Review - ViewSonic N3260w LCD Monitor

ViewSonic N3260w LCD HDTV Review
George Graves, March 28, 2006
HDTV Solutions

ViewSonic is a well-known and well-respected computer monitor manufacturer who has decided to apply their skills to the area of high-definition home video with a line of wide-screen LCD HDTVs/monitors ranging in size from 32" to 40". Our focus in this review is the 32" N3260w NextVision.

The N3260w is a thin-screen monitor measuring 32.3" wide, by 25.6" high, by 9.1" deep (820 mm x 650 mm x 230 mm). It weighs 48.5 pounds (22 kg) and is designed to fit upon a stand (supplied) or to be hung on a wall.

Features
ViewSonic has incorporated a 10-bit digital de-interlacing technology called DNX™ to give a film-like presentation to the picture and this works very well, especially on non-progressive images such as those broadcast over the air or satellite at 480i.

The N3260w supports SRS TruSurround XTTM, a technology developed by SRS Labs. TruSurround simulates a digital surround sound environment with two speakers and can provide dimension to your audio experience provided you're sitting in the "sweet spot." However, it is not a substitute for a 5.1 or 6.1 surround sound system.

One of the concerns with LCD technology when talking about television is LCD response time. Many LCDs are simply too slow to respond for this application. If you have ever used an LCD monitor on a computer, you likely noticed the "ghost trail" of pointer images that follow the cursor around the screen as one moves the mouse quickly. ViewSonic has managed to decrease the response time of the LCDs used in this line of TV monitors to 8ms making it impossible to notice any LCD ghosting artifacts.

Contrast ratios for LCD HDTVs and monitors range from 400:1 to as high as 3000:1 with most, including the N3260w, at 800:1. The life of the backlight of the N3260w is 60,000 hours, which is the current standard of performance. This would last you 41 years if your viewing was 4 hours a day.

The anti-glare glass surface of the N3260w LCD makes viewing in a lighted room a joy. There is virtually no glare at any angle of view. The N3260w also boasts an LCD viewing angle of 170 degrees off-axis both horizontally and vertically. This reviewer didn't measure the monitor to substantiate this claim, but it does look good from any angle in my viewing room and the picture doesn't change at all when standing up with the monitor set at eye-level for a seated audience.

Inputs/Outputs
The ViewSonic N3260w is an HDTV capable set as opposed to HDTV ready as it does have a built-in digital tuner. The N3260w is rather restricted in its I/O capabilities when compared to many modern sets, but you must keep in mind that ViewSonic is a computer monitor manufacturer, and even this LCD TV line is geared toward that task. The standard VGA jack on this set is designed to support a myriad of computer resolutions from 720 x 400 all the way up to 1360 x 768 with available refresh rates of 60, 70, and 75 Hz, making this monitor a true multisync display.

Besides the two RF inputs for antenna and TV cable, the N3260w has two composite video inputs as well as two S-VHS (C-Y) inputs. For HDTV and progressive-scan DVD players, the N3260w has two sets of PbPrY component inputs along with two pairs of stereo audio inputs to accompany them. The standard VGA input also has a so-called mini-phone jack accompanying it for connection to a PC. The ViewSonic display has one

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI (HDCP) input that can support either HDMI or a It can also carry an analog signal and comes as DVI-I (integrated - analog and digital), DVI-D (digital only) and DVI-A (analog only). Dual link DVI connections add additional resolution capabilities. Digital cable lengths should not exceed 15 feet. Specifications on DVI are available at www.ddwg.org. Click for more details on DVI." class=gloss>DVI input from a PC or other device. Outputs are restricted to one stereo pair of RCA jacks for feeding TV audio to a sound system.

Most of the I/O for this set is located behind a door on the back of the TV. The main (AC) cord is vertically mounted in a recess along with the PC VGA connector and the two RF inputs. An RS-232 connector is accessible, but apparently dedicated for "manufacturing use only." The rest of the A/V I/O is situated behind the door making wall mounting somewhat awkward.

TV Controls
The N3260w has a full range of controls mounted on the right-hand side of the screen frame. These controls step you through the on-screen menus to allow selection of parameters to be changed. The legend for the controls is somewhat hard to see as the markings are molded into the black plastic that comprises the TV's cabinet structure.

