Stars of the flat screen: TFT monitors on test

Last year, £300 could just about buy you a 15in TFT monitor. Twelve months on and a larger 17in model could be yours for even less.

So why would you want one? Well, they're incredibly slim and compact compared to a CRT, which means you can free up a lot of desk space for other things such as a scanner, printer or simply bits of paperwork. Since they're so small, they can also sit alongside your existing monitor for use as a second screen.

The 17in models here range between £264 and £380. Although there isn't much difference in features, there is a difference when it comes to build and image quality. We put each monitor through a series of tests that measured how well the display coped with colours and fast-moving images.

Fast times
TFT stands for Thin Film Transistor and, to cut a long and tedious story short, it's a technology that allows monitors to be made lighter, leaner and with a completely flat screen. They don't give off any harmful emissions and don't flicker either, which means less eye strain. However, there are a couple of areas in which TFT monitors aren't as good as CRTs.

TFT monitors don't refresh their image in the same way as CRTs do (which is why they are flicker-free), but they do have to update their image when it changes. The speed at which these updates are made is called the 'response time'.

The earliest TFT monitors had slow response times. If you moved the Windows mouse pointer rapidly, you'd see a trail of mouse pointers left in its wake. These ghost images occurred because early monitors couldn't update the image fast enough to keep up with the movement of the pointer. For general Windows use, this made little difference but TFT monitors could make fast-moving games unplayable.

Thankfully, modern TFT monitors have all but solved this problem and slow response times are only a problem on cheaper models. That said, we found the response times of all our monitors good enough for there not to be any distinguishable difference.

Viewing figures
Unlike CRT monitors, which can display just about any resolution with equal aplomb, TFT monitors aren't so versatile. A side effect of TFT technology means that screens have a fixed (or 'native') number of pixels and that number always corresponds to a computer display resolution.

For example, 15in TFT monitors usually have a native resolution of 1,024 x 768; all of the 17in models tested here are fixed at 1,280 x 1,024.

Again, for Windows use, this usually goes unnoticed. Just set Windows' Display Properties to match the resolution of your monitor and away you go. Try to change the resolution, however, and things aren't so rosy.

All TFTs can display resolutions below their native resolution but most make a rather bad job of it. Few TFT monitors can actually display resolutions higher than their native resolution though, since there simply aren't enough pixels to go round. Those than can do it resort to various pixel tricks, none of which are wholly successful. In short, if you have a favourite resolution for working with Windows, be sure to buy a TFT monitor that matches it.

Another area in which TFT monitors fall down is their viewing angle. With a CRT monitor, if you can see the screen, you can see the image, no matter how off-centre you are. The image on a TFT monitor, however, is only visible between limited horizontal and vertical angles; move beyond the angle and the image becomes indistinct.

This isn't a problem if there's only one viewer but gather the family round for a photo slide show and those viewing from the side won't be impressed.

Iiyama ProLite E430S
Iiyama has made consistently excellent monitors for quite some time and the ProLite is no exception, considering its relatively low price of £335. Picture quality is one of the best on test, displaying vivid colours, excellent brightness and a solid black.

A line-in socket can be used to employ the stereo speakers embedded in the monitor. Although the audio quality is fine for basic Windows sounds, it's poor for listening to music, so stick to a dedicated PC speaker system instead.

The screen can be tilted back but the height is fixed and the bottom of the display starts only 9.5cm from the base. Thankfully, the viewing angle is pretty good. You also have to slot the main portion of the TFT into the base once it is out of the box. Nevertheless, the screen settings are thorough and the menu buttons are labelled, making the controls very intuitive.

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NEC LCD 1701
The 17in NEC is chunky and heavier than most. Consequently, it sits very firmly on a work surface. A major advantage of the 1701 is its ability to swivel almost 180 degrees in both directions, making it very manoeuvrable.

Screen quality is excellent, showing off deep black, bright white and vibrant colours. The viewing angle is also very good. Eight buttons built into the front of the TFT are used for changing display settings. Included here is an 'exit' button, a small but extremely handy feature for leaving any menu.

However, once installed, the accompanying NaViSet software offers a much easier way of adjusting display settings via the mouse and keyboard.

