Hanns.G’s entry-level monitors are priced so low that it’s always interesting to see just what they’ve managed to deliver for the money.

We’re usually very impressed, so when we received the latest 19in model, the HS191DP, we were ready for something good.

The specification indicates no corners have been cut when choosing the panel: Its 300cd/m2 brightness and 700:1 contrast ratio are a match for monitors costing considerably more and a 5ms response time means it’s up to speed with games and video.

It also has built-in audio and, most remarkably for a monitor of this price, both VGA and DVI inputs.

Where the HX191DP is let down is in its design. It has a silver and black case that looks fine from a distance, but not so good close up. It’s not ugly or poorly-constructed – it just looks like you haven’t spent very much on it. We’re not expecting miracles, but Hannstar Inc is a master of monitor design – just take a look at its Hannspree products – and we feel that they could have built something that looked just a little more sophisticated.

The HX191DP is unsurprisingly basic in operation. It has a very simple on-screen menu accessed by five front mounted buttons, one of which triggers auto setup.

In our tests, performance was average to good. Some minimal banding was present on fine gradients and the rather narrow viewing angles meant that we had to get the monitor tilt spot on to get the best picture. There was also a small amount of backlight bleed at the top of the screen, but results were certainly more than acceptable for a budget monitor.

It’s certainly not aimed at demanding users, but if you want a decent digital 19in monitor and are on a budget, the HX191DP is superb value for money and comes with a full three-year on site warranty.