Home > Consumer Reviews > HP 19" LCD Monitor

This is my second HP monitor. I returned a previous one (the vs19c) and purchased this one instead.

I work from home some days and probably spend at least 25 hours a week in front of the HP 1905 monitor. I have no complaints with this monitor and have been very happy with it. I normally like to put more detail into a review, but all I really have to say is that after playing around with the settings a little bit on the first day (about 3 months ago), I haven't touched a setting on the monitor and have been very satisfied ever since.

I did a lot of research and eyeball viewing before purchasing this monitor. The picture is just so VERY nice. The contrast is superb, black and white are good, text sharp, and the casing is stylish. The monitor has a very nice sturdy feel to it, and the materials don't seem cheap like so many other monitors out there. If you push the buttons on the side (yeah, you have to look at the right side of the monitor to see the labels) the monitor stays still and does not wobble. The power button is lit, and so is easy to find. I also choose this monitor because it just looks physically good and is presentable in my living room. The monitor does come with two free standing speakers that are of so-so quality, good enough for average use, but by no means "high fidelity". It seems that you do have to use the speakers with this monitor because the power supply is a small cable that connects to the monitor itself, though the sound input cable is connected to your sound card. I was concerned about the rated 16 ms response time, but I have NOT experienced any ghosting in my applications. NO dead pixels either.

BTW, did I mention that I was using this monitor with a VGA cable? I'm using the DVI option for my LCD TV. That only makes me more impressed with this monitor.

I spent a few weeks looking over about 40 different monitor choices. After going in person to see them and pouring through reviews and data I settled on this HP f1905. This monitor really needs more press, there aren't as many reviews on it as there are on other models like Sony, Samsung, or ViewSonic models, but this monitor is a gem.

Picture:

The picture has the best black levels that I have ever seen in a non-glossy LCD. The blacks are black, not grey as you will see in other LCDs out there. The colors are rich and beautiful to look at. Text is sharp as can be, especially if you use DVI cables (about $50 not included). I am a digital artist and designer and can say I am extremely pleased with the picture quality. The brightness is exactly right. Some higher cost and well rated Viewsonic models are in the way too bright range, but this HP is a pleasure to look at. Working with text on a white page is easy on the eyes.

I also had the joy of finding no blown out pixels. As a side bit of advice always ask the place you buy your LCD from if they cover blown pixels as part of their replacement plan. Most places that sell a warrantly add-on will do this for you.

Speed & Gaming:

I play a lot of FPS games and MMORPGS. The monitor has a 16ms response time in print which is not "the fastest" on the market right now but you'll have to challenge me to see any visual signs of ghosting. Quick turns in FEAR or DOOM3 look great and any slight hit you might take in response time is well made up for by the rich, sharp and vibrant colors. The fastest response time monitors on the market now all trade off some picture quality and color accuracy to get those quick times. As an avid gamer I am very pleased with how this monitor handles games.

Graphical User Interface:

The GUI controls are located on the right side of the monitor out of plain view but perfectly accessible when you need them. The on screen GUI is very clean and well laid out. It contains all of the adjustment features you could ever need although the monitor never needed adjustment for me. It was calibrated and set perfectly right out of the box.

Form Factor:

The overall aesthetic finish of this monitor is of high quality and sturdy with a very clean look to it. This is complimented by ample adjustment capabilities that allow you to both lift the screen higher or lower, and tilt it forward or backward. The articulating arm is set up so that the tilt of the monitor will stay at the same degree as you raise or lower the screen (a nice touch).

Overall this is an amazing monitor for the price. You could easily spend $100-$200 more on other manufactureres "Pro" models and still find them lacking or overcompensating in areas to boost certain features (like speed or color accuracy). The HP f1905 strikes a perfect balance to create an extremely high-quality panel that hits well above average in all areas.

I can think of no downsides to this panel other than the lack of an included DVI cable.

Rating: Excellent.

In case you are wondering, this monitor is the HP f 1905. I have no idea why this is not pointed out in the description, as this monitor is one of the top 5 monitors on recent PC World reviews (and the TOP "no glare" monitor). This monitor is great, bright, crisp pictures. Easy to read even fine print. No dead pixels as far as I can see. Great for video and even games (I am no expert, but I didn't notice any ghosting). Great monitor for the price, and if you search HP, you might find the same 50 dollar rebate I got (but haven't received yet).