John J. Yacono, Technical Editor and Serdar Yegulalp, Assistant Technical Editor
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which goes with this article, entitled:
What Do They Mean by Green?
What's the first thing you look at when you check out a computer? For most of us, it's the monitor. That's a good starting point, since it's the interface you use the most, and picture quality is critical to viewing comfort. Clearly, choosing the right monitor can make or break your experience using a system. And, with Windows 95's advanced GUI, the visual interface is more important than ever.
The key issues to address are size, image quality, ease of use and flexibility. Energy consumption and electromagnetic radiation are also worth considering. With those criteria in mind, we beat the bushes for 17-inch monitors with on-screen menus, and Energy Star and MPRII compliance. Monitors in the Trinitron class (or aperture-grille models) were required to have a 0.25mm or better dot pitch, while shadow-mask monitors were allowed no more than 0.26mm. We used different requirements because of the different geometries of these monitors. (For more information, see The Great Dot-Pitch Controversy.)
We found a bumper crop of monitors that set the standard for picture quality and ease of use. Any one of these models gives you a dazzling display combined with on-screen menus that make adjustments simple. We tested the monitors for picture quality and energy consumption (see Focusing in on Monitors) and evaluated their ease of use and feature set.
The Mitsubishi's picture was at the top of its class, with a very regular and stable image all across the CRT. We knocked out what little moire' there was, thanks to the moire' control, and with the color convergence adjustment we got red, green and blue to meet perfectly. Coupled with excellent color accuracy, these features made the 17TX a formidable monitor.
The monitor's front-panel controls consist of a diamond-shaped arrangement of four arrow buttons, coupled with plus and minus buttons. The initial on-screen menus, which the buttons control, are entirely vertical. But once you have chosen a group of geometric distortions to correct, the possible choices displayed next are laid out in a grid, and you use all the arrows to move among them. Button response is a little slow, so scrolling up or down through a feature list can be a chore. But the interface is intuitive, and allowed us access to all the important settings
Neither the menus nor the manual describe how to turn off the on-screen menus, rather than waiting 10 seconds for them to disappear automatically. We stumbled across the appropriate method simultaneously pressing the up and down arrow buttons. The documentation does, however, make it clear that you can restore the factory setting for any adjustment by pressing the plus and minus buttons at the same time while viewing the screen for that setting. (A generic Reset button recalls the factory presets for all adjustments.) The manual fails in other areas, too. "Before 2 seconds Power Save function work, this picture comes" is one of the less incoherent passages.
Autocalibration is one of the monitor's better control features. Push one button and the image resizes and fills the whole screen from edge to edge. We tried this out in a variety of resolutions and color depths and got fine results each time. The monitor's most remarkable control feature the serial-cable remote control is detailed in Remote Control. The degauss function and the contrast adjustment have their own controls as well.
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Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 17TX
Price: $1,199
In Brief: With a great-looking display and some very slick hardware and software controls, the Diamond Pro 17TX is the star of this roundup.
Mitsubishi Electronics America
800-843-2515,
714-236-6352
The Nanao earned an honorable mention for its excellent display and low power consumption, beating out the other monitors reviewed for power parsimony.
But its unique control scheme didn't quite measure up to those of the winners.
A small row of push buttons underneath the screen governs the more commonly used display functions (degauss, basic display geometry, brightness, color mode and input source).
To the right of the push buttons is an analog dial backed by a large button.
You use the dial to make selections and the button to bring up the on-screen menu and finalize changes. Sometimes this works well, but to back up a level in a given menu you have to dial over to a "back up" icon and push the button. Pushing the button twice turns off the menu display entirely. When there's no menu on-screen, the knob works as the contrast control.
Pushing the button produces a numbered category list Screen, Image, Color and so forth. Most of the submenus follow the same pattern: text at the top and bottom explaining the current menu screen and the current menu choice, and a row of icons. Icons in the lower-left and lower-right corners of the screen are for returning to the top menu or reverting to default settings. You can access them once you scroll off the icon list. All settings are effective immediately, so there's no need to finalize them. It takes a lot of dial-turning to go from one icon to the next, and getting all the way across the list is work.
