Product Reviews

With cathode-ray tube monitors coming under constant attack from TFT flat-panel displays, the push towards offering perfectly flat CRT screens has intensified, with all major manufacturers offering at least one variation on the technology in each of their ranges. While Eizo and Iiyama have settled on Diamondtron's Natural Flat technology, and Sony has stuck with its own Trinitron Flat Display, ViewSonic has dubbed its choice of technology PerfectFlat.

The 17in GF775 is the first in ViewSonic's acclaimed graphics series to utilise PerfectFlat technology and, as with all flat-screen technologies, the untrained eye can't instantly adjust to the lack of curvature on the external glass. A bizarre optical illusion persists in interpreting what you initially see as a concave screen. It's worth spending the time and effort to overcome this critical judgement, because the benefits of this technology are exemplified through ViewSonic's expert construction.

Reflection is virtually eliminated and ViewSonic's SuperClear screen treatment aids in increasing brightness and contrast in an effort to reduce eyestrain and fatigue. Employing this on such a flat screen gives an impressive viewing experience, with an almost beam-like image emanating for the user sat directly in front.

The GF775's display doesn't disappoint. Colours are rich and vibrant with

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the images solidly held at 100Hz refresh at 1,024 x 768 resolution, with a firm 85Hz at even 1,280 x 1,024 . The monitor can go up to 1,600 x 1,200, but this brings down the refresh rate to a less pleasing but acceptable 75Hz.

A 0.24mm slot pitch ensures that the images are sharp and crisp, although there's a minor deterioration in the alignment of the red/green/blue guns at the periphery of the screen. Portraying finely detailed white characters on a black background is no mean feat, and most displays succumb to some form of blooming. This monitor is near perfection at the centre of the screen, although for the truly discerning there's a slight element of blooming at the corners.

One disconcerting element to this display is its apparent susceptibility to very small vibrations. This will definitely eliminate the use of heavily resonant desktop speakers, although in a business environment that's probably not much of a concern.

In the interests of economy, inputs have been kept to a minimum - there are no BNC connectors or a USB hub, just a plain old 15-pin mini D-SUB and kettle-lead power input. The OSD, on the other hand, is effectively comprehensive without overwhelming you with too much choice. As ever, ViewSonic's OSD is intuitive enough to need only four front-mounted buttons, and the excellent response is indicated accurately through graphical level meters.

Aesthetically, the design of the monitor is a tad questionable, with almost 10cm of bezel surrounding the glass display and an exceptionally angular cabinet. That aside, the mechanical design ensures a full range of tilting angles to help it conform to current advice on monitor positioning for long-term VDU usage. The monitor also complies with the stringent TCO 99 recommendations on radiation emissions, recycling, safety and power management. At this price it's well worth a look, but the minor defects mean that there are better 17in displays available.