Hitachi CML190B (SXW)

WHAT'S HOT: Hitachi's CML190B achieved the highest overall score in our image-quality tests, edging out traditional market leaders such as NEC-Mitsubishi and Samsung by a hair. This bright LCD displayed finely nuanced images with brilliant colors. Sharp text and menu icons enlivened Microsoft Word documents, and game performance was on par with the best flat screens. Also, we saw few motion artifacts in our screening of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and shadowing was visible only in the fastest sequences. It performed a shade better on these tasks than most other 19-inch LCDs we reviewed.

Hitachi thoughtfully placed the power and video connections under a removable cover on the right side of the panel (if you're looking at it from the back). This makes cables easier to connect than on most LCD monitors, which force you to aim the connector upwards and attach it to the underside of the panel.

The CML190B's swivel base works better than those on other displays we've looked at. Only the middle part of the base moves. Many other monitors have a simple lazy Susan-like turntable at the bottom, and the lip of the base typically rubs against the desktop when you try to rotate it. A small notch in front of the base acts as a reference point for centering the screen.