Calibration
Using the "Video Essentials" DVD, the N3260w was calibrated according to NTSC specifications for contrast (white level), brightness (black level), color intensity and hue. All of these adjustments are accomplished using on-screen menus which are well laid-out and extremely easy to use. Not surprisingly, the factory settings were so close as to render the calibration procedure all but unnecessary.

Remote Control
The N3260w comes with a full-function remote control, that, satisfyingly, uses the long-lasting and ubiquitous double-A batteries instead of the often used Triple-As, which last about one-third as long, are harder to find and are often more expensive. All functions, including calibration procedures can be readily performed using the remote control.

Picture Quality
The ViewSonic LCD screen is, like most flat panels available today, limited to only 768 interlaced lines of vertical resolution. This falls somewhat short of the 1080 interlaced lines and slightly more than 720 progressive lines which fulfill the ATSC's (Advanced Television Standards Committee) definition of HDTV. This means that all signals are either down-converted (from 1080i) to 768 or up-converted from 480 and 720 to 768. While the N3260w will display true HDTV pictures, it won't display them at their actual resolution. Nevertheless, the picture is pleasing. It is sharp and the color fidelity is very good with little bleed and no over saturation. There is a wide range of adjustment available to suit almost any source material, and there were no apparent artifacts in any program material experienced during this review.

Conclusion
LCD is not only the most popular flat-screen display technology for use as a computer monitor, but it is also the king of the 32-40 inch TVs with 165 product offerings compared to 7 plasma products. ViewSonic has shown, with this line of NextVision monitors, that with increases in display response time, display size and resolution, it can compete in the home theater market.

If you're in the market for a dual purpose display in the 32" to 40" size, the ViewSonic N3260w is a competitive offering with a street price of around $1,200.

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BenQ FP241WZ LCD Monitor Review

BenQ FP241WZ 24" LCD Monitor
Dick De Jong
July 12, 2007
HDTV Solutions

The BenQ FP241WZ 24" LCD Monitor is a hybrid combining the VGA and It can also carry an analog signal and comes as DVI-I (integrated - analog and digital), DVI-D (digital only) and DVI-A (analog only). Dual link DVI connections add additional resolution capabilities. Digital cable lengths should not exceed 15 feet. Specifications on DVI are available at www.ddwg.org. Click for more details on DVI." class=gloss>DVI inputs and 16x10 (WUXGA, 1920 x 1200 Maximum Resolution.' class=gloss>native resolution) format from the computer universe with

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI, Component, and S-Video inputs and 1080p resolution from the HDTV world. The melding provides a crossover product that is as comfortable surfing the web and compositing in Photoshop as it is watching an HD movie or battling in Gears of War.

Granted, when I think about HDTVs, my mind's eye envisions a 40" (or larger) beauty mounted on my home theater wall. If I'm deep in reverie, then the high definition dream floating in my fantasy is an HDTV that is my home theater wall. On my return to reality, I realize that HDTVs come in all different sizes. The BenQ at 24" services an office/dorm room/bedroom/kitchen niche where one monitor for both the TV and computer is a great space saving solution.

Now, I need to be careful using the term HDTV when describing this BenQ monitor because it does not have a TV tuner, neither NTSC nor ATSC. So if you want to watch TV on this unit, you need to plug it into a set top box or use a portable TV tuner like the Hauppauge WinTV HVR950. If you do feed a high definition television signal into it, the BenQ will display it in full resolution.

Also, the FP241WZ does not sport any speakers - not even those tinny ones that are so common in computer monitors. To be properly geared for every viewing possibility, you will need to supplement your setup with speakers. A dedicated audio system would be ideal, especially if you don't have a great audio card in your computer.

I keep thinking of the FP241WZ as a computer monitor, partly because I am composing this review on it. But, I definitely appreciate the fact that it's also a high definition TV monitor. If it weren't, I wouldn't be reviewing it at all. In fact, when hooked up to the Toshiba HD-A20 HD-DVD player, the BenQ acquitted itself quite well as a 1080p HDTV. I just think it would be a shame not to dual purpose it.

Out of the Box
In the FP241WZ box, the screen is disconnected from the stand. Assembly is a straightforward one-step process.

Once attached, you find that the screen slides up and down on the stand, locking in at about 4 ½" above the bottom of the stand and raising up to about 9 ½". At the top height, you have room to rotate the display to the vertical, portrait orientation. The screen also swivels 45 degrees left or right and 5 degrees forward and 20 back.