The Nanao's image was up to the usual standard we have come to expect from that company. Colors were uniform and crisp, and geometries generally accurate. Convergence and image consistency, especially in the far corners where they are most difficult to perfect, were exceptionally good. The image wasn't quite as square as was observed on other monitors in the review. We also noticed that smaller objects likefew pixels in diameter were somewhat unfocused, especially near the edges. However, moire' and flicker problems were almost nonexistent. Nanao's well-written manual is exceptionally detailed and sticks to relatively plain language. All the on-screen icons used in the on-screen menuing are broken out and explained. While not quite as outstanding as our winners, this monitor is still a great performer.
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Nanao FlexScan F2-17EX
Price: $1,098 (street)
In Brief: This is an attractive, power-efficient monitor from a manufacturer that remains consistently among the best.
Nanao USA Corp.
800-800-5202, 310-325-5202
The Nokia was the only monitor in the review with a true Trinitron tube. As expected of that technology, the unit produced almost no moire' pattern. Nor did it distort geometry based on picture brilliance. But its focus was poor, and its horizontal resolution the number of black-to-white transitions it can make per inch horizontally suffered as a result. On a positive note, its color accuracy was superb, even for the hard-to-reproduce bright oranges.
Our power test placed this monitor in the middle of the pack for consumption when it was fully awake. However, it was the hungriest unit in suspend mode. Keep that in mind if you spend significant stints away from the keyboard with your system on.
A simple four-button control system makes using the on-screen programming easy. But you have to scroll through a main menu that spans a few screens. This monitor had so few adjustments that it would be feasible to include all the options in one menu screen. That could be a little intimidating, but it would at least help you make a more informed selection, so you'd be more likely to choose correctly the first time.
The Nokia had among the least factory presets of the monitors reviewed. The buttons felt a little hard to push, and there was no separate control for degaussing we had to use the long menu for that. However, when switching video modes, the monitor sometimes lost our hard-won settings. The multilingual menus useful in multicultural offices are a plus. The manual is also written in several languages.
Unfortunately, the manual we received did not seem to fit the monitor at all. The control panel in the book was quite different from that of the monitor itself, and there were other notable discrepancies. Since the manual did not reveal the model number of its intended charge, we suspect it might've been a generic one intended to cover an entire 17-inch product line.
The Nokia is the only monitor we saw that was not Plug and Play. It had the second-smallest viewing area and the lowest maximum horizontal scan frequency of the monitors we reviewed. However, it had the same price tag as the Mitsubishi, making it one of the two most expensive monitors in this group.
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Nokia Multigraph 447X
Price: $1,199
In Brief: The Nokia Multigraph is the only monitor in our review that boasts a true Sony Trinitron picture tube. As a result of that technology, the monitor produced almost no moire' pattern during testing.
Nokia Display Products
800-BYNOKIA,
415-331-6622
In form and function, the Panasonic and ViewSonic monitors are almost identical not really surprising, since Panasonic said it manufactures the ViewSonic unit. Except for differences in measured power consumption which could be a function of our meter's tolerances and a few image-quality issues, they perform alike.
The on-screen programming paradigm for both units was informative and very easy to use. The icon-based main menu indicates the currently selected option with a subtitle. That means that all the icons appear in a single menu, but you'll have to scroll to one to determine the function if it's not obvious from the icon. All adjustments except degaussing provide useful visual feedback in the form of both a number and a bar graph.
The numeric display is particularly useful for positioning and sizing the screen image. Included are adjustments for moire' and convergence. There's a built-in self-test mode as well. Along with the Nokia, these two units are among those in this review with the lowest number of factory presets.
Both monitors had some noticeable image-reproduction problems. The Panasonic's image geometry was poorly maintained at the screen's corners.
The unit's image geometry also varied with brilliance, with bright pictures producing barrel distortion. So, successive screens that differ in brilliance produce an unusual effect. Adjusting dim images so they produced pincushion distortion reduced the effect, but that is obviously an inadequate solution. The ViewSonic was more accurate geometrically, but also produced barrel distortion on bright images. The horizontal resolution of both was also poor, with vertical lines packed tightly together looking a little fuzzy and indistinct. For the ViewSonic, which had poorer focus than its twin, that was particularly noticeable. And even with adjustment, moire' patterns could not be completely eliminated from the pair.
Additionally, the ViewSonic's convergence wasn't as good as the Panasonic's. The horizontal convergence was particularly bad displaying a noticeable misregistration of colors. The discrepancy in the results between the two monitors is likely due to quality control and the degree to which the two products are fine tuned before leaving the factory. Of course, that affects customer satisfaction.
The Panasonic's power consumption was average when awake or completely asleep. But it used more power in suspend mode than any other monitor tested. The ViewSonic consumed more power than its sibling when awake, making it the second worst overall, but it did pretty well when suspended, which is comforting for users who spend more time ignoring their PC than using it.
These two monitors do have some nice features. They support Windows Plug and Play, conforming to both the DDC I and IIB standards (see the sidebar, "Remote Control"). The DDC IIB support means each needs only one cable. However no applets are provided to take better advantage of this feature, which is especially important for the non-Windows 95 user. At 160Hz, they have the highest vertical refresh rate we saw. Also, Panasonic takes the standard three-year parts-and-labor warranty a step further with one year on-site swap service, as well as two- and three-year plan options. The ViewSonic has a three-year parts and one-year labor warranty. The value of such things depends on the buyer.
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ViewSonic 17PS
Price: $1,095
In Brief: The monitor's four-button interface and multilingual screens make it easy to understand and simple to operate.
ViewSonic Corp.
800-888-8583, 909-869-7976
Like many current monitors, the Philips ships with speakers built into the cabinet. In its case, a pair is tucked away behind the left and right cabinet walls. While the speakers are not audiophile quality there's almost no bass or midrange they provide decent output for a sound card. A miniplug headphone jack and volume control are on the front panel for convenience. Another creature comfort, the monitor's excellent remote-control software (detailed in the sidebar, "Remote Control"), talks to the monitor through a standard DDC II video/communications interface, and so doesn't require any additional cabling.
The Philips' front-panel buttons are a little small for some fingers and require a good, firm push to activate. The far-right button sporting an unintuitive icon is used to finalize any settings made in a given menu. If you jump back a menu level without confirming what you've done, the changes are lost.
The on-screen menu displays a row of icons depicting different image-geometry adjustments (width, height and so forth) but the row below it consists of a set of cryptic two-letter abbreviations ("DG" for degaussing, for instance). You either have to read the manual or scroll through the icons to determine their meaning. Fortunately, the recycled-paper manual illustrates each menu option explicitly, with examples and descriptions of each key's function in context. Of course, the remote-control software makes this somewhat moot. Above both icons and letters is the current display resolution and refresh rate.
A close-up look at the Philips' picture revealed a few problems. The corners aren't as sharp and true as the center of the image, and our focus tests revealed a small problem in maintaining sharpness as well. But color convergence was tight and even, and the image was relatively free of moire' and flicker problems. The monitor is also set to degauss on power-up and every time it returns from sleep mode, so the monitor must settle down when aroused.
Philips Brilliance 17A, Model 1730DC
Price: $1099.95
In Brief: Thanks to excellent power conservation and an above-average display, the Brilliance lives up to its name. Windows control applets add a nice touch.
Philips Consumer Electronics Co.
800-835-3506,
615-475-8869
The Samsung produced excellent images. It maintained geometric accuracy right to the screen's corners. Furthermore, its accuracy was not hampered by changes in brilliance or other image-content factors. This monitor displayed great focus, and its horizontal resolution was second to none in this review. It did produce a slight moire' pattern, and its horizontal convergence could have been just a little better, but all the more-important positive results easily outweigh those two hard-to-notice shortcomings.
Power-wise, the Samsung is a miser. It ranked the second lowest in power consumption when fully awake and the lowest when suspended. It was third best when fully asleep. That's great for those whose working methods result in intermittent monitor use.
