LG Flatron L2320A review

Occasionally, a product arrives at PC Pro that attracts a lot of attention. This is usually because it's big, useful or plain flashy. In the case of the LG Flatron L2320A, it's all three.

While we've already seen large-format LCD screens from both NEC and LG, they've been of relatively low resolution and aimed at the audiovisual or public display market. The L2320A is a little different, with a widescreen aspect, a viewable diagonal of 23in and a huge native resolution of 1,920 x 1,200.

There are no video connections on the display itself. Signals are routed into the separate Media Station, comprising the power supply and an impressive array of inputs. Whether you use DVI-I, DVI-D or D-SUB, you'll be catered for, with one input for each as well as S-Video, composite video, DVD and even HDTV inputs. There are four audio inputs, two of which are tied to specific video channels, and a USB input for the two downstream ports on the back of the monitor.

Output options are more straightforward, with power, video signal, USB and audio for the rear-mounted headphone socket all carried to the screen in a single cable. Switching between inputs isn't quite a one-touch affair, but the options are at least clearly displayed by the OSD. It can get a tad confusing, though, as there are comprehensive facilities for Picture-In-Picture and Picture-On-Picture, utilising the S-Video input. Working with the front-panel buttons is tricky, as they're inaccessible and unresponsive, but the remote control makes life a lot easier.

In use, the sheer size of the Desktop is truly liberating, but the display isn't totally problem-free. The backlighting isn't entirely uniform in intensity, but more irritating is the fact that you're unable to use the full native resolution via DVI-D; the standard doesn't currently support wide-aspect resolutions, and you'll be stuck at 1,600 x 1,200 if using digital.

Running the DisplayMate tests showed only minimal jitter on the clock signal from the analog input, with other tests revealing a good colour range and balance. Colour temperature presets include 9,300K and 6,500K settings, as well as a user mode. We noticed slight banding on some colour ramps, but no worse than we'd expect on a panel of this size and not enough to affect everyday use. Given that this panel isn't aimed at either colour-critical or public display work, it's an impressive overall performance.

But it's in real-world tests that this panel shines. DVDs look as fantastic as you'd hope, with minimal artefacts, balanced colours and natural skin tones. There's little lag either, with the response times keeping up with all but the most intense explosions and movement. It's a similar story with games, with even full-on shoot-outs being handled acceptably. Viewing angles are impressive, with moving images clear up to nearly 170 degrees - good news if you're planning on using the TV tuner card option.

Aside from the lack of widescreen support on the digital inputs, it's hard to find anything disagreeable about the LG . The range of audiovisual options is comprehensive and it looks fantastic too. It isn't exactly a bargain, but if you have £2,000 to spare you should be tempted.

Author: Ross Burridge