LG Flatron 1730P

The Flatron 1730P is LG's latest 17in TFT monitor aimed at home users. Its design is a vast improvement on the company's previous LCD screens, although it doesn't look quite as good as the L1720 series.

The monitor has a sturdy circular base and is height adjustable, so you won't have to perch it on top of a stack of books to get the right ergonomic position. The display can also pivot through 90 deg, allowing you to view your desktop in either landscape or portrait mode.

The Flatron's strongest asset is its 12ms response time. The panel's individual pixels can cycle on and off very quickly, which reduces the ghosting or streaking effect common in fast-moving images. In theory, this makes it ideal for playing games or watching movies. In practice, we didn't notice any real improvement over screens with a slightly slower rate.

The 1730P has a native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 and displays images with a high degree of contrast. Colours do tend to be slightly over-saturated, but things improve slightly after a bit of manual adjustment. Overall, picture quality is good.

The screen has a fairly wide horizontal viewing angle, which facilitates group viewing, but its limited vertical angle is disappointing. We found it almost impossible to distinguish some greyscale tones when looking at the screen from a central position. Tones were more defined when viewing the screen from an angle, but this in turn means that other colours start to fade.

The Flatron 1730P is disappointing in some areas, but its relatively low price means these flaws can be easily overlooked. If you want a screen that provides decent picture quality, dual input capability, and particular emphasis on games or movie playback, it's definitely worth considering.

Contact: LG 01753 491 500
www.lge.co.uk

Specifications:

• 17in LCD panel
• 1,280 x 1,024 resolution
• Brightness: 300 cd/m2
• Contrast ratio: 450: 1
• Viewing angle: 160/140 (H/V)
• Response time: 12 ms
• VGA/DVI

See also:

Viewsonic VG712s

A good-value screen with a great picture  11 Feb 2005

Benq FP783

A flat-panel monitor with good design and features  26 Jan 2005

Samsung Syncmaster 730MP

A flexible 17in monitor at a good price  07 Dec 2004

Relisys TL795A

A good all-round 17in TFT  03 Dec 2004

Acer AL1721hm

A super-slim 17in display with built-in speakers.  06 Sep 2004

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