acesea please read!

[xclusivex]

I just ordered my very own Planar PX171m and i read your post and see that you are very happy with the flat panel, i just had a few questions, how are the viewing angels, i noticed they are not as wide as other flat panels but i mean i general dont look at my monitor from the sides, and also the back rounds, my girlfriend bought a samsung 170s and black backrounds seem kinda gray, almost like the back light on them is to bright, and last but not least, the monitors size, generaly from what i have seen LCDs with speakers are pretty thick, i was just wondering if this was a bulky monitor or if it is slim and sleak like the samsungs, if you can read and respond it would be great. Thanks

 

[acesea]

Ok Im going to try to touch upon all ur questions...
First the viewing angles- i think ive said this before, nobody views monitors purposefully completely from the side in order to notice the diminishing coloring at a wide angle, generally users have the monitor right in front of them. But for those that might be moving around, this is still irrelevant. All im trying to say is that this monitor specification is just there to be there. Its not like you move your head a bit to the left and all of a sudden the screen turns all black. RIght now looking at the monitor I can begin to see some lighting differences in the pixels when I move left/right enought to see the behind of the monitor, and the difference is still minimal. It is so minimal in fact that i can move my eyes all the way to the left edge of the screen and look to the opposite right end and still see all the black text and coloring there easily. Lastly, I can also stand up and move my head right above the monitor like 2 feet from it, and looking down at the monitor I still see all the text and such with no problem.
Sorry that was so long, but i too at first when buying felt there was something to worry about, but there isnt.
Next, backlight, i think ive said this before... This is an issue of personal preference. This monitor can get VERY bright. You are able to adjust brightness of the monitor, and on top of that u can go into display properties and turn it up there. I spent like 1 min. tweaking it and thats it. I keep my windows setting at the middle, and i turn down the monitor brightness all the way down to 0. I find that brightness similar to that of my old crt, and its perfect for me. If i now turn up the monitor brightness to full, after typing his reply for say a minute I already feel the urge to look away occasionaly to let my eyes relax because of how bright the white and such are. I just did it right now to test it out, and by putting it full blast, the gray area that text replies are in here at Toms Hardware turn bright white. They are no longer gray, now imagine how white the whites are if the grays are white!

Lastly, u mentioned if the speakers add thickness. Well i dont have another lcd to compare it with at the moment, but even if it was bulkier, i dont think it would bother someone, or be of an issue anyway. How much more depth could it possibly be? It wont be as deep as a crt, and basicly what were aiming for here with an lcd! 😉 Anyway, what I can tell u if anything, is that one of the coolest features of this monitor is the supporting base. Ive read somewhere that Planar put alot of emphasis on this monitor to be very easily adjustable in the sense of being able to move the screen around with ease, and theyve done a superb job with that. Some lcds, its a pain trying to tilt, rotate, move them. WIth this planar it is so smooth and easy. Theres very little necessary force, and it does what u want. With some other monitor its gets to the point that u get worried because u do not want to damage the monitor due to the awkwardness of adjusting it. To finish this off, u mentioned how this monitor compares to the samsung in terms of the exterior. I have only seen the 191t thus for, extensively for that matter, because for some time that was my first choice till i found out planar released this model. Off the top of my head, I think that the 191t, even being larger than this planar, it prolly is a bit smaller and sleaker, its bezel is definately a little smaller, and theres prolly less stuff going on in the rear. But with that said, the planar is the one with the really nice adjusting mechanism.
Thats about it.
Let me know if u want any more info.

 

[xclusivex]

I should correct myself about the backlight issue, when i meant its to bright i mean unusually bright. With the brightness all the way down and desktop brightness down, the black backround still looks like it has a halo of light around it. The top and bottom 2 inches of the screen are BLACK. but then the middle of the screen and the egdes look like a milky white. almost like there is a bad glare from a window or something, and this is in all lighting situations. most other monitors i have seen such as the compaq 7020 on a black backround look BLACK, all the way through just like a CRT would, thanks for the long post regarding the viewing angels and the thickness though. if you could update on the backround again that would be nice