The Benq FP241WZ: Down, Up and Around

The black bezel is standard issue, but at 24" diagonally, this BenQ stretches our early 21st Century concept of a computer monitor. We realize that 27 and 30" behemoths are available, but I found that I was leaning back in my desk chair when watching DVDs on this 24" model on my desktop. At this size, you even may wish to mount it on the wall over your desk.

The On/Off button along with those for accessing the On Screen Display (OSD) menu are located on the right edge of the bezel. Revealing its computer heritage, the FP241WZ does not come with a remote control, nor is there one available.

Unless you are a deft accordion player, finding and pushing the proper sequence of buttons needed to adjust picture settings requires practice and dexterity. For example, to tweak the color, you push the Menu button (fourth from the top, not counting the On/Off) to display the On Screen Menu. Then the Down Arrow (third from the top) to get to the Picture Menu. Then Enter (top button) to enter the Picture Menu. Then Up one to shortcut to the Color control. Then Enter to open the Color menu. Then a series of Enters and Ups and Downs and Menu/Exits to fine tune the color. With a remote in your hand, the process is tedious, but at least you also don't have to keep craning your neck to find the right button.

With that minor peeve off my chest - I feel much better, thank you - I will admit that plugging in cables was almost a delight. Made so because you can easily access the connection panel, which is hidden away on the back bottom, by lifting the screen and rotating it 90 degrees.

The connection panel is not full of multiple inputs, but it does provide one of all the usual suspects. DVI-D, HDMI, VGA, Component, Composite, and S-Video.

Again, be aware, that this unit does not handle audio, even as a pass through. And though there is an HDMI connection, the monitor is only reading the video portion of the signal. Two USB ports on the side and one on the top

If you look closely at the connection panel, you will notice a USB connector on the right of the panel. With the included cable, you can connect to a USB port on your computer and then the monitor's three USB connections will be functional, allowing you to plug in items like card readers or keyboards.

Those Feng Shui folks among us will approve of the cable restraint on the stand that makes some effort at assisting you in controlling cable sprawl.

Setup
Since the FP241WZ wears two hats, computer monitor and HDTV, I soon discovered that calibrating this BenQ presented a dual headed challenge. With my setup at least, I found that the Brightness setting was completely different when I was watching a DVD playing on my computer's DVD player then when I hooked up the Toshiba HD-A20 HD-DVD player.

Let's start with the computer setup, I have a Dell Dimension 520 running Vista with a NVidia GeForce 7300 LE video card. If you hook to the monitor with a VGA cable, the BenQ has a nifty feature called i key, which you activate with a button on the side of the monitor. They suggest displaying the test pattern they provide and then pressing the i key. The monitor looks at the pattern and adjusts timing. Again, the i key only works on VGA signals.

BenQ FP241WZ Auto Adjust Test Pattern

Even after i keying, you still must adjust picture quality settings (Brightness, Contrast, etc.) through the OSD. I found that Brightness had to be ratcheted down to about 15 (out of 100). As usual I tested settings on the Digital Video Essentials DVD, (the SD version) playing on the computer‘s DVD player. But since I was in the Windows domain, I also ran through the Windows Media Center monitor setup. Both methods confirmed that Brightness had to be set to 15.

Now, I also tried attaching the monitor with the DVI-D cable, which the BenQ manual suggests over VGA. The results were almost exactly the same.

The tricky bit about reporting my findings is that there is one major factor in this equation that is difficult for me to dissect out of the discussion. If you think about it, your computer's video card is the wild card in this video poker game, since it is what is dealing the signal to the monitor. I can only imagine that your mileage definitely may vary depending on your card.

Now, if you are following my video signal logic, then you won't be surprised that adjusting for an HDMI feed from the Toshiba HD-DVD player entailed more than a few minor tweaks from the computer VGA/DVI-D settings. The video card is out of the deck, but the Toshiba is performing its own brand of video processing before it is dealing the signal to the BenQ.

So much so, that I couldn't raise the Brightness high enough to prevent the darkest grays from crushing to black. With the Toshiba hooked to the BenQ with an HDMI cable, even with Brightness at 100, the test patterns were demanding more. I could get back into range, Brightness at about 90, by switching to Component cables.

