The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful: 17" LCDs Reviewed

A Luxury Case

The shell of the LG1720B has long been a benchmark for design. The unit won the Red Dot Design Award in 2003 and does indeed have a luxury finish. The materials are of excellent quality and the monitor's tense lines are harmonious. This monitor gives off an aura of class, far from the showiness of certain competing models. The chrome-plated base (plastic, unfortunately) makes a superb effect and hides a metal support that gives the monitor good stability. The monitor was worth its price, and we can only be glad to see it selling for "only" $420 (330 euros) now. Many monitors in the same price range are far from being this luxurious looking.

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of the monitor are good. The buttons located under the panel are easily accessible, and navigation in the OSD is intuitive. One demerit for the fact that the monitor has no height adjustment. Under the trap behind the monitor are the VGA and power-supply connectors. The transformer is built into the monitor. A cable chase is provided to help dress the cables. As for connectivity, you'll find only VGA on this monitor. Another version of the 1720 is available with DVI interface and a 12 ms panel, but it costs almost $100 more.