With respect to ergonomics, the drop-down control panel was slick and very easy to use. It features four arrow keys arranged in a diamond pattern and eight function keys. You select a function like image position, image size, geometric distortion or color, then use the arrow key to adjust that feature. During adjustments, a screen pops up to show you the effect each arrow key will have. Additionally, the four function buttons mentioned have alternate functions, accessed by pressing them twice in a row. The remaining four buttons select the color temperature, recall settings, degauss and switch between the monitor's two video inputs: one BNC; the other DB15. Thumbwheel controls regulate brightness and contrast. The only things missing are convergence and moire' adjustments, shortcomings that brought down the unit's control score.
The manual painstakingly describes how to manipulate the controls, and includes a good discussion on hue and saturation. Not stopping there, there's even a flowchart on how to install the monitor for the uninitiated.
Add to all that features like DDC I and DDC IIB Plug-and-Play compatibility, and it's a hard monitor to beat, even in this group of high-quality units. Perhaps the most surprising feature of all is the price. The Samsung is the least expensive monitor reviewed here, even though it has very high image quality and good controls. From what we've seen, it's well worth its price.
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Samsung SyncMaster 17GLsi
Price: $949
In Brief: This award winner produces a high-quality, accurate image and sports an ergonomically sound keypad. It's the least expensive model in our review, and its power-stingy ways make it a good after-purchase bargain, too.
Samsung Electronics America: IS
Div.
800-SAMSUNG, 201-229-4000
Can't see straight? Here's why.
By John Yacono
The most obvious monitor problems are, fortunately, the easiest to correct. Collectively, they are called geometric distortion. While correcting these problems is simple provided the monitor has the appropriate controls their names are often far from intuitive. For example, there's orthogonality distortion, which means that horizontal and vertical lines will not appear at right angles to one another. Another way of saying that is that the two diagonals of a rectangle on the screen will not be equal.
Trapezoidal distortion is when an image's top and bottom are parallel, but its right and left sides slant inward toward the top or bottom. A variation occurs when an image's left and right sides are parallel, but its bottom and top are not.
Barrel distortion occurs when the display's left and right edges aren't straight at all. Instead, they curve outward, giving the displayed image a barrel-like (convex) shape. This is the opposite of pincushioning, in which the image's left and right sides shrink toward the screen's middle. Either can also happen at the screen's top and bottom. In that case, they are called north-to-south pincushion and barrel distortion. When both the left and right or top and bottom edges of an image curve in the same direction (say, toward the left or right, or up or down), it's called a pin-balance problem.
Of course, all the sides might be perfectly straight and adjacent sides could form perfect right angles, but you might still have a rotation problem. In that case, the image appears at an angle to the monitor bezel. Very often, the Earth's magnetic field causes this type of distortion.
If anything, this far from exhaustive list should indicate the value of having numerous user controls on a monitor. (We haven't even gotten to contrast, brightness and color controls.)
Manufacturers use automated test fixtures to get it right at the factory. As training for this review, we had the good fortune to work with the MIMiCAM Automated Monitor Alignment and Inspection System from Display Laboratories (303-938-9099). It consists of a 90MHz ZEOS Pantera containing three special PC boards, a CCD camera and lighting, and a lighting control box. One board in the PC generates a test pattern sent to the monitor under test (MUT). Another board receives and captures video from the camera, which is aimed at the MUT. The third board synchronizes the test pattern generator with the camera. The lighting control allows you to adjust the lighting level for the camera. By analyzing the captured image, the system accurately measures the monitor's picture alignment.
Hopefully, the monitors you purchase will have been accurately set up for you. If not, a monitor with full-bodied controls should save the day.
There's More to a Picture than Meets the Eye.
By John Yacono
We applied both objective and subjective tests to the monitors reviewed. For both types of tests, video was simultaneously broadcast to all the monitors from a single PC via a Vopex-8V-H video splitter (Network Technologies, 800-742-8324, 216-562-7070). That allowed us to view every test image on all the monitors at once and guaranteed identical test conditions for each unit. The PC was a Gateway 2000 4DX-33V equipped with a Diamond Stealth64 VL-Bus card (Diamond Computer Systems, 800-468-5846, 408-736-2000) with 4MB of video memory.