My other option with the equipment that we have currently was using the OPPO DV981HD DVD player because I can go into its setup menu and raise Brightness. When I pushed Brightness up a few notches in the OPPO, I was able to discern the darkest grays from deep black in the test patterns. This allowed me to use the HDMI cable, though of course, I was not able to play HD-DVDs on the OPPO.

Performance
No matter how idiosyncratic calibrations can be, the bottom line for me is picture quality. As far as the computer setup, the SD version of The Return of the King looked very good - not BeoVision 7-40 great - but upscaled to 1920 x 1080, sitting 2 ½" eyeball to Arwen away, very respectable. At close range, perhaps a bit noisy, but importantly, I could adjust the monitor for a satisfactory viewing experience.

Finagling with the Toshiba HD-DVD to BenQ HDMI connection took a bit more tweaking and the result, though dissimilar, had its own appeal. Luckily, I like the richness that can result from a slightly dark picture setting. But I will admit, I wanted to be able to peer into the more shadowy corners in Casablanca. And I kept itching to tone down the overly luxuriant reds in the HD version of The Phantom of the Opera, which has replaced King Kong as our benchmark HD-DVD.

The best performance from this BenQ/Toshiba combination was with the Component cables. I was able to dial in brightness so I could enjoy the details of the costumes even in the shadows. Is it Home Theater quality video? I don't think the picture performance will satisfy the highly discriminating videophile, but at 24", I doubt that they are the target audience for the FP241WZ.

Once again, the VGA out of the Xbox was a little funky. When I set it to 1920 x 1080, the BenQ would offset the image at least 300 pixels to the left. No amount of adjustments with the Horizontal Position on the monitor would bring the image back to center. I found if I changed the Xbox's Reference Level to Standard, the offset goes away and the Xbox Display Mode still reads 1920 x 1080. But in the Information box on the BenQ, the numbers have changed to 1680 x 1050 at 60 HZ. Practically, I really can't discern any visual difference, since the BenQ is still displaying a full resolution image.

I say full resolution because the native resolution of the monitor is 1920 x 1200 and it will upscale any input to that if you have its Display Mode set to Full. If you do, then a 1920 x 1080 signal will be stretched slightly vertically. But if you switch the Display Mode to Aspect, then thin black bars will appear at the top and bottom of the screen as the image is letterboxed to its proper aspect ratio of 16 x 9. The monitor also has a 1 x 1 Display Mode option.

BenQ FP241WZ Native Resolution and PIP Display

One last point, for those Picture in Picture (PIP) fans that I know are out there, the FP241WZ does offer a PIP, which I consider limited because of the input combinations available. Basically, BenQ lets you choose one video source from Column 1 and the other from Column 2. The problem is Column 2 only has Composite and S-Video, so one of them has to be part of the PIP duo. Column 1 contains all the best sources, HDMI, Component, DVI-D and VGA, but you can only pick one of them to pair with your Column 2 option.

Conclusion
Since we are just beginning to see big widescreen computer monitors crossing over into the 1080p HDTV realm, the FP241WZ is a good initial effort. Still it proves to be a better computer monitor than an HDTV, but then again, it is one fine 24" computer monitor. And only the most judgmental, would turn their nose up on its HD performance. As a user friendly TV, I would still prefer to have a remote control and perhaps an integrated speaker system.

First, realize, that ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now.

Second, we have given only a few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.

Performance: 4
As a computer monitor, I would consider giving the FP241WZ a 5. But this is HDTV Solutions and as an HDTV, I have enough issues to rate it 4.

Features: 4
Again, I realize that as a computer monitor, BenQ has included most of the features that you would expect. But any self-respecting TV would at least have a remote and a better pipeline for audio.

Ease of Use: 4
Calibrating the monitor can be a tribulation. Though hooking up and maneuvering this 23 pound unit was a breeze.

Value: 4.5
After all the 4's I have given the FP241WZ, you may wonder how I can come up with a 4.5. The answer is simple. I can no longer ignore the high quality of the computer monitor half of this hybrid. Taken as a whole, I feel comfortable with a 4.5.

