A lot of people are switching to TFTs (Thin Film Transistor - like laptop displays) now, but the only cost effective way to get resolutions higher than 1280x1024 is to buy a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube - the same technology as in a TV). TFTs that display 1600x1200 pixels still cost well over a thousand ... Read review
Advantages: Super high quality, USB hub, huge viewing area, high resolution Disadvantages: Huge, heavy power consumption
A lot of people are switching to TFTs (Thin Film Transistor - like laptop displays) now, but the only cost effective way to get resolutions higher than 1280x1024 is to buy a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube - the same technology as in a TV). TFTs that display 1600x1200 pixels still cost well over a thousand pounds. The VM Pro 512 has a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 and can now be picked up for under £500 if you shop around.
Another advantage ... ...resolution like TFT panels, which tend to mar non-native size images with over-zealous interpolation schemes. Generally speaking, TFTs aren't as good at displaying moving images and have poorer colour reproduction (although they've come along in leaps and bounds). On top of that, many panels have very poor viewing angles, which can lead to serious eye fatigue.
Anyway, this monitor performed brilliantly - it uses a Mitsubishi Diamondtron ... more
A lot of people are switching to TFTs (Thin Film Transistor - like laptop displays) now, but the only cost effective way to get resolutions higher than 1280x1024 is to buy a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube - the same technology as in a TV). TFTs that display 1600x1200 pixels still cost well over a thousand pounds. The VM Pro 512 has a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 and can now be picked up for under £500 if you shop around.
Another advantage of CRTs is that they're not stuck at one 'native' resolution like TFT panels, which tend to mar non-native size images with over-zealous interpolation schemes. Generally speaking, TFTs aren't as good at displaying moving images and have poorer colour reproduction (although they've come along in leaps and bounds). On top of that, many panels have very poor viewing angles, which can lead to serious eye fatigue.
Anyway, this monitor performed brilliantly - it uses a Mitsubishi Diamondtron Natural Flat 22" tube, of which 20" are visible. On my Matrox G450, it displayed all resolutions up to and including 1600x1200 with perfect clarity, and even managed 1920x1440 without too much degradation of quality, although you probably wouldn't want to use it in that state for long. I couldn't get it running comfortably at 2048x1536, but it would be a good resolution to dip in and out of, say previewing high megapixel images from a digital camera for instance.
It performed less well on the other cards I tested it with, not the fault of the monitor, but the card driving it. My PowerColor Radeon 9000 Pro managed 1600x1200, but anything above that looked pretty awful, my old no-name GeForce 2mx turned in a similar result, although a truly ancient S3 Trio pleasantly surprised by turning out a wonderfully crisp 1600x1200, although not being able to do anything higher than that due to lack of video RAM (I presume).
The built in speakers and USB hub make nice little bonuses, and while I've found the hub to be quite useful, the speakers are best left alone - they're dire.
Ultimately, if you need a whole lotta desktop space and don't want to go the dual monitor route, this is a brilliant monitor. The quality, clarity, colour and geometry are all flawless. It's massive, and uses a lot of juice, but for me it's worth it. This is the Rolls Royce of CRTs.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention the amazing dot clock on this monitor - it will quite happily do 1600x1200 at 110Hz! What this translates to in plain English is a very stable image which is very very easy on the eyes.
Product Information for "Iiyama Vision Master Pro 512" »
Audio output
Type
Speaker(s) - stereo - integrated
Output Power / Channel
1 Watt
Manufacturer's product description
iiyama products are engineered and manufactured to the most stringent standards in the industry. The same high standard for excellence goes into every iiyama product and is clearly shown by the innovative solutions that iiyama provides for its customers. As a result of leading technology and superior customer service, iiyama has rapidly grown as a recognized global leader in performance excellence and is known by the world's most respected technical evaluators as among the very best available. The Vision Master Pro series gives you maximum viewable area for its size, at a price that won't break the bank. Built with the award-winning features that you have come to expect when you hear the iiyama name, it's the monitor of choice when viewable area, as well as desktop area, are your major concerns. The Vision Master Pro monitors provide dramatic user benefits including sharper graphics, finer text, reduced reflection, reduced glare... all contributing to vastly improved user comfort and decreased eye strain.
