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Sharp and NEC-Mitsubishi are raising the bar for LCD flat-panel monitor design, with enhancements to color reproduction in one case and improved management features in the other. At $1299 each, the NEC MultiSync LCD1880SX and the Sharp LL-T1820 cost a few hundred dollars more than most 18-inch models--including the $949 ViewSonic VG181, a Best Buy in March. They're cheaper than other premium units, however, such as the $1899 Eizo Nanao FlexScan L685.

Sharp's new LL-T1820 is the first LCD monitor with built-in gamma correction, which lets it display a broader range of colors than other models do. Conventional LCD monitors display a 24-bit image from a palette of 16.77 million colors, based on the use of 8 bits of color data per red, blue, and green subpixel (the components of a pixel). Sharp's new model, while still displaying a 24-bit image, can draw from a palette of 1 billion colors, based on the use of 10 bits per subpixel. The result, the company says, is superior color saturation and more detail in both shadow and highlight areas--ideal for applications such as publishing and prepress, graphic design, and medical imaging. Used in tandem with color-calibration software, the technology could also translate into more-accurate color prints.

The MultiSync LCD1880SX is the first LCD monitor to make use of an updated version of Windows Plug and Play installation technology, called Display Data Channel/Command Interface (DDC/CI), that allows two-way communication between a monitor and a system via keyboard and mouse--from the desktop or even over a network (the latter requires an analog hookup). We were unable to test this feature because the software wasn't ready in time for us to review, but NEC-Mitsubishi says it lets you adjust settings such as color and contrast more quickly than you could by using traditional front-panel buttons. The software also includes test patterns and adjustment previews, both of which make fine-tuning images easier.

Fine-Tuned Color

In comparison tests, both monitors produced excellent text and images. Colors on the Sharp looked marginally better than those on the NEC, and the Sharp's controls permitted greater fine-tuning of color settings than those on typical 18-inch LCDs. The NEC, on the other hand, was better at displaying light and dark shades in gray-scale pattern tests. But the differences in image quality between either one and the more affordable ViewSonic VG181 were more subtle than dramatic.

Both of these sleek, attractively designed LCDs feature slim bezels (about half an inch for the NEC, 0.7 inch for the Sharp), and 170-degree viewing angles (horizontally and vertically)--generous for LCD monitors. Each screen easily tilts, swivels, and pivots from landscape to portrait orientation. Both monitors provide a native resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels, and both offer all-digital (DVI) as well as analog (VGA-style) inputs. The NEC provides extra connectors so you can attach two computers at the same time.

Those needing precise color should consider the Sharp LL-T1820; network administrators should check out the NEC MultiSync LCD1880SX. For the rest of us, the ViewSonic VG181 remains a solid and more affordable choice.

SUMMARY

NEC MultiSync LCD1880SX (Preproduction unit, not rated) Street: $1299

SUMMARY

(Preproduction unit, not rated) Street: $1299

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