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Hercules Prophetview 920
The name Hercules is predominantly associated with graphics cards so you'd expect the Prophetview 920 to be a finely tuned specimen. However, although it is one of the slimmest (2.8cm) and best-looking TFT monitors here, it has a long way to go in the display quality stakes.

The bottom part of the screen is brighter than the rest, which makes for a slight gradient effect. It's not a big problem but it becomes apparent when blocks of colour are in use, such as the black 'letterbox' strips in a wide-screen DVD movie.

The funky metal base has to be manually attached to the main display and only those with small fingers will be able to connect the power cable into its tiny slot. The 5cm bevel is also quite big for a TFT but the black casing manages to complement it quite well.

One of the advantages of the Prophetview is a one-touch auto-adjust button for squeezing the display into its optimum size setting. Another is that it sits almost 5in above its base, close to eye-level.

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AOC LM720A
Over the past couple of years, AOC has delivered some of the cheapest TFTs we've seen. The LM720A may not have the sexiness of the NEC or coolness of the Hercules, but it manages to deliver an impressive picture, even if we did have to tinker with the contrast and brightness settings to achieve it.

A simple four-button menu system allows all the display settings to be modified and, like most of the other monitors here, the AOC is wall-mountable.

Stereo speakers integrated into the plastic base will tolerate basic sounds but as previously mentioned, they don't have the high quality needed for DVD movies or games. The most attractive feature of the AOC is its unbelievably low price of £264.

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Proview CY765
In a close contest with the CTX, the Proview wins our award for the ugliest monitor here, with its cheap-looking beige plastic casing and a 6cm bevel around the screen. The display isn't great either, giving a tint of cream to all white areas, even after the colour settings have been manually changed.

The Proview also seemed to struggle when blending colours, as visible boundary lines could be seen separating each tone. The menu buttons are badly engineered, and with no written information relating to what each button does, it's a case of consulting the manual for help. Here you'll find that there is an auto-adjust button and three other buttons for changing screen settings.

Stereo speakers are built into each side of the monitor and an audio-out/headphone socket is situated on the underside of the display. Having said all that, it costs only £298 and is one of the cheapest monitors here.

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CTX S700A
The CTX is a very slim TFT but the beige plastic surrounding the screen and cheap-looking stand do nothing to promote its appeal, while the four menu buttons could relate to anything if you're not familiar with brightness and contrast icons. However, what the CTX lacks in design quality, it makes up for in its picture quality and price.

For £300, this is an excellent 17in TFT monitor. Colours are crisp and both black and white shades are consistently solid. Colour blending is also very good and on-screen text is sharp, even when using small font sizes. Software drivers are supplied on a floppy disk and an audio-in socket can be used to employ the speakers, which pump out an almost pointlessly quiet sound.

LG Flatron L1710S
Monitors with nice cases not only look better but also make working easier on the eye. Because there's less plastic to look at, your eyes will focus on the screen more easily. The LG illustrates this point beautifully and also features a neat bezel, giving the monitor a professional look.

The display is just as good with plenty of brightness and striking colours. One slight disappointment is that on close inspection the blending shows faint lines between shades. The array of menu buttons is excellent for altering brightness and contrast levels quickly, and with the auto-adjust button it takes only a second to have the display at its best possible size setting.

The LG can only tilt backwards and forwards but the viewing angle is good and the screen sits almost 14cm above the base.

Cornea CT1704
Although Cornea is a little known manufacturer, its 17in monitor looked quite good at first glance. The metallic bevel and big sturdy stand looked very proud indeed sitting on our work surface. The menu buttons are also good, each being labelled in text and big enough for larger fingers to fiddle with without accidentally pressing two at once.

The display has a lot to live up to, though. Even at full brightness and contrast settings, colours appeared dull and white areas looked cream-coloured. Black areas, however, were very solid. A line-in socket can be used to power the stereo integrated speakers and a headphone socket is available for when everyone else is in bed.

Mitac MT-17AES
Mitac is a familiar supplier of decent low-cost TFT monitors, and at £299 its 17in model is one of the cheapest on the market. Those who remember our last TFT roundup will probably recognise the design from the company's 15in model. In fact, everything is the same apart from an extra 2in on the screen size.