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Review - Maxent MX-5020HPM 50" Plasma Monitor

Maxent MX-5020HPM 50" Plasma Monitor Review
Dick De Jong, October 12, 2006
HDTV Solutions

If you are in the market for a new HDTV, then products like the Maxent MX-5020HPM 50" Plasma Monitor serve as great points of reference – touchstones for what to expect at a certain price today. With a street sticker hovering around $2000, this recently released 50" plasma is not one of the new 1080p breed. Instead, it hits the current sweet spot resolution of 1366 x 768. (Even though the market is moving fast, you probably will have to pay a premium for 1080p TVs until sometime in 2007.)

Before we go comparing apples and pomegranates, the MX-5020HPM is a monitor and not a true TV. It does not have a TV tuner inside, neither NTSC (analog), nor ATSC (digital). If you want to watch television, you need to feed it a signal from a cable or satellite set top box (or a HTPC, [Home Theater PC], or a standalone tuner box). While you are at it, make sure whatever you choose is capable of supplying this monitor with HD content. Let's face facts, why buy a 50" plasma if all that you are watching is SD material?

Even though TVs with ATSC tuners are becoming commonplace, you still tend to pay a slight bit more than for a comparably sized monitor. Since I only test the TV tuners for the sake of the review and never use them in my day to day watching, I actually prefer monitors for reasons I will discuss later. The one advantage that I see for a TV over a monitor is when your cable or satellite fritzes out in the middle of a must-see TV program. If it's being broadcast over the air, an integrated TV tuner could be a party saver.

Out of the Box
As you can imagine with a 50" plasma, extracting this 115 pound (with stand) baby out of the box and onto a table is a two person job. If you are planning on mounting it on a wall, I would suggest siring a couple of muscular teenagers who can lift while you control the cables and connect to the mount.

Maxent MX-5020HPM 50" Plasma Monitor

The unit measures 49 1/2" x 33 5/8" x 4 3/8" without the detachable stand. The speakers, which are encased in the grille below the monitor, cannot be removed. Maxent hasn't strayed from the industry standard black bezel, (though this one is not razor thin), and silver accents. As you can imagine, a TV over four feet wide makes a statement in all but the most cavernous halls, which probably is one of the reasons that you are considering it. Hopefully, you are also thinking about where you will place it and how it will complement the rest of the room. (For some design suggestions, see our new column, HD Design.)

The Control Panel buttons are jutting down on the bottom right side of the monitor. Little icons describing the controls adorn that corner along with the green/orange power/standby light. Except for an unassuming "Maxent" in the middle, the rest of the black bezel is thankfully unsullied.

Located on the back of the monitor are the usual suspects of audio video connections. And, once again, they are pointed down huddling in the shadows close to the chassis. (I was heartened to see that a number of the newer models showing at CEDIA had ceded to the notion of orienting those pesky connectors in a much easier to see and reach side-facing position.)

Since the

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio, and interactive controls on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committe) HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio. First product releases using HDMI occurred in 2003." class=gloss>HDMI connection is becoming more prevalent in everything from DVD players to set top boxes, a TV with multiple HDMI connections should be de rigueur. (Granted, there are other solutions on the market like the soon-to-be-reviewed Gefen's 2x1 HDMI Switcher and Pioneer's VSX-82TXS receiver, which can switch between three HDMI inputs.) This Maxent monitor offers two HDMI (with HDCP) inputs and the traditional assortment of computer (15 pin D-sub), component, and composite inputs.

Also, the MX-5020HPM has one set of RCA stereo audio inputs, (labeled It can also carry an analog signal and comes as DVI-I (integrated - analog and digital), DVI-D (digital only) and DVI-A (analog only). Dual link DVI connections add additional resolution capabilities. Digital cable lengths should not exceed 15 feet. Specifications on DVI are available at www.ddwg.org. Click for more details on DVI." class=gloss>DVI In), to accompany the HDMI connectors, which is essential if your source machine only has DVI output like the OPPO DVD player used in our setup. Even though we use a DVI to HDMI cable, the audio is not conveyed through a DVI connector. So to transmit audio from the player to the TV, I hook together the stereo Outs on the DVD player to the Ins on the TV.

Though, as the Maxent manual charitably admits, their 5 watt speakers are "general purpose, you may consider switching them OFF during hi-fidelity playback of movies or other content." I hardily agree. You really should route your audio through a separate sound system. When I turned on the HBO HD broadcast of the Phantom of the Opera, I couldn't run fast enough to switch the audio to a set of external speakers. The monitor even has stereo RCA Audio Outputs to route any audio coming into the set out to an external amplifier.

