Viewsonic monitors???

[steverama]

Why aren't there more discussions about Viewsonic monitors? There are many topics about Samsung & KDS monitors, but very few about Viewsonic. Isn't Viewsonic one of the best monitor maker? I seldom see recommendations for their monitors. Why is this?

 

[Vegito]

I'm using the P815x4 and G773x2. At 1600x1200 which is what I use for p815, it's not as crisp as the Sony 400/500s, but what resolution are you going to use ?

 

[steverama]

I've already got a Viewsonic EF70. I just want to make sure I've made the right choice. My other options were the KDS AV7TF, the LG 775FT. I have this question mark in my head wondering if I've indeed made the right choice, because nobody talks about Viewsonic monitors. It looks great now, but what about 1-2 years from now? Will I then regret my choice?

 

[urbantechie]

I love em. I'm using a IBM myself but at work, Viewsonics are eye candy.

 

[Cosmic_Horror]

Viewsonics are great monitors, the oldest ones i have used would be 6 year old 15" and they still look great.

my sister's GA15 15" mulimedia monitor is 3 and half years and it still is great, and my 17" P775 is 2 years old and i am very happy with it! (looks brand new still!)
Veiwsonic tends to have fantastic support should you ever have a problem. Also do a search on the archives and you will see a good number of discussions about viewsonics.

 

[ArMs]

My cousin got a ViewSonic (not a member here so he can't tell you himslef) and he loves it. The PF790 if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Pauli]

Viewsonics aren't much discussed here because they are a little more expensive than the current favorites (KDS, Samsung) and not quite as good as the "best" (Sony, Iiyama). Personally, I think most of their models are a very good value. I have a P775 (17&quot and it is beautiful. I don't like the E790 much (19&quot - it looks a bit "grainy" to me at 1024x768 or higher.

 

[maxSe]

Bit of off topic, but Pauli or anybody else for that matter, you wouldn't recommend the E790? I like to know what do you mean by bit "grainy" at 1024x768 or higher.

I'm asking this, b/c I'm thinking about picking this one up & run it at slightly higher resolution than 1024x768... I'm already running KDS's 19" Trinitron one & I would pick another one, except that I'm looking for a black monitor & E790 seems to be the most bang for a buck choice... (would love to get the Trinitron IBM one, but I just can't shell out $600+ yet...)

I would really appreciate any thoughts and/or opinions. If you want, drop me a mail. Thanks.

 

[chemos]

I've been running my Viewsonic E-771 (17&quot for well over a year now. Beautiful monitor, and fairly inexpensive. Think I paid something like $260 for it at the time I bought it.

 

[dl]

After a week of using my P817...it died on me

Ain't the kind of 1st impressions I was looking for...

 

[LXi]

ViewSonics are decent, but not that great IMO. They're priced much higher than Samsung and KDS, I consider them one of those expensive brands(Sony, Iiyama, Mitsubishi...).

They use to make good monitors, but now they kinda suck. Their shadow mask monitors dont look good at all, despite carrying impressive specs, their offerings are not appealing whatsoever. Their flat screen series use Mitsubishi DiamondTron NF, priced exceptionally higher than equivalent offerings from Samsung(also based on Mitsu tubes), and the specs dont seem to be better.

We here at Anandtech forums are big fans of high performance, low price products. We need more bang for our bucks, we dont want to waste our hard earned money. Samsung and KDS seem to be the ones suit us best.

 

[jblondi]

I have an optiquest Q71. Sister company of Viewsonic. Very inexpensive, and pretty descent monitor. I bought it for 175 shipped, 17' monitor. It actually had a problem after two years, I think it was cause I moved it around too much. The had no problem with sending me a new one, and I was able to keep mine until the new one arrived. Nice support, shipped fast too. I dont mind if a monitor will break, no one is perfect, but if they wont take care of you, thats another story. My next monitor will most likely be a viewsonic.

 

[Neos]

Have a GS771 (17). The first one went bye-bye/quit. I sent it in for repair ...I got back an empty box. (Someone in shipping got a monitor, I thinks)
Viewsonic sent me a brand new one...no hassle, which works like a champ. I run it at 1024x768.
Neos

 

[KarlHungus]

Viewsonic typically makes some great monitors, especially their Professional line. Yes, they are slightly more expensive than KDS and Samsung, but fall well below the price of a Sony.

Anyone who thinks they've got crappy shadowmasks across the board has not seen the P775. I run one off a Matrox G200 at 1152x864x32 and it's razor sharp after 3 years.

I do try to avoid any "value" series of monitors as a monitor is typically a high priced product that you expect to keep for several years (unlike most other computer products).

 

[Pauli]

Hey maxSe (is that for Nissan Maxima SE - if it is, that's what I drive :cool -
Some people think the E790 is fantastic (check out posts by Thorin), but after using the P775, my eyes found it totally unacceptable. Compare it side by side with a Samsung 900IFT or 900NF. Then decide if it's worth the savings.

