Westinghouse L1916HW

Big-screen resolution in a small package

THE AFFORDABLE WESTINGHOUSE L1916HW packs a 22-inch monitor's resolution into a 19-inch display. Unfortunately, ergonomics and Day-scale performance limitations limit the
monitor's usefulness.

The L1916HW's screen boasts an ample 1,680x1,050 resolution that's great for productivity, because you can have several windows open with little layering and clutter. Its bright screen and 3,000-to-1 dynamic contrast ratio are more than adequate for displaying text and surfing the Web. In our DisplayMate (www.displaymate.com) testing, the L1916HW kept text readable down to 5.3 points, although at such a high resolution we had to lean forward to read the tiny text.

The L1916HW strugled with the 10 darkest shades of gray, all of which appeared
black in our tests.The light end fared better, but we wouldn't recommend
this monitor for working with images or graphics.

The L19161-IW performed adequately in our DVD and gaming tests, thanks to the fast 2ms (gray-to-gray) response time. Dark corners with detail often looked black, however.

The touch-sensitive control "buttons" are among the worst we've seen. Hidden behind the screen where you can't see them, they can turn screen adjustments into an exercise in
anger management.The power button worked too well, frequently causing us to turn off the monitor while adjusting the screen. Other buttons didn't work until we found just the right way to swipe a finger over them.



Still, with its low price, the L1916HW is a decent monitor for a camped dorm room—as long as you have simple productivity needs. Its light weight makes it easy to move and somewhat makes up for the stand's adjustment issues, though you'll probably need a third-party monitor stand to get the screen to the right height. —MS.


www.westinghousedigital.com

Computer Shopper January 2009