WHAT'S HOT: LG Electronics' silver L1710B offers analog and digital video inputs at a competitive price--$500 at the time of our tests. It's less expensive than competing models with similar features.

The monitor has two downstream USB 1.1 ports built into the panel's supporting post. To connect devices to the ports, you'll have to swivel the panel around--a less-convenient arrangement than having the USB ports built into a base. The company includes a USB cable with the monitor.

In our informal assessment, the L1710B had among the widest viewable angles of the monitors we've seen, making it a good choice for desktop presentations.

In our tests using its digital video input, the monitor delivered satisfying text and colors--its text even beat that of the Samsung SyncMaster 172T, a Best Buy for May 2003. Judges handed out above-average marks for the L1710B's ability to display sharp letters and colorful graphics on a Web page screen, and it aced another test showing a variety of font sizes--even small fonts were crisp and easy to read.

WHAT'S NOT: The L1710B's on-screen controls aren't as extensive as those on some competitors, but they do include all the basics, such as brightness, contrast, clock, and phase, which are useful to sharpen up text. You can lock in your adjustments, however--a somewhat rare control. The rounded control buttons are smaller than on other monitors, as are the icons in the on-screen display menu.

WHAT ELSE: You can change the position of this monitor quite easily. Unlike the stiff tilting action of many units, the L1710B requires very little force to adjust. And it swivels quite easily, too--the slightest nudge moves it to the right or left. Its documentation includes a user guide with detailed instructions on operating the screen controls. For color calibration, LG includes Colorific, which matches screen colors to print jobs.

UPSHOT: Though it lacks the high style of more-expensive panels, this competitively priced panel offers wider viewing angles than most and displays crisp text and natural-looking colors.

SUMMARY

LG Electronics L1710B $