ThinkVision C190 review: ThinkVision C190

For many consumers, CRT monitors are a technology of the past, but many gamers and graphics professionals still want CRTs for their ability to display sharp moving images and accurate colors. The $209 ThinkVision C190 offers good overall performance and streak-free images for gamers, but its color performance showed some flaws. If you have enough room on your desktop for this large 19-inch monitor, the ThinkVision C190 offers a good amount of screen real estate for the price; only color purists will be disappointed.

The ThinkVision C190 sticks with a black color scheme but adds a touch of color with a purple control-panel button and a small, reddish-orange logo. The C190 measures 18.4 inches tall, 18 inches wide, and 18 inches long. In true CRT fashion, the bezel is wide: 2 inches along the top and the sides and about 4 inches along the bottom. The C190 weighs 47 pounds--near average for a 19-inch CRT. And for a CRT, it's flexible; you can tilt it 5 degrees forward and 15 degrees back and swivel it on its circular base 90 degrees to the right or the left.

A simple printed setup guide provides toll-free IBM HelpCenter numbers, a short troubleshooting section, some basic specs, and a line drawing illustrating the order and the placement of the connections. A more detailed user guide explains how to attach the stand, connect the cables, and use the ThinkVision C190 safely and ergonomically.

A four-button control panel makes navigating the onscreen menu (OSM) easy. The large control buttons have semicircular, finger-friendly indents. The two center keys control brightness and contrast and act as directional arrows for scrolling within the OSM. Using the OSM, you can adjust basic settings such as image quality, image position, image size, image shape, color, and factory reset. You can also adjust color temperature and RGB settings individually from 0 to 100. These adjustments are fairly standard for CRTs; if you would like more advanced image-control options, check out the more expensive Sony GDM-C520K.

Tested at its recommended resolution of 1,280x1,024, the ThinkVision C190 was an average performer on CNET Labs' suite of DisplayMate-based tests. Text was legible and easy on the eyes, but did not appear particularly dark black. We noticed that the letters lacked crispness around the edges; this was especially evident on smaller serif fonts, which merged together in places. The C190's screen geometry was generally accurate, but we couldn't fine-tune it enough to eliminate pinched-looking corners.

Moiré patterns also persisted on the C190's screen. Unfortunately, the moiré-reduction function within the image-quality menu couldn't eliminate them. The C190 displayed fairly good color scales, with only a little compression at the dark end of the spectrum. Individually though, the C190's colors appeared dull, and its grayscales failed to exhibit a truly bold black or a pure, shining white.

DVD playback looked good, with accurate flesh tones and smooth shading. But again, the colors were not particularly vivid. Small areas of distortion were also present in sections of solid color. Game backgrounds and movements looked sharp, with no evident ghosting.

The ThinkVision C190 comes with an industry-standard three-year limited warranty. During the warranty period, tech support is available 24/7. If your C190 is defective, Lenovo will replace it within two business days and pay for shipping. For $139, you can upgrade the warranty to four years of onsite service and next-day replacement. Other upgrades are also available.