The IT Nerd

When I got my hands on the Viewsonic VG2847Smh monitor to review, It really captured my interest for a number of reasons. For starters, I had all sorts of ways to connect it to my MacBook Pro including:

• VGA
• DisplayPort
• HDMI

I chose HDMI and the result was an absolutely bright and crystal clear display at 1920×1080. I could have left it at that, but the monitor had a few extra tricks up its sleeve to enhance my viewing pleasure:

• There are five scenario presets which are “Game,” “Movie,” “Web,” “Text,” and “Mono.” All these presets enhance gamma curve, color temperature, contrast, and brightness to deliver an optimized viewing experience for different screen applications. I experimented with “Game” and “Movie” and I can say that it does make the viewing experience better for those applications.
• There is zero flicker with this monitor. I really tried hard to find any flicker and I could not. That’s a big plus to me as excessive flicker causes me to have severe headaches.
• There is a blue light filter setting that allows you to adjust the amount of blue light emitted from the screen. What that allows you to do is make things more comfortable for your eyes. I didn’t tweak this too much, but my experimentation showed that there is a wide range of adjustability available for users.
• It’s LED backlit which I prefer as it creates a great color range which if you edit video or pictures you’d appreciate.
• It’s highly adjustable as you can not only pivot it for and aft, but you can move it up and down in ways that I usually don’t see in a monitor. Plus you can pivot it 90 degrees if you need to save some space.

The key thing that I really liked was the size. At 28″ and at 1920×1080 resolution, it’s big enough that I could fit everything that I needed on my screen without a problem and still see things clearly. Thus if you need two monitors to get the real estate that you need to do your work, I would suggest that this Viewsonic monitor will allow you to get away with one. It also has a pair of built in speakers. But to be honest, audiophiles may be a bit let down as I found the audio to be a bit flat and muddy with sound that isn’t richly defined. However, the target audience of this monitor is businesses and those in the graphics space. They will not care about the speakers. I will note that it supports HDMI audio as well as having a 1/8″ audio jack.

Other than the speakers, all of this came together nicely to give me a monitor that could do it all. Some notes on that:

• The VG2847Smh claims to support true 8-bit color (16.7 million color reproduction) and I believe it. I found that I could edit photos in Apple Photos and really get the color purity that I need to see little details such as when photos are taken in low light situations.
• Whether it was video games or movies, everything was crisp, clear, and distortion free. Thus I can comfortably say that you can throw anything at this monitor and it will take it.
• To save space on your desk, it has a USB hub built in as well. Plus if you are using thin clients in your environment, you can mount a Viewsonic thin client to the back of the monitor to save additional space.

The price for all of this goodness is $400 USD. You should keep in mind that this is a monitor that Viewsonic aims at businesses. But I would argue that anyone who wants a monitor that can do the sorts of things that Viewsonic VG2847Smh is capable of should just pull out the credit card and buy it. You will not regret your purchase.

ViewSonic has introduced its LightStream Full HD 1080p projector series for data projection or home entertainment. The LightStream Full HD 1080p series of projectors include the PJD7825HD (black chassis), PJD7830HDL (white chassis), and PJD7835HD (black chassis), with a brightness range from 3000 lumens to 3500 lumens.

Engineered with the company’s SuperColor technology which features a newly designed colour wheel, these LightStream 1080p projectors deliver best-in-class colour accuracy in an intuitive, sleek, and user-friendly form factor. The output of brightness and colour from these projectors are true-to-life in just about any lighting condition. Developed with the company’s propriety SonicExpert enhanced sound technology, the integrated speakers deliver immersive audio quality for greater frequency range and minimized distortion – even at the highest volume levels.

Smart design features include PortAll, an integrated compartment supporting a MHL/HDMI port, which allows users to wirelessly stream multimedia content via the optional wireless HDMI dongle such as ViewSonic’s WPG-300 dongle for wireless streaming from mobile devices, notebooks or PCs. Advanced setup selections include vertical/horizontal keystone, corner adjustment, and 1.36 optical zoom for flexible and easy placement in home entertainment spaces to boardrooms, while an innovative cable management system eliminates unsightly cable clutter.

Designed with two HDMI ports, LightStream 1080p projectors can display 3D images directly from 3D Blu-ray players. Other inputs include RGB, Composite Video, Mini USB, USB, and Audio In/Out.

The LightStream Full HD 1080p series of projectors will be available in August and include the PJD7825HD (black chassis) with a MSRP of $943.00, PJD7830HDL (white chassis) with a MSRP of $1,058.00, and PJD7835HD (black chassis) with a MSRP of $1,174.00.

