Sony HMD-A230

An attractively styled monitor that's easy to use and great for DVD movies.

A monitor's brightness has never been comparable to that of a standard television set. Philips was the first to address this with its Lightframe technology. Following suit is the Sony HMD-A230 with its Hi-Bright FD Trinitron CRT.

Sony claims that the A230 is up to 80 per cent brighter than its predecessor. This is noticeable, and our test DVD movie looked much more vibrant and detailed. However, this is a fixed enhancement and, if you're working with text documents, it would be handy to be able to instantly lower the contrast to make things easier on the eyes and sharpen small characters.

The Sony is a stylish unit. With white flanks and a silvery-grey body it has a certain retro feel. Sony has also fitted a fancy tubular stand with a 15-degree vertical tilt. Around the back, there's only a captive D-Sub cable, so if this becomes faulty the whole monitor must be returned. It also lacks BNC connectors and a USB hub.

To control the menu system, Sony uses a four-way joystick. The usual geometry adjustments are present, together with horizontal and vertical colour convergence controls.

A closer look at the specifications reveals a variable grille-pitch that measures from 0.24mm in the centre to 0.25mm at the corners. As for maximum screen resolution, it hits 1,600 x 1,200; albeit at a flickery refresh of 64Hz. In use, you'll find 1,024 x 768 at 85Hz more appropriate.

The Sony's styling and easy menu control are big plus points, but it needs a button to turn the Super Bright option off, and there are power regulation problems, both of which stop it being a clear winner.

Contact: Sony 08705 111 999
www.sony-cp.com