More News on the ViewSonic VX2739wm 1 ms Monitor

ViewSonic has launched an LCD monitor with a record breaking response time of just 1 ms! We've been waiting for someone launch a 1 ms monitor for years, and all we need to know now is when it'll be released, how much it'll cost and, the million dollar question, does it really have a response time of 1 ms?

ViewSonic VX2739wm MARCHANDS €     Amazon.co.uk  112.40  Amazon.co.uk  113.50  Amazon mark...  118.21  Amazon mark...  120.68  Ebay.co.uk  132.41  European el...  227.54  Compare prices

 
Back in November 2006, we tested a monitor with a response time of 2 ms, the Asus MW221U. At the time, and to our surprise, it did actually prove to be the most responsive monitor on the market. Ever since then, we've been waiting for a manufacturer to take things one step further by releasing a 1 ms display. We've had to wait three years for it, but now ViewSonic has now risen to the challenge.

When?

The VX2739wm, 27-inch monitor has been available in the US since back in May and has now been released in the UK.

How much?

It's currently available for approximately £285, which is around the same price as the Acer GD245HQ, the best 120 Hz display currently on the market, and the most responsive monitor out there according to our tests!

A genuine 1 ms?

We decided to ask ViewSonic about this directly, and they got back to us very quickly indeed. They confirmed that this new 1 ms response time isn't achieved by a faster form of liquid crystals, as we may have hoped, but by an enhanced overdrive function, which increases the voltage used to make liquid crystals change state, thus artificially enhancing the response time.

That means it's basically a 2 ms screen with a boosted voltage that accelerates transitions and reduces ghosting. The new response time is therefore achieved by electronic trickery rather than a physical improvement in screen technology.

The ViewSonic spokesperson was pretty honest when I asked whether we can expect this monitor to be more responsive, or at least as responsive, as 120 Hz, 2 ms TN displays? The answer was no: 'To be perfectly honest, 120 Hz, 2 ms screens do offer better results. However, users will be able to enjoy a bigger size with the VX2739wm, which is 3 inches larger diagonally than the Acer GD245HQ'.


> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products