ViewSonic VP201B 20" LCD Monitor

Paid $570 on sale after tax from...

Strengths: Stylish, top band name (much better than Samsung IMHO), 1600 * 1200, DVI connections, tilt and swivel (very adjustable), picture quality, 16ms refresh (high for a 20 or 21")

Weakness: 1 dead pixel (far left bottom near icons) Have to look pretty hard for it. Looks like a tiny spec on dirt on the LCD screen. Normally not noticeable at all.

Paid $570 on sale after tax from Dell Home and they completely impressed me for a change. Ordered at lunch one day and arrived the next day (free shipping). Smoking turn around time. Why pay $570 on sale versus $350 for a 19" 8 ms LCD? Well if you want to run at 1600 * 1200 that is the price to pay. When comparing 1600*1200 to 1280*1024 the difference to me is night and day. Some people like...
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Paid $570 on sale after tax from Dell Home and they completely impressed me for a change. Ordered at lunch one day and arrived the next day (free shipping). Smoking turn around time. Why pay $570 on sale versus $350 for a 19" 8 ms LCD? Well if you want to run at 1600 * 1200 that is the price to pay. When comparing 1600*1200 to 1280*1024 the difference to me is night and day. Some people like bigger icons or aren't into using 4 screens at once so if 1280 * 1024 is a good resolution for you then jump on a 19" LCD, Otherwise it boiled really down to this and Samsung's 21" model. I had a major quality problem with a CRT monitor 19" that is only 6 months old plus the 25 versus 16ms refresh so I jumped all over this versus the extra inch from Samsung for a comparable price. Tried Painkiller and slight ghosting but definitely playable at 1600*1200 using a BFG 6800GT...

By fvpawli - Jun 7, 2005

Amazing monitor. came from a 19"...

Strengths: received w/ 0 dead pixels; 20.1"; 1600x1200 native resolution; 16 ms response time; excellent viewing angle; can rotate screen 90 degrees, hydraulic (?) base to adjust height of screen; "bezel" design

Weakness: relatively lower brightness & contrast ratio ratings compared w/ smaller LCDs.

Amazing monitor. came from a 19" no-name CRT from 1999...never knew text could be properly read at 1600x1200. took a hit on the brightness & contrast ratio to get the 1600x1200 resolution with a response time of 16 ms for gaming. have tried doom3, rome: total war, & diablo 2...no noticeable ghosting. i've read very few online reviews that say they've received this monitor w/ any dead pixels.

By Amith4dat - Oct 22, 2004

An Decent Monitor, Poor Support

Strengths: Excellent ergonomics. Tilt, pivot & height adjustment. USB 2.0 hub. 1600x1200 at 16ms. Sturdy & stable base. Attractive thin bezel & profile. No dead pixels. Great LCD monitor at a fantastic price.

Weakness: USB ports located on bottom of pivoting monitor. Brightness and contrast could be better.

I decided to purchase a LCD monitor once prices for 1600x1200 pixel displays had dropped below $1,000. Not only have they dropped, but they've plumetted to less than $800 for the VP201b and VP201s. In fact, I got mine for only $794.99. This monitor does everything your average business or home user could need. Ergonomics are second to none. The monitor's height can be adjusted almost 4 and one...
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I decided to purchase a LCD monitor once prices for 1600x1200 pixel displays had dropped below $1,000. Not only have they dropped, but they've plumetted to less than $800 for the VP201b and VP201s. In fact, I got mine for only $794.99. This monitor does everything your average business or home user could need. Ergonomics are second to none. The monitor's height can be adjusted almost 4 and one half inches and it even pivots, although at 1600x1200 pixels, it won't likely be necessary very often. Unfortunately, the USB ports are located on the bottom of the pivoting monitor rather than the stand. I assume that this is to accommodate a VESA compliant mount without losing the USB hub, but it would have been a nice option to have the ports located on both. The viewing angles are excellent, but the brightness and contrast could be better. Then again, at this price, who's complaining.

Update: After a month or two the montitor started to show increasing signs of misconvergence. I sent it back for repair only to get an obviously previously used refurb. The refurb is blurry and unfocused down the center of the screen. It is also going back. Unfortunately, Viewsonic doesn't have any of the VP201b's in stock so I'll need to wait for another 3 or 4 weeks to see if they can fix it. I've spent more time having these monitors fixed and replaced than actually using them. I've long since purchased another monitor from LG that has worked flawlessly and has a much sharper brighter picture.

Another Update: After nearly a year, Viewsonic actually sent a brand new VP2030b as a replacement. It has an excellent picture, but a very wobbly poorly engineered stand. It has one dead pixel but has worked well overall for about a month.

By CareyBe - Oct 27, 2004

I plan to buy a second VP201b, as...

Strengths: Compared to a my Viewsonic A90 CRT, the VP201b is much brighter and easier to view. I haven't had any problems with ghosting, though I don't play many games. Screen is thin, saving desk space.

Weakness: The included cables don't conduct signal well, causing a lot of image flashing. Replacement DVI cables are expensive, and Viewsonic should fix this issue. The large foot petals take up too much room.

I plan to buy a second VP201b, as the prices have come down almost $200 since I bought mine. I am impressed by the overall vibrance of the screen, and the small dot pitch prevents my eyes from straining compared to my much older laptop screen. I really wish the panel's feet were smaller, because I have a feeling this is going to prevent me from putting two panels side by side. I will probably...
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I plan to buy a second VP201b, as the prices have come down almost $200 since I bought mine. I am impressed by the overall vibrance of the screen, and the small dot pitch prevents my eyes from straining compared to my much older laptop screen. I really wish the panel's feet were smaller, because I have a feeling this is going to prevent me from putting two panels side by side. I will probably have to buy a 3rd party stand or arm to do multipanel.

The built-in USB ports are nice, since I am running out of USB2 ports as it is. I really wish there were S-video or RCA ports on this model, but Viewsonic does offer a TV tuner for about $170 more that will replicate those ports externally. The downshot is that the TV tuner uses VGA instead of DVI, which may or may not be bad, depending on if you want to switch sources between TV and PC.

By pdx6 - Jun 4, 2004

I would definitly recommend this...

Strengths: excellent clarity in 1600 x 1200 mode, great 16ml second response time for games no ghosting whats so ever. swivels 180 degrees which great for surfing the net U see full page without scrolling dn.

Weakness: 400:1 contrast just doesn't cut it, the screen looks dark dark grey: Heavy and clumsy to move around if U must.

I would definitly recommend this monitor, had a samsung 912n before this & this blows that right out of the water.
Games & graphic based programs floor me with this model as does surfing the net with 90 degree rotation.
This monitor rocks!!

By johnnyboo - Sep 21, 2004