Customer Reviews

ViewSonic VP181 Flat Panel 18" LCD Monitor

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

 

 

Almost bought this believing it was 1600x1200 but turns out this is marketing spin. The native pixel resolution is 1280x1024 - I happened to check the Viewsonic website thank goodness. It will map a 1600x1200 signal to 1280x1024 for you, but this is a lossy process. Hope this saves someone.

I've been using a VP181 for three months, now, and I never again want to use anything else. I have not used its fancy features yet. But I live on my computer doing email, spreadsheets, letters, and internet research. And for all of these activities I use the pivot capability (i.e., almost always vertically). Combined with the size of the high-resolution image, it seems to me that living in portrait mode rather than landscape mode is the way that life in the electronic zone was always meant to be. I can see so much more, now, in one rock-solid, clear vertical view that anything else feels like returning to the Dark Ages. And I still have most of the rest of my desk available for spreading out my piles of work right beside the screen.

I've always been looking for a flat panel monitor that can handle the high level 3D graphic. And this monitor is actually the first one i found more than satisfactory. The analog picture input really makes this an outstanding monitor. Plus it's integrated with Dual USB hubs, which allows me to plug all my portable usb devices right next to my monitor.

Simply awesome. The ViewSonic VP181 has turned my long hours spent at the computer into a pleasure. This monitor offers more saturated colors than many other LCDs I have tried and has one of the best contrast ratios of LCDs in this class. A feature I am especially fond of is the ability to easily switch between landscape and portrait modes when working with graphics or extensive business applications. Furthermore, because of the built in speakers, I was able to free-up additional space on my desk. On games, I found the video to be smooth, quick and just as rich as when I am running simple business applications. This unit is attractively priced for the features it delivers.

The Viewsonic VP181 delivered extremely high quality video when used at 1280x1024 resolution. Testing at 640x480 showed mediocre results. Using 1280x1024, the picture was very bright and readable from extreme angles (close to 180 degrees) from the top, bottom, left, and right. Sound from speakers was marginal when compared to good quality external speakers. No chance to test the landscape/portrait mode as the system failed on the third day. The few days that the VP181 was used with impressive results warrants replacing with the same product. We are looking forward to receiving the replacement unit. Had the unit not failed, it would have received 5 stars.

Very good monitor -- I bought it for home, now the 21" tube display at work looks bad :-( Because of the video card I'm using, I've had to turn the refresh rate down to 60Hz, but since I don't watch movies, who cares? I'd have been happier with a digital video connection, but Dell doesn't include that unless you buy the LCD panel from them, too.

Unlike other reviewers, I was able to get the W2K update for the Pivot s/w, but that was last fall and it did require me to pay for the upgrade. Now I keep the monitor in portrait mode almost all the time.

And yes, the resolution is 1280x1024 (or 1024x1280 ;-)

Thr VG181 Is a very good flat panel With clear colors and good contrast but despite the technical specification You can only use it in Landscape and not in portait condition. The software Viewsonic delivers (bought in november last year) is not up to date to use it with windows2000. The so called update on their web site is not working. After many questions even viewsonic is not able to help me.

So do not buy if you consider to pivot

The speakers and USB ports don't work in Digital mode, but if you attach both digital and analog cables and the analog signal is live, then you can select the digital input and the analog signal will keep the base unit powered up which will allow the USB ports and speakers to work. However, the analog signal must be up.

If you have defective pixels viewsonic will say that they will replace it if the panel has 6 bad pixels, or 18 bad subpixels. Buyer beware.

The Hercules Geforce DDR/DVI or the GTS may ruin this display...

I am very happy with this monitor... so much so that I have one for home and for work. But while featuring an incredible picture (which is great for all my at home applications), I've been disappointed with some of the other features.

Beyond the lack of pivoting for W2K (not a problem at home, using W98-2ndEd) and the marginal speakers (fine for home), I bought this monitor because of the two video inputs. I am driving two computers at work and want to quickly switch back and forth between the two. Unfortunately the VP181 often seems to believe that the dormant computer is not providing any video signal and so when you try to toggle, it claims that there is no active signal and reverts to the original computer's input. Sort of frustrating. I have to jiggle the mouse of the dormant computer before toggling the VP, then it switches.

Also, while the switch interface on the base will not be a problem for the light user (who is driving only one computer), a single button to hit to switch both video and audio input from computer 1 to computer 2 would be nice. Currently, the user needs to switch the video and audio separately. Seven pushes of the buttons (preceeded by a jiggle of computer 2's mouse).

If your thinking about buying a ViewSonic, THINK TWICE!
And when you droul over the wonderful quality of what is before
you, and the screen goes blank (during a dead line) remember how much it is going to cost you when you have to ship it back to Calafornia. and when you get your replacement don't be so sure
that it is any better, (or the replacement after it!) And if you think that's alright viewsonic would never send me a defective monitor, I have a wonderful warranty and that's all I need, THINK TWICE!