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ot too long ago, LCDs were the buzz word of the IT market, and price tags of $4,000 were not unheard of. Everyone wanted to do away with their hunking, fossilized CRT monitors for more expensive, space-saving and, most importantly, stylish flat-panel monitors. But just like many industry niches, the flat-panel industry has become jaded in recent years.

With nearly every major IT, display and consumer electronics vendor producing LCDs, there are plenty of choices available. Most end users make their choice based on price, while most solution providers have existing contracts with LCD vendors, giving them little choice but to bundle the vendor's displays with their PCs.

Choosing a monitor is simply a matter of preference, and more often that not, it's the little added touches that LCD vendors incorporate into their product that make or break a sale.

Two recently released LCDs, CTX Technology's M730V and Samsung's SyncMaster 173P, offer some nice finishing touches.

CTX M730V
The CTX M730V is a true multimedia display. The LCD comes equipped with an integrated camera at the top for videoconferencing or video e-mail, along with a picture-in-picture option for multitasking and a built-in speaker system.

With the integrated camera, employees can attend interoffice meetings without having to travel between different locations. The plethora of ports allows users to fully integrate electronic equipment such as personal video recorders (PVRs) and digital cameras seamlessly. The display also includes software by CyberLink that makes sending video e-mail easy.

The unit is dressed in a black-and-gray bezel, and with its chic styling and multitude of features, the LCD looks ultramodern. The monitor has a native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024, and its built-in stereo speakers are rated at 3 watts each. The base of the display houses three USB 2.0 ports, a DVI/analog input and a built-in microphone.

The display produces colors that are vivid, while black scales and white scales show up well. Text is especially easy on the eyes. CTX has been entrenched in the channel for years. The company provides a variety of sales support and technical assistance to resellers and offers literature, training, demos, promotions and giveaways. On-site training is also offered. The channel program has multiple partner levels that are based on monthly sales. The monitor costs $899 and comes with a warranty that includes three years for labor, two years for parts and one year for the backlight. CTX provides an average solution provider margin of 15 percent.

SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 173P
Samsung's 17-inch dual input (digital and analog) SyncMaster 173P includes the company's MagicTune hands-free software, which allows the user to control all applications such as brightness and contrast through the GUI. MagicTune also features three separate brightness modes that are designed specifically for PC, Internet and entertainment applications.

The LCD includes an asset identification feature and offers a 178-degree viewing angle and a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 1,024. With its silver finish, the 173P dresses up any desktop. The 173P's strong image quality makes it a perfect display for use in any industry. Text is sharp and readable, while colors jump off the screen and seem true to life.

To assist in sales of the product, Samsung's field-based sales representatives work hand-in-hand with solution providers, offering numerous incentives, a reward program and support for specific vertical markets.

Samsung's partner program has three levels, based on sales revenue and market potential. Samsung backs all of its monitors with a three-year parts and labor warranty as well as toll-free technical support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The monitor costs $630, and the average solution provider margin is 15 percent.

Samsung's technical support consists of 24x7 help-desk support for program members, including training, warranty support and fast product turnaround.

Flat-panel displays are an attractive technology, especially when customers need to save space in cramped locations where high profits are involved, such as investment firms and medical institutions.

But the days of flat-panel displays being just for those institutions are over. No matter what the industry, flat-panel displays are moving in, and solution providers can make decent profits on them.