Sony SDM-HS53

WHAT'S HOT: Bucking the trend toward generic design among 15-inch LCDs, the SDM-HS53 has a unique, chic look. The monitor's glossy black frame contrasts with its pewter-tone base and stand just as a pair of dark, heavy-rimmed glasses puts a face into stark relief. But the really striking part of this monitor's look is the stand, a bow-shaped yoke that holds up the screen by its bottom two corners. One feature we liked was a button on the lower bezel that allowed us to toggle through four backlight settings--high, medium, low, and a user-defined level--for displaying different content. And should something go wrong, the 24-hour, daily toll-free tech support is reassuring.

WHAT'S NOT: Unfortunately, form does not follow function in the design of the SDM-HS53. The fancy mount that holds the monitor is attached to the lightweight base by a rather stiff hinge; tilting the screen required us to hold down the base and then yank at the panel. This mounting does not allow other key adjustments, namely height and swivel. And the glossy frame can be distracting, as your eyes stray from the screen to images reflected in the bezel.

Our judges were not impressed with the graphics quality of the SDM-HS53. Its cumulative score for our graphics test screens placed it at number 19 among 21 monitors recently tested, and in particular it fell behind in displaying a Web page and two color photographs, whose colors looked a bit flat.

The HS53 is not exactly cheap, with a street price of $380 at the time of our review. That price was higher than the costs of most competiting models we saw, and comparable to the price of the Eizo Nanao FlexScan L367, which performed much better in our tests.

WHAT ELSE: Text quality was generally good, with the SDM-HS53 placing around the middle of the pack in our comparison for the September 2003 issue. The on-screen controls are attractive and fairly easy to navigate via clearly labeled buttons on the bottom edge of the screen. Advanced features allow you to custom-adjust color temperature and to choose among three gamma-curve values.

The SDM-HS53's paper documentation is thin, consisting only of a brief Quick Setup Guide that also includes basic specs. However, in addition you get a CD-ROM with a detailed Portable Document Format manual that adds information on controls and adjustments, plus troubleshooting advice. The CD also contains a wizard for adjusting the monitor.

UPSHOT: Though the slick looks of Sony's SDM-HS53 may draw you in, our recommendation is to bypass it and invest your money in a less-attractive but better-performing monitor.

SUMMARY

Sony SDM-HS53 15-inch screen, 1024 by 768 native resolution, 15.4 by 7.3 by 13.5 inches, 8.4 pounds, TFT panel, analog input. Three-year warranty (including backlight); 24-hour daily toll-free tech support. $380 800/571-7669 www.sonystyle.com