Setup
As usual, to calibrate the monitor, I attached the DVI Out on the Oppo OPDV971H DVD player to the HDMI input on the Maxent and used the Digital Video Essentials DVD test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias.

The On Screen Display (OSD) Menu is rather spare in Picture Controls and does not offer more than the very basics of Contrast, Brightness, Color and Tint, which with many TVs is all you really need because out of the box, they only require minor tweaks. The problem is with the Maxent review unit I have; I could never calibrate the monitor to my eye's satisfaction with the four controls provided. The results were always too red, especially noticeable with skin tones. Now if you are watching Chariots of Fire with ruddy-faced Englishmen, you may not know the difference. But that red bias may make you queasy when some of the paler contestants on America's Top Model are exhibiting that sickly orange tinge reminiscent of a bad spray-on tan.

I became dizzy trying to adjust the monitor to an acceptable and consistent skin tone. I tried the Datacolor Spyder TV Pro system and still everyone is either rosy faced or carroty cheeked. I lusted after at least one more control, perhaps Color Temperature. Alas, the only other adjustments were stashed away in the Service Menu. And with no instructions in the manual on how to use the Service Menu, I didn't feel comfortable in fiddling around in there.

But before I returned this monitor, I wanted to give it a second chance so I contacted Maxent technical support and received a call back from Kevin Tin, Maxent's Service Manager. (One of the perks of reviewing is that you go to the top guy.) Kevin was kind enough to walk me through connecting my computer to the monitor through the RS-232 connection. I could then read the current red, blue and green bias and gain settings and make the necessary adjustments. A word of warning is critical at this point: The Service Menu is not a toy. Unless you know what you are doing, stay away – stay way away. Maxent's Service Menu is no different. It contains enough trap doors that you don't want to go exploring without knowledgeable guidance.

After I lowered the Red Bias and Red Gain a few notches, I was able to rescue the TV characters skin from the brink of high blood pressure or scorching sunburns. Though the tones were now comfortably acceptable, I can't say that they were consistent from channel to channel or sometimes even from shot to shot on the same program. But to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." Also, I'm not so confident that the erratic coloration was not due more to the production quality of the shows or the differences in transmission of the cable channels.

After calibrating Bias and Gain in the Service Menu, I again ran through the Digital Video Essentials DVD test patterns. The adjustments were fairly close to the Defaults. I dropped Contrast to 77 and raised Brightness to 53. I tend towards less saturated colors, so I moved Color to 47. And Tint is in the –7 area. To minimize fringing, I set Sharpness to 20.

The Black Level Extension feature was not helpful. It is supposed to "enhance luminance and color transition." Even at the Low setting, it darkened the test pattern bars to oblivion so I left it Off. Also, I turned Off the Noise Reduction feature.

The OSD has a few quirks. For example, you don't hit the OK button to accept a selection. (It's the right arrow key.) But when you pick a control like Contrast, the slider does minimize down to the bottom of the screen so you can see changes as you make them, which is a good thing.

As usual, depending on the Input source, the Picture Controls on the OSD menu vary. For example, if you are connecting a PC through the RGB input, the Picture Controls expand to include V Position and V Size, H Position and H Size and Clock Phase.

Since this is a plasma and many people are still concerned about image burn-in, the monitor does offer an Image Shift function that you can set to 10, 20 or 30 seconds. In addition, the Setup Menu provides a Full White and Multicolor option for eliminating electrically charged residual images.

Also, when you are watching an HDMI source, you can turn on Picture in Picture (PIP) and display a second source (AV or Component) in a small window that can be placed in any one of the four corners.

One of the choices in the Format submenu is Panorama, which expands the edges of a native 4:3 image to fit the 16:9 format; but it is disabled with HDMI sources.

And if you like to be master of your domain, you can access the Function Setup menu in the Service Menu and disengage the control buttons on the front of the monitor. (Yes, the manual actually tells you how to open the Service Menu.) Then, the power is in the hands that hold the remote.

About the non-backlit remote control, when I first started playing with it, I kept getting the message, "Feature Not Available" as I punched random buttons. I soon realized the obvious, since the MX-5020HPM is a monitor, the TV-centric buttons like Swap, SAP or Guide were useless. This is a multi-component-capable unit though and many of the buttons could be handy when controlling a DVD player or cable box.

