1600 x 1200 - 16.7 Million Colors 24-bit - 300 Nit - DVI - VGA - USB - Black - MPN: VP2030B
Strengths: Bright. (Almost Too bright) Great Color. No Dead Pixels! No apparent lag - Movies and Games look good.
Weakness: Analog connection really doesn't cut it at 1600x1200. Use the DVI port and included cable.
This is really a great monitor. Colors are pretty accurate right out of the box. Just a little tweaking required to calibrate... Black is pretty black for an LCD, and there really is no bleed-through except at the highest brightness, which is too bright for me anyway.
You really need to use this monitor at 1600x1200, and the video from the analog connection at this resolution is a little fuzzy. You owe it to yourself to use the included DVI cable to connect to a DVI compatible video card... If you don't have one, it's time to upgrade your video card to get one for $50+ bucks. It will be money well spent.
I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
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TopStrengths: Color is amazing! Graphics and text quality is Superb! Gaming performances is awesome! Quake4 showed almost no ghosting. This monitor will have you finding excuses to use it.
Weakness: Monitor did not come with DVI-D cable. Get one! This monitor has a rather large, albeit attractive base. USB ports are in the back rather than a more accessible spot.
Im a gamer and graphics designer/IT consultant. I needed a monitor that could do both well. After spending weeks reviewing/researching Widescreen LCD's, I stumbled upon this LCD that is NOT a widescreen. When you look at it's specs and Viewsonic's reputation for quality, you will keep coming back to this monitor. Yes, it's pricey, but if you search and be patiend, you will find a price in the low 400's. This is the best monitor under 500.00 that performs both functions superbly.
Would buy this one agian without hesitation.
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TopStrengths: This monitor is simply amazing.This is my 5th lcd monitor to date.I must say this by far is the very best. Trust me when I say you will not be dissapointed
Weakness: Viewsonic has always been week on documentation,but you can find all you ever wantrd to know on thier website
If you want the very best this monitor is it.Graphics and photo retouching is my thing so every pixle relly counts.
YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY.
QUALITY THRU AND THRU
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TopStrengths: Nice contrast ratio. Beautiful for programming, graphics work, surfing
Weakness: Not the best choice for games
I highly recommend the 2030b. When I first embarked on my search for an LCD, I wanted one as a dual purpose programming and gaming monitor. After trying quite a few LCDs, I resigned to the fact that I needed two separate monitors, a CRT for games and an LCD for programming, both attached to my primary PC with the signal cloned to each (this of course means the resolution must match on each). 1600x1200 is my preferred resolution and is the resolution I run the CRT at, which brought me to the 2030b. It exceeded my expectations as a development monitor. No dead pixels, great viewing angle, looks a lot better than others I've seen including the VX2025m, Samsung 204b, Dell 2005FPW. Again I don't play games on it. Seeing it side by side with cloned signal on my 21" CRT, you really see how inadequate LCDs are for games requiring rapid movements -- they just arent fast enough and suffer from tearing and other problems you never encounter on CRTs. If you're buying this monitor to do WORK on, don't hesitate. Now at $400, its a tremendous value.
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TopStrengths: Bright, clear, basically easy to install.
Weakness: Tech help could be better.
I am a home user, not a computer expert. I'm basically pleased with the features and especially the clarity. I could not get it to use the recommended 1600X1200 resolution. (I'm sure there was a blue screen somewhere under that black screen that appeared....). After spending an hour on the phone with a very polite ViewSonic tech (who left me with the black screen), he told me a more experienced tech would call. It has been a week now (I did call twice to check) and still haven't heard. I did know enough on my own to replace my old monitor to get the resolution back to a point the new monitor would allow. Still I'm happy with the monitor even at the lower resolution.
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TopIt is very silly to use this monitor at the wrong resolution! Since LCD screens have discrete pixels (unlike old CRT screens), you must run the screen at it's native resolution (or at an integer factor like 800x600) if you want to get a crisp picture. At any other resolution the screen will be forced to interpolate, so your picture will be blurred.
I recommend you employ a computer support person if you cannot change the resolution.
Strengths: Full 1600X1200 screen, 8ms, high contrast, USB hub, fully tiltable, 3 year warranty
Weakness: High cost
This is a great 20" LCD monitor. It's high refresh rate makes it perfect for all applications-including movies and games. After buying many of these none have had dead pixels, as some cheaper (Dell) ones always seem to. It's high cost is the only disadvantage but you pay for what you get!
