CTX PV510 review

On first impressions, there's a lot to like about the CTX PV510 - not only does it look elegant, it's also the third cheapest TFT panel on test. Unfortunately, by the end of the testing the cost-cutting was far more evident than its elegance.

The biggest disappointment was the panel's viewing angles. Although CTX quotes the same angles as Belinea - 90 degrees vertically and 120 horizontally - side by side there's a clear difference, with the PV510's image becoming over-blue or over-red as soon as you start looking at it from an angle. The screen also failed the colour tracking test, and didn't impress for DVD playback. To be fair to CTX, apart from these faults this isn't a bad screen, but its cause isn't helped by the high-quality opposition throughout the rest of this Labs.

One of the reasons for the elegant style is CTX's unusual decision to place the OSD controls on top of the panel. This works surprisingly well, partially because the OSD is extremely simple to navigate. For instance, the automatic tuning button is easily accessible at the top of the menu, and on activation it works well, adjusting both the image's position and clock phase to good effect.

Unfortunately for CTX, the PV510's OSD is probably its finest feature; there's no swivel base, USB hub or integrated speakers here. The final nail in its coffin is a disappointing one-year return-to-base warranty. We strongly advise you to buy the Philips Brilliance 150P instead, or save £34 and choose the budget Belinea.

Author: Tim Danton