I know what you're thinking: "Another expensive Sony screen he's going to pan because of the X-Black filter and throwback latency," you say. Well, not necessarily. We conduct our tests without prejudgment, and while this Sony MFM-HT75W doesn't have everything, what it does have is nice.

Design and Finish

The MFM-HT75W is a handsome 17" monitor in 16:9 format with an all-aluminum finish. The MFM-HT75W has the ambition of being both an LCD TV set and a computer monitor, and Sony has taken the challenge seriously. The unit has a remote control, connectivity that's clearly television-oriented, and a built-in tuner. But Sony hasn't forgotten what they've built their reputation on up to now: design. The MFM-HT75W is built in one elegant curve. The loudspeakers are set into the lower part of the panel, behind a very handsome grille. The remote control is high in quality, though it doesn't attain the perfection of some the ones that come with Sony TV sets.

Ergonomics

The ergonomics is excellent. The monitor obeys your every command, either via the control buttons or the remote control. The OSD is the one used on Sony's office monitor line, with programming for the analog tuner added.

Connectivity

Connectivity is very complete. The standard VGA/DVI, headphone jack, cinch, S-Video, and YUV video are all here. There are also two quality speakers.

So far so good. Sony is clearly aiming at a clientele for whom space is more the major issue. Putting a TV and a PC monitor into one unit is basically a good idea. Let's see if the product can hold up performance-wise.