User Interface

The 1905FP uses an interface familiar to anyone who has used a Dell LCD before. All input is controlled by the four buttons on the lower right corner of the monitor.


If you have seen one Dell on screen display, you have seen them all. Even the Dell 1702FP has the same look and feel as our 1905FP display.


Click to enlarge.


Using the DVI input, the monitor limits our ability to change anything other than the brightness and the color presets. We were a little surprised that the monitor gave us control of the color presets, since the digital signal should replicate accurately what the video card is rendering. To us, the red and blue presets were extremely uncomfortable. In the menu above, the items with gray boxes around them are unavailable.


Like Dell's previous performance monitors, the UltraSharp 1905FP screen can pivot 90 degrees on its side to convert the 19" 5:4 aspect ratio into a 4:5 ratio instead. Unfortunately, no pivot software or drivers came with the monitor, so we had to rely on third party tools.

There is also a slight clearance problem at the bottom of the monitor if we attempt to rotate with the screen at its lowest height setting. Fortunately, the UltraSharp 1905FP utilizes a universal joint in the back, so we only need to tilt the screen backward a little to compensate. Unfortunately, this is a little clumsy. In the end, the clearance problem isn't a big deal, but it can be a minor annoyance.


DSP & Panel Details Cost Analysis
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  • Golfxcellence - Friday, February 25, 2005 - link

    I bought this monitor based on the review. This is my first LCD. My photos look wonderful, text is very readable, but any sort of mpg video is very very poor compared to my crt. Is this normal? if it is, it may have to go back.

    Thanks for any comments or suggestions to fixing the problem.

    Garry
  • oasked - Monday, February 21, 2005 - link

    *******
    This monitor has serious ghosting issues.
    Get something else instead.

    Even the cursor blurs. I bought one based on this review - BIG MISTAKE.

    Even my mates 25ms monitor has less ghosting than this.

    It does look good, but its deceptive.
    ******
  • ahc11 - Friday, February 4, 2005 - link

    I am having a problem with this monitor that I cnanot solve:
    Basically, what happens is that the monitor goes into power save mode and turns orange. When I click the OSD button on it, it says "please move mouse/keyboard".

    If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know
  • neurocyb - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link

    NEC makes an 18 and 20" display
    why have these not been included in reviews??
  • TheDotProduct - Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - link

    rivethead:
    #########################################
    Arrrgh! It shouldn't be this difficult. All I want is a 17" 8-bit panel from a good manufacturer with a response time of 16ms or less.
    #########################################

    Dam straight you are thinking along the exact same lines as me!

    Well common Samsung/Sony/Viewsonic/Benq/Dell give us what we want! We will even pay you for your bother ;-p
  • rivethead - Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - link

    Good luck in your search for information on the UltraSharp 1704FPV.

    I've tried to get information from every source I can think of (I even tried re-sellers on e-bay).

    I've come to the following conclusion:

    1) No one at Dell knows if their LCDs are 6 or 8-bit.(at least the CSRs and Tech Support people who I've talked to)

    2) If it's this hard to get a simple question answered, I'm not sure I want to buy any Dell product.

    I know that Dell makes a 17" LCD they call the "173". I'm betting it's the same panel that's in the Samsung 173. So after reading this review, now I'm wondering what panel is in the 1704FPV and 1704FPT? Another Samsung product? Which panel?

    Arrrgh! It shouldn't be this difficult. All I want is a 17" 8-bit panel from a good manufacturer with a response time of 16ms or less.

    I will say this: having these Anandtech reviews certainly is a help. Thanks!
  • rivethead - Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - link

  • Benmohr - Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - link

    Enjoyed reading the article and all the comments. However, having recently bought a new Sony A Series VAIO Laptop with an X Black screen, all I can say is WOW!!!!!! The Dell, and for that matter, most screens dont even come close. Why????

  • Thresher - Monday, January 31, 2005 - link

    Time for a review of the 2005, don't ya think?
  • TheDotProduct - Monday, January 31, 2005 - link

    I too want to know about the 1704FPV. Is it 8 or 6 bit? (sorry about the empty posts by the way)

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