AG Neovo S-19

WHAT'S HOT: AG Neovo's swank S-19 LCD has a unique design that's as suitable for a living room as it is for an office. The screen sits behind a hard glass panel called a NeoV Crystal Optic Filter that flows seamlessly to the slender, glossy, black frame. In addition to protecting the screen, the filter cuts glare on bright text and images. We especially noticed this benefit on our test screen of a Web page with white text on a black background. Our review model was free of visible defective pixels, in keeping with AG Neovo's stated zero-tolerance policy for pixel defects--more stringent than the policies of most monitor makers.

WHAT'S NOT: Unfortunately, the same filter that cuts glare also produces a slight ghosting effect with black text on a white background--the arrangement that users will most often encounter. The glass also produced distracting reflections in some of our tests. These problems caused the S-19 to have the lowest text quality score of all the 19-inch LCDs we evaluated in our February 2003 roundup. Subpar text quality and an unusually high price of $1199 (at the time of our review) were the main factors that kept the S-19 from qualifying for a spot on our February 2003 Top 10 list.

WHAT ELSE: The S-19 also scored at the low end of the range in our graphics quality tests, but it trailed the top performers by only half as many points on graphics as it did on text. The only adjustment option is to tilt the panel from 5 degrees forward to a 25-degree backward rake; the monitor does not provide swivel or height adjustability. However, it is one of the few LCDs we reviewed that sports an S-Video port for attaching devices such as DVD players. Tech support is a bit skimpy, limited to 8 hours per day on weekdays only.

UPSHOT: While we appreciate AG Neovo's design innovations on the S-19, the protective glass degrades image quality significantly.

SUMMARY

AG Neovo S-19 19-inch screen, 1280 by 1024 native resolution; 21.7 by 8.7 by 22.7 inches, 18 pounds; LCD panel; digital, analog, and S-Video inputs. Three-year warranty (including backlight), 8-hour weekday toll-free support. $1199 866/246-3686 www.neovo.com