AG Neovo K-A19 review

If you're building a computer system on a tight budget, AG Neovo's 19in widescreen K-A19 monitor is a tempting proposition.

While it may not look like much, AG Neovo clearly spent its development money where it counts, as the K-A19 has excellent image quality. Unlike the HannsG HW191D, the K-A19 has only a VGA input. An analogue connection can sometimes be a little less sharp than a digital one; however the Windows desktop still appeared crisp and sharp at the LCD's native resolution of 1,440x900. Colours were rich and vibrant, too.

Screen illumination was completely even. The viewing angles are 170 vertical and 160 horizontal. Although we've found that the actual experience of sitting in front of a screen can differ a lot from the quoted viewing angles, this was not the case with the K-A19. Moving to the side of the screen saw very little deterioration in the quality of the picture. Two or three people could sit comfortably around this monitor and watch a movie or presentation. The monitor's response time is excellent for the price, and we didn't have any problems with ghosting when playing games or fast-paced movies.

It's a shame that the K-A19 looks as though it was made from the cheapest plastic available. The control buttons on the front look like stickers and are difficult to use. We had to press hard on any of the buttons to activate them, which made it difficult to accurately access the menu options. Being so heavy handed with the controls, we'd frequently overshoot the setting or level we were aiming for, which soon became frustrating. Fortunately, you shouldn't have to use the menu often, as the K-A19 has dedicated buttons for contrast and brightness, the most common controls. This makes adjusting the monitor's picture that much easier throughout the day as the light level changes.

The K-A19 cannot be physically adjusted much. There's a little bit of tilt, but the monitor isn't height adjustable. The distance between the bottom of the display and the surface it is sitting on is 80mm. This isn't that high, and most people will find that they'll need to use a monitor stand to raise the display to a comfortable height.

The lack of a digital input is a little disappointing, but otherwise AG Neovo's K-A19 is an excellent display at an amazing price. This is one for all budget buyers.

Author: Lynley Oram