 ViewSonic has announced that the VX2475Smhl-4K 24-inch Ultra HD 4K multimedia monitor is now available. Delivering stunning image quality for multimedia content from gaming to action-packed movies, ViewSonic’s new Ultra HD monitor meets the needs of demanding gaming enthusiasts to colour-critical design professionals.

The VX2475Smhl-4K Ultra HD multimedia monitor features 3820×2160 native resolution for an incredible front-of-screen entertainment experience. The thin and sleek 24-inch form factor includes professional SuperClear PLS panel technology for wide-angle viewing and 4ms response time that provides lifelike multimedia content. Future-proof connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2a and HDMI 2.0 to support Ultra HD at 60Hz for smooth gaming and video content play without streaking, blurring, or ghosting. Additional MHL capability allows seamless connection to MHL enabled model devices. The VX2475Smhl-4K is positioned to be one of the best-value Ultra HD monitors with a MSRP of $611.00(USD).

Also available in ViewSonic’s complete Ultra HD 4K monitor line:

• The VG2860mhl-4K28-inch Ultra HD LED monitor provides the ultimate work station for anything from scientific renderings to finance and surveillance applications with stunning 3840×2160 native resolution, future-proof connectivity, a flexible ergonomic design and MultiPicture to maximize productivity with simultaneous viewing of up to four split windows. MSRP of $885.00(USD).
• ViewSonic’s flagship VP2780-4K27-inch Ultra HD LED monitor is the ideal professional solution for colour-critical multimedia design applications such as graphic design, photography, and video editing with 3840×2160 at 60Hz native resolution, SuperClear^® IPS panel technology, 14-bit 3D look-up table which provides a colour palette of up to 4.39 trillion colours, and Delta E≤2. One of the first Ultra HD monitors to feature future-proof HDMI 2.0,  the VP2780-4K also includes advanced DisplayPort, dual MHL, and 4-port USB 3.0 connectivity. MSRP of $1,091.00(USD).

All of ViewSonic’s new Ultra HD monitors include the company’s unique ViewMode technology that enhances front-of-screen performance with five preset user options including Text, Game, Movie, Web, and Mono mode while Flicker-Free technology reduces eye fatigue. The new Ultra HD monitors are all backed by ViewSonic’s industry-leading pixel performance guarantee and three-year limited warranty.

Viewsonic today introduced the VSA100 ViewSonic Server Appliance powered by MaximumBit’s Desktop365. The VSA100 delivers a powerful converged platform that dramatically streamlines one of the most complex IT projects – virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployment. It is ideal for small and medium businesses wanting the benefits of next generation software defined workspaces, but without the technical complexities and high costs.

As the world’s smallest form factor for next generation software defined workspaces, the VSA100 allows deployment of scalable hardware in a secure and reliable infrastructure that can be on-premise yet managed from the cloud. The VSA100 brings the power of the cloud in a form factor that can fit into a pocket.

Optimized with MaximumBit’s Desktop365 software, the VSA100 provides small and medium businesses with the Citrix features, performance, and security that enterprise IT managers have come to trust. A Setup Wizard provides an innovative and patent-pending process to provision and install the complete Citrix software stack on the VSA100 server appliance. The built-in Management Portal enables simplified administration by using template-based application image management and provisioning processes, provides a customizable application gallery that enables end users to subscribe and unsubscribe to corporate applications on-demand. A set of tools for User Support and IT operations streamlines and automates the most frequent and time consuming tasks and is scalable to grow with businesses.

The VSA100 will be showcased at Citrix Synergy at the ViewSonic booth. The VSA100 will be available in Q4 2015.

Viewsonic introduces its new line of Ultra HD monitors. The VP2780-4K is ViewSonic’s flagship Ultra HD monitor designed with a professional grade panel and connectivity; the VG2860mhl-4K is designed for commercial and enterprise applications featuring a flexible ergonomic stand; and the VX2475Smhl-4K brings multimedia to life from video games to action-packed movies. Building upon its award-winning display heritage, ViewSonic’s new Ultra HD monitors meet the needs of demanding gaming enthusiasts to colour-critical design professionals.

For colour-critical multimedia design applications like graphic design, photography, and video editing; ViewSonic’s flagship VP2780-4K 27-inch Ultra HD LED monitor is the ideal professional solution with 3840×2160 at 60Hz native resolution. With SuperClear^® IPS panel technology, 1.07 billion colour capability, and Delta E≤2; the VP2780-4K delivers accurate colour performance for wide-angle viewing. Equipped with advanced EBU colour space and wide-range gamma setting, the Ultra HD monitor provides optimized screen adjustments for different viewing scenarios. One of the first Ultra HD monitors to feature future-proof HDMI^® 2.0 to support 3840×2160 content at 60Hz,  the VP2780-4K also includes advanced DisplayPort, dual MHL, and 4-port USB 3.0 connectivity. The VP2780-4K is available now with a MSRP of $1,091 (USD).

