In Depth Review on New Lcd 2007In Depth Review on New Lcd 2007We knew it had to happen sooner or later. With the release of the Viewsonic VX2245wm ViewDock ($455) monitor, LCD displays are the latest product category to become “iPod-ified”. The 22-inch widescreen display boasts an iPod dock built right into the base offering the promise of a simplified desktop along with its glossy black design. The idea of integrating an iPod dock into a monitor isnt completely without merit, but dont get ahead of yourself imagining what the ViewDock can do. First off, you cant listen to music or movies without using iTunes on your computer. It also doesnt quite live up to the ideal of simplicity–the ViewDock requires two power cables, along with a couple of audio cables and a USB cable to make the whole system work. Once you get past these caveats, the ViewDock has its charms: three USB ports up front, built-in speakers and an eight-in-one media card reader. We also thought the performance was fine for everyday activity, and even a step above the other Viewsonic 22-incher we tested, the VX2235wm.
DesignThe aesthetic appeal of the Viewsonic VX2245wm ViewDocks design is largely dependent on how much you like having an iPod docked right below your screen. Opinion of CNET editors was largely split, with some thinking the iPod would be distracting and others liking the integrated dock. The bezel is glossy black, as well as most of the stand. Right down the center of the stand is a silver stripe where the iPod dock is.
Connecting the monitor to make the iPod dock work is a little more trouble than youd expect. The first bump youll run into is that the stand itself needs a separate power cord–thats a pain if, like us, your power strip could always use one more outlet. Next, youll need to connect two separate audio cables–one essentially connecting the stand to the monitor, and the other linking the monitor to the computer. We can understand running the cord from the monitor to the computer, but it seems like Viewsonic could have designed the dock so it didnt need to connect to itself. Lastly, youll need to make the USB connect from the display to computer, which is standard for any monitor with USB and media card readers.
The HDMI 2.0 output will work but it is an issue that we may be having. In order to run the dock vertically, you need to place your phone vertically, the dock will only go horizontally if the device is near the dock. If you would like an even horizontal view of the dock on your car or home theater TV, this is what you need to do:
Mount the HDMI cable to a metal piece on the back of the dock, and then place the dock vertically in. This allows you to monitor the monitors of your living room or mobile device from a far distance.
The dock can be placed in a variety of places to put a display on it!
We recommend using a large stand or stand-alone TV. This way you can easily mount a monitor up and down and then display the data on it. Or, take a large stand and have a little table on it for a little viewing experience. If it looks like it was in use when I put the dock on, consider purchasing a table of chairs from the web store instead.
The dock can be set as your own monitor
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You can edit the config file to disable the HDMI. If you choose to do so after the initial installation, then you will need to rerun the initialconfig.py file to remove this HDMI as well. For now, all we need is access to the DisplayPort and HDMI.
[+1.90336940175841802]
We’re going to go ahead and install the included version of Viewsonic for this system. After installing the Viewsonic install.py script, we are going to open Control Panel -> Viewsonic. We will need to make sure our main windows display is set to “Auto.” (You can disable it here.) The first thing we’re going to do is make sure the computer has an option that shows “No display running.”
- The HDMI 2.0 output will work but it is an issue that we may be having. In order to run the dock vertically, you need to place your phone vertically, the dock will only go horizontally if the device is near the dock. If you would like an even horizontal view of the dock on your car or home theater TV, this is what you need to do:
Mount the HDMI cable to a metal piece on the back of the dock, and then place the dock vertically in. This allows you to monitor the monitors of your living room or mobile device from a far distance.
The dock can be placed in a variety of places to put a display on it!
We recommend using a large stand or stand-alone TV. This way you can easily mount a monitor up and down and then display the data on it. Or, take a large stand and have a little table on it for a little viewing experience. If it looks like it was in use when I put the dock on, consider purchasing a table of chairs from the web store instead.
The dock can be set as your own monitor
[+1.90336940175841802]
You can edit the config file to disable the HDMI. If you choose to do so after the initial installation, then you will need to rerun the initialconfig.py file to remove this HDMI as well. For now, all we need is access to the DisplayPort and HDMI.
[+1.90336940175841802]
We’re going to go ahead and install the included version of Viewsonic for this system. After installing the Viewsonic install.py script, we are going to open Control Panel -> Viewsonic. We will need to make sure our main windows display is set to “Auto.” (You can disable it here.) The first thing we’re going to do is make sure the computer has an option that shows “No display running.”
- Aside from some of the quirks with the dock itself, we like the three USB ports located on the front of the stand. Theyre convenient if the ports on your PC arent easy to reach, and the same goes for the eight-in-one media card reader. On the other hand, we really didnt like the front-panel controls, because theyre set into the panel and force you to use your fingernail to press them. With our stubby nails, this made configuring the display harder than it should have been. Theres also a volume knob on the front, as well as a tiny microphone.
Manufacturers specsResolution: 1,680×1,050 pixelsDot pitch: 0.28mmPixel-response rate: 5msContrast ratio: 700:1Viewing angle: 170 degrees horizontal /160 degrees verticalConnectivity: DVI, VGA, and USBOther features: iPod dock, volume control, built-in speakers, headphone jack; eight-in-one media card reader, four USB portsNot HDCP compliantIncluded cables: VGA and DVI, plus two audio cablesAs we said before, the iPod dock doesnt live up to its full potential. When the VX2245wm was first announced, we imagined it might have offered the ability to just pop in your iPod and listen to music or watch a movie without using a computer. This isnt the case–instead, its really just like any other iPod dock, except that
Let’s go to the second tab in Control Panel -> Controls. If you want Show Viewsonic in the top left corner at all, you can do so here:
Let’s go to the second tab in Control Panel -> Controls. If you want Show Viewsonic in the top left corner at all, you can do so here: