Sharp LL-T1610W

A competent 16in LCD monitor with some useful features.

Sharp's LL-T1610W 16in LCD monitor uses a proprietary Black TFT screen. It may lack some of the refinements of more consumer-oriented products, but it's a competent business display with some useful features.

The LCD monitor provides a slightly larger viewable screen area than typical 17in CRTs, which generally offer a measurement of around 15.9in.

If you tend to use a 17in CRT at a resolution of 1,280 by 1,024 pixels, the native SXGA (1,280 by 1,024 pixels) resolution of this monitor will feel comfortable for you.

Both digital and analogue signals are supported, with single 15-pin D-Sub and DVI-D connectors at the rear of the chassis. For analogue connections, the automatic calibration routine is effective and the supplied test pattern helps you to fine-tune the phase settings for best results. An Image Colour Matching colour profile is also supplied on the driver disk.

Screen uniformity is very good, with only slight shadowing in the corners of the display. However, we found three dead sub-pixels on our review model that were visible against lighter backgrounds. Aside from these, the overall image quality was very sharp, with no apparent ghosting or streaking on high-contrast test patterns.

Because the LL-T1610W uses Sharp's own Low Reflective Black TFT, it reduces the amount of screen glare, making this a very useful display where ambient light is a problem.

It also provides a wide viewing angle of 160 degrees horizontal and 130 degrees vertical. Although this isn't the best that's available, it's more than enough for general use. Contrast ratio and brightness are both very good, and are rated at 300:1 and 200cd/m2 respectively.

It doesn't offer an integrated microphone or speakers, but it does have a USB hub, with one upstream and two downstream ports beside the signal connectors. The chassis backplate can be removed easily, but the ports are difficult to access and are more appropriate for permanently connected peripherals than removeable ones.

The translucent blue trim of other Sharp LCD monitors has been replaced with a plain fascia, which hosts a five-button control panel and power button. The control interface hasn't been changed and can still be a bit awkward to get to grips with. Three options are available for non-native resolutions, including 1:1 (no rescaling), 4:3 rescaling or full screen.

In addition to these, five levels of sharpening can be applied if you need to adjust the sharpness of the rescaled image. Other control options are limited to brightness, contrast and colour levels, but an automatic feature lets you set brightness and contrast based on the current image displayed.

The screen sits low on its stand and lacks any height adjustment, but is compatible with 75mm VESA mounting arms if you'd prefer more flexibility.

If you're looking for a capable slimline LCD, the Sharp LL-T1610W is a good place to start.

Contact

Sharp Electronics, Sharp House, Thorp Road, Manchester M40 5BE
Tel 0161 205 2333, Fax 0161 205 7076
www.sharp.co.uk