NEC MultiSync LCD1760V
This slick-looking monitor offers above-average image quality and a maneuverable panel that's good for show and tell.
Mick Lockey
WHAT'S HOT: Flat-panel displays from NEC have often performed well in our image-quality tests. Like its predecessors, the MultiSync LCD1760V doesn't disappoint.
The monitor, a good-looking unit with an analog-only video input, isn't as tall as others and rests on a sturdy metal base. It can swivel up to 180 degrees from left or right directions, one of only two we reviewed for our May 2003 comparison to offer this feature. If you plan to use this monitor for presentations to groups you'll value the extra maneuverability.
Our review model produced above-average image quality, especially in a test that gauged how evenly fonts displayed across a screen; the monitor showed good focus in the center and on the perimeters.
Text on typical business documents looked sharp, and the unit's graphics quality was another strong point. Colors on photo screens appeared lively, but in a few cases they looked overly bright and saturated--particularly reds and blues. A desktop test screen had crisp, colorful icons.
WHAT'S NOT: We didn't find much to complain about--though for its $530 price, we would have liked built-in speakers or a USB hub.
WHAT ELSE: On a gray-scale bar, which shows a panel's ability to display subtle shades of blacks and whites, the LCD1760V was less successful than others. The bars' colors seemed to blend together, rather than appearing as distinct shaded segments.
The seven control buttons are small but designed for easy use: They're legibly labeled, and they're not hard to learn--once you get the hang of exiting out of menus. Clock and phase controls, among others, are given plain English names--a help for new users.
If you do have problems with the small control buttons, the company includes a link for NaViSet software, a proprietary application that allows you to make on-screen adjustments using a keyboard and mouse.
UPSHOT: Despite its too-vivid colors, this attractive panel is a good bet for those who want a monitor for making presentations.
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