As an objective power-consumption test, we first optimized the monitor's brightness and contrast control. Then we measured each monitor's power drain using an ITT Pomona MX-200 power meter. We attempted to measure consumption in a monitor's three basic operational modes: full power, sleep and suspend. Full power is self-explanatory. Sleep mode occurs after a period of keyboard inactivity, at which time a monitor drops to below 30 watts for Energy Star compliance. Suspend mode takes over sometime after that or when a PC is turned off and consumes even less power. For each monitor, we took five measurements for each mode and averaged the results.
For our subjective tests, we also judged the monitors' overall picture quality, which consists of geometric and color accuracy. For the geometric tests, and to adjust each monitor for its best appearance, we used Sonera Technologies' (800-932-6323, 908-747-6886) DisplayMate. The application consists of a battery of grueling tests that reveal multiple display distortions. We paid particular attention to the alignment of colors on the screen (called vertical and horizontal convergence), how square (or orthogonal) the edges of images were and the focus across the screen. We also looked for distortion due to changes in image brightness, or the production of undesirable moire' patterns.
To judge color quality, we used Pantone color matching software (800-222-1149, 201-935-5500). The software required data specific to each monitor (chromaticity points for red, green and blue, gamma points and white points) to reproduce color with optimal accuracy. We then used the Pantone Color Formula Guide to compare the monitor's reproduction with printed Pantone color swatches, making allowances for the differences between reflective color and luminescent color. These monitors even met the challenge of reproducing a vivid orange the most difficult color for CRT technology.
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To award the WINDOWS Magazine Recommended seal, we gave double weight to a monitor's color and image quality over the other factors (ergonomics, controls and power). While all the monitors reproduce colors very well, the Mitsubishi and Samsung units' image quality make them the cream of this crop. The Samsung maintained a geometrically accurate and focused picture out to the corners of the screen in almost all our image-quality tests. With its drop-down control panel and easy-to-use buttons, it also scored high on ergonomics. In our power tests, the Samsung dissipated the lowest power in deep-sleep mode.
The Mitsubishi did well in its accurate positioning of color on the screen. It, too, maintained image geometry out to the screen's corners, and did not even fall prey to moire' patterns. The color-matching and control software is a nice plus. Furthermore, the Mitsubishi's on-screen display controls were even more intelligently designed and presented than the Samsung's.
Honorable mention goes to the monitor by Nanao, a company which has always distinguished itself with its products. This monitor's image quality and overall design were among the top this time around, and its power consumption was among the lowest in fully awake mode.
A distance, by any other name, would be as great.
By David Gabel
While preparing this review we discovered that there is a controversy about the term dot-pitch.
Dot-pitch is defined as the distance between two like-color phosphor dots on a CRT screen. A standard phosphor-triad-based screen has round dots arranged in equilateral triangles. The triangles rotate as you move down the line, so the closest distance between two like-colored dots is measured on a slant (see figure).
With an aperture-grille screen, the phosphors are small rectangles, arranged alongside one another. The distance between two same-color phosphors is measured horizontally, not on a slant (see figure).
NEC Technologies, which uses triad-dot tubes in its monitors, pointed out this difference, and said that since the two kinds of tubes use layouts that are not comparable, they should be treated differently with respect to our specifications. NEC said that if we were to measure the dot-pitch of its MultiSync XP17 monitor (stated as 0.28mm, 0.02mm above the requirements for this review) along the horizontal, rather than on a slant as the diagram shows, then the horizontal distance between two same-color phosphor dots is about 0.242mm, (the sine of 30 degrees times the dot pitch). That's smaller than the 0.26mm dot pitch our spec called for, but it's immaterial: All the aperture-grille monitors we reviewed have a dot-pitch of 0.25mm or smaller, and the phosphor-dot-triad monitors have a dot pitch of 0.26mm or smaller. Indeed, all the latter type monitors we tested had advertised 0.26mm dot pitches.
It was an interesting discussion, though, and it points out a caveat for monitor purchasers. Be sure that you know what a dot-pitch specification means when you buy. Generally speaking although not necessarily true when comparing specific devices a monitor with a comparatively large dot pitch will have slightly more moire' than one with a smaller pitch.