The lure of the flatscreen monitor is a strong one. After growing up with large and bulky Cathode Ray Tubes, the slim flatscreens stick out like candy for the taking. The only drawback is their cost. Flatscreens are usually very expensive, and tend to be a bit beyond budget of the average consumer. Whereas a decent 19" flatscreen costs as much, or more than the average computer, a 19" CRT can be had for only a few hundred.

In this review we'll be looking at a 15" flatscreen display from a company called Envision Peripherals (EPI). The LM-500 is target towards the budget minded consumer with its' relatively low price. Based out of Freemont, the EPI have been making monitors for over 18 years, largely for the reseller market. This probably explains why haven't heard of EPI previously.

As we've seen in the past, monitor quality is usually a very polar entity. A good monitor is superb, and bad monitor is really bad. In the world of displays, there just doesn't seem to be any middle ground. Its' either good, or bad.

Before we begin lets clear up one thing that we found a bit confusing.

You may have noticed that the display we are reviewing says AOC on it, but the company is called EPI? As it happens, Envision Peripherals makes monitors for two markets. Monitors with the AOC label are destined for the reseller market, and monitors with the EPI label can be picked up in your local computer store. It's the same company and manufacturer, just a different logo. Now, lets move on and check out the features of this 15" flatscreen display...

The Full Specs:

Panel	TFT LCD VIS: 15.1" (Diagonal) Hard Coating (3H), Anti-glare Treatment, 10,000 hour lifespan backlight.
Pixel Pitch	0.27mm x 0.27mm
Display Area	304mm x 228mm
Brightness	200cd/m2 (typical)
Contrast Ratio	150 : 1 (typical)
Viewing Angle	Horizontal: +100 / - 100Degree Vertical:+80 / -80 Degree
Frequency	Horizontal: 30K~60KHz Vertical: 60~75 Hz
Pixel rate	100MHz
Resolution	1024 x 768 @70Hz (recommended)
Color	262K, 16.7M Colors
Signal Input	Video Input: Analog RGB (0.714 Vp-p) Sync. Type: Separate Sync., TTL Level
Video Signal Connector	15 Pin Mini D-sub Male
Plug & Play	DDC1/2B
Power Source	Universal powersupply, 100~240VAC, 50/60Hz
Power Consumption	37 Watts (Max.)
Power Management	EPA ENERGY STAR & VESA DPMS (5-5-5-37W)
User Control	Power On/Off Key, Auto Key and Shuttle Knobb
OSD Function	Brightness, Contrast, Hpos Vpos, Auto Adjust, Focus Contrast-Rdelay, Undo Adjust, Reset Save+ Exit Gamma/Offset Corrections
Low Radiation	TCO 92, TCO 99
Regulation	UL, CSA, FCC, TUV/GS, CE
Temperature	Operation: 5~40 Degree Centigrade Storage: -20~60 Degree Centigrade
Dimensions	Set(WxHxD): 398mm x 397mm x 190mm Packing(WxHxD): 494mm x 470mm x 230mm
Weight	4.5Kg(Net) 5.0Kg(Gross)
Warranty	Three Years Parts & Labor

To completely configure a system with this monitor, a diskette is included which has the necessary drivers. Windows was smart enough to detect the display type and load supporting drivers by itself without requesting the files on the disk. Drivers can be downloaded from EPI's website at www.epius.com however if they are required.