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TopI'd like to know what you mean exactly when you refer to the VP2030b's "high refresh rate". What I've found, is that the refresh rate is not only low (60 Hz), but even worse, is that it simply does not support any refresh rates other than 60 Hz!
This is (IMHO) a glaring defect for two reasons:
1. Most video drivers (incl. the WinXP default driver for GeForce) default to 70 Hz; in fact the standard WinXP GeForce driver does not even allow you to set the refresh rate to 60 Hz! This means you get *NO DISPLAY* on the 2030b until you can hook up another monitor, and manually change the refresh rate to 60 Hz. I have never seen a monitor behave this way - I replaced a VP2000S with the VP2030b, and it certainly did not behave this way.
2. ViewSonic falsely claims that the monitor supports refresh rates other than 60 Hz. In fact, it does not. After I finally got the monitor to work with my system, I tried changing the refresh to 70 Hz (the only other rate even *allowed* by the driver), and the monitor would not work - all I could get on the 2030b display was an "out of range" message.
So - I am really wondering why the other reviewers here have rated this thing as a 5-star prodict? Is this some sort of a shill operation?
It's too bad you had problems hooking up your monitor. You should know the problems with Forceware drivers and XP from 2001, with the 60Mhz default. Go to Nvidia and get the latest drivers-same goes for Viewsonic drivers. A 60Mhz refresh at 1600X1200 on a LCD looks VERY good with games and movies, the same cannot be said for CRT's.
Finally before I buy anything like this, I want to see it in person-don't just trust the internet:)
I bought this exact LCD (2030b) about 2-3 months ago now. It is the perfect LCD for games/movies/anything.
I don't know why you can't seem to use anything by 60Hz. I am running at 1600*1200 @ 70Hz. I have an X800XL though, which is an ATI card and not nVidia. Also, I can go up to 85Hz with certain resolutions, and when playing Oblivion at 1440*900 I use 75Hz.
If you can't use more than 60Hz with this LCD, you need to use either DVI-I or DVI-D. Also make sure your GPU supports DVI-D. Using only a Digital signal will net you the best picture with this LCD.
Strengths: Manufacturer's reputation for high quality. Smaller, lighter, and more energy-efficient than the CRT monitor it replaced.
Weakness: More expensive than similar products from some other manufacturers.
Installation went smoothly and the image quality is superb.
This is my first LCD monitor and I wasn't sure what to expect compared to my previous CRT monitor, but as of now I am very pleased with this unit. I had feared the image wouldn't be as good as the CRT, but it actually is better.
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TopStrengths: Very good monitor
I have used ViewSonic monitors for very long time. They are comparable with very known brands like Sony and sometimes they are even better that they are.
For the price and quality ViewSonic monitors are the best.
It was a time to change my current monitor to new one, so I decided to be stay with ViewSonic brand.
Very good monitor - very good price.
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TopStrengths: Nice cables, unit was very well boxed.
Weakness: Base wobbles, supports only 60 Hz refresh rate
I thought I was "trading up" when I replaced my VP2000 with the VP2030b. However, I'm extremely disappointed in this unit (and ViewSonic) for two reasons:
1) The base is "wobbly" - the rubber feet do not all make contact with the table top, and as a result the monitor "wobbles" at the slightest touch.
2) Despite the manufacturer's claims, this monitor *DOES NOT* support any refresh rate other than 60 Hz. This is the only monitor I have ever encountered that behaved this way. I have a Linux (FC3) and a WinXP system I run through a KVM switch to this monitor (and the VS2000 before it). The WinXP displayed OK, but refused to allow me to change refresh rate; the Linux box would not even display until I changed the refresh rate from 70 Hz to 60 Hz.
I can understand why a monitor such as this might *prefer* 60 Hz refresh, but it is totally irresponsible for the manufacturer to claim that it supports other refresh rates when it doesn't! And the wobbly stand is further evidence that something is severely out of whack at ViewSonic.
ViewSonic: if you're listening, my serial number is PSB055106536.
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TopRefresh rates higher than 60 Hz are a non-issue for LCD monitors. For a CRT, which produces an image via a horizontal raster scan, it was a huge issue to avoid the pulsing, strobing sync with the ambient fluorescent lighting. Raising the refresh rate up to 70 Hz or above would eliminate this effect.
With LCD's, though, the pixels are always on and are illuminated by fluorescents from behind. Additionally, the LCD pixels block any 60 Hz pulse effect by virtue of their less than the speed of light refresh rate.
Wobbly stand? Not on the one that I own. You may have a warped desk, dude. Try a business card beneath one of the feet. Really, it's a super monitor.
