Formac ProNitron 22/800u

Formac last made an appearance in PC Pro in our 19in CRT Labs (see Labs, issue 80, p102) with its ProNitron 19/800. This CRT was based around Sony's acclaimed FD Trinitron tube, but was criticised for poor image quality and a high price. Now Formac has released a 22in version, which, also utilising FD Trinitron technology, is aimed at the CAD/CAM professional where image quality is crucial.

The 22/800u is Formac's first CRT of this kind to include a USB hub - a feature that's been removed from many CRTs of late to reduce costs. It's arguable whether this feature does actually add value, although with many people now using USB mice, keyboards and even connecting digital cameras through USB it's still a welcome addition. Also welcome are the twin D-SUB inputs, which can be easily switched between from the front panel.

The monitor has a very detailed OSD, which includes advanced features such as corner geometry corrections and corner purity controls. Usefully, the OSD also provides sRGB colour balance and colour temperature settings, which are important for colour-critical applications such as graphic design.

An automatic screen size function makes initial setup very simple, providing a fairly uniform image, which is easily fined-tuned using the OSD. At 1,280 x 1,024, we were able to adjust the geometry tightly, which is impressive for such a large CRT.

General performance was also good, with excellent vertical resolution and good horizontal resolution, particularly for a 22in CRT. Power regulation was also superb, with none of the demanding DisplayMate Multimedia Edition tests causing so much as a shimmer to the screen borders. The good news continues with colour performance, as the 22/800u had impressive colour registration and smooth and well-extended colour fades. Greyscales fades were similarly outstanding, making the 22/800u an excellent choice for photo editors.

Unfortunately, though, the results didn't all go in the 22/800u's favour. MoirÚ interference was quite significant in many of the test screens, and the single moirÚ canceller was of little use. That said, moirÚ wasn't really evident in general desktop screens and office applications.

The other main issue was poor overall focus at the test resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 at 85Hz. Compared to the razor-sharp reproduction from Iiyama's 19in Vision Master 453 (see Reviews, issue 81, p152), the 22/800u looked slightly soft. This isn't a major problem and, considering the large tube size, the 22/800u is certainly not bad. However, for £639 I expect more, particularly at such a relatively undemanding resolution.

The Formac ProNitron 22/800u is a good example of a 22in Sony Trinitron-based CRT. Colour performance and power regulation stand out, making the monitor a sound choice for graphics work. However, focus and sharpness is lacking, something that's important for those needing a sharp monitor for CAD/CAM use. At £639, it represents good value for money, especially with a USB hub and dual inputs included. If you're in the market for a large, high-quality CRT, then the 22/800u is worth considering, but for the utterly demanding user it simply doesn't offer the highest standards of quality.

Author: Gareth Ogden