Colours are sharp and vivid, and the only real downside is a slight glare that appears on one side of the display, although it isn't really that noticeable. The menu system is intuitive and the auto-adjust will fix any geometric problems that may crop up.

The bevel is quite big, although this seems to be the case with most cheaper TFTs. Two speakers are woven into a metallic strip across the bottom of the display.

Belinea 10 17 15
The first thing we noticed about the Belinea was that the display didn't seem to fit into the base. After a few minutes of pushing and grunting we managed to force it in, but new users probably wouldn't bother. Screen quality is good, showing off excellent colour blending in our tests, although white areas seemed to carry a tint of red toward the top of the display.

The unit sits very high from the base, 13.5cm up. The speakers and an audio-in socket positioned in the shaft of the base are the monitor's only unusual features.

Waitec Shining 17t
With the screen sitting incredibly close to the work surface, about 8cm away, the Shining 17t would appear to work better on a wall, but unfortunately, there isn't a wall-mounting option.

The screen sits very nicely within its black frame but there's an annoying glare at the bottom of the display. Although colours are bright and similar shades blend very well, the display also looks slightly blurred, even after tweaking the settings. The menu buttons are basic but are clearly labelled and simple to use.

Philips 170S4
We expected the Philips TFT to be one of the most expensive models on test here. However, at just under £300, the 170S4 is actually one of the cheapest. Nevertheless, the display is ultra-sharp and the brightness is second to none, so you can clearly see what's on the screen even in a brightly lit room. The colours are striking and both black and white areas are solid.

The case surrounding the screen has a small, intricate design, which gives the Philips a more prestigious air than the other TFT's here. The buttons feel anamorphic and blend into the black casing nicely. Like all the other models here, the Philips has only a VGA port, but for the price, it's an acceptable compromise.

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All-round view
£300 is quite a lot of money to be spending on a monitor, especially when you can get hold of a bigger CRT for about the same price. However, TFT monitors take up very little space and are becoming more popular, and sales have been outgrowing those of their CRT counterparts for many months.

Although one of the most expensive on test, the NEC 1701 looked and performed wonderfully. The swivel facility is a feature not seen on any other model here and the solid feel makes it a joy to have on your desk. The picture quality is also excellent.

The slim CTX stands out as one of the worst-designed on test, but offers picture quality comparable to that of higher-priced models. The built-in speakers may be pointless, but then you won't be basing your decision on sound quality.

The LG, Iiyama and Hercules models all perform well for their price and the cheaper Mitac surprised us with its above-average picture quality. There were four TFTs to moan about. One was the Proview, whose menu system seemed to have been designed without any thought for computer novices.

Although very economical, it comes with the poorest image quality here. We felt the Waitec and Belinea models were overpriced, while the Cornea's image quality was shoddy compared with that of similarly priced TFTs.

Philips has had a long time to perfect its display devices and the 170S4 is no exception to its usual high standards. The brightness levels are excellent, the picture quality is as good, if not better, than on the expensive NEC, and the monitor design is something to savour. In joint first place with the Philips is the AOC.

Okay, so its picture quality isn't close to that of the Philips, NEC or Iiyama, but for £268 it's a downright bargain. Colours are vivid, movies, games and Windows applications look good, and the simple menu system will appeal to anyone who's ever got stuck in an on-screen display.

Double vision
TFT monitors are commonly used as second screens. Having two displays allow you to break up what's on-screen, making your PC's Desktop tidier and easier to handle. For example, one monitor could house your email inbox, while the other can be used to play games, browse the internet, write a letter or do anything else you would normally do using a PC.

Adding a second monitor to your PC setup can only be achieved if your graphics card is dual-display. This means it needs to have two monitor outputs to support two display devices. VGA and DVI are the two standards, so your graphics card will need to have a combination of either.

If your monitor isn't DVI-enabled, then a VGA convertor can be used. Once connected, you'll need to tell your PC where each monitor is positioned. This can be adjusted through the Settings tab of the Display Properties dialog box.