With above-average image quality and a competitive price, the Dell 1905FP is well worth the money. The 19-inch LCD retains the basic look and flexible design of its predecessors -- although the stand feels a bit sturdier -- and it offers the same height adjustment range of about 13cm. It also smoothly tilts, swivels and rotates from Portrait to Landscape mode. You can lock the monitor at its lowest height position and remove the panel from the pillar by pressing a release button, which makes this display easy to transport and store.
A rubber sleeve on the back of the neck neatly holds all cables. Finally, the 1905FP retains some nice extra features, including four USB 2.0 ports (two on the bottom and two on the lower left side) and a connector at the bottom of the panel for the optional speaker module. It comes with both DVI-D and analog D-sub connectors and cables.
Features
The Dell 1905FP delivers better image quality than your average LCD. We tested the monitor at its native resolution of 1,280 by 1,024. Text looked crisp well beyond the range of typical font sizes. In colour performance, it beat or matched all other competitors, save Eizo's professional-grade ColorEdge CG18.
On our DisplayMate-based greyscale tests, we noticed a slight green tint in the darkest shades and a slight pink hue in the lightest. These colour flaws are less pronounced than on most LCDs and shouldn't bother most users. Graphics aficionados, however, should note that we saw mildly washed-out midtone colours in some digital photos we viewed. Still, the 1905FP offers above-average image quality when compared to other similarly priced displays.
Performance
As is common for LCDs, the 1905FP had trouble displaying a true black, although it was quite deep for an LCD. In our informal DVD-viewing test, performance was about average on the dark end of the greyscale. We could discern fairly dark tones but did miss some shadow details on the DVD. On the light end, we could distinguish very pale greys against a white background. This indicates that the monitor displays subtle shadings well at the bright end, as you might find in editing brightly lit photos or in viewing exuberantly designed Web pages featuring light text on a colored background. We saw minimal streaking in motion tests but noticed some noise and oversaturated colours.
Dell offers a standard three-year warranty and lifetime technical support via telephone and e-mail. Our one gripe on support is that Dell no longer includes a full printed manual, but it does ship an adequate setup poster. And it includes a detailed manual in electronic form on a bundled CD and on its Web site.
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me
06/02/2007, 11:58 AM
rating
2/10
really crap
Pros: really crap
Cons: really crap
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21/04/2006, 02:56 PM
Buy this not a "Short Screen"
I have my Dell 19" next to my new 20" Ultrasharp widescreen and I can't see why I paid so much extra for a "larger" widescreen. Yes there are some advantages in the widescreen but it is actually shorter than the 19". The wide sides are mostly a complete waste (depending on your usage) given the extra money. Don't get me wrong, these Dell LCDs are both top quality monitors - just save yourself some $$, buy the 19" Ultrasharp, not the 20" widescreen!
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16/02/2006, 08:39 AM
Great! Very pleased! A+!
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Jason
20/01/2006, 01:34 AM
Beware the "burn in"
We have several of these at my company and have had three with severe ghost imaging, which is basically burn in on the screens. Other than that, they work great, just make sure to get the extended service contract with it
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11/10/2005, 12:15 AM
Excellent Monitor!
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JT
05/08/2005, 01:20 PM
Full Feature LCD
I read a few critical reviews that complained the brightness control did not go dark enough and tended to wash out images. I found the control very limited myself when my new monitor arrived out of the box. However, I use the monitor at home in various light levels and don't see the problem. Very solid built, great color, and well worth the money.
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Simon
13/07/2005, 12:33 PM
Excellent monitor
I purchased this monitor about 3 months ago for around $325 shipped and I have been extremely pleased with the results so far. The monitor is sharp, bright, and has no dead pixels whatsoever. I have the monitor hooked up to an old power Mac (not the digital connection) and it still looks great. When I get a box with the dvi connection, I look forward to the screen performing even better. My previous monitor was about 8 years old (but cost a fortune in its day) and the 1905FP really makes a huge difference in my computing experience. Value-wise, this is one of the best computer purchases I have made. I would definitely recommend this product over value 19" monitors that might run you $50 bucks less. Wait for a good deal through Dell and then get it. This is an excellent product for a surprisingly small price.
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28/05/2005, 12:29 PM
Great Product
Although not the top of the line when it comes to LCD image, gaming, and other computing events that need the wide range of colors that other monitors have to offer, the 1905FP does suffice and does its job well in every other aspect of what you'd expect a great monitor to do. This is my first LCD; "upgraded" from my Viewsonic CRT E90+SB. The only thing I miss is, as I stated previously, the colors. The 1905FP is an incredible space and power saver, and features great viewing adjustability, 4 USB ports, and Analog and Digital Outputs. I was lucky enough to get it for
$349.99 at my local University Computer Store. From the prices I've seen online are still great, but I couldn't miss out on such a price, so I picked it up, a little reluctantly, but I'm definitely glad I did. Yeah, I'm rambling on too much. If you got the dough, and you've been wanting to get an LCD monitor, you can't go wrong with picking up the 1905FP
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gugusse
12/05/2005, 01:45 PM
Good deal
Great panel, very good ergonomics, good mechanics, rather poor plastic outfit. The optional soundbar disappointed me (loud popping sound on every shut down).
Some of the most recent 1905FP in 2005 don't come with the Samsung panel, but with the brand new AUO panel, a premium-MVA with 8ms reaction time and 800:1 contrast. For me the monitor with this panel it is a very good allrounder for office and video.
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Dave
01/05/2005, 07:48 PM
Excellent all-round monitor - not for hardcore gamers!
I've had this monitor for a few months now, and as my first LCD monitor, I was very impressed. Great size, great colours, USB hub, great price, and an excellent viewing angle are all positive aspects. However, if you are a hardcore gamer, this one is not for you! The speed of the monitor with RGB colours is very good, but the transition from colours to black is quite slow (very noticeable with trailing behind moving black objects). There is also sometimes a noticeable colour delay (red shift) trailing behind any fast moving objects with lots of red in it. The 8-bit panel gives great colour accuracy (in my opinion, better than my CRT), but does have the trade-off with performance. However, it is possible to get used to it and you will know no different!
This monitor is one of the few I have seen that supports all angles of movement in adjustment (up/down, left/right, tilt, rotate). You can use this monitor in portrait mode too, except you will need to use third party software, as there is no software supplied to perform this. A very solid base, with great non-slip footings ensures that this monitor doesn’t slide anywhere no matter what you do! A small sleeve-like system on the back keeps the cables out of sight, and keeps everything neat. Lastly – both Digital and Analogue inputs are supplied, although the Analogue input is rather blurry. Simply use a converter from VGA to DVI if you need an analogue input.
Overall, this is an excellent LCD monitor, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone searching for a great 19 inch LCD (unless you are a hardcore gamer)!
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