MAGnificent!
Written: Oct 31 '02 (Updated Nov 01 '02)
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Pros: Excellent Dollar Value, Good Picture, JAG Control, Energy Star Compliant
Cons: Contrast Could Be A Little Better
The Bottom Line: A Great Option For Those Looking For A Value Priced 19" Monitor
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| jonwes's Full Review: MAG Innovision 986FS 19" |
I remember purchasing my first IBM PC Clone back in the early 90's when everything was extremely expensive. 8 MB of ram was $190, which was considered a good deal back then. 14" monitors were $300, 213 GB harddrives were $420, and a single speed CD-ROM Drive was $300. Times sure have changed! Everything's faster these days with more data throughput and more bandwidth. The nanoseconds are getting smaller while the gigabytes are getting bigger. Today's review is a perfect example of this. I recently picked up the MAG 986FS 19" monitor at Best Buy Electronics for $139 after a $50 mail in rebate. Let's see what led to this decision and how this unit stacks up!
Pre-Purchase Research
I have been using MAG monitors since the mid 90's when my first DX1795 17" model ran about $595. I've found that MAG Innovision delivers solid products that are well built and value priced. I've stated my "70% Rule" in several of my other reviews, which is based on my belief that there's no sense in buying top of the line (we'll call them the 100% group) products in the computer field, because before you know it they're yesterday's news and you ended up spending a bundle on them. The flip side of the "70% Rule" is to avoid buying the 40, 50, and 60% products that will under deliver in performance and have you looking for a premature upgrade. The percentage figures I reference are pricepoints in the marketplace. If the top of the line items are referred to as the 100% category, then you'll do yourself a favor by looking at products that are about 70% of that price. Example: The newest 2.8 Ghz CPU might run you $500, while the very competent 2 Ghz CPU would run you $200. Price and performance are not directly proportional in the computer field, as you can clearly see. The 2 Ghz CPU is 71% of the power of the 2.8 Ghz CPU, but the cost is just 40%. Hence my belief and substantiation for my mode of thinking.
With that being said, I found my 17" monitor to be somewhat outdated and not doing justice to the latest DVD's and games. I decided to step up to a 19" conventional CRT until the flat panel displays drop in price.
I had always wanted a Viewsonic for reasons that lie deeper than the pretty birds at the top of the casing. They're well known for their contrast, vibrant colors, and reliability. After checking into their current line, I decided that the PF790 would be the one for me. It was reasonably priced at the low $300's and had good refresh rates and features. The funny thing is that the more reviews I read on-line, the more complaints I heard about screen geometry issues and the tweaking required to get a good picture. This reminded me of the fact that even higher priced products are not without issues and I know myself well enough to realize that I'm the type of guy that will complain and feel cheated if a high priced product doesn't perform flawlessly, but I'm much more forgiving of lower priced commodities. This most likely stems from the almighty dollar being near and dear to my heart. This got me to thinking whether or not I wanted to travel a more expensive road that could leave me less satisfied.
I began looking into other models on the market and it wasn't long before I happened upon a bunch of user reviews on the MAG 986FS that were almost entirely positive (or at least as much so as the higher priced brands). To make a long story short, I felt that I owed it to myself and MAG both to give the 986FS a chance and see if it could provide an acceptable upgrade alternative to the Viewsonic I was set on purchasing.
Setup
After I got the monitor home, I unpacked the contents and found that this model matched my components much better than my previous monitor and it looked much more modern. Setup was a breeze - plugging the monitor cable into the video card and attaching the power cable to the monitor and to the outlet. Some have complained about the monitor cable being too short, but I had no problems.
The Specs
19” (17.9” viewable) High-Contrast FST, 90º deflection, Anti-glare, Anti-static, Anti-reflection
Horizontal Dot Pitch: 0.21 mm
Vertical Dot Pitch: 0.25 mm
Maximum Resolution: 1600x1200 @ 65 Hz
IBM® XT , AT, 386, 486, Pentium®, MMX, II, PS/2 and compatibles, PnP, Windows 95/98 and Windows NT
Power Consumption: 120W Max
Power Saving Modes: 15W (Standby), 5W (Off)
Dimensions: 18.34" (W)x 18.77" (D) x 18.50" (H) mm
Weight: 41.6 lbs
Performance
Aside from the display model at Best Buy that is on twelve hours per day and under fluorescent lighting which hinders viewability, I didn't know what to expect when I powered the new guy up.
