional monitors do require a better than avergage video card for superior perfomance. By the way,this monitor series by Viewsonic will allow you to work 12-14 hour days without eye strain of any type. Now this monitor is very BIG in size, so if your desk space is at a premium I would suggest you opt for one of the new flat panel LCD 17" or 18" monitors. But if you seek a quality large screen monitor and don't mind it taking up at least 25 " of desk space then this IS the monitor for you.
This is my 3rd Viewsonic purchase this year; I bought my 75 year old mother a 19" one and I have one in my second office.
I am very pleased with the quality of their products. Just make sure you spend good money and get a quality video card to match your monitor purchase. (I have been using computer monitors for work in excess of 20 years now.)