Customer Reviews

Sony SDM-M81/B 18" LCD Monitor (Black)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This LCD replaced my Sony GDM-PS400 19" Trinitron. Wow, what a difference! Super-sharp at 1280x1024! This LCD has a gorgeous display. I'm currently running it in analog mode from a Matrox G450. I can't imagine how it could possibly look better with the DVI connector!

Unlike many other LCDs, this upconverts lower resolutions really well... smoothing the image to make it appear less blocky.

While this monitor looked great right out of the box, I finally got around to trying the Utility on the included CD that helps you adjust the Pitch/Phase and it image quality was even better.... so if you buy this don't forget to run that utility!

Looking forward to upgrading my G450 to a G550 for DVI... :-)

If you're looking to treat yourself to a new monitor, you won't be disappointed with the SDM-81. At 18" you'll have plenty of bright, crisp display room. Also, with both digital and analog connections you won't be forced to upgrade your video card to enjoy this display.

The response rate is between 20 and 30 ms (according to Sony's site), allowing for good picture quality even during fast screen changes. I was a bit worried about this aspect of LCD monitors since I play fast moving games, but haven't noticed any blur or distortion.

Setting up the display is as simple as dropping it on your desk and hooking up the standard connections (oh yes, it is at this pont that you will truly appreciate the space savings :). Cables are inserted into vertical connectors on the back of the display and are neatly concealed by the rear panel and cable guides. Once you get it running you'll probably want to make some adjustments, especially if you're using an analog connection. The instruction manual does a good job at guiding you through the process. Personally I found I needed to adjust the phase and pitch as well as the color temperature (the default setting is much too blue) to get the best picture.

So, why only 4 stars? Well, nothing's perfect .. :) I have noticed that color can be uneven across the screen. Also, when the screen is predominantly black you can see places where the backlighting is uneven (mostly near the edges). Finally, the screen seems to have a bit of "sheen" to it. It isn't glare, but almost seems like the screen itself has a shiny quality. In all fairness, I don't notice this very much.

Overall, I love this monitor and although it has a few flaws I wouldn't think twice about owning it.