Hannsg HW191D review

A widescreen monitor is ideal for watching movies, and modern games are all designed for widescreen resolutions.

You don't necessarily have to spend a lot on one, either, as HannsG's HW191D and AG Neovo's K-A19 (reviewed right) budget 19in widescreen displays prove. At a little over £100 each, they're both incredibly cheap.

The HW191Dfs stand is matt black, and the 19in screen is set in a brushed silver surround. It's a lot more stylish than the K-A19. The control buttons are discretely hidden down the side of the monitor. There are no dedicated controls for brightness and contrast, though, so you'll need to delve into the onscreen menu to make these adjustments.

The monitor isn't height adjustable, although the screen elevation - the distance from the desk to the bottom of the screen - is higher than the K-A19fs, at 110mm. This height will be more comfortable for most people to use without having to resort to a monitor stand.

Although it costs £20 less than the K-A19, you get slightly more for your money. The HW191D has a DVI input as well as a VGA connector, and we ran our tests over both. As with the K-A19, the HW191D monitor has a native resolution of 1,440x900.

The contrast ratio is a respectable 700:1; however, this is lower than K-A19fs 850:1. There was a noticeable difference when comparing the two screens. Photos with high levels of contrast didn't appear as detailed on the HW191D.

The HW191D fared badly in a number of our other tests. Colours were oversaturated, with brighter hues looking unnatural and skin tones a little sallow. The screen illumination isn't perfectly even, and the screen is slightly darker around the edges when the screen is filled with a solid block of colour. Fortunately, it's not too distracting and shouldn't cause a big problem in normal use.

The viewing angles, which are quoted as 135 vertical and 150 horizontal, are lower than those on the K-A19 and it shows. Step to the side of this display, and the picture looks darker and image quality deteriorates. It wouldn't be suitable for a viewing audience of more than one person.

The HW191D has built-in stereo 2W speakers. As you'd expect, they're quiet and tinny, and no good for anything but Windows alert sounds. If you want better sound then you'll need to invest in a decent set of stereo speakers.

The HW191Dfs price is amazing, especially considering that you get DVI and VGA inputs. That said, image quality didn't quite live up to our expectations, and we'd rather spend an extra £20 for AG Neovo's K-A19 and its superior picture.

Author: Lynley Oram