LCD Panel Values: 2H of April 2008

For those who purchase LCD panels, this set of information might be interesting. I took publicly available pricing information for LCD panels from Witsview and DisplaySearch, took the average, and then did some analysis on maximum value.

For the purpose of this blog post, maximum value is defined as dollar per megapixel ($/MP, lower is better). What this value shows is how many pixels you are getting for each dollar. Many might say that overall diagonal size is a much more important indicator and that might be true. But given the same size, I prefer a higher resolution LCD leading me to conclude that I value the number of pixels.

The value of pixels can be seen clearly in the trend toward 1080p in LCD TVs. Given the same size, say 42″, most consumers will desire a 1080p model compared to a 720p. The recent trend toward 1080p 32″ LCD TVs is another case in point.

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Apple 20″ and 24″ iMac Upgraded

Image courtesy: Apple Inc.

20″ 2.4GHz iMac
RAM: 1GB DDR2
HDD: 250GB 7200RPM SATA
Optical: Slot-load 8x SuperDrive
GPU: ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128MB GDDR3
Price: $1200

Options for 20″ 2.4GHz:
RAM: 4GB DDR2
HDD: 500GB SATA

20″ 2.66GHz iMac
RAM: 2GB DDR2
HDD: 320GB 7200RPM SATA
Optical: Slot-load 8x SuperDrive
GPU: ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO 256MB GDDR3
Price: $1500

Options for 20″ 2.66GHz:
RAM: 4GB DDR2
HDD: 750GB SATA

24″ 2.8GHz iMac
RAM: 2GB DDR2
HDD: 320GB 7200RPM SATA
Optical: Slot-load 8x SuperDrive
GPU: ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO 256BM GDDR3

Options for 24″:
CPU: 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 4GB DDR2
HDD: 1TB SATA
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS 512MB

All of these units incorporate new Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs that have a L2 cache of 6MB and a faster 1066MHz FSB. The CPUs are manufactured with state-of-the-art 45-nm process technology that should yield smaller footprints and faster processing.

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LG M228WD: 22″ LCD Monitor with Digital TV Tuner

LG Electronics M228WD

Size: 22″
Pixel Format: 1680 x 1050
Contrast Ratio: 3000:1 (Digital Fine Contrast)
Response Time: 5ms
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Viewing Angle: 170/170
Input: HDMI, VGA, Component, S-Video
Special Features: Digital TV Tuner
Availability: Late November, 2007.
Pricing: TBD

The new M228WD is similar to LG’s M228WA in overall design except for the silver belly vs. the black belly in the M228WD (this might actually be a color option for both).

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Asustek VW198S: 19″ Wide LCD Monitor with 1680 x 1050 Pixel Format

Asustek VW198S

Size: 19″ Wide
Pixel Format: 1680 x 1050
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 3000:1
Viewing Angle: 170/160
Colors: 16.7M
Response Time: 5ms
Input: VGA (D-Sub)
Pricing: NT$7,290 (~US$224)

 

Asustek Computer recently launched three new LCD monitors in Taiwan according to DigiTimes. The three LCD monitors include one 19″ and two 22″ LCD monitors, all three sporting wide aspect ratios. According to Asustek, the 19″ wide VW198S is the world’s first with a pixel format of 1680 x 1050. Typically, a 19″ wide LCD monitor would be limited to a pixel format of just 1440 x 900. With a typical non-wide, 5:4 aspec ratio, 19″ LCD monitor sporting a 1280 x 1024 pixel format.

If you’ve been looking for some extra display real estate (in terms of pixels, not size), Asus’ VW198S might just be the ticket. Just one caveat: for those of you with less than perfect eyes, the fonts on Windows and OS X will be smaller compared to a 19″ wide with 1440 x 900 or 1280 x 1024. If you are OK with that, then the added bonus of just $224 will certainly help in making the decision. There has been no mention of the VW198S and the other 22″ LCD monitors becoming available in the US.

The other two monitors are both 22″ wide (VW222S $304, VW222U $347) with the same pixel format of 1680 x 1050. Brightness, contrast ratio, viewing angle, and colors are all the same as the 19″. The only difference are faster response time (19″ 5ms vs. 22″ 2ms) and that the VW222U sports a DVI-HDCP in addition to a VGA port, which tack on an extra $43.

Source: DigiTimes