LG Flatron L1810B
Before we take a look at pictures of the display, a quick rundown of the pertinent specifications. I've added in the Hercules specs so you can see my main angle of comparison.| LG Flatron L1810B | Hercules ProphetView 920 PRO | |
| Size | 18.1" | 17" |
| Resolution | 1280x1024 | 1280x1024 |
| Pixel response | 25ms | 20ms |
| Brightness | 250 cd/m² | 250 cd/m² |
| Contrast Ratio | 350:1 | 430:1 |
| Connections | DVI-I and 15-pin D-Sub | 15-pin D-Sub |
| Weight | 7.8kg | 6kg |
| USB Ports | 2.0 spec, 2 downstream, 1 upstream | None |
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While not to make comparisons with the Hercules too much, we gain an inch and a bit, lose some contrast, the panel is slower but has DVI-I input, plus we get some USB on the side too.
And all wrapped up in a quite sexy thin silver bezel. I'm a fan of black monitors with the brightness of LCDs; in dark rooms, when using them to watch a film for example, a black bezel doesn't reflect as much light, giving the appearance the the panel is floating. It's an effect not dissimilar to watching a movie at the cinema. The silver is classy however and an infinitely better choice than beige. LCD manufacturers realise that aesthetics are important with thin displays.
The buttons, while small, are easy to depress and have a noticeable travel distance, giving you good feedback that you've actually pressed it down. You get a button to switch between the DVI digital input and the D-Sub analogue, a button that invokes the OSD (on-screen display) for adjusting the display characteristics, a set of four directional buttons that double up as simple contrast and brightness controls, a dual function button to auto-tune the display and select menu items and finally the power button to turn the whole thing off.
The transparent plastic surround to the power button allows green LED light to shine through when the unit is powered on and recieving a signal from either input, turning orange when in standby mode or when otherwise disconnected from a PC.
Round the back gives the reason for the weight disparity between the LG L1810B and the Hercules 920 PRO that simple increase in panel size can't explain.
Furthest in perspective in the above shot is the DVI-I connector, a cable for which is bundled for suitable connection to a DVI-I equipped graphics card. Closer to the viewer is the analogue input, for situations when the DVI-I can't be used or when you want to double up on inputs, using the monitor with a pair of display sources. Finally, in the near field, is the power cable input for the integrated power supply. While it's advantageous from an aesthetic point of view to have the power supply integrated into the casing, I'd much prefer it as a separate part, for when it goes wrong. Being able to replace just the power supply instead of the whole unit, if it becomes defective, is a bonus. However since power supply failure isn't supposed to be a regular happening, I'll give LG the benefit of the doubt.
So in overall first-glance appearance terms, quite the display. It pays not to focus on pixel response times too much, in the age of discovery that quoted pixel response times aren't all created equal. One man's 16ms is another man's 25ms, both performing similarly. The bezel gives the optical illusion that the panel is bigger than it actually is, the framing effect of the thin border seeing to that.
Dual inputs are expected on a panel in this price bracket and the overall first opinion of the unit is one of quality. It appears to be subjectively very good on the surface. Let's delve under the skin a little.
