LG L1980U LCD: The New 19" Panel on the Block

Quantitative Analysis

For the duration of this review, we connected the LG Flatron L1980U to a Radeon X800 Pro with factory default settings on the DVI connection unless stated otherwise.   Brightness has been set to maximum as well (with the exception of some of the application tests).

Luminance

Brightness ranked as one of our most important display qualities.   In a well lit environment, a bright display will actually offer less strain on your eyes than a dimly lit one.   Below, you can see a comparison of the brightness for each of our LCD monitors.

The Flatron L1980U ranks as one of the brighter displays in our portfolio.   This can actually be a little bit of a curse in some instances.   Brightness is important, but if the contrast ratio is not sensitive enough to allow for dim, subtle details, then we miss out on part of the experience.

Our Contrast Ratio

We will use the same observation from the 19" LCD Roundup several months ago.   Using PreCal and our ColorVision Spyder, we will measure the luminance of a pure white image and a pure black image on the LCD monitor.   The observed contrast ratio is simply the highest recorded luminance divided by the lowest.   All measurements are in candela per meter squared, larger contrast ratios are more desirable.

Observed Contrast Ratio
	Highest Recorded (white image)	Lowest Recorded (black image)	Observed Contrast Ratio
BenQ FP931	256.4	3.6	71.2
Dell 1905FP	234.6	2.6	90.2
LG L1980U	254.6	2.8	91.0
NuTech L921G	278.2	2.6	107.0
Planar PE191M	234.0	3.0	78.0
Samsung 193P	230.4	2.2	104.7
Samsung 910V	219.8	2.6	84.5
Sony SDM S94	233.8	3.0	77.9
ViewSonic Q190MB	261.8	2.6	100.7

LG doesn't win any awards with regard to their observed contrast ratio. In fact, our observed contrast ratio of 91.0 (we obtain this by dividing the brightest bright by the darkest dark) seems even a little high.   On several occasions, a dark image would often "wash out" with almost all detail in the dark areas of the image undetected. This was not one of the finer moments for the LGE display, but is a typical problem for TN displays.