The ASUS PW201 is a 20-inch widescreen LCD display that offers a bundle of attractive features, including speakers and a built-in high-resolution webcam. If you are looking to replace your factory monitor and also want to add these peripherals, the PW201 offers them all in a neatly integrated package.

The PW201's 20-1/10-inch screen has a native resolution of 1,680X1,050 and an 8-millisecond pixel response time. Image quality is excellent, and even small-font text is crisp and readable. Colors appear vivid and smooth with good contrast, and detail is clear in highlights and shadows. A contrast-enhancing coating on the screen helps make colors pop, although we found glare and reflections to be a problem in an office setting.

Setting up the PW201 is easy, and the package includes everything you need. The VGA, audio and USB cords are combined into a single cable, which helps reduce clutter. There are four built-in display modes (Scenery, Theater, Game and Night View) and three preset skin modes (natural, reddish and yellowish), so you can easily tweak the settings to suit the current task or your preferences. Touch-sensitive menu control buttons on the front of the display make it easy to change the settings at any time.

The PW201 accepts analog and digital inputs, so you can share it between two computers and save money as well as desktop space. It also has composite, component and S-video inputs, making it a true multimedia display. The picture-in-picture (PIP) function lets you keep up with your favorite TV shows or watch a movie while you work.

Viewing angles of 176 degrees horizontal and vertical help reduce image distortion when looking at the display from off-axis. The display swivels 120 degrees from side to side, tilts up to 5 degrees forward and up to 90 degrees back and can rotate between landscape and portrait modes.

The built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam delivers good quality video and better-than-average still images. The speakers offer an audio response that is decent but certainly not spectacular.

If you only need a 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor, there are less-expensive options available. However, if your wish list includes speakers and a webcam, the ASUS PW201 is an interesting and innovative display.


Pros: Excellent image quality, multiple adjustment and input options, includes a built-in webcam and speakers
Cons: Expensive if you don't need the extras, screen is particularly subject to glare in an office setting, USB location is easy to reach but causes unattractive cable clutter

Warranty
3 years parts, labor and backlight