Computing - NEC 1760NX-BK LCD Monitor
This is quite possible the most expensive item I
have in my computer system at the moment and also the best
purchase I've made for many years.
Now before we go any further it is worth
saying that LCD panels are not for everybody. If you demand a
resolution higher than 1280x1024 then you will probably be
looking at a 20"+ TFT and that is going to cost you a lot of
money. Also if you require 100% colour matching on screen then
again LCD may not be the right thing for you, although LCD's
support "True Colour" those that demand perfect colour matching
will probably be better off with a CRT for the time being.
Lets start with the specification for this LCD
panel:
- Size 17"
- Display Colours: 16,194,277 (True Colour)
- Inputs: Analogue & DVI-D
- Dot Pitch: 0.264mm
- Luminance: 260 cd/m2
- Contrast Ratio: 450:1
- Response Rate: 16ms (Total)
- Recommended Resolution: 1280x1024 @ 60hz
- Warranty: 3 years Parts & Labour, 3 years Backlight
The first thing that is worth noting is the
super fast response rate on this LCD. 16ms is currently the
fastest panel you can get and is used by around four LCD
manufacturers at the moment. 12ms models are due for release
later in 2003. What this means is that you will not get any
ghosting or streaking from this monitor no matter what you throw
at it, this is perfect for playing games and watching DVD's on.
It is very much a myth that all LCD's ghost or
streak in games and this argument is very much based on very old
technology. Older LCD's (around 2+ years old) tended to have
total response rates of 40ms or even 50ms - these did streak and
ghost in games. Because of this old information you will find
plenty of people who will tell you that all LCD's ghost
regardless, let me promise you now, I've been using this panel
for around two months now and I've not noticed one thing ghost
on it. If you scroll a web browser or word processor document
really fast (and I mean too fast to actually read it) then you
may get some streaking.
It is widely accepted that the maximum
response rate you want to look at if you are considering using
an LCD for gaming and other fast moving applications is 25ms.
20ms gives you a near perfect display in games and 16ms just
makes things that little bit better again.
The next feature of this display worth noting
is the high contrast ratio. The contrast ratio is the difference
in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest
black. A higher contrast ratio represents a better colour
representation (the better information will appear against a
dark background) than on an LCD with a lower contrast ratio.
Basically speaking the higher the contrast ratio the stronger
colours will look, the better the detail will appear. The 450:1
contrast ratio on this display means that colour are extremely
bright and vibrant and unlike some other panels dark areas
(especially in games) do not appear too dark.
This display has a maximum resolution of
1280x1024, this is due to the fixed number of pixels that the
panel has (1.31 million of them). This resolution is actually a
favourite with a lot of people, 1600x1200 appears too small to a
lot of people and 1024x768 gives an image just that little bit
too big. If you've got a good graphics card in your system then
it will be more than capable of running at 1280x1024 with full
detail on.
Another issue that can confuse a lot of CRT
owners is the refresh rate of LCD panels. When using a DVI
connection on an LCD the majority of panels will default to a
refresh rate of 60hz. If you've ever looked at a CRT running at
60hz you'll know this flickers and really hurts your eyes, after
only a small amount of time of using that kind of refresh rate
you will get a headache. This is not the case with LCD panels.
60hz gives you a rock solid image and there is no flicker at
all. In fact LCD manufacturers really should stop quoting the
refresh rate as it confuses a lot of people who assume that 60hz
will flicker and cause eye strain.
Below you will find some links to some
pictures I've taken of my panel. These pictures really don't do
the unit justice and it really should be seen "in the flesh" if
at all possible. I don't own an expensive digital camera so
these are really the best I can offer at the moment.
Front Image
Another Front Image
Closer Front Image
Side Image
Another Side Image
Front, Angled from the Right
Front, Angled from the Left
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