We can sum up the ViewSonic VX2835wm in a single word: big. It's also budget-friendly, although it's not necessarily a good value.

The VX2835wm is a 28-inch LCD monitor with a native resolution of 1920X1200 pixels. This is the same native resolution found in 24-inch displays, which means that although the VX2835wm displays a larger image, it won't show any more of the image than a standard 24-inch display does. The larger image size is a plus for those of us who are cursed with older eyes, or for anyone who struggles a bit with small text.

Beyond its impressive size, the VX2835wm has a contrast ratio of 800:1 and an almost painful maximum brightness of 500 nits; fortunately, you can turn down brightness to fit your comfort level. The pixel response time is an impressive 5ms (3ms gray to gray), making this display a great candidate for gamers and movie buffs.

The VX2835wm is surrounded by a rather rotund bezel, which makes the display seem even larger than its usable viewing area. The extra bezel space houses a pair of 3-watt speakers that, while usable, really aren't worth the space they take up. The display sits on a disappointing stand that offers only tilt adjustment, with no height adjustment or swivel capabilities. This lack of adjustability makes connecting the VX2835wm to a CPU more difficult than it should be, because all of the connection points are at the bottom of the display, where they're difficult to see.

Connectivity is good, but not outstanding. The VX2835wm has the typical VGA connection, as well as an HDCP-complaint HDMI port. It lacks a DVI connection, but ViewSonic includes a DVI-to-HDMI cable in the package, a nice touch that wins points with us. The VX2835wm also earns points for its selection of non-computer video inputs (S-Video, Composite and Component). With its abundance of connections, the VX2835wm can easily serve as part of almost any desktop entertainment center.

We find the VX2835wm to be a satisfactory performer for general use. It provides very good text definition -- even at smaller font sizes -- and adequate image quality. It lacks accurate color reproduction capabilities out of the box, although you can calibrate it for better performance. Its fast pixel response time aids both game play and movie viewing by suppressing ghosting and other artifacts of movement.

The ViewSonic VX2835wm bundles a large screen with some nice connectivity features that make it a good choice for individuals on a not-so-big budget who want a big monitor. Its lack of overall color accuracy is a concern for photography and graphics applications, but it shouldn't interfere too much with general-purpose use, including games and movies.


Pros: Large display, fast response time, good selection of video inputs
Cons: Poor stand design, limited adjustment options, poor color accuracy

Warranty
3 years, limited on LCD, parts and labor