From scientific renderings to finance and surveillance applications, the VG2860mhl-4K 28-inch Ultra HD LED monitor offers stunning definition with 3840×2160 native resolution. For the ultimate work station, the monitor features future-proof connectivity including DisplayPort^®1.2a, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI® 1.4, MHL and DVI inputs, and 4 USB ports. A flexible ergonomic design delivers optimum user comfort while MultiPicture™ allows for simultaneous viewing of up to four split windows for maximum productivity. The VG2860mhl-4K is available now at a MSRP of $885 (USD).

The VX2475Smhl-4 K Ultra HD multimedia monitor features 3840×2160 native resolution for an incredible front-of-screen entertainment experience. The thin and sleek 24-inch form factor includes professional SuperClear^® PLS panel technology for wide-angle viewing and 4ms response time that provides lifelike multimedia content. Future-proof connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2a and MHL for flexible viewing of high-definition content while HDMI2.0 supports Ultra HD content at 60Hz – delivering smooth gaming and video content without streaking, blurring, or ghosting. Available in May, the VX2475Smhl-4K is positioned to be one of the best valued Ultra HD monitors with a MSRP of $611 (USD).

All of ViewSonic’s new Ultra HD monitors include the companies unique ViewMode technology that enhances front-of-screen performance with five preset user options including Text, Game, Movie, Web, and Mono mode while Flicker-Free technology reduce eye fatigue. The new Ultra HD monitors are all backed by ViewSonic’s industry-leading pixel performance guarantee and three-year limited warranty.

Viewsonic yesterday announced that they have been honoured with the 2014 Canadian Reseller Choice Awardfor Best Multi-Purpose Display category. Presented by eChannelNEWS magazine, this award acknowledges the vendor with the most innovative, useful, and beneficial multi-purpose displays as chosen by voters.

ViewSonic has a portfolio of professional level display solutions that enhance the way organizations compute, collaborate, communicate and connect. From 4K interactive touch displays to all-in-one smart displays for Android, ViewSonic offers best-in-class technologies for optimal front- of-screen performance which has been recognized by eChannelNEWS magazine.

Now in its eighth year, the Canadian Reseller Choice Awards honour the best vendors and distributors with awards in various categories. With over 14,000 votes cast by Canadian resellers and over 500 vendors nominated, it is the largest such channel survey in Canada.

Congratulations to Viewsonic!

Viewsonic has announced that the LightStream PJD6350 Networkable Projector is now available. The LightStream Networkable series of projectors delivers true-to-life colours in just about any lighting condition. Equipped with SuperColor technology, ViewSonic’s LightStream Networkable Projector delivers brilliant colour, while a high-brightness output ensures crisp and clear images. The LightStream PJD6350 features smart, user-friendly functions including ViewSonic’s patent-pending PortAll for secure wireless streaming, SonicExpert for enhanced sound, and a cable management cover; making the projector ideal for education or business settings.

Boasting 3200 lumens of brightness combined with ViewSonic’s proprietary SuperColor technology, the PJD6350 produces a superior balance of brightness and colour accuracy. The PJD6350 features XGA (1024×768) resolution, 15000:1 Dynamic contrast, and a lamp life of up to 10,000 hours, as well as multiple connectivity options including VGA, dual HDMI, Composite Video, S-Video, Component, RS-232 and RJ45. The PJD6350 comes with SonicExpert, an enhanced sound technology that delivers best-in-class audio performance from its integrated 10W speaker, for greater frequency range and minimized distortion.

The smart design features in the PJD6350 includes PortAll, an integrated compartment that supports an MHL/HDMI port that allows users to wirelessly stream multimedia content via a wireless HDMI dongle. A user-friendly remote features a unique “My Button” control that configures to a user’s preferred setting with one simple click. The remote network management function can control up to 256 LightStream projectors, and with a single remote, installers have the flexibility to operate up to eight projectors in the same room by switching codes. The intuitive keypad, which is on all LightStream series projectors, allows users to operate the projector without complicated on-screen display menus.

The LightStream PJD6350 Networkable Projector is available now via select Canadian resellers with a MSRP of $849(USD).

The VG2847Smh 28-inch Full HD monitor joins ViewSonic Corp’s lineup of industry-leading display solutions. Delivering superior screen performance with a SuperClear MVA panel and an integrated virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) endpoint mount, the VG2847Smh is an ideal desktop monitor for business, government and educational organizations deploying VDI solutions.

