Product Reviews

TFT monitors are still the luxurious alternative to bulky CRTs, but despite this we have yet to see a TFT that offers similarly good looks, with most, such as Eizo's excellent FlexScan L671 (reviewed issue 73, p176) retaining a bland corporate styling. However, the Flatron LCD 885LE from LG looks set to change this by offering a fully featured 18.1in TFT with a more individual look. But you can't judge a book by its cover and it remains to be seen if the Flatron LCD 885LE can deliver performance on a par with the best in its class.

At first glance the 885LE doesn't look too far removed from typical TFTs. However, the subtly curved bezel, touch-sensitive OSD controls and stylised stand add an air of style that sets it apart from the norm. Around the back you'll find an impressive array of connection options, including a non-captive D-SUB VGA input and a non-captive DVI/I input, which is a flexible and well-thought-out set. There's also a USB hub with one upstream and four downstream ports, neatly hidden away behind a panel at the rear of the screen. Unfortunately, LG couldn't find space to integrate the power supply in the base unit. This is a pity as the Eizo FlexScan L675K (reviewed issue 77, p167) demonstrated this could be achieved without significantly adding bulk. The 885LE can also be arm mounted using a VESA-compatible mount.

Connected through

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the D-SUB input at its native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024, the 885LE was sharp and clear. Pixel clock and phase can be configured automatically or through the intuitive touch-sensitive OSD, but we found the automatic setting to be fine. We did have initial problems with the colour balance, which at the standard 9,300K setting displayed an overly blue tinge. Correcting the balance requires manual adjustment of the RGB settings in the OSD, which is frustrating and time consuming.

Once it was properly configured, we used DisplayMate Video Edition to test the screen to its limits. Geometry and focus were both superb, with crystal clarity right into the corners of the screen. Colour purity was also good, displaying even shades across the screen, although white purity was uneven with a slight yellow hue towards the edges. Colour registration was flawless in the vertical, but horizontal registration was poor. Colour reproduction across the intensity scale was also reasonable, although truncation at the darker end of the scale and uneven fading across the spectrum of colours let it down.

Viewing angles are good, although LG's quoted figure of 160 degrees horizontally and vertically is slightly optimistic, and the swivel-and-tilt base provides enough flexibility to angle the screen to its optimum viewing position.

We were less impressed with the low-resolution interpolation, which renders the Desktop almost unusable for office-based apps at a resolution of 1,024 x 768. We were also a little disappointed with the overall build quality of the screen, particularly the frame, which doesn't feel adequate to protect the TFT matrix.

The LG Flatron LCD 885LE is an average TFT, failing to achieve the standards set by Eizo's FlexScan L671 and L675K. Features are excellent though, but at £1,990 the 885LE is only fractionally cheaper than either of the Eizo screens. In terms of both quality and value, the L671 should be your priority.