Confused by Flat Panel Reviews

[joesmoe]

I am so confused by the Flat Panel reviews on Tom's Hardware Guide.

On 12/11/2002 they said:
"Six competing screens, but one overall winner-the Iiyama. The AS4314UT is perfect for games and for work, although it is still not good enough for graphic design purposes because the colors tend toward blue."

On 1/9/2003 they said:
"The CML174SXW is the best 17" LCD screen that we have tested so far. It combines the best features of its rivals, such as the quick response of the Iiyama AS4314UTG and the bright colors of the Solarism LM1711. This makes it a particularly powerful screen for gaming."

A few months later they round up 16/20ms 17in Monitors and they don't even bother to include the monitor that they just said was the best 17" LCD screen that they tested so far? Yet they do include the Iiyama AS4313UT? WTF??

And now they say:
"The test turned out to be a duel between the 20-ms monitors built around Hyundai panels and the 16-ms monitors with AU Optronics panels. For color quality in 6500 K and 5000 K as well as afterglow, Hyundai wins."

Isn't the CML174SXW an AU Optronics panel monitor? Didn't they say a few months ago that it was the best 17" LCD screen and that it was better than the AS4313UT (a monitor based on Hyundai panel)?? Now the Hyundai panels are better for color quality and afterglow? Why wasn't this the case a few months ago when the CML174SXW was reviewed?

And they specifically pick a Hyundai Q17A monitor with DVI, which is discontinued and no one can find. Their second choice now is the AS4313UTG, which is "getting hard to find". Their best monitor a few months ago isn't even reviewed to compare. WTF??

 

[skiZtch]

You know, joesmoe, you've got a really, really good point. You bring up something that I'm quite confused by too. I'd really like to know what THG's view is on this little "issue".

SkiZtch

 

[outlawtornnmt]

Also I am confused. I recently read the latest lcd review.. and after naming the Hyundai the best monitor I try to search it out, esp this model with analog and dvi connections (apparently its a phantom). then a i get a reply from the manufacturer and the monitor has been discontinued in the US market for 6 months... and yet this review came out less then a month ago. What the hell is going on?

And I also find it very interesting that the Hitachi CML174 series monitors have been named the best lcd and gaming lcd around. period. and yet they aren't mention (almost at all) in this most recent article.

 

[Guest]

Hello,

As you've also read it, our problem with the AS4314UTG was the colors. And we didn't find something really great the first time we tested it:
"the screen acquires a color palette that is much better than average, although it still suffers from dominance in the blue range."
On this point, the CML174SXW was much better and the response time was ok for the games. That's why we wrote it.

Now, we have news tools to adjust the colours. And we were able to correct the AS4314UTG's ones.

 

[joesmoe]

Thanks for responding. So where does the CML174SXW fit into the scheme of things now and why wasn't it included in the recent flat panel round up? I ask because it seems like the CML174SXW is the only monitor I can actually get my hands on. It doesn't do me much good to find out what the best flat planel is if I can't actually buy it anywhere.

 

[Pl0pie]

I don't know if this is allowed, but i'm going to post a link to a vendor that still sells the Hyundai Q17A.
=> http://www.comtechnology.net/product_info.php?cPath=297&products_id=901394

I too had quite some difficulty too to pick good flatpanel and based on the reviews from THG i've been reluctant to buy one untill now. My choice goes to the Q17A. The size is good (not tiny 15") and the all the other aspects of a flatpanel seems to be sorted out towards good quality/price.

I'll use it mainly for gaming (LAN parties) and i'll combine it with the SB61G2 shuttle.

You don't need eyes to see you need vision.

 

[Guest]

The CML174SXW was not in the last review... because it should not be sold anymore. It has been replaced by a new model, the CML175SXW that I received after the tests. But we'll publish it's review soon.

