Asus Announces High-Res 19-inch LCD

Asus has announced its new VW198 19-inch LCD display, offering a 1,680 by 1,050-pixel resolution, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, and a 5 ms response time.

Taiwan’s Asus is bringing high-resolution computing to smaller screen sizes, announcing its new VW198 19-inch display, sporting a 1,680 by 1,050 WSXGA+ resolution. Although Asus also offers that resolution in slightly larger screen sizes (20- and 22-inches, respectively), the company is clearly hoping that cramming that many pixels into a smaller panel will appeal to users who need lots of dots, but don’t have a lot of space for them. Asus says it’s the first 19-inch monitor to offer such high resolution.

The VW198 sports a healthy 3,000:1 contrast ratio, a 5ms response time, 300 cd/m² of brightness, and a 170°horizontal viewing angle. The display offers both D-sub and HDCP-enabled DVI outputs, and is certified for use with Windows Vista. The display also features Asus’s proprietary Splendid Video Intelligence Technology, which automatically detects the use of video applications (like DVD player software, etc.) and optimizes image quality for best results. Five preset modes (standard, night, game, theater, and scenery) also enable users to easily switch between different display characteristics based on their activities. The displays also feature a pair of 1-watt integrated speakers.

The 20- and 22-inch versions of the display (VW202 and VW222, respectively) only offer 2,000:1 contrast ratios, but the 22-inch version of the display (the VW222U/S) offers a 2ms grey-to-grey response time.

Asus did not revealed any information on availability or pricing.