With its SuperClear Pro MVA panel and 1080p Full HD resolution, the ViewSonic VG2847Smh delivers a crisp viewing experience with wide viewing angles and smooth colour gradient. The easy-to-use integrated endpoint mount allows client boxes to be installed on the back of the monitor without interfering with the ergonomic design. For companies investing in VDI-based desktops or needing a high performance business monitor, the VG2847Smh comes with future-proof connectivity options including HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA inputs, and USB ports.

ViewSonic’s exclusive ViewMode technology delivers exceptional colour rendering while Flicker-Free and Blue Light Filter technologies provide a more comfortable viewing experience. The VG2847Smh is ENERGY STAR and EPEAT certified and backed by ViewSonic’s industry-leading pixel performance guarantee  and three-year limited warranty.

Shipping in April 2015, the VG2847Smh will be available for an MSRP of $491 (USD).

ViewSonic this week announced that the SC-T47 thin client and SD-A245 smart display client has won Cloud Computing’s 2014 Product of the Year Award. Presented by Cloud Computing magazine, the award honours vendors with the most innovative, useful, and beneficial cloud products and services that have been brought to market in the past year.

The ViewSonic SC-T47 thin client provides an economical and feature-rich virtual desktop solution along with the capability to drive four 1080p displays. Featuring Citrix Ready–HDX Verified status, the SC-T47 ensures amazingly fast, high-speed virtual desktop performance with excellent 2D/3D graphics capabilities. With integrated WiFi, four DVI outputs and five USB ports, the SC-T47 provides connectivity for a wide range of displays and peripherals for optimal productivity.

ViewSonic’s SD-A245 smart display clients provides a flexible all-in-one, locked-down and extremely secure desktop solution. It features 1080p Full HD resolution and 10-point capacitive touch for superior intuitive user interaction. The SD-A245 comes preinstalled with the Citrix Worx Home app for easy enrollment and management under the Citrix XenMobile environment. The SD-A245 is a complete multimedia display with WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated 2M pixel webcam, and speakers. Versatile connectivity includes HDMI/MHL, 4-port USB, SD card reader and RJ45 LAN.

This award cements ViewSonic’s leadership in the cloud computing space, and it should be something that gets them a lot of attention.

Viewsonic introduced the LightStream PJD6 Networkable Series of Projectors yesterday. The LightStream line delivers the ultimate in true-to-life colours in any lighting condition.  Based on the company’s SuperColor technology, the days of sacrificing colour accuracy for brightness levels are gone. Ideal for any classroom or meeting room, the new LightStream PJD6 delivers smart features including ViewSonic’s patent pending PortAll for secured wireless streaming, SonicExpert for enhanced fuller range of integrated sound, an integrated cable management cover and “My Button” auto configuration mode.

With SuperColor technology that features a newly designed colour wheel and 3200 to 3800 lumens of brightness, these projectors offer true-to-life colour in any lighting conditions. The PJD6 series includes XGA and WXGA resolutions, 15000:1 Dynamic contrast, and a lamp life of 10,000 hours. SonicExpert enhanced sound technology delivers best in class audio performance from the integrated (10W/16W) speaker for greater frequency range and minimized distortion at even the highest levels.  Flexible inputs include 2xVGA, 2xHDMI (1xMHL/HDMI), Composite Video, and S-Video.

Smart design features include PortAll – an integrated compartment supporting an MHL/HDMI port that allows users to wirelessly stream multimedia content via a wireless HDMI dongle. Smart horizontal keystone and corner adjustment allows for flexible placement of the projectors in classrooms or boardrooms. All LightStream PJD6 projectors include a discreet cable management cover for easy cable organization.

The user-friendly remote features a unique “My Button” control that configures to a user’s preferred setting with one simple click. With a single remote, installers have the flexibility to operate up to eight projectors in the same room by switching the codes. The new intuitive keypad layout featured on all LightStream Series projectors allows users to easily operate the projector without complicated on-screen display menus.

ViewSonic also announces its new WPG-300 wireless presentation gateway dongle which can be used with the LightStream PortAll™ feature.  The compact HDMI dongle offers multiple functions, including WiFi display, media streaming, screen mirroring and much more. ViewSonic’s new wireless dongle will be available in Q2 with an MSRP of (USD) $149.99.

The new LightStream PJD6 Networkable series include the PJD6250L, PJD6350, PJD6355, PJD6550W, PJD6552W, PJD6352LS, and PJD6552LWS. All will be available in Q2 2015 with MSRPs ranging from (USD) $599.99 to $999.99.