Vendors display LCD wares

Makers of flat panel LCD monitors seem to be trying hard to distinguish themselves from the competition at this year's Comdex show in Las Vegas.

Vendors had plenty to say: BenQ Inc. announced the fastest LCD on the market; AG Neovo Technology Corp. offered an LCD series with an optic filter for protection and better viewing; and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. introduced panels with wide aspect ratios.

Other flat panel announcements include a 21.3-inch thin bezel display from Eizo Nanao Technologies Inc. and an upcoming 30-inch display from NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of America Inc.

BenQ FP591 Flat Panel LCD

BenQ's FP591 15-inch panel features a 16-millisecond signal response time for smooth, flicker-free motion images. This rate translates to streaming video of almost 60 frames/sec.

This display is also extremely bright, at 500 cd/m2 (most LCD displays are around 250 cd/m2) running at 1,024 x 768 pixels. It comes with both analog and digital input options.

The FP591 is available for a suggested retail price of $499.

AG Neovo S-Series

AG Neovo announced two new displays in its S-Series, one of three lines of LCDs to feature the company's Crystal Optic Filter. According to the company, the filter delivers richer colors and clearer text as well as added durability since it's made of hardened glass.

The new displays are 18.1 inches and 17 inches large with a resolution of 1,280 x 1,024. This series is the company's "stylish" line that features foldable, small-footprint stands and three inputs: analog, digital and S-video.

Prices in the S-Series range from $499 to $1,099.

Samsung SyncMaster 172W

This new offering from Samsung features a cinematic aspect ratio that provides 25 percent more working space than traditional displays, according to the company.

Designed for high-end graphics design applications, businesses and corporations, it can eliminate the need for dual displays. In addition, text characters are 10 percent larger.

The panel, which is part of Samsung's MagicBright family, features three brightness modes: one for regular PC use, one for streaming video and Internet video, and one that emulates TV.

The SyncMaster 172W also comes with a dual hinge stand that can be folded back and used as a wall mount.

The display accepts both digital and analog input, with a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 768.

The street price is $699.

Eizo FlexScan L985EX

Eizo's FlexScan L985EX is a new 21.3-inch offering featuring 1,600 x 1,200 native resolution and a thin bezel.

The product supports the new sRGB color standard, providing uniformity in color reproduction. It also comes with independent six-color control.

Eizo's Screen Administrator software allows for asset tracking and screen control from remote locations, and its dual DVI-I ports allow for both digital and analog input.

The estimated street price for the Eizo FlexScan L985EX is $2,989.

NEC-Mitsubishi LCD3000

The new 30-inch LCD panel from NEC-Mitsubishi is not in production yet but is planned for shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.

It features 1,280 x 768 resolution and is also unusually bright at 450 cd/m2. Because it does not use phosphors, images do not permanently "burn" on the screen.

The company's CableComp technology prevents image degradation from long cables allows for sharp images at up to 326 feet and automatically compensates for signal delays and irregular red, green and blue cable transmissions.

The estimated street price is $4,299.