In the past 12 months, prices of LCD monitors have dropped significantly, but they have largely stabilised and right now it is probably the best time to replace your old cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor, if you haven’t done so already. 20-inch screens are becoming commonplace and 22-inch displays will probably replace the former due to the negligible price difference.
Prolink’s 201TW is a 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor which is targeted at the mass market due to its competitive pricing. It has a viewing area which measures 20.1-inches diagonally and a native resolution of 1,680 by 1,050 pixels, otherwise known as WSXGA+. The panel’s brightness is rated at 300 candelas per square meter (cd/m2) with a contrast level of 600:1. The response time is stated as 5ms on the website which we assume measures grey to grey transitions. The panel has a viewing angle of 140° and 130° for the horizontal and vertical planes respectively. This shouldn’t be a problem (unlike LCD TVs) as most PC users would be seated directly in front of the display.
The Prolink 210TW has several types of inputs, namely an analogue 15-pin D-Sub, a digital DVI connector, as well as S-Video and Composite inputs. The Prolink 201TW also has a built-in TV tuner so users need only plug in an external antenna to enjoy terrestrial broadcasts. The S-Video and Composite inputs can be used to hook up a DVD player or a gaming console. This makes the Prolink 201TW a very flexible display indeed. It even has built-in speakers so users won’t need to invest in a separate pair. However, don’t expect to wake up the neighbours as the speakers are rather small.
The controls on the Prolink 201TW are all lined up horizontally on the front panel facing the user. This makes it easier to navigate compared to some displays which have buttons at the side which supposedly improves aesthetics. The bezel is dual tone with the top part in silver and the speaker portion in black. Nothing to shout about and frankly, it looks rather drab overall.
Performance-wise, we have no complaints. Picture quality is good and there’s no noticeable ghosting in games. The TV-tuner and multiple inputs are a real bonus and coupled with a very affordable price, the Prolink 210TW seems to be super deal. If you need a flexible display, especially for hooking up extra video sources, this is perfect.
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