| Product: |
Acer AL2017 |
| Date: |
26.06.07 (220 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Good value
Disadvantages: Room for improvement regarding colour and lighting
Research is very important to me before buying computer or hi-fi equipment and it took me a while before I decided to make this purchase. In the end I was pleased with my decision to buy.
Synchronizing the monitor with your computer is a simple enough process and is more or less done via an auto configuration. In order to set the screen resolution you just have to access the control panel via the menu that can be accessed by buttons at the bottom of the screen. I found that a resolution of 1680 x 1050 was the best option. After switching on the monitor you’ll probably find that it is a bit too bright at first but this is easily overcome by altering the brightness levels. You can also alter the settings depending on what you intend to use the monitor for. There are options for standard, text, graphics, movie, or user-configurable basic settings. I have mine set to graphics and find that this setting suffices for watching movies and reading text as well, so there’s no real need to keep changing things round.
One requirement as soon as you get it out of the box is attaching the base to the monitor which is easy enough. The plastic base is fairly basic and doesn’t allow any rotation but the monitor at 5.4 kg is so light that it is easy to move from side to side. There is a 70mm swivel facility that allows you to tilt the unit upwards or downwards but it is a bit stiff to use.
As always I test any new digital imaging equipment on Uma Thurman and it has to be said that she does look a little yellow at sharp angles, and here I'm talking about skin tones not her jump suit. Lighter tones of visual images on the screen appear a little yellow when viewed from a wider angle or from above but straight on colours are well rendered and the image is crystal clear. As with most TFTs though, colour reproduction still does not match that of an older quality CRT monitor. I found reds to have a slight orange tinge when compared to my old CRT. There is also still room for improvement regarding contrast and lighting. Dark scenes in a DVD can be a strain on the eyes unless your watching in complete darkness. There also remains some back light leakage around the edges but as I said, I wanted it primarily for computer and internet use and these minor issues don’t bother me too much. I would still therefore consider the monitor as an all round bargain buy for the price I paid. It was a relief though not to find any dead pixels when I switched it on for the first time.
Although I will only ever rely on the basic serial cord and the VGA (Analog D-sub) interface, there is no option for a DVI (Digital Video Interface) connection that is often favoured by gamers. A DVI also supposedly allows you to obtain a crisper image and if need be, simultaneously hook up the monitor to a second PC via the VGA interface. Another negative factor with the monitor is the in built speakers with their tinny sounding audio, but these are only there for basic requirements and I wasn’t really expecting much in terms of sound quality. The point is you won’t be able to rely on them if you use your PC as a media centre. One thing I do like about this type of monitor though is that it has very little power consumption when compared with the old CRT monitors. The Acer AL2017 only uses 55 Watts which should keep the electricity bills down a bit.
I’m sure if you go out and by an equivalent Samsung model then you will definitely notice an improvement in picture quality but you’ll also have to pay a lot more of course. In the end you should only get what you pay for and I would certainly recommend the Acer AL2017 on this basis. The Acer does seem to have an air of reliability about it, although only time will tell.
Technical Details
Product Description: Acer AL2017 - flat panel display - TFT - 20"
Device Type: Flat panel display / TFT active matrix
Built-in Devices: Stereo speakers
Dimensions (WxDxH): 44.9 cm x 19.7 cm x 43.9 c
Weight: 5.4 kg
Diagonal Size: 20"
Viewing Angles: 150 x 130
Dot Pitch / Pixel Pitch: 0.2916 mm
Max Resolution: 1400 x 1050
Colour support: Up to 16.2 million colors
Response Time: 8 ms
Image Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Image Contrast Ratio: 600:1
Audio Output: Speaker(s) - stereo - integrated
Interface: VGA (HD-15)
Power: AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
Power Consumption Operational: 55 Watt
Summary: A good value moitor that should meet all basic requirements
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