 

[Howard]

Paulson has a PF790, along with his Comcrap! He brags about it so much it's impossible to miss

 

[LXi]

KarlHungus:

I have seen the P775, my friend has one, after about a year of service it became fuzzy and unclear, didnt look good even when it was new. He was very disappointed with it. Crappy monitors should not be bothered with.

 

[Noriaki]

I love veiwsonic's. My old roommate has an EF70 (I think? 17" flatscreen E-series) and a friend of mine has the 19" non-flatscreen (can't remember the number) they are great.

I plan to get myself a PF790 shortly after Xmas.

I think you can get monitors quite a bit cheaper though.

 

[KarlHungus]

LXi -

Your friend should RMA that monitor, it sounds like he got a bad one.

 

[LXi]

I told him about to RMA, but he didnt bother to do it. Dont know if he's got a new monitor now. But said he will not bother with ViewSonics anymore.

Seriously, the only model I would consider buying from ViewSonic is the PF series.

 

[KarlHungus]

LXi -

LOL, hate to say it, but it's his own damn fault he's stuck with a malfunctioning monitor! If I'm paying top dollar for a monitor I'm sure as hell going to RMA it if I have a problem... I had my TV replaced twice due to some problems with the tube - but hey, I ended up with a good set.

 

[LXi]

I know its his fault not RMAing it. But that still doesnt leave you with a good impression. Excellent monitors need no RMA and the image quality last forever, the Sony in front of my served me 2 years, still looks like new. The Hitachi on my other comp is still razor sharp after a year and half. RMA doesnt make a product better, its just gives you what you should have gotten on the first one, but its a big hassle, especiall when you have to RMA huge stuff like TVs.

 

[KarlHungus]

LXi -

Yep yep. First impressions are key, but as I said earlier I'm sitting in front of a P775 right now that is still working great after around 3 years. In all honesty I've only had one monitor go bad on me and that was an ancient NEC 15" passed down to me from my parents - I'm guessing it lasted 10 years before it crapped out.

 

[AL77]

Based on Viewsonic monitors held by family/friends, I think they make a good product. My brother has a 4-year-old 17" Viewsonic G series (forgot which one), and it looks sharp for its age. More recently, my friend purchased the EF70 which looks great. The text is sharp and the colour vivid. I will admit that a Sony E200 sample (in a store) looked slightly better in text output , but really not by much. And they use different tubes anyway with the Sony considerably more expensive.

LXi, I have to disagree with you on the implication here.


<< I have seen the P775, my friend has one, after about a year of service it became fuzzy and unclear, didnt look good even when it was new. He was very disappointed with it. Crappy monitors should not be bothered with >>


To label Viewsonic monitors as &quot;crappy&quot; based on your friend's experience is unfair to say the least. BTW, I have seen a (to my eyes) blurry Samsung 700p, but I wouldn't label Samsung's monitors as poor because of it. There is, of course, the possibility of variance on the manufacturing line. No monitor manufacturer is immune to this.

Another example: I've seen people here compare Maxtor hard drives to the IBM equivalent all the time. Some bemoan their Maxtor purchase declaring that Maxtor drives are crap. But, Dell, known for their reliability/service (please no arguments on the merits of buying from Dell, just trying to illustrate a point ), have no problem including them in their systems (e.g. Diamond Max Plus 40). I would love to see reliability/customer satisfaction statistics for monitors, HDDs, and other computer products in the vein of Consumer Reports. But we'll have to settle for user experiences in forums/sites like these. Based on that, people seem to be generally happy with Viewsonic's quality/reliability. I agree that RMA is a pain for a heavy monitor. Same thing goes for televisons. I think manufacturers should go the extra mile here - pick up the old item while dropping off the new one, within a week. Sadly, this is not the case.

I feel that Viewsonic compares well against Samsung in many areas. The value-targeted E771/E773, for instance, stand up well (and better IMO) against the similarly priced Samsung 750s/750b. The Samsung 700NF/900NF might be a little cheaper than the comparable Viewsonic PF775/PF790, but again I feel Viewsonic's quality is comparable, not necessarily superior. Personally, Viewsonic, Samsung, and Sony are all at the top of my list (all have low-budget products I wouldn't touch however). And Iiyama, these are impossible to find in my area. Perhaps only online?

IMO, Viewsonic is a solid choice in quality and reliabilty . I personally do not have enough data to declare a reliability champ for either company, and I don't think anyone here can honestly make definitive assertions to that fact either.

Anyway...steverama, I hope you enjoy your purchase. The EF70 is a fine monitor.

 

[Mustanggt]

LXI as you know I have been serching for a 19 inch monitor and been reading alot of reviews and 9 out of 10 of them put the Hitachi 771 ergoflat above that samsung 900 nf and its the same price why no one metions this one I am picking between the 771 the veiwsonic pf790 or that samsung 900 nf and im willing to bet the 771 looks the best