WHAT'S HOT: This Planar nipped at the heels of the top scorer in our image quality tests, coming in a close second to the Eizo Nanao FlexScan L685. The PT1814NUV performed strongly on our Word and Excel screens, displaying razor-sharp text at small sizes. Photos displayed on the unit had vivid color and accurate detail. What's more, the Planar PT1814NUV earned a slightly better score than the Eizo Nanao on our focus uniformity test. Combine fine imaging with a price that's $780 less than the Eizo, and the Planar becomes an impressive value.

WHAT'S NOT: The tilt function on this monitor felt stiff: By trial and error, we found that you must grasp the panel by its sides, halfway between the top and bottom, to make it tilt smoothly. Unfortunately, that means placing your hands right on top of the control buttons on the right edge of the bezel. With annoying frequency, we'd accidentally activate the on-screen menu as we tried to reposition the panel. This never caused any of the settings to change, and you could leave the power off while you adjust the monitor's position, but the design is inelegant.

Another annoying design aspect is the unexpected placement of the power switch on the back of the panel, rather than on the front. Also, the monitor doesn't have a hardware volume control for the speakers; to adjust the volume you must go into the monitor's on-screen menu. The audio line-in and headphone ports are right next to each other on the back of the panel and are not easy to distinguish. And if you regularly switch between headphones and the built-in speakers, the headphone jack's placement can be fairly inconvenient.

WHAT ELSE: If you want to jazz up your desk a bit, the Planar comes in five colors. The unit we tested was translucent blue--you can also choose translucent red or clear, or more sedate opaque black or white.

This model includes a four-port USB 1.1 hub, as well as S-Video and RCA ports, but like the audio jacks they're located on the back of the panel--great to have, but hard to reach. Thankfully, the swivel function works more smoothly than the tilt feature.

The speakers provided adequate volume and fidelity for listening to the occasional audio CD in the office.

Between the five buttons on the bezel and the PT1814NUV's many menus, you get an extensive selection of controls, including 41 preset video modes. The control buttons on the bezel require some getting used to, mainly because it's not immediately clear how to select or accept a menu choice. There isn't a one-press button for auto-adjusting, although you can adjust the brightness and contrast simply by pressing the plus or minus buttons.

Planar's telephone tech support is available only from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Pacific Time, on weekdays.

UPSHOT: The PT1814NUV provides a great set of features and impressive image quality for an attractive price, but some awkward design and user interface elements detract from the package as a whole.

SUMMARY

Planar PT1814NUV 18.1-inch screen, 1280 by 1024 native resolution, 18.4 by 10.3 by 17.8 inches, 21.2 pounds, active-matrix TFT, digital and analog inputs, TCO'99 compliant. Three-year warranty (including backlight); 11-hour weekday toll-free support. $1119 866/752-6271 www.planar.com