I must say, once it was in full swing, I knew I had made a good decision. It took a little adjusting to get the picture the way that I prefer it, but once done, I was convinced that in today's market, you can obtain a great quality picture at a relatively low price point. I immediately noticed that the blacks are blacks and the reds are red. Vibrant and clear. One thing I failed to mention that was a point against the Viewsonic PF790 is the fact that it uses a Trinitron tube which produces the two dreaded lines across the screen. For those that are unfamiliar, all Trinitron tubes, whether they be Mitsubishi, Viewsonic, or Sony products, have two distinct lines that run horizontally across the screen at about the 33% and 66% marks. There's a technical reason for this that I won't go off on a tangent about, but the end result is very annoying to scrutinizing individuals such as myself. Another factor that led me to the MAG, as it doesn't suffer from this detriment.
I have put the MAG to the test with DVD's, games, screensavers, and various wallpapers. I've been thoroughly happy with the result on each. The only complaints I can drum up would be the following. First, the contrast could be somewhat better. Take a good look at a top end Viewsonic against the 986FS and you'll see the more dramatic contrast present on the Viewsonic. The MAG isn't bad in this respect, just a little lacking. When it's standing on its own, you wouldn't even pick up on it. Only in a "comparison" scenario would this become recognizable. Second, most likely due in large part to the contrast issue, black text on a white background appears somewhere between grey and black. Not quite as definite as black and not quite as light as grey.
When running certain apps, I will often use a resolution of 1280x1024 when possible. I can safely run this at a refresh rate of 85hz, which is easy on the eyes. My lower resolutions, such as 800x600 and 1024x768, can be run at 100hz or 120hz. To save wear and tear on the monitor, I generally opt for the 100 setting. I'm running Windows XP Professional and for whatever reason, some of the applications that I run will default to the lowest refresh rate when they begin. I altered the "config" file that Windows uses to obtain the possible refresh rates for the MAG, but this eliminated the option of using lower refresh rates when desired. An easy solution to this is to download an essential program called "Refresh Lock" at:
http://we8.narod.ru/Downloads/Reflock.html
It will allow you to designate exactly what refresh rates Windows should use at all times for all possible resolutions. An EXCELLENT utility for every monitor, not just MAG's. Again, the problem I was experiencing was specific to Windows XP, not my MAG monitor.
All of the standard controls are present, such as: Contrast, Brightness, H / V Size, H / V Position, Pincushion, Trapezoid, Rotation, Parallelogram, Pin, Balance, Moire[ H / V ], Degaussing, Reset , Color Manager, Language Manager, OSD Manager, and Exit. All easily accessed and adjusted.
JAG Control
One of MAG's selling points on the 986FS is the JAG control that rotates to allow you to easily adjust the monitor's settings. This is the second monitor I've used that incorporates this feature and it is very useful. You simply press the round dial inward to get the menu up and then rotate the finger indentation to select the feature you want to adjust. Easier used than explained, but very effective.
E-DVD Function
Another new feature to this monitor is the "E-DVD Function" that allows you to adjust between four different settings with the touch of a button. They are: Zoom, Vivid, Normal, and Warm. These can be useful if you're watching a DVD or playing a game, as you can zoom the screen in slightly to eliminate any black borders around the perimeter of the viewable area. The "Vivid" settings adds some vibrancy to the picture which is very beneficial when watching movies, I've found. The "Warm" setting isn't to my liking, as no warm setting ever has been. I have my Sony and Mistubishi televisions set to a "cool" picture, which provides a more realistic color base. Overall, a nice touch and used more than I initially expected.
Conclusion
I have been using the 986FS for several months now and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Haven't regretted my purchase once, nor have I wished that I had bought that Viewsonic. For $139 after rebates, I can't imagine a better value/performance ratio out there in the monitor market. I certainly won't feel bad putting this unit aside when the flat panels drop in price, given the low price I picked it up for. I've had several people comment on the amazing picture when I've popped a DVD in. I'm not trying to give the impression that this monitor has the best picture out there, because it doesn't. What I am trying to convey is that you won't find a better picture on the market at this pricepoint. On a closing note, for those that already own the 986FS, try adjusting the color mix to: Blue 100%, Green 85%, and Red 80% for a truer, more lifelike picture. For everyone else, think about upgrading to a 19" monitor at a great price with the MAG 986FS!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 139
Operating System: Windows
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jonwes
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Location: Los Angeles, California
Reviews written: 55
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