Review Saving desk space is a good reason for buying a flat-panel monitor, but for some it's about making a fashion statement. With that in mind, the attractive midnight blue Hitachi CML170 makes an instant impression and should rise to the top of many a wish-list. Of course, we wouldn't recommend that you purchase any PC product on looks alone, so it's just as well that the Hitachi also ranks as one of the best flat-panels we've seen.
The slimmed-down 6.5kg frame - the lightest of the 17in models - is partly due to the lack of advanced hardware features. The absence of a digital connector is a slight disappointment. Much better is the colourful menu system, and the extensive set-up options (image smoothing, zoom, pan and so on) allowing you to fine-tune the screen almost to perfection.
Graphically, the Hitachi CML170 is excellent, with a composed but realistic depth of colour that is surpassed in quality only by Taxan's CrystalVision. Text output isn't quite as good, although tweaking the image options allows you to reach a reasonable level of clarity. ®
Info
Price: £649.00
Contact: 01628 643 315
Website: www.hitachi.co.uk
Specs
Warranty: 3-year
Screen size: 17in
Maximum resolution @ refresh rate: 1280x1024@75Hz
Pixel pitch: 0.3mm
Weight: 7kg
Dimensions: 424x178x436mm
Maximun power: 54W
All details correct at time of publication.
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