G220fb

CADalyst, Sept, 2004

ViewSonic

www.viewsonic.com

Star rating: 5 stars out of 5

Price: $493

***** 2004 cadalyst LABS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The ViewSonic G220fb monitor distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack in several different ways. The G220fb is, first of all, the only CRT in this roundup based on Invar shadow-mask technology. All the other displays reviewed here are based on aperture-grille designs. The ViewSonic G220fb is a 21" monitor with a 20" viewable area. The model tested was housed in an attractive matte black housing with a stylish but unobtrusive design. The maximum resolution of the G220fb is 2048X1536 at 68Hz, and the dot pitch is a moderate 0.25mm.

The G220fb weighed in at a relatively trim 59.4lb, further distinguishing itself by being the lightest of all the monitors in this roundup.

The on-screen menu is easy to navigate and understand. Five buttons are located at the bottom center of the bezel. On the far right (separated by a divider) is a power toggle, accompanied by an LED power indicator. The other four buttons are for navigating the on-screen menu. With all the buttons the same matte black color as the housing, it's a little difficult to see which button does what, but this is something you quickly get used to.

The specially formulated ARAG screen treatment uses an advanced multilayer process to eliminate glare and reflection while maintaining the highest image quality, and is truly excellent.

At $493, the ViewSonic G220fb once again distinguishes itself--this time by being the least expensive monitor in this roundup.

On the test bench, the G220fb generally got high scores. The only two deductions were minor--a quarter-point off for contrast and another quarter-point off for color purity. The contrast of the ViewSonic G220fb was lower than I like, even turned up all the way. Though this resulted in lots of separation in dark tones, it lacked a certain snap. The color deduction was for a very slightly dull red, though other colors were excellent, particularly the yellow and green. Yellow seems to be difficult to reproduce, but the yellow on the G220fb was clear and clean. Green--which on many monitors is overly bright--was also clean and clear, providing subtle gradations in brighter greens.

Though the ViewSonic G220fb is one of three large CRT monitors to get a Cadalyst Labs 5-star rating in this review, the G220fb actually received the highest overall score by a slight margin. Highly Recommended.

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STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED

Under Cadalyst's comparative review rating system, each product receives a star rating based on the Reviewers' Report Card.

***** Five stars: Highly Recommended. Product is superior to others in its class. Any flaws are minor and do not interfere with overall performance.

Four stars: Product does what the manufacturer claims, improves productivity, and is a valuable tool.

Three stars: Product has limited value for most readers.