The LL-191A's design is solid and simple. It has a stable, wedge-shape base and a slim neck that holds the top of the panel 15.5 inches above the desktop. This height is OK for shorter people, but taller folks may need to slip a thick dictionary underneath the monitor. Although the panel tilts 25 degrees backward and a few degrees forward, it isn't very adjustable and cannot swivel or pivot from Landscape to Portrait mode. However, you can remove the panel for use with VESA-standard wall and arm mounts. If you're looking for a more adjustable LCD in the same price range as the LL-191A (approximately $700 as of June 2004), we recommend the Dell 1901FP.
Most 19-inch LCDs offer both an analog and a DVI connection, but the LL-191A has only one (easily accessible) analog connection. Sharp provides an analog cable and an audio cable to connect your PC to the display's one-watt stereo speakers. Tucked underneath the lower bezel, the speakers point straight down and don't deliver much volume; in fact, like most LCD speakers, they sound decidedly better playing brass than bass. Macintosh users will need an adapter to use the LL-191A; Sharp doesn't include one with the display, nor does the company offer it separately.
Sharp's attractive LL-191A has an 0.75-inch plastic bezel, available in either glossy black or white, which runs all the way around the screen. A silver-colored strip attached to the bezel's bottom edge houses a headphone jack, the speakers, and five buttons for operating the image-adjustment menus. The menus include a complete set of adjustment options, including an effective Auto setting and a few esoteric settings, such as 400 Lines and Scaling; the manual explains all of these features well enough. Two of the buttons also control speaker volume.
The LL-191A turned in an uneven performance in CNET Labs' tests. At the LL-191A's 1,280x1,024 native resolution, text looked crisp and clear, but the LL-191A didn't handle other tasks quite so well. Bright graphics on a dark background suffered from a distracting, fuzzy halo. The screen displayed strong, saturated colors but didn't handle the grayscale as well, and darker hues were not particularly well defined. We also noticed more unevenness than normal in the backlighting, with the edges and top half of the panel darker than the center. The LL-191A turned in a passable performance with DVD playback and gaming, but displaying text is its strength.
Sharp offers generally reassuring support policies. While Sharp declines to spell out its bad-pixel policy, it claims adherence to the ISO 13406-2 standard, which commits the company to replacing displays that have just a few bad pixels. Sharp provides 24/7, toll-free, live telephone support for the life of the product and covers the LL-191A with a three-year warranty that includes prepaid shipping. At press time, Sharp's Web site did not yet include the LL-191A in its knowledge base and download areas.
Find out more about how we test LCDs.
Most 19-inch LCDs offer both an analog and a DVI connection, but the LL-191A has only one (easily accessible) analog connection. Sharp provides an analog cable and an audio cable to connect your PC to the display's one-watt stereo speakers. Tucked underneath the lower bezel, the speakers point straight down and don't deliver much volume; in fact, like most LCD speakers, they sound decidedly better playing brass than bass. Macintosh users will need an adapter to use the LL-191A; Sharp doesn't include one with the display, nor does the company offer it separately.
Sharp's attractive LL-191A has an 0.75-inch plastic bezel, available in either glossy black or white, which runs all the way around the screen. A silver-colored strip attached to the bezel's bottom edge houses a headphone jack, the speakers, and five buttons for operating the image-adjustment menus. The menus include a complete set of adjustment options, including an effective Auto setting and a few esoteric settings, such as 400 Lines and Scaling; the manual explains all of these features well enough. Two of the buttons also control speaker volume.
The LL-191A turned in an uneven performance in CNET Labs' tests. At the LL-191A's 1,280x1,024 native resolution, text looked crisp and clear, but the LL-191A didn't handle other tasks quite so well. Bright graphics on a dark background suffered from a distracting, fuzzy halo. The screen displayed strong, saturated colors but didn't handle the grayscale as well, and darker hues were not particularly well defined. We also noticed more unevenness than normal in the backlighting, with the edges and top half of the panel darker than the center. The LL-191A turned in a passable performance with DVD playback and gaming, but displaying text is its strength.
Sharp offers generally reassuring support policies. While Sharp declines to spell out its bad-pixel policy, it claims adherence to the ISO 13406-2 standard, which commits the company to replacing displays that have just a few bad pixels. Sharp provides 24/7, toll-free, live telephone support for the life of the product and covers the LL-191A with a three-year warranty that includes prepaid shipping. At press time, Sharp's Web site did not yet include the LL-191A in its knowledge base and download areas.
CNET Labs DisplayMate tests (Longer bars indicate better performance)
Brightness in cd/m2
Note: Measured with the Sencore CP500
Find out more about how we test LCDs.