Home > Consumer Reviews > ViewSonic VA2026w 20-inch Wide Digital/Analog LCD Computer Monitor

I wanted a larger monitor for photography mostly. This ViewSonic monitor is not getting much play on Amazon for some reason. They make great quality monitors! 20" has 1680 x 1050 resolution. 22" monitors have the same, which means the pictures get stretched a little bit to fit. Its OK, but for me the 20" is fine. If you are interested in 22", I would definitely give ViewSonic consideration.

Main reasons for purchasing this monitor:

1) ViewSonic is reliable. This is my second VS purchase.
2) 20" for the resolution quality
3) Has 1000-1, static and 2000-1, dynamic contrast ratio. Means if your just poking around on the internet and looking at pictures, the picture quality will be outstanding. Static is for non-moving and dynamic is for moving.
4) 0.258mm pixel pitch- For some reason this spec is not listed.
5) Supports both analog and digital signals
6) Energy Star compliant
7) Very reasonable price- I purchased through Amazon and did not really price shop.

I have a 5-year-old computer and the hardest part of my purchase was finding a video card compatible with my machine. Be careful about making sure the specs match your computer, especially if you're using older equipment. If your computer uses DDR memory you will have a hard time finding a video card that will give resolution 1680 x 1050 in digital. Analog will work, but make sure to understand the specs. Mine is in analog and the picture is great. ViewSonic recommends a video card with 1680 x1050 resolution and refresh rate of 60Hz. Instructions say maxium refresh rate is 75Hz. Higher will damage the monitor.
Last thing- No manufacture will honor a warranty claim if you spray the monitor with, whatever. ViewSonic says in the brochure to use water and dampen a clean cloth. You should always use a cloth designed for glass. The monitor comes with a clear piece of plastic that I'm keeping on it. Some reflection but I use in a dimly lit room so reflections are negligible. Also has a matte finish that is not shiny and doesn't blind you.

Response and resolution are great. Am able to view multiple windows simultaneously with no trouble.

I love the size and clarity of the monitor. It's great and a good value.

This monitor was a great deal. Large but not gigantic, no bad pixels, beautiful color (from the correct angle - more on that below), trivial to set up, DVD playback looks great, text is crisp, and the 1680x1050 native resolution seems just right.

Hurray, now I can remotely manage computers that output to large displays without having to resort to the magnifier utility to read remote text. With all this extra monitor space I may even start using Vista's sidebar.

The main negative: the display's brightness and color change with viewing angle. If I stand up from the chair and look down on the monitor, white shifts to light blue and the display gets slightly brighter. With increasing lateral angle, the display gets slightly darker and slightly redder. While these color/brightness shifts do not significantly reduce the readability of text at different angles, I think they limit this monitor's suitability for color-critical graphics work, especially in in multi-monitor setups and in environments where several people need to examine an image on one monitor from different angles. For single user, single monitor work, the color/brightness shifts need not be a problem.

Another potential negative for some users: While the display does tilt forward and back, it cannot be pivoted between portrait and landscape orientation on the included stand.

With the default brightness/contrast settings of 100/100, this monitor emits so much more light than my previous (smaller) monitor that my eyes quickly objected. For text editing and Internet browsing I have settled on brightness/contrast settings of of 65/65 at a color temperature of 6500K, and to minimize the total monitor brightness I use non-maximized windows against dark desktop wallpaper. For playing DVDs I use the monitor's brighter sRGB color temperature setting.

While others may complain about the lack of an included digital cable, I would like to thank Viewsonic for keeping the price down. I think most people will find the analog display mode to be good enough.

I am very satisfied with this monitor. The picture quality is very good and I think it was priced right compared to other brands. Easy set up and I would recommend buying this monitor. I am replacing a Gateway monitor that was the top of their line, expensive and went out!