 

[joesmoe]

If you go to the following website:
http://compare.monitorsdirect.com/hitachidisplays/products.jsp?cat=lcd&size=17
you will see that the CML174 and the CML175 are both still available to buy. The only difference is that the CML175s have integrated speakers and headphone jack. According to Hitachi, the CML175 is "Same as the CML174 with Integrated speakers and headphone jack." So it doesn't seem like a "replacement" to me, but rather a different current model that has speakers.

And if not being sold anymore was a criteria for not being included in a review, then you guys should have really left out the discontinued Q17 as well as the "hard to find" AS4313UTG.

 

[Guest]

Hyundai told me that the Q17 was available everywere. I believed them, I was wrong. I'm sorry. I'm still in close contact with them to know where you can find it in the US. I hope I will have soon some answers.

Hitachi told us that the CML174SXW was discontinued and replaced by the CML175SXW. By the way, we don't keep for us the displays we test. We had a CML174SXW a few days, but we've given it back.

 

[Guest]

About Iiyama now...

The AS4314UTG WILL be difficult to find this fall, but now, it's still well available.

A few links if you have some real difficulties to find it on line:

$649 : http://shop.store.yahoo.com/col88/iiyama4314ut.html

$499 : http://www.neutronexpress.com/prod.cfm/147719/IIYAMA/PROLITE_4314UTG-WHITE/17INCH_LCD_FLAT_PANEL_MONITOR_TIME_ANALOG_VGA_INPUT_WHITE

$515 : https://shopsite1.pair.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/widgtman/sb/order.cgi?storeid=*18299095e07fd5005773a34650a6&dbname=products&itemnum=934&function=show&super=399&prevlocation=http://www.widgetsinc.com/shop/page42.html&testcookie=on

$564 : http://www.axiontech.com/prdt.php?src=PW&item=16120

 

[Epsilon]

Butaz,

Why not a review of the LG's panels? It seems they are the only ones that can display 32-bit colour at 16 ms and have a good price in Europe. I'm sure a lot of people would like a THG to review them as well as the Philips, Benq and even Lite-on's LCD.

 

[Guest]

The LG display is quite original.
Until august, most L1710B use AU panels.
After august, they will use LG panels.

 

[Epsilon]

Butaz,

You mean August 2003?
What are the panel diferences in quality? If you ever had the chance to compare them.


There's a new LG 1711S (available in Germany for now). It's
like the 1710S but with 16ms (instead of 20ms). I wondes if it uses the LG panel...
Anyway I am considering buying the LG 1710B because of the DVI.

 

[joesmoe]

Which flat panel would be better, the Hyundai ImageQuest L70S (analog only) or the Hitachi CML174 (analog and DVI)?

From the most recent flat panel reviews, it sounds like the Hyundai panel is actually better at color reproduction and has less ghosting (I assume that the L70S uses the Hyundai panel instead of the AU one). Although I would expect the DVI input to be superior to the analog one. I have read elsewhere that you might as well go DVI if you are getting a flat panel.

I play a great deal of games, but I also do text-based work on my PC. So I would like a monitor with crisp text *and* very little ghosting. Completely accurate color reproduction isn't critical to me, but I would prefer a monitor that comes as close as possible.

 

[Guest]

Sorry I didn't test the LG display with LG panel.

 

[Guest]

Sorry Joesmoe, I have not tested the L70S.

 

[hockeykkj21]

joesmoe, my L70S arrived today, and I must say I am extremely impressed with it. The colors are incredible, topping those of my old CRT and of any LCDs I saw in stores. The text is extremely crisp *and* the ghosting is minimal. In the OS it is only barely noticable when scrolling and moving a window around (the text trails ever so slightly). UT2003 is completely playable, you have to focus real hard to notice ghosting, and while playing you dont notice at all.
Best of all, newegg.com sells it for $385.

 

[Mi_kal]

Just got my Hitachi CML174SXW and it is everything I was
hoping it would be. Very sharp, great color just perfect for
me. Even out of its native 1080X1024 in BF1942, using
1024X768 the display was still sharp and offered excellent
play. Not all monitors will do this.