Acer AL1916W

Product: Acer AL1916W
Type: LCD Flat Panel Widescreen Monitor

Specifications:

* 19″ widescreen TFT LCD
* 1440 x 900 native resolution
* 500:1 contrast ratio
* 150° /130° horizontal/vertical viewing angles
* VGA connector, DVI-D (on select models only)
* 300 cd/m2 brightness
* 8ms response time
* Black or silver chassis color
* Dimensions: 16.6″ (422.2mm) W x 6.9″ (175.8mm) D x 17.0″ (433.0mm) H

1. Neoseeker and NCIX review the Acer AL1916W Monitor. Their verdict is that “The AL1916WB from Acer offers a relatively decent value. This monitor represents the first widescreen monitor aimed directly at the masses, and its general performance will match what a majority of that market will expect…We can confirm that there is virutally no image streaking while playing games with this monitor, and in that regard, this monitor won’t suprise or disappoint. The main issue we had, with our sample anyways, was poor color consistency…As much as a 19 inch widescreen monitor for roughly $300 is a great deal, we can’t give this monitor an award simply for the fact that it falls short in too many areas. With this in mind, we hope Acer work at improving this model, as widescreen is where everything is heading, so we can only imagine that their line of widescreen models is only going to get better…”
2. Rounding up a series of reviews on the venerable 19″ Acer AL1916W LCD monitor is a review by Digital Media Online.

   There’s nothing special about the AL1916W’s specs, but given its age, we’re talking about seriously low prices. So, it shouldn’t be surprising to see the reviewer’s conclusion: “I was quite impressed with the Acer AL1916W Widescreen LCD Monitor. Even though it is a ‘bare-bones’ monitor with only a single VGA input, no audio, and limited controls it performed well on just about every one of my tests. The backlight leakage will be noticeable on very dark images but for most applications you’ll never notice it. I wished the stand provided more height but I can live with that. The extra screen real estate is great when you’ve got multiple windows opened and, if you are using the Windows Multimedia Center to watch movies it’s nice to be able to see the complete widescreen image without black bars. Finally, you simply can’t beat the price! I give the AL1916W high marks in just about every category. It’s not perfect but it’s a pretty darn good monitor for the price.”

3. While the previous Acer AL1916Ws reviews were pushed under the AL1916W umbrella, we’ve decided that we should separate the Wb and Ws reviews if the reviewers explicitly state the exact model numbers they are reviewing - even though the only difference between the two are their colours (black and silver respectively).

   So, here’s a review of the Acer AL1916Ws from X-bit labs. You’ll find that it’s especially detailed given that it’s actually part of a review of 15 different LCD monitors.

   Their conclusion is that, “…the AL1916Ws may be an interesting option for people who’d want to have a widescreen 19” monitor but are not satisfied with the low resolution and large pixels of the older 1280×768 matrixes. The monitor suits well for work and for watching movies (a special thanks to the wide display!), but you should think twice if you need a monitor for playing games. The matrix installed in the AL1916Ws is way slower than the matrixes of modern gaming LCD monitors. Don’t forget about the type of the matrix, too. The characteristic problems of TN+Film technology with viewing angles may have become less annoying, but have not disappeared yet.”

A poster at the Widescreen Gaming Forum writes a pretty informative review on the Acer AL1916W Monitor. His conclusion is that “As a conclusion I think it’s a good value and I recommend this monitor if you can live with the tradeoffs. If you can’t wait to get a widescreen monitor but can’t spend the extra $$ for pricier monitors, get this one it’ll serve you well. When larger panel prices drop again sell it and get a 24″. A big plus is that it’s easy on the graphic card with the lower resolution (1440×900) so you don’t have to upgrade your older / cheaper GPU for a 7800GTX in order to get widescreen support. ”

The rather dated, but solid (just check out some of the reviews on it) 19″ widescreen AL1916W LCD monitor is being sold on the cheap at Buy.com. It’s currently priced at US$183.95, and comes with free shipping.

It is normally priced at US$230+, so this is actually a pretty good bargain.

For those who have forgotten, the Acer AlL1916W comes with a 1440 x 900 native resolution, an 8ms response time, a 500:1 contrast ratio, and a silver or black finish.

The one being sold on Buy.com is the silver version though.

[News via CNET News Blog]