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CMV CT-720D Review
[Abstract]
IntroductionWhile the CMV CT-720D is the third 17-inch 8ms LCD monitor to hit the market, it is the first we have received with a different panel make. Both BenQ and ViewSonic do not manufactur...
[Content] PCDigitalMobileGame
The Fat Lady Sings
On a purely aesthetic viewpoint, the monitor neither looks interesting nor elegant. Everything about the CT-720D screams 'budget' and CMV certainly need some lessons on product design and market appeal. However, the monitor is a diamond in the rough. Once you look past the plain Jane exterior, you will find an LCD panel with great color fidelity and brightness. The color reproduction and clarity of the CT-720D is certainly better than both the BenQ FP71E+ and ViewSonic VP171b. The performance we've seen so far from 8ms panels have been superb. While most may not notice the slight decrease from 12ms to 8ms in everyday casual use, the gamers might beg to differ. In a world where precision and speed takes precedence over all else, the CT-720D certainly delivers.
The largest flaw of the CT-720D is the persistent interlace flickering and beat patterns on finely dithered and moire patterns. While the color anomalies of both BenQ FP71E+ and ViewSonic VP171b can be manually corrected, the problem inherent with the CT-720D has no easy solution. Though we can manually adjust clock and phase timing on an analog connection to minimize the effect, DVI input is supposed to be free of such effects. Surprisingly, using the DVI connection only made it worse. The flicker effect is only pronounced in large blocks of dithered patterns though. CAD/CAM and graphics designers should stay well away from this monitor and are advised to stick to professional CRT monitors if possible. If you work with charts and graphs a lot, this might pose a problem too. As long as you use solid colors, you should be fine. Movies and games, which largely consist of constant movement and blended surroundings do not suffer from the problem at all. Thus, the casual user and gamer will find the CT-720D very appealing.
It may be too good to be true, but the CMV CT-720D can be found retailing for around S$450. If your jaw is somewhere on the floor, you can pick it up now. It wasn't so long ago when we commented on the affordability of the ViewSonic VP171b, and now CMV breaks the price barrier once again. User's would be comforted to know that the latest 8ms LCD technology does not seem to add much overhead in terms of cost. While the LCD price war rages, you will be hard pressed to find a better monitor at this price range now. Sadly, the flickering problem drags down the rating of an otherwise great monitor.
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