Product Reviews

The CRT has been a part of computing almost since the very beginning, and still continues to evolve today with innovations like the high-brightness Diamondtron M2 tube (see Reviews, issue 84, p140). However, with the announcement from Hitachi that it's ceasing production of CRTs in favour of TFTs, it seems like the vultures are circling ever closer. This month's 15in TFT Labs (see p123) doesn't do the CRT's case any favours either, with the cheapest panel now costing just £255. However, even though TFT seems to be taking over, there's life in the old dog yet, as NEC's 19in MultiSync FP955 illustrates.

The FP955 is stylish in an understated way, with the beige corporate look given some individuality thanks to the glowing MultiSync logo on the lower bezel. Features-wise it's also understated, with no USB hub or speakers. However, NEC has included two analog inputs, one of which is a DVI-A input. This is an unusual feature on a CRT, although with many graphics cards now featuring at least one DVI-I output, this arrangement makes sense.

The FP955 uses Mitsubishi's tried-and-tested Diamondtron NF aperture-grille tube, a favourite with many manufacturers of high-quality CRTs. NEC has also given the screen a generous amount of treatment, including anti-static and its own OptiClear coating for improving contrast. Another feature of the FP955 is IPM (Intelligent Power Manager), which claims to reduce energy usage by two-thirds

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when the monitor is on but not in use. With one of the benefits of TFTs being low power consumption, NEC has commendably tried to make the FP955 as economical as possible.

Features aside, what really counts in a CRT is image quality, and the FP955 doesn't disappoint. At the test resolution of 1,024 « 768 at 85Hz, the FP955 produced a uniform image, with only a slight horizontal bow. There was also a mild hooking in the top right corner that couldn't be fully corrected, despite the presence of corner geometry controls in the OSD. The resolution tests were also handled well, with its vertical resolution, in particular, among the best I've seen. The main problem was moirÚ interference, which caused a slight fuzzing to the edge of text, reducing fine sharpness. This was only noticeable on very fine point text though, and generally the FP955's desktop clarity was superb.

Colour performance was also good, with smooth colour fades that were well extended. Only a slight lack of detail in the lighter shades let the monitor down, which may be important for some colour-critical applications such as image editing. Colour registration was excellent though and, with the help of the two convergence controls, the FP955 could be adjusted tightly. Colour purity was also nicely uniform, and the OSD contains corner purity controls to optimise this should it be required.

Performance at a resolution of 1,280 « 1,024 was good, although a lack of fine focus became more evident in the corners and at the edges of the screen. This was relatively minor, though, and while Iiyama's Vision Master Pro 451 (see Labs, issue 80, p102) is better, the FP955 is certainly not far from the mark.

The NEC MultiSync FP955 is a high-quality 19in CRT with generally excellent image quality. The OSD is also highly detailed, and the feature spread impressive, with IPM and a DVI-A input. Iiyama's 451 represents a better deal overall, but with the street price likely to be lower than the RRP, the FP955 is one to look out for.