Hitachi 17 And 20 Inc LCD Monitor Review

With a super fast response time of 16ms Hitachi’s solid CML174SXW is a great 17″ LCD monitor choice for gamers. Ahead of the pack in terms of visual performance there is little to dislike about Hitachi’s latest 17″ LCD monitor offering.

Not only does this Hitachi LCD have the fastest response time in it’s class Hitachi also claims a contrast ratio of 400:1, a very good average at the present time, an almost record brightness of 260 cd/sq. m. These are great specifications and they are backed up with the real life performance of the monitor.

Even for occasional gamers LCD monitors were a bad choice. Slow response times meant that moving images appear blurry. With this new released this afterglow has been reduced to acceptable levels and gaming is easily possible.

The CML174SXW is also very good at a resolution of 1024 x 768. The interpolation is much better than that of its main competitors. This means that if you want to run your monitor at a reduced resolution you’ll still get a good picture. This would be handy for gamers whose 3D card is starting to show its age.

Hitachi CML174SXW 17″ LCD Monitor Specifications:

16ms response time
DVI and normal VGA (D-sub) connector
Contrast ratio 400:1
Brightness of 260 cd/sq
17″ 1280 by 1024

This LCD computer monitor looks good on paper and the images look great on screen. Another bonus is the option of using a DVI digital connector. DVI connectors are becoming very common on graphics cards and you get a superior image when you use a digital connector from your graphics card to your digital monitor. The signal never has to be converted from digital to analog and back to digital again.

My Conclusion On The Hitachi CML174SXW 17″ LCD Monitor

This new model is very attractive because it packs all this new technology into the same price bracket. It makes the competing brands like ViewSonic look unappealing as they offer slower response times for the same money.

Until the other manufacturer catch up by releasing new 17″ LCD computer monitors incorporating the latest flat panel technology this Hitachi will be the smartest choice.

When you start to pay big bucks for 20″ LCD flat panel monitors you expect a lot and the Hitachi CML200B delivers.What you get for you money is a great looking UXGA (1600 by 1200) LCD monitor.

Like most large size LCD flat screen computer monitors the Hitachi CML200B cannot manage a response time below 20ms. The response time of 25ms is plenty fast enough for office/graphics work but not for fast paced action games.

One characteristic of this monitor is that colors can change hue when you change the angle at which you’re viewing the flat screen. This means that if you do color digital correction or other tasks where color accuracy is important (for print etc.) then you may want to look at a smaller sized LCD or forget LCD all together and stick with a CRT.

In fact color reproduction in general is not the Hitachi CML200B’s strong suit. Contrast is a bit of a problem and the monitor tends to loose definition with bright highlights.

Hitachi CML200B 20″ LCD Monitor Specifications:

25ms response time
DVI and normal VGA (D-sub) connector
Contrast ratio 500:1
Brightness of 250 cd/sq
20″ 1600 by 1200

As expected you get the option of using a DVI digital connector. DVI connectors are becoming very common on graphics cards and you get a superior image when you use a digital connector from your graphics card to your digital monitor. The signal never has to be converted from digital to analog and back to digital again.

The only other feature of note is the bundled speakers that clip onto the sides of the flat screen monitor.

My Conclusion On The Hitachi CML200B 20″ LCD Monitor

I’m a big fan of the Hitachi brand but this monitor doesn’t quite make the grade in my opinion. What you get is average performance and there are better deals out there if your after a 20″ flat screen computer monitor.

The one reason to buy this monitor is Hitachi’s great policy on dead pixels, with only 5 dead sub pixels you can return the monitor, so buying Hitachi is a safe option. The sound from the speakers is surprisingly good so if you need some stylish sound on your desktop and can find this monitor for the right price then I can say you wont be disappointed.