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Not long ago, only design and imaging professionals could afford the extravagance of a large display, but today falling prices and new technologies make 19-inch monitors a compelling choice even for office-bound mortals. Not only do 19-inch displays offer dramatically more viewable area than their 15- and 17-inch counterparts, but the newest CRTs also feature technological innovations like flatter picture tubes and reduced-depth cases.

To help you decide which 19-inch monitor is right for you, we tested 24 models. We ran each monitor through extensive image-quality tests, and then analyzed its features, price, service and support policies, ease of use, and compliance with emission standards. Two of the tested monitors earn Best Buys. Dell's UltraScan P990 grabs first place on the strength of its great $549 price, nicely balanced picture quality, and mainstream business capabilities. Mitsubishi's $799 Diamond Pro 900u claims the second slot, courtesy of its new flat screen, Universal Serial Bus hub, and advanced controls. It should appeal to those who work with graphics-intensive applications.

The Rest of the Best

Models rounding out the Top 10 list include the Sony Multiscan CPD-420GS, NEC MultiSync FP950, IBM P92, Princeton AGX 900, ViewSonic PT795, Iiyama Vision Master 450, Samsung SyncMaster 900p, and Compaq V900. Each monitor, ranging in price from $449 to $999, excels in at least one key area, such as text or graphics quality, price, ease of use, or support policies. The sixth-place Princeton AGX 900, for example, provides the best image quality for the price after the Dell UltraScan P990. The Compaq V900, bringing up the rear, offers exceptional tech support, including a three-year warranty, 24-hour toll-free phone support, and one year of free on-site service.

Beyond the Top 10

Noteworthy also-rans include Panasonic's newest flat-screen PanaSync SL90, a near miss for the tenth spot. The PanaSync was held back by its undistinguished text quality and lack of advanced features, such as USB connectivity and focus controls. Various factors barred 13 other models from the chart, despite some attractive prices and compelling feature sets. Even with prices below $600, lackluster image quality on text documents, graphic images, or both kept the AcerView 99c, CTX VL 950S, Hewlett-Packard M900, Mag InnoVision XJ810, Sampo AlphaScan 800S, and Sceptre Dragon Eye D97A from Top 10 territory. The Dragon Eye D97A's ranking also suffered from Sceptre's 9 hours of weekday phone support--the second skimpiest we saw--though the firm's generous five-year warranty prevented it from faltering further.

The sleek Nokia 446XS missed the Top 10 due to its high price ($899) and unimpressive graphics quality, although it received excellent marks for having three USB ports and for its futuristic design, an ergonomic cut above the rest. Nokia builds the 446XS's cabinet around a shorter and wider CRT tube, complete with a shallow case.

Two other chart-missers, the $699 ViewSonic MB90 and $649 Philips Brilliance 109, each come with integrated microphone and speakers, a boon for small-office/home-office workers who want multimedia features but don't need perfect sound. But neither monitor scored well enough overall to make the Top 10. Among other things, an awkwardly placed power switch and huge cabinet hindered the Philips model, whereas the ViewSonic's colors appeared overly saturated.

Finally, a combination of above-average prices (up to $789), a dearth of advanced features, and/or tepid graphics quality kept the Cornerstone P1400, Eizo Nanao FlexScan FX-D7, Hitachi SuperScan Elite753, and NEC E900+ from cracking the Top 10 list.

Prices Plummet

The average street price of 19-inch monitors these days is about $650--almost a third lower than the average price six months ago. Prices for the 24 units we evaluated in this review range from $429 to $999. But most users will want to think hard before deciding on the least expensive offering, Sampo's AlphaScan 800S. The AlphaScan produces unrealistic colors, and the company offers only 10 hours of weekday tech support. If price is your prime priority, check out Samsung's $449 SyncMaster 900p, which grabbed ninth place thanks to its low price, solid image quality, and around-the-clock support.

At the other end of the price spectrum, an elite class of graphics monitors offer pinpoint image accuracy, built-in connectivity, and fantastic color fidelity. But of course, you pay for these benefits: The $999 ViewSonic PT795--the most expensive professional-class model we reviewed--costs more than some 21-inch displays (see "Two Budget 21-Inch Monitors"). But even the first-class 19-inchers include some relatively good deals: The number-two Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 900u delivers stellar graphics quality, yet at $799 costs $200 less than the ViewSonic.

