Big performance from a budget screen (Hansol 900 P)

Member Name: andycharger

Product:	Hansol 900 P
Date:	14/05/02 (411 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great performance

Disadvantages: Menu navigation, Space it takes up on your desk

I have a few monitors and PC's in different locations if you know me. Not just one home PC and one at work. In fact, I normally use up to 6 computers during the day. 3 at home and 3 at work.
I have a varied selection from my 15 inch TFT flat screen to my 21 inch Graphic Design PC Screen to my little 14 inch Sony.
However, it was time to buy a cheap monitor with a big display for my relaxation time. Yes you guessed it....GAME PLAYING and WEB SURFING.

Fed up with those websites with scrollbars and games with not enough detail, I decided to opt for a large monitor but not too large. It does still have to fit on a desk afterall and a 21 inch is just too heavy and big.
A 17 incher tends to be industry standard and becoming a bit small for modern games. So the 19 inch seems to be the way forward.

After checking the prices of a new monitor, I found that such a monitor would set me back about £250 minimum until I discovered Hansol.....

My Monitor.

Sizing/dimensions.
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After extracting it from its box (which was a task in itself) I managed to lift it into position on my desk. I was quite suprised to see how much technology had reduced the size of these big beasts. The depth of the chassis is actually shallower than my old 17 inch. This means that the extra width is no as restrictive as I thought. It sat further back on the desk that the 17 which made it fit better.
However, it is very heavy so you will need a very strong desk.

Looks/styling.
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Finished in Beige rather the more modern Black, it will blend in with older machines much better. The framework and complete chassis are all finished in Beige with no colours inluded. The monitor is quite neatly presented without lots of ugly push buttons for changing the display, instead it features one round push wheel for menu editing. This keeps the front looking nice.
The Screen itself has a slight curve to it. you a
re not getting a TFT flat screen here for your money but at the same time it is no goldfish bowl either.
The On/Off button in the corner is obviously designed for people with big hands or clumsy people. You would have a job to miss this one.

Installation/Functionality.
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Easy to use and set up. Plug it in to the standard video port on the back of your graphics card and off you go. Setting it up once it is installed is a matter of getting to grips with the onscreen menu options controlled by the wheel. You rotate it to choose an option and press it to select it.
The wheel is then used again to alter the particular setting once chosen by rotating.
This may take sometime to get used to and can become fiddly. This is the main drwaback for the user on an otherwise flawless display.
Once it is all set though you should not need to touch it again.

Performance.
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Great. With a display range that reaches right up to 1600 x 1200 at a refresh rate of 75hz, you will never need to worry about scrolling on websites again!

The refresh rate is how we judge the speed at which the screen is able to update. Obviously a higher refresh rate gives a smoother picture transition. It works in a similar way as a film with Frame rates. Films with higher frame rates obviously appear more "seemless" between shots. This is the same with monitors. A low refresh rate means you lose some fluidity.
Obviously when the screen is set to the maximum size, the monitor is at its lowest refresh rate of 75Hz. This is because it has more detail to update. The optimum resolution is 1280 X 1054 and this boosts the refresh rate up to 85Hz.

you can get nearly every picture,text box and option on screen at once with this monitor.

It has a dot pitch of 0.26mm (0.22mm)which is a very good resolution.
Dot pitch is how we define the specifications of different monitors. With a smaller
dot pitch, the more defined the monitor sharpness will be. Older monitors have a Dot Pitch of 0.28mm - 0.30mm. This monitor goes as low as 0.22mm. This means the graphics are much sharper on this monitor.


For gaming it is superb. Those big maps on some games can become hard to keep an eye on but with this large display it will never be a problem.
For graphic designers, the large display option means large, multi window applications such as Fireworks can be used with ease.

Power consumption is kept to a minimum as are emissions and raditation as it meets the TCO 099 regulations.

Practicality.
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While sizing is good it can also be bad. It is a big item which makes it impractical for places with limited space. However, it becomes very useful where Display space is more important than your desktop space.

Pricing.
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I had a good result on this screen. I only paid £145 for it thanks to an auction that I won on Ebay. However, thanks to the guy that supplied it, you can order from him directly.
The company is called Global Direct. Their website is www.globaldirect.co.uk
David, the guy I spoke to was very helpful and knowledgeable about the products and the goods were here next day. Super service.

The will supply this monitor or an equivalent for only £159 + VAT. That is a super price for such a great screen.

Overall.
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One of the best buys this year. The menu navigation can be forgiven for its cheapness and overall superior capabilities. You simply cant beat this monitor!

Summary: