BenQ FP91E

Verdict: Ideas above its station

It's not a good idea to indulge in too much anthropomorphisation. Calling your dog 'Steve' is just about okay, but you should draw the line at asking him if he wants red or white wine with his dinner•. As with many rules of life, this one applies equally to computers as it does to pets. For example, water is bad for both motherboards and cats, as is too much electricity. Imagining your computer to be a person can also help, and sometimes you need to curse your unstable PC as you would an irritating sibling.

Imagine, then, that the two 19in TFTs reviewed in this issue are both people. The Philips 190X5, would be the upper-class gentleman, clad in crisp, suave black; expensive, but smooth. The BenQ FP91E, despite being silver, wasn't born with a silver spoon in its mouth. In fact, the awkward-looking FP91E would be down on its luck and part of the oppressed masses.

Yet life started off so promisingly for the FP91E. It's a 12ms panel, with both DVI and D-SUB inputs that hint at great things. Only the disparity between its ambitions - its 19in screen size - and its resources - the 1,280 x 1,024 resolution - would point at the misfortunes to come. The integrated stereo speakers are mounted in the bottom of the bezel, but provide pretty awful sound.

The FP91E does have a lot going for it. The viewing angles deserve a special mention because they're incredibly impressive, almost rivalling those of a CRT. You really have to search out the most extreme angles to make the image unviewable, and this is even true for vertical angles, which are usually much worse than horizontal ones.

Unlike the last BenQ monitor we reviewed, the FP783, the FP91E has both manners and class when it comes to colours. The FP783 was tuned for impact at the expense of accuracy. In contrast, the FP91E provides strong and true colours when displaying digital photos, accurately reflecting the image.

But despite targeting the upper echelons of computer users, the FP91E's DVI input and crispness prove to be its downfall. The colours in digital photos were good, but they looked much more pixelated on the FP91E than they did on the 190X5. The FP91E's DVI input means it receives a more accurate digital signal from the graphics card, rather than the hazier analogue one from the D-SUB port, as the 190X5 does. As a result of this more precise input, and the general qualities of its panel, the FP91E actually looks worse. The fundamental inequality between the physical size of the 19in screen and the 1,280 x 1,024 resolution is revealed, as the larger pixels used by the 19in panel have nowhere to hide. It's a tragedy worthy of a Victorian melodrama that the FP91E's superior features actually expose its inadequacies.

In games, the FP91E and the 190X5 were much closer. As the FP91E lacks enhancement software, it provides a much more regular and consistent experience. You don't need to worry that a change in a level's lighting conditions will wreak havoc on the all the colours. The FP91E is bright overall but it's nothing out of the ordinary.

Viewing digital photos is a slightly different story, though, and the FP91E's DVI connection gives them a sharpness that the 190X5 lacks. However, if you're used to the incisive definition on a 17in panel, any 19in TFT, the FP91E included, is going to lack edge. Again, the DVI input revealed deficiencies and there were several occasions in Need For Speed: Underground 2 when blur was visible, although it was never hugely distracting.

Although the FP91E is generally brighter than the 190X5, it doesn't have any enhancements such as Light Frame to help it out. The FP91E's overall brightness makes it easier on the eye in Windows, but in DVD playback, it can't really compete with the Light Frame-assisted 190X5 in terms of cinematic impact. The FP91E certainly isn't bad at movie playback, and it's a cut above the vast majority of TFTs. However, compared with the 190X5, scenes looked washed out or overly bright, and the FP91E lacked its rival's range and impressive dynamic contrast.

CONCLUSION

In the end, with the FP91E, it all comes down to money. It's not a bad panel, and for Windows and games it's actually pretty good. However, it lacks the stellar good looks of the 190X5 and with the Sharp LL-172G-B retailing for nearly £150 less and using the same resolution, it's hard to see why you'd want to pay extra for the FP91E. Best not to think of it as a person and get emotional about it, just walk on by.

• Steve should accept what he's given, obviously.