Performance
One of the reasons that I like monitors is their scaled down functionality. Basically, it is presenting an image. You don't have to worry about programming TV tuners. Just feed it a signal, turn it on and you're ready to rumble. If only this Maxent could be so accommodating, I could give it a better rating.

I love plasmas for the deep blacks, and I will admit that when I finally wrestled the red into submission, I could finally appreciate the fully saturated color palette. We have the full Dish lineup of HD channels including the VOOM boutiques. Surfing through this smorgasbord challenges a TV with a high def gauntlet of content. The MX-5020HPM performed adequately – occasionally admirably - but I was never overwhelmed by the image. Of course, with monitors over 50", it becomes more and more difficult to hide any flaws in the display.

I also hooked up my laptop through the VGA connection. The manual suggests that the computer's resolution be set to 1280 x 1024, 32 bit. The monitor had no problem locking on to that signal. As you can imagine, the image is gigantic. Though I found it a little soft for reading numbers and letters, which would make Internet browsing undesirable. Sharpness is not available as a control in this mode.

Conclusion
The Maxent MX-5020HPM is a value priced monitor that will not be confused for an overachiever. Once properly calibrated (not an easy task), the 50" display should be able to satisfy a football fanatic fiesta. A true videophile will be better served by looking elsewhere.

Star Ratings
First, realize, that ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now.

Second, I have yet to give a 5 Star rating, which I am reserving for truly outstanding accomplishment.

Performance – 3
Even after the arduous task of calibrating this monitor, I never felt consistently satisfied with its performance.

Features – 3.5
A monitor doesn't necessarily need a lot of features. I give credit for the two HDMI inputs and the audio outs. But the Picture Adjustment controls are lacking.

Ease of Use – 3.0
Once again, monitors are naturally easy to use, but the process to achieve proper calibration is not for the novice.

Value – 3.5
The price is right for the size. If you feel comfortable noodling in a Service Menu, then you might add another half point.

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Review - Pioneer PDP-505CMX 50" Plasma HD Monitor

Pioneer PDP-505CMX 50" Plasma HD Monitor Review
Chris Iannicello, April 17, 2006
HDTV Solutions

Released in the fall of last year, the PDP-505CMX is Pioneer's current commercial display and is based on their 5th generation "glass," which can also be found in the Pioneer PDP-5050HD consumer display. Pioneer has since released a 6th generation model, but only in their consumer line.

Unlike Pioneer, Panasonic releases their latest glass in their commercial line first, and then their consumer line. Since commercial products have fewer bells and whistles like speakers, tuners, inputs, etc., they usually sell for less, allowing a pure picture quality enthusiast to afford a top tier plasma for anywhere from $500-1000 less than its consumer counterpart.

However, when I spoke with a Pioneer rep about this strategy, he told me that they prefer to release their best technology on the consumer side first, as this is where the most demand is for pure picture quality, not to mention most of their advertising budget. He further explained that on the commercial side the primary focus is reliability, so after the consumer model has been established in the marketplace for a considerable period of time, they release that glass in a commercial display.

Pioneer also has an Elite line of consumer products, which also contains the same glass as their regular consumer and commercial lines, but adds several features including gold-plated A/V connectors, increased color temperature and calibration adjustments, media card slot, additional inputs, two year warranty, and an upgraded external design. The Elite line is a substantial upgrade, but expect to pay $1500-$2000 more for it.

Some of the key features of the PDP-505CMX include: Advanced Continuous Emission III (ACE III) reduces the visible steps between the levels of color being viewed making color transitions smoother than before. 1st Surface Pure Color Filter - A non-glass front panel that reduces glare 3:3 Pull-Down displays all signals at 72 Hz instead of the industry standard 60 Hz. Point Zoom function allows users to expand any portion of a PC image in three steps 1.5x, 2x and 3x for emphasizing key points in a presentation. Very low power consumption - approximately 280 watts average consumption.

First Impressions
The PDP-505CMX was shipped to me directly from the manufacturer. The overall fit and finish of the PDP-505CMX was excellent, however this being a commercial product, there were not many parts to worry about. Besides the display itself, the PDP-505CMX comes with a table mount, remote, manual, and power cable. The display also had two heavy-duty handles on the back, making mounting a bit easier.

