TFT Monitors

CRT monitors are so yesterday. To make sure you don't get left behind, we test the best 17in TFTs around

BenQ FP791

Manufacturer:	Price:
BenQ	£434 inc VAT
Reviewer:	Review Date:
	Jan 2004

	OVERALL RATING

SCORE

4/6

Verdict: Good features but poor viewing angles

BenQ doesn't just buck the trend in this month's group test, it throws the trend so far off its back it's never coming down again. Forget the slimline bezel sported by all the other TFTs here, and prepare yourself for lashings of metallic surround that give this screen the appearance of an overgrown speaker with a TFT slapped bang in the middle.

It's not just there for styling either, as BenQ is the only manufacturer here to go to town on the speakers. This isn't so obvious when listening to music but if you play an atmospheric game or watch a DVD movie then you'll quickly notice the surround-sound effects. BenQ clearly has TV in mind too, with an optional TV tuner box available for £76 from www.dabs.com

BenQ doesn't stop there either, for at the top of the screen lies the Digital Picture Frame. If you own a digital camera that uses SmartMedia, SD/MMC or CompactFlash cards then you don't need to bother hooking up your camera to your PC anymore - just slide the card in, then watch a slideshow of your pictures (and even delete them). You can also copy the pictures directly to your PC thanks to the USB port built into the monitor.

The screen continued to impress us in the games tests. Thanks to a 16ms response time, it performed superbly in all the games we threw at it, with no signs of lag whatsoever. There was no hint of lag when watching DVD movies either, but the image suffered from artefacts that detracted from its impact - although fortunately these aren't noticeable if you view the screen at a distance.

But the FP791 truly struggled in our tough technical tests; colour accuracy isn't a strong point. Fortunately, only demanding people like graphics pros are likely to notice this, as photos still look good to the eye. But we can't be so charitable when it comes to viewing angles, as colours vary notably when you move your head from side to side, even slightly.

Although we appreciate the extra features, without superb image quality they're not worth the extra £100.

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