Hansol 920D

Although flat screen shadow-mask CRTs are becoming increasingly commonplace, few have managed to impress when compared to similarly priced aperture-grille units. Most recently, ADI's MicroScan G900 (reviewed issue 74, p180), featuring a Hitachi Pure Flat tube, impressed us with its fine resolution and geometry but was let down by high levels of moirÚ interference. Given the disappointing history of flat screen shadow-mask technology, all eyes are on Hansol to see if it can redress the balance with the 920D, which boasts a new Samsung DynaFlat INVAR shadow-mask tube.

The 920D's looks are best described as functional, and the broad lower bezel makes it appear large compared to other 19in CRTs, most notably the slender Iiyama Vision Master Pro 451 (reviewed issue 74, p180). The rear of the chassis highlights a disappointing lack of features, sporting only a captive VGA D-SUB and power connector. This is forgivable given the price, but the addition of USB functionality would have been a bonus, as would a detachable D-SUB cable, which is easily replaced if damaged, unlike the 920D's captive cable.

My first impressions of the 920D were encouraging, with a bright and sharply focused image boasting noticeably brighter colours and stronger contrast than the MicroScan G900. Configuring the screen was simple thanks to the detailed OSD, and although the four-button control system is not the most intuitive I've come across, it works smoothly once mastered. Contained within the OSD is the usual spread of geometry controls, including corner adjustments. There are also horizontal and vertical moirÚ controls.

The 920D continued to impress when put through the demanding tests in DisplayMate Multimedia Edition. Screen geometry was excellent, as also horizontal and vertical resolution - although it did lose fine focus in the corners and at the extreme edges of the screen. Colour purity was superb and colour registration also very impressive, with only a slight loss of uniformity at the screen edges. Power regulation was also satisfactory, and although there was a slight movement at the screen's edge the geometry was largely unaffected, even during the most strenuous tests.

Unfortunately, moirÚ interference was noticeable around the corners of the screen at the 920D's optimum resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 at 85Hz. The two moirÚ controls in the OSD managed to satisfactorily reduce the effect but at the expense of fine focus. This is disappointing, as the 920D performs well at this resolution in almost every other area. Having said that, the interference is hardly obtrusive in normal use, although it may be an annoyance to some users. However, if you are prepared to lower the resolution to 1,152 x 864, then the interference is significantly reduced.

The 920D is by far and away the best example of flat screen shadow-mask technology that we've seen. Screen geometry and resolution are both excellent, while colour purity and depth - one of the major criticisms of the G900 - are also superb. Sadly, moirÚ interference does mar some of the 920D's strengths, although overall it's an excellent CRT. At £259 the 920D is only £50 more than curved shadow-mask CRTs, like the Iiyama S900MT1 (reviewed issue 75, p178), which makes it excellent value to boot. We've waited a long time, but finally there is a flat screen shadow-mask CRT worth looking at.

Author: Gareth Ogden