ViewSonic N3260w review

We were impressed, on the other hand, by the ViewSonic's relatively clean image. As the camera pans over the harbor during the ship's departure, the night sky looked smooth and relatively realistic, with natural transitions from lighter to darker areas and little of the noise or false contouring evinced by other sets we've seen.

In terms of color, the ViewSonic N3260W turned in relatively accurate primaries, but its overall color temperature was worse than that of many LCDs we've tested (see the geek box). In King Kong, the inaccurate color temperature translated into slightly off-looking skin tones and other areas. As Anne (Naomi Watts) is caught looking at Jack (Adrian Brody) in her compact, the highlights in her face and neck appeared just a bit paler than they should have, while his white shirt was significantly bluer. During a later shot aboard the ship at night, Carl's (Jack Black) black hair was also tinged too bluish.

The ViewSonic N3260W's video processing for standard-def performed relatively well, with quick 2:3 pull-down detection and sharp details, but we thought it could have used some noise reduction. In noisy shots of the sky, for example, it did a worse job of smoothing out the fuzzy-looking motes and other artifacts.

High-def sources seemed relatively impressive. We appreciated the crisp details in an ESPN2 broadcast of a White Sox game, from the clods of dirt around home plate to the bits of chalk that sprang up from the cleats of Jim Thome as he beat out a throw from the second baseman. As usual, we saw many of the same image characteristics we witnessed from the DVD, although the lighter blacks were much less noticeable, naturally, during the bright game. We paid close attention to the ball as it was pitched and didn't notice any trails or lag, but then again, we've seen few such signs of response-time issues in LCDs we've reviewed recently.

We also checked out the N3260W's 1:1 aspect-ratio mode, and indeed, it perfectly resolved the 720p resolution pattern from our HD-signal generator via HDMI. Of course, on this 1,366x768-native-resolution display, the 1,280x720 image was surrounded by black bars on all sides, so we doubt many viewers will want to take advantage of this mode. Like most 1,366x768 displays, this set is much happier with 720p sources; 1080i material appeared noticeably softer via HDMI, so we recommend you set your HD gear to 720p.

Although we wish its color was more accurate and its black levels deeper, the ViewSonic N3260W delivers an otherwise commendable picture for an LCD in this price range. Its balanced mix of features sweetens the deal, making it a compelling alternative to like-priced 32-inchers from less familiar brands.