Hazro HZ27WC review

Any idea what the matte version is like for image quality? The fact it's £50 cheaper has got me suspicious about the true quality of the panel.

By Firhill on 27 Jul 2011

The name reminds me of a toy make/manufacturer - but this is excellent value by the looks of it.

By nicomo on 27 Jul 2011

Is this review correct?

All the models available to buy are LED backlit, not CCFL, and you can get either 10-bit or 8-bit versions too - I also read a review that said it does have an on-screen display...

By virtx on 27 Jul 2011

@virtx
They have two similar models, though both seem to be LED backlit. From TFTcentral:
HZ27WA - DL-DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x VGA and component interfaces available. Provided with cables for 1x DL-DVI, 1x VGA, 1x HDMI, 1x stereo audio and power supply (no component). OSD available. 2 in-built scalers offering hardware level aspect ratio control. These also allow for additional controller board level frame rate control for 10-bit sources and support of higher colour depth where available. Dynamic contrast ratio available. 5 defined adjustments possible to backlight intensity. Slightly higher retail cost.

HZ27WC - DL-DVI interface only. Comes packaged with DVI and stereo cables only. No OSD menu available, only quick access control over power, backlight and volume. 11 defined steps for backlight intensity control. There are no scalers available on this model so the support for 10-bit sources and aspect ratio control are not available. Lower retail price as a result of these cut-backs.
In terms of performance the screens are quite similar. I can't fairly analyse their default factory settings as the HZ27WA unit was not factory calibrated when it was sent to me. If the HZ27WC's very good out of the box performance is anything to go by then this is very promising. A good default setting and the contrast ratio issue had been fixed. Responsiveness was slightly different on the HZ27WC with an ever so slightly more noticeable blur, but freedom from the RTC overshoot we saw on the HZ27WA. The input lag was considerably lower which is great for those wanting to use this screen for fast gaming. The HZ27WC is more suited for gamers as a result. The HZ27WA holds the edge for multimedia and movies thanks to its additional interfaces, aspect ratio control and dynamic contrast ratio. In other areas the performance was very comparable and impressive.

By Mark_Thompson on 27 Jul 2011

I've got the "matte" version, although in reality it's still a fairly glossy and reflective display. It doesn't have a heavy anti-glare coating like monitors from Dell and some other companies. Whether that's a good thing or not is a matter of personal preference.

The only difference between mine and the more expensive "glossy" version reviewed here is the sheet of Apple Cinema Display style glass stuck to the front. In theory the layer of glass improves contrast and colours, but the panel underneath is exactly the same, and the glass definitely makes the display more reflective. Even without the difference in price I'd rather have the non-glass version.

Personally I think this monitor is an excellent deal (especially the cheaper version). If you don't need to plug more than one computer into it then the lack of multiple inputs is a non-issue, and poor built in speakers are hardly a big deal. The aesthetics aren't as nice as higher end monitors, but the image on the panel is more important than the case holding it.

The lack of OSD and scalers are an issue if you want to plug in devices like games consoles. If you're just using it with a PC then the graphics card will handle scaling and the display settings can be tweaked in software.

The display does produce some noise, so isn't ideal for quiet computing fans. It can produce quite a loud and high pitched buzz when displaying certain content, and I definitely notice it in normal use if the room is quiet. Of course the same is true for a lot of significantly more expensive monitors.

Image quality really is as good as Apple's 27" Cinema Display, but for the price of that you could buy two HZ27WCs with money left over. The Hazro is absolutely incredible value for money in comparison.

By Kendall99 on 30 Jul 2011

Looks great, but where can you buy one at that price? I'm struggling to find any retailers in the UK that stock it, let alone at the price listed.

By J400uk on 31 Jul 2011

You can get them here:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/search_results.php?s
ortby=&groupid=&search=hazro

You can also get them on the Hazro website www.hazro.co.uk, although they're saying they're out of stock until August...

By virtx on 31 Jul 2011