Ergonomic LCD Displays

In addition, the 17-inch, 19-inch and 20-inch versions of the monitors can conveniently rotate from an office computer into an on-demand presentation display with just a swivel.

Planar’s new line of ergonomic-friendly products will give people greater flexibility and comfort when using their displays. Solution providers can target those who work in the professional graphics and video business application industry whose work requires the added flexibility.

CRN Test Center engineers evaluated Planar’s new PL2011M 20-inch QuadStand display, which has an MSRP of $569. Black in color, the unit has a native resolution of 1,600 x 1,200. The PL2011M features both analog and digital video inputs, along with 2-watt integrated speakers.

CRN engineers connected and tested the unit through both of its inputs in order to see the PL2011M’s display performance. A utility called DisplayMate 2.1 Multimedia Edition—which analyzes the performance of a display by feeding it a series of specially constructed test pattern images that challenge the unit in a specific and controlled way—was executed on each display.

The Video Obstacle Course was the test pattern used to see how the display would perform under the most rigorous conditions. The Video Obstacle Course tests items such as font size, color, whites, blacks, gray scale, screen framing and aspect ratio. Overall, the monitor performed admirably well. The CRN Test Center engineers would recommend the monitor for most business applications.

According to the company, the 19-inch segment of the market is definitely the sweet spot right now, being that it is the largest and fastest-growing slice of the overall LCD monitor market. (It is what the 17-inch segment was a couple of years ago.)

In the Planar line, the 19-inch LCD will cost solution providers $399 while the 17-inch will be priced at $349.

LCD displays slowly have been dropping in price. These days, CRN Test Center engineers have seen 17-inch monitors for as little as $200. Planar representatives noted that these declining LCD prices primarily are being driven by new capacity coming online at a time when there has been lower than expected demand. It is projected that long-term prices will continue to decrease as more efficient manufacturing lines are put in place—but it will be slow and gradual, not the large drops in prices seen in the last couple of months. With the prices on monitors bottoming out and with monitors now including everything but the kitchen sink—such as cameras, hubs and coaxial connectors—LCD vendors need to keep customers interested. One thing to watch out for are more multiple monitor setups. For example, two 19-inch monitors are less expensive than one 21-inch, and therefore a much more reasonable way to achieve greater display area.

Multiple monitors are a great solution for many work environments that require regular use of multiple applications. Call centers are the best example where users will simultaneously be using a customer profile/tracking application and have an order-entry application running. However, the majority of specs right now are sufficient for today’s applications, so the improvements coming down the pike will consist mostly of fluff for the wow factor rather than out of necessity.

Planar’s channel program has been in existence for five years. All partners qualify for the product evaluation program, bid desk, selected rebate programs and discount offers. Planar also offers sales support, joint sales calls, a dedicated reseller Web site, marketing materials library, government end-user programs and training through distribution events.

The average reseller margin on Planar’s screens is 12 percent. Planar’s PL2011M includes a three-year warranty with free two-day replacement for each of those three years.