As part of our Home Technology Demonstration for Small Spaces we needed a video display system. Flat Panel Displays are the rage now ... and for good reasons. The prices have plummeted in the last few years. The sizes have grown. The pictures are crystal clear. They take up no space at all ... and can be mounted almost anywhere. What more do we need.

ViewSonic is one of the forerunners in display technology for computers and their LCD monitors have been among the leaders in the field. Although I saw some huge displays at CES this year ... 40" is still large for the home market and in most cases it's probably plenty big for most rooms.

There is a menagerie of possible Video connections on the back of this unit. There are many configurations with today's Home Theater systems so manufacturers have to allow for every one of them. This is unfortunate as I'm sure it adds to the cost and it certainly adds to the confusion for those of us who just want to set up a system and watch TV. Hopefully the industry will get it's act in gear soon and reduce the choices ... or at least just give us some simple guidance ... like "This one is Good ... this one is Better and this one is the Best!!!  As a general rule, for the options on this unit ... DVI is best, RGB, is next then Component, then S-video and last is composite. The options are all listed in the spec below so you can find out if the system has everything you need.

Two built-in stereo speakers deliver 24 watts of SRS (surround) stereo sound to your TV and movie choices. This is a nice feature for those who don't have separate audio equipment. You can use a stand or hang it on the wall with an optional mount.

Setting up the system is fairly simple although if you are not familiar with the terms and resolution of your system as a whole I recommend that you have someone who does give you a hand to be sure you get the best possible picture from this screen and your system. It's a big investment and you want to take full advantage of the quality of this product. There are a lot of variables ... and getting the system tuned to perfection is well worth it. HDTV in 1280x768 resolution gives you a crystal clear picture. You even get an excellent depiction with a raw TV signal straight out of the wall. I am impressed with the brightness of this display ... even in daylight ... and viewing at an angle does not degrade the experience at all. I've not noticed any problems at all in the few months that I have been watching this screen. Very impressive.

MSRP for this unit is $4,795. As I said, ViewSonic has been in the display business for many years and this unit reflects the quality of their business.

Specifications