You miss the point, chris_taylor.
1. ViewSonic falsely claims support for rates other than 60 Hz.
2. 60 Hz is not the standard setting for ref rates in Windoze, Linux, or any other OS I know of. Therefore, when you connect this monitor (with its 60Hz ONLY ref rate) to a PC, you simply get NOTHING! At that point you have to go in & make config changes to your display driver. In Linux, you can do this from the "command line"; in Windoze it's a bit more difficult.
Bottom line: This is messed up!
PS - the desktop is flat, the stand is warped. Glad you had better luck with yours, but mine is a lemon.
Any LCD using DVI will only run at 60 Hz, at least the ones I've seen. It might even be part of the DVI spec. If you used the vga connection you should be able to run it at the other refresh speeds, if it acts like my sharp lcd.
Refresh rates on an LCD monitor with a digital connection (DVI) are a non-issue. Video quality is governed by pixel response rate so, I'm not sure why you're complaining about it. Also, because there is nothing changing in your image when the image is still, interference from i.e. fluorescent lights is also a non-issue. And if you can't find a gum wrapper to stop your monitor from wobbling, you probably shouldn't be posting. Yes, you can mention that it wobbles, but giving it a one star review because of that (and the non-issue with the refresh rate) is unwarranted.
Besides, the pricegrabber picture shows a three legged stand, something that can't wobble even if it were missing one of it's feet. How is your stand built?
Strengths: Works for a few months. Nice color
Weakness: 4 monitors and 9 months later still dying
I have gone through 4 thats right 4 of these monitors since May 2006. Recieved 2 DOA's. 4th monitor worked for about 4 months and then died. Black screen with dark green lettering. Tested monitor on Alienware M5100 laptop, and still not working. I have a P95F+ tube crt and it works fine. So it can't be the video card. Anyone else have this problem????
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TopStrengths: Sharp, clear picture.
Weakness: None
Purchase one at J&R.
Hook up with OEM DVI Cable and turn on and this monitor come on to work without a hitch.
Very sharp, clear pictures.
It responds fast.
Going to buy another foe work use.
Highly recommended.
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Viewsonic VP2030B receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.69 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #207 computer monitor of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a product's...
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Viewsonic VP2030b LCD Monitor (20.1
Strengths: - Large screen (20.1") supports 1600x1200 - 1000:1 Contrast Ratio - Software Wizard available to configure monitor settings - Screen physically rotates to change from landscape to portrait mode
Weakness: - Price - Relatively slow response to reactivate if gone into "sleep mode" (see comments for details)
I bought this monitor to replace my old ViewSonic 19" tube monitor that went belly up after 5 years of faithful service. I have it connected to a KVM switch which allows me to use one Keyboard/Video display/Monitor with my 4 computers. If I have been working on one computer and go back to one that has been idle, the monitor will be blank. With the old monitor the image would "snap" back with a simple wiggle of the mouse. The new VP2030b takes a second or two to respond before the image appears. Not a big deal for me.
Professionally I am a software developer and can spend up to 10-12 hours a day in front of the computer screen. The wider screen has been a big help in just being able to see more of the code I am working on. Very frequently I will be cutting and pasting between 2-4 windows piecing together code. With the wider screen it is easier to put the windows side by side rather than stacked upon each other.
I listed price as a weakness but I spent the money because when comparing technical specs against other monitors, this was the superior monitor. I am an amateur photographer and wanted something that would display the greatest amount of detail of the 8MB pictures taken by my digital camera. I was looking for the largest number of pixels supported by the monitor. Gateway sells a similar featured 21" monitor (Model Number FPD2185W) but it only supports 1680 x 1050 pixels versus the VP2030b at 1600 x 1200 pixels. Few other monitors on the market have the 1000:1 contrast ratio of the VP2030b which in theory should support better picture quality than a lower contrast ratio. Based on my reading, if you need the absolute best picture display then you need to stick with the CRT type of monitors.
Be carefull of lifting this monitor by the main vertical support of the stand. The monitor slides up and down for height adjustment and it is very easy to pinch your finger. I learned this the hard way the first time I picked up the monitor. The monitor also swivels from side to side but this feature goes unused in my environment. To change between landscape and portrait mode, you need to raise the monitor to about its maximum height so the corner clears the base as it pivots around. I then pull it back down to a better eye level. The Pivot software that comes with the monitor on CD will automatically switch the screen image. However, it will compress or stretch the current display to fit in the new format. You get better proportions if you first pivot the screen then open the picture you want to view in that mode.
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