It was a little hard to compare some monitors as they were more for the high-end market where others were aimed at the consumer/budget market. Such was the case with the Viewsonic VP171B, a high-end professional graphics model. The VP171B featured 280cd/m² brightness coupled with an incredible 600:1 contrast ratio.
These two specs, plus D-Sub and DVI inputs, and the 16ms response time helped make this one of the more feature-rich displays reviewed. The small bezel and spring-mounted stand were also nice inclusions.
There was a problem with the brightness in that it was a bit strong and tended to wash out the colours a bit on some images and tests, but in general real-world use this was barely noticeable. And while the DVD and 3D graphics were passable, the VP171B’s strength lay with displaying crisp, clean text and desktops, no matter how small the fonts became.
A three-year on-site warranty also adds peace of mind, but the pixel policy is not the tightest in this roundup.
If you’re a graphics professional, then this is the model for you, but for home or small business needs you’d be better off looking at some cheaper models.