14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwanese PC manufacturer Asustek is currently working on a new series of LCD monitors featuring high-definition capabilities. The lowest monitor in the series will feature a 19-inch display, while the largest one is currently set for 24-inch, but the heavy artillery is yet to come.
The first model in the High-Definition offering is the ASUS MK241H LCD monitor. It comes with built-in support from the HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) standard and can sustain full 1080p high-definition playback. Additionally, the monitor comes with a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam and array microphones, that will make you use them once then definitively forget about their existence.
The MK241H features Asustek's exclusive Color Rich Technology that allows the monitor to deliver enhanced higher-color-gamut video performance with 130% extra color space. The monitor can run at a maximum resolution of 1920x1200 (WUXGA) and can deliver a video ration of 16:10. The MK241H LCD display can deliver multi-channel audio as well as uncompressed digital video through a single HDMI cable. It allows HD 1080p playback from miscellaneous HD-ready devices such as Sony's PlayStation3, XBOX360 as well as external high-definition players (Blu-ray / HD DVD).
The LCD display also comes with a new built-in function, called the Aspect Control that lets users pick their display mode. They have to choose between Full, 4:3 and 1:1 (dot-to-dot). More than that, the Trace Free Technology delivers 2-millisecond Quick Response Time (gray-to-gray), while the ASCR (ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio) Technology automatically adjusts the luminance of the backlight for better display as the image content changes.
Asustek will also start shipping a wider model, the 22-inch W variant, also known as MK221H, that also comes with integrated video/audio conference functionality as well as HDMI connection or 5000:1 high contrast ratio (ASCR).