Product Review: Wide-Screens Appeal To Multimedia, Business

VIEWSONIC N2060W
What separates ViewSonic's 20-inch wide-screen N2060w from most other displays is that it has a built-in TV tuner making it a multipurpose display suitable for both entertainment and productivity applications in settings where a separate unit won't fit.

The N2060w is a great value with an MSRP of $549. More versatile than the Philips unit, the ViewSonic N2060w has built-in speakers and also has more inputs, including VGA, composite, component and S-Video. Unfortunately, the N2060w does not include a DVI input, which nowadays, is what most high-end graphics cards have.

The unit is compatible with HDTV signals including 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i and progressive-scan DVD players. The display also features reverse 3:2 pull down and a 3-D motion-adaptive comb filter to provide a high-quality image. The N2060w has a native resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels, providing an aspect ratio of 16:9an ideal match for HDTV and other wide-screen sources, but not as high a native resolution as the Philips unit, which is therefore better suited for business applications. Like the Philips unit however, the N2060w has an 8ms response time.

When tested for image quality, the N2060w displayed sharp text and good gray scale, although a white-scale display dropped off at the extreme white end. Color scales showed up vividly.

The three levels of ViewSonic's Access channel program include Silver, Gold and Platinum. Silver members must have up to $50,000 in quarterly ViewSonic sales, Gold members must have $50,000 to $250,000, and Platinum members must have more than $250,000 per quarter. All members receive help from a dedicated ViewSonic Access program representative. Gold and Platinum members receive MDF and a VIP support hotline. Gold members get a listing on ViewSonic's dealer locator site while Platinum members get a link on the ViewSonic's "Where to Buy" site and a dedicated ViewSonic regional business manager. Both Gold and Platinum members receive Growth Incentive Rebates (GIR) on incremental sales. VARs also can sell ViewCare extended warranty and express exchange services. Other benefits include online training and Webinars, demo units, discounted pricing, free shipping, lead generation, spiffs and more. About 99 percent of ViewSonic's products are sold through the channel.