Wide Range Of Flat-Panel Displays Are Put To The Test

AOC LM729
AOC's 17-inch LM729 is a great entry-level flat-panel display at an affordable price point. The LM729 includes built-in speakers and a concealed tray in the display base for storage of small items. The monitor tilts and swivels, and it has a height adjustment as well. It also pivots for viewing in landscape or portrait mode. The display has a native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024.

KDS Xtreme Flat XF-7bk
KDS' 17-inch XF-7bk flat-screen CRT display is ideal for price-conscious customers or those buying in volume. The unit combines a dot pitch of 0.20mm and a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 1,024. Housed in a sleek black cabinet, the monitor is attractive, but its actual viewable area,at 16 inches diagonally,is somewhat smaller than its rated size.

Philips 170W
Philips' 170W is a 17-inch wide-format flat-panel display with a native resolution of 1,280 x 768. It has a tilt/swivel base and pivots for use in portrait or landscape mode. The 170W is good for working on two pages of a document side-by-side and for graphics applications. It features DVI-D digital and VGA analog inputs, and its power supply is built in.

Philips 190B4
Philips' 19-inch 190B4 is a bargain. Its native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 provides plenty of working space for any application. It features a standard VGA analog input but no digital input. The power supply is built in, and an auto-setup function adjusts the display for optimal screen position and image quality at the touch of a button.

Samsung 152MP
Samsung's 15-inch, four-in-one 152MP is a mature, second-generation product and is the Swiss Army knife of displays. It includes analog RGB and Composite Video Blanking Sync video inputs, S-video and a built-in TV tuner with an input for cable TV viewing. The display has a native resolution of 1,024 x 768 and weighs less than 10 pounds.

Samsung SyncMaster 192T
This sleek 19-inch LCD has a panel profile of less than an inch and a 90-degree tilting stand with height adjustment. The stand can be folded back and used as a wall-mount bracket without having to remove the base. With a native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024, the display is good for motion-video applications, 3-D technologies, entertainment, gaming and Web design. It features digital and analog inputs.

CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
>AOC LM729 (TC Recommended)
PRICE: $449
MARGIN: 15 percent
WARRANTY: 3 years
DISTRIBUTORS: ASI, D&H Ingram Micro, SED, Tech data
TECH RATING:

CHANNEL RATING:

CHANNEL OVERVIEW: Fremont, Calif.-based AOC began its multitiered AOC Insight channel program two years ago and varies the amount of training, joint sales, evaluation units and promotions that are available based on a partner's sales volume.

>KDS XTREME FLAT XF-7BK
PRICE: $129
MARGIN: 10-15 percent
WARRANTY: 3 years
DISTRIBUTORS: D&H, ICG, Ingram Micro, Tech Data
TECH RATING:

CHANNEL RATING:

CHANNEL OVERVIEW: Garden Grove, Calif.-based KDS USA provides basic marketing and sales support through its Profits Plus partner program. KDS supplies basic collateral materials and other sales resources, and recently started a service and replacement program. Toll-free technical support is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.

>PHILIPS 170W, 190B4 (TC Recommended)
PRICE: $749, $799
MARGIN: 11.5 percent
WARRANTY: 3 years
DISTRIBUTORS: ICG, Ingram Micro, Tech Data
TECH RATING:

CHANNEL RATING:

CHANNEL OVERVIEW: NetMotion Wireless' channel program provides MDFs, sales and technical training, a dedicated partner site and product discounts tied to a partner's revenue level. The Seattle-based vendor provides second-tier technical support to partners during business hours and trains them to provide first-tier support, said Andy Willett, senior vice president of product management and marketing. ,Michael Gros

>SAMSUNG 152MP, SYNCMASTER 192T (TC Recommended)
PRICE: $659, $989
MARGIN: 15 percent
WARRANTY: 3 years
DISTRIBUTORS: ASI, D&H, Ingram Micro, International Computer Graphics, Tech Data
TECH RATING:

CHANNEL RATING:

CHANNEL OVERVIEW: Irvine, Calif.-based Samsung Electronics provides a wealth of incentives, specials and rebates through its Power Partner program. Solution providers can purchase demo units at a one-time discount.

Note: Vendors can earn up to five stars for technical merit and five for their channel program. If the average of these two scores is four stars or greater, the product earns CRN Test Center Recommended status.