Shaping Up: Shorter Necks, Flatter Screens

The newest monitor buzzword, short-neck, refers to technology that permits a shallower tube and--theoretically at least--saves desktop space. Alas, not every vendor makes good use of this innovation. The fifth-place IBM P92, for example, uses a short-neck tube but encases it in the second-largest cabinet here.

Still, if free desktop space eludes you, consider a monitor with reduced depth, though you'll save only about two inches of desk space on average. The shortest-depth monitor among the Top 10, Compaq's V900, measures just 17 inches deep. A handful of other displays beyond the Top 10 (including the Cornerstone P1400, CTX VL 950S, Nokia 446XS, and Panasonic PanaSync SL90) feature cases shallower than 17 inches. The Nokia and Panasonic use shorter-yoked tubes, while the CTX and Cornerstone minimize case depth by rearranging and miniaturizing the internal components. If having enough space concerns you, measure your work surface and ask the sales rep about a monitor's depth before buying it.

Variations on the Theme of Flat

You might assume that flat means lacking three-dimensional curves, but in the realm of monitor tubes, it's more abstraction than geometric reality. All the vendors here describe their monitors with some variant on the word flat--flat-square, optically flat, perfect flat, or vertically flat--though all the screens are curved to a degree. At present, no industry standard defines flat, so variances abound.

Three of the units we reviewed feature the newest generation of flat screens, and they shine. Mitsubishi's Diamond Pro 900u, NEC's MultiSync FP950, and ViewSonic's PT795 use a variation of Mitsubishi's Diamondtron tube. IBM's P92 and Sony's Multiscan CPD-420GS employ Sony's Trinitron vertically flat tube. Though the IBM and Sony screens display a slight degree of curvature on the outside glass, image quality is comparable to that provided by the Diamondtron. None of these five displays showed any pronounced visual distortion, and all eliminate the concavity of older-generation "flat-screen" monitors such as Panasonic's PanaFlat PF70. All five grab a spot on the Top 10 chart, earning excellent scores for rendering images with color accuracy and pronounced 3D effects.

These new flatter tubes offer two distinct advantages over old-style CRTs: There's virtually no reflected glare to tire your eyes and little if any detectable curvature around the edges of the image. Spreadsheets appear square and symmetrical, and color images look as though they were laid out on a piece of photographic paper--an improvement over earlier "flat" CRTs. As such, the newer flat-screen CRTs are better for graphic artists or others who need to work extensively with complex images.

Connections and Compliance

Eight of the monitors we reviewed (including four in the Top 10) offer at least one USB upstream port, which connects the monitor to the PC and allows you to adjust settings through a Windows 98 utility. Some designs also feature downstream ports for attaching USB peripherals like scanners, printers, or videoconferencing cameras. Some monitor vendors provide optional stand-alone hubs, most of which cost less than $100 (see "USB or Not: Pros and Cons").

In addition, two monitors here--NEC's MultiSync FP950 and ViewSonic's PT795--comply with the latest and strictest TCO'99 emissions standards. TCO'92 and TCO'95 set limits on manufacturing plant emissions as well as on the use of toxic substances such as lead and mercury in the fabrication process. TCO'99 also lowers acceptable levels of reflective glare, inconsistencies in color temperature and uniformity, and screen jitter--all of which can produce stress associated with eye fatigue.

Should a Big Screen Be on Your Desktop?

The new vanguard of 19-inch displays offer smaller footprints, flatter screens, lower prices, and less glare than ever before. Our Top 10 chart includes a monitor for every kind of user--from number cruncher to home-office professional to computer-aided design specialist. Monitors from Compaq, Dell, Iiyama, Princeton, Samsung, and Sony represent solid choices for buyers with an eye on the bottom line, while the IBM, Mitsubishi, NEC, and ViewSonic displays focus on excellent graphics quality in the high-rent district. Whether you need picture-perfect images or worry that your wallet will be flatter than your screen, there's never been a better time to buy.