Many users who caught CRT monitors probably remember the unsurpassed quality of products manufactured under the ViewSonic brand. At the dawn of the computer era, the Chinese manufacturer freely competed with such well-known companies as Sony, NEC, Panasonic, in no way inferior to them in the quality of production. However, with the advent of LCD technology, much has changed in the market - there are many competitors that have to be fought in the price range as well. The article focuses on ViewSonic LCD monitors, specifications and reviews.
Options and appearance
It has not been a surprise to buy a complete set of a monitor for a long time — a standard set that includes the device itself, a stand, a power cable and an interface cord. The manufacturer also encloses a driver for the ViewSonic monitor on the disk, which is unlikely to be installed, because modern systems are purchased without a drive. Not just to amaze, even surprise the buyer with nothing.
ViewSonic has long been suspected of plagiarizing design, and LCD devices are no exception. Each of them, which can be found on the market, is very similar to the well-known brands Samsung or LG. Even the ViewSonic Led monitor from the new line with red panel accents is very similar to the popular “T” series from the Korean giant.
It would seem that there is nothing to surprise the buyer, but no! It turns out that the leader in the video card market, nVidia, has a long-term contract with the renowned monitor manufacturer ViewSonic and recommends it to anyone who wants to enjoy the 3D effect when watching videos or playing games. Naturally, the recommended monitors come with 3D glasses.
Interfaces and build quality
And if all manufacturers get rid of old interfaces by replacing D-Sub with HDMI, then ViewSonic monitors are strangely supplied with many ancient interfaces. Apparently, the manufacturer expects that most of the buyers of this brand are not at all wealthy people with computers from Apple.
The VESA mount, which is present in all modern models, can please the buyer. The built-in four-port USB-drive also causes positive emotions. Some ViewSonic monitors are equipped with a fairly decent quality built-in stereo. What can not be faulted is the build quality, it is impeccable. Very high-quality plastic does not bend anywhere, it does not creak during installation. The user will not be able to see any gaps between the case and the connectors, as well as to find the smallest unevenness on the surface of the plastic panel. Everything fits perfectly.
About goodies
The characteristics of the ViewSonic monitor make us recall CRT devices that have few competitors in displaying high-quality images. With the LCD matrix the same thing - the picture is so realistic that you can not take your eyes off it. Excellent color rendering even for TN matrices. ViewSonic can safely compete with more expensive devices that have an expensive VA matrix. Even such a serious manufacturer is not able to solve the problem with the viewing angle of the TN matrix, it spoils all the impressions.
If you compare ViewSonic with competitors in one niche, the user will be pleasantly surprised. As for VA-matrices, as for IPS, there are no questions regarding the quality of reproducing a juicy picture. At first, there is a feeling that the manufacturer increased the contrast of the monitor using the settings, but by going to the menu, you can find a huge margin of brightness and contrast. Judging by the numerous reviews, the owners of ViewSonic monitors are embarrassed by the font in the control menu, such a serious brand, and the text as typed on a typewriter in the last century.
Branded "little things" from the manufacturer
Externally, ViewSonic monitors do not look attractive, but when viewing the device, the user will find many useful functions for himself.
- Physical rotation of the screen by almost 360 degrees. How often in the graphics editor I want to rotate the monitor screen 90 degrees to work comfortably with portraits. This feature will prove to be very useful for designers, artists and copywriters.
- Telescopic stand. Not every monitor can boast at least some height adjustment, not that it rises almost 20 centimeters up.
- The lack of design idea in the manufacture of the case has one positive point - the stand has a perfectly flat surface, which allows you to store any small thing on it, without fear that it will slide downhill and be lost.
The best office device
ViewSonic devices are unlikely to boast a low price on the market, because their niche is medium and high class. However, this does not prevent them from competing with cheap monitors. The fact is that most manufacturers, keeping up with the times, switched to multimedia screen sizes with an aspect ratio of 16: 9. But the 19-inch ViewSonic office monitor is produced in the old 4: 3 format, which attracts the attention of government organizations, educational institutions and enterprises. After all, working with text, mail and accounting programs is much more convenient for a square monitor. And as a dashboard on the walls of government agencies, such a screen will be more useful. It would seem a trifle, but it is devices with a small diagonal that bring profit to manufacturers.
Very interesting model
Many parents noticed how difficult it is for a child to master a computer mouse. Desire and hard work unambiguously lead to a positive result, but this still needs some time. Trying to cope with the actions on the screen, very often the child begins to poke his fingers into the monitor display, but he does not want to respond to such actions. But the ViewSonic TD2220 LCD monitor would cope with this task, because the 22-inch device is equipped with a matrix that supports Multitouch.
Touch control of the monitor is very popular among owners of Windows 8, where the manipulator is very inconvenient to use. With the support of Multitouch, it is very convenient to hold presentations for your colleagues at work, because not every office has an interactive whiteboard. It is a pity that the screen does not have shock protection, otherwise it would be possible to use the device as a terminal somewhere in a large enterprise.
Walk like a walk!
If ViewSonic LCD monitors are so impeccable in color rendering, why not compare them with competitors in the most expensive niche? Naturally, device matrices should have the same technology, and to be completely interesting, you can stop at AH-IPS. The most expensive competitor, as it turned out, a representative of Apple with a diagonal of 27 inches. Testing consisted in measuring brightness, contrast, color reproduction, as well as the presence of all kinds of light and defects in operation.
The result turned out to be quite interesting - almost the same indicators, except that the ViewSonic monitor screen had a slight light in the upper right corner. Apparently, the manufacturer did not consider this a marriage in the manufacture of the device. The answer was found quite quickly, however, I had to disassemble the monitors. As it turned out, they have the same AH-IPS matrices manufactured in Korea at one of LG's factories.
About Service
The Chinese do not cease to amaze, judging by the reviews of some owners who used the monitor in an aggressive environment (high humidity). The device did not work very long. A year later, the screen began to flicker when turned on and emit a high-frequency sound. In fact, such use is clearly not in accordance with the operating conditions declared by the manufacturers. However, the ViewSonic monitor circuitry for self-repair was not useful to anyone. The service center accepted all the devices, without exception, under warranty and repaired it completely free of charge without any questions, although mold was clearly visible on the connectors of some monitors. This attitude of the manufacturer towards the buyer is respected, which is why in the future, when buying mobile devices, the ViewSonic brand is considered in the first place.
Finally
As can be seen from the review, ViewSonic monitors, reviews of which are only positive in the media, are quite popular among the population. Even the high price, in comparison with competitors in one niche, does not stop anyone. An important role is played by the image reproduction quality - high contrast and richness of the image at the factory settings quickly find fans.
It would seem that spoils the entire appearance of the device - the complete lack of design thought just depresses when meeting with some models, but the manufacturer has presented many modifications, among which there is always a monitor to your liking. So do not dwell on this.