Is your size a bit too small, fancy enlargement? Then check out this 17inch high performance monster!!!
Tech Specs ---------------- 17" screen size
1280x1024 resolution at 60Hz refresh rate maximum display.
The next opponent weighing in at 33.0 lbs, the Philips 107E is fat and heavyyy.
Dot pitch 0.23Mm.
Design ------ As CRTs are, they are big and heavy. They take up a lot of desk space and you don't often feel like moving them around to suit the position you're in and this one doesn't try to make an exception. The casing is pure white and fairly solid. Air vents are dotted by the hundred on the back for suitable cooling and does get quite warm. There is a swivel stand to turn left & right and up & down to a certain degree, the maximum upward tilt may still be too low for many. The brightness and contrast controls (doubling as menu directions) are tear drop shaped, there is a round 'OK' buttom to confirm menu selections and then there is a bigger round power button with a power on/standby indicator in the center. All buttons are easily pressed with meaty clicks. Prepare for a shock (not electrical) as the power button makes the monitor boom out the sound of some large charge, also sometimes when changing full display images suddenly you'll hear what I could only describe as "static switching". Whilst these static switches don't have any visual impact, it is unusual for monitors in my experience to make these sounds heard. The monitor uses the old standard analogue D plug rather than DVI (Digital Video Interfacing).
Picture --------- As I would expect from Philips (having the best monitor\TV picture ever from a display that still works normally after 13 or so years), the picture is as good as it gets in the PC CRT monitor category. Refresh rates are kept stable and flicker free. The brightness and contrast controls are put at 100% in the settings to get a fairly visible picture. In games many monitors tend to be too dark to see properly. If you've got Silent Hill 2 for the PC, you can't see a thing on PC monitors! For that game I'd recommend using video output to a TV. This monitor is fair enough to keep vivid pictures at a viewable brightness. This monitor is free from distortion bands. The picture frame of the actual display area doesn't quite reach up to the white corners and ends up something like a picture within a picture. Also this picture frame is not exactly positioned center either as it is put slightly to the right. That is the fixed viewable picture area. The area within can be fully adjusted as there are options to position the picture, change brightness & contrast, adjust colour balance, zoom in and change the picture shape (to balance geometric distortions) and by the time you've finished turning the picture into a fruity tuty starburst, you can reset to the factory defaults.
Sound --------- Nope no speakers around here. If you haven't got some you aren't happy with. I'd recommend a 3.5mm to 2 Phono lead connection from soundcard to Hi-Fi amplifier to stereo magnetically shielded bookshelf speakers...rock on!
Conclusion ---------------- The Philips 107E is a great range of monitors from Philips. With excellent pictures the LCDs still have a way to beat, I'd highly recommend the Philips 107E CRT for great performance and value. Get this for only £87.48 delivered from Planet Micro (www.planetmicro.co.uk), wheeee!
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