The design is simple and elegant, with a small black bezel surrounding the display. As you might expect with a commercial model, there are no external speakers, but at least a table mount is included. The total depth mounted is approximately 5.1 inches, which is comparable to other commercial 50" displays.

The remote has as few buttons as I've seen on any remote since the early 1980's, which again can be attributed to the commercial line display as the comparable consumer version has many more buttons. The remote does include dedicated buttons for each of the five inputs, which is a nice touch. It was actually quite refreshing not having to navigate through the normal barrage of meaningless buttons when using the remote. The design is not perfect, however, as you have to enter and exit each picture setting manually which requires several keystrokes as opposed to simply pressing the up or down button to get to the next setting like many remotes.

Under the Hood
The PDP-505CMX has a resolution of 1280x768, which is slightly less than most other 50" plasma displays, which have a resolution of 1366x768. This is a non-issue, however, as you would be hard pressed to actually detect a difference, regardless of source material. Pioneer does not post contrast ratio information on this display, although they do rate the PDP_5060HD, which is the 6th and newest generation, at 4000:1, so I would guess the PDP-505CMX rates somewhere between 3000:1 and 4000:1. Either way, actual rated contrast in real-world conditions will be much lower so not much attention should be paid to this measurement. Brightness is rated at 1100 cd/m2, but this measurement is also dubious as the comparable Panasonic Model (TH-50PHD8UK) is rated 545cd/m2. Although I could not find any official specification, I would expect the display half-life rating (the amount of time it will take for a display to dim to 50% of its original brightness) to be at or near the current industry standard of 60,000 hours. Other features include improved 10-bit video processing, called ACE III, that produces 1792 shades of gray steps for each "cell," which results in well over 1 billion colors. The previous Pioneer model produced 1024 shades of gray. The PDP-505CMX has a 1-year warranty.

According to Pioneer, the PDP-505CMX contains their First Surface Pure Color Filter, which uses one less piece of glass than in previous models, improving picture quality by reducing reflection and increasing black levels. I found this claim accurate as when I first viewed the display, I did notice there was not as much glare as with most plasmas.

The PDP-505CMX comes with built-in DVI-D and Analog RGB inputs, as well as a RS-232C and combination connector, both of which are suggested in the owner's manual only to be used for setup adjustments according to a Pioneer technician. The input panel is located on the bottom of the display pointing downwards, which can be difficult to see, but there are diagrams on the back of the display which help you line up the cables with their inputs. Similar to Panasonic's commercial line, Pioneer offers multiple expansion slots named the ES Card Slot Interface. However, unlike Pioneer, the Panasonic commercial models do not include a built-in DVI or HDMI input, so you have to purchase a $150 expansion slot to optimize picture quality. There are two types of expansion slots in the PDP-505CMX: One is for video and one for communication.

There are two available Video Slots, both of which include an S-video and composite video input. One slot has a component video input and the other a five port, RGB/component input. There are several third-party Communication Slots certified by Pioneer for network connections, video broadcasts and distribution.

The PDP-505CMX has an easy to navigate settings menu, with some granularity not normally seen in consumer displays. While the brightness and contrast controls are conventional, there are individual adjustments for red, green, and blue as opposed to a conventional Tint and Color controls, as well as individual horizontal and vertical enhance settings that replace the normal Sharpness control. There are five color temperature settings: Low, Medium-Low, Medium (default), Medium-High, and High. The Low setting will adjust whites and light colors most towards red/warm and the High setting will adjust towards blue/cool. The PDP-505CMX also had a Digital MPEG Reduction setting, which did a surprisingly good job of smoothing out facial features while retaining most other image resolution, but the High setting is a bit too much and gives people a cartoonish look. I would suggest the Low setting, but only if you prefer to sit less than 8 feet from the screen and want to reduce some picture noise.

To try and prevent screen burn-in, there is an Orbiter feature, which changes the entire display position by one pixel every 8 minutes. There is also a Mask Control feature, which changes the position of the black bars on the sides of the screen (used in any 4:3 content) every time the displayed is turned on. These types of preventative features are common in most newer plasma displays.

Test Drive
I connected the PDP-505CMX to the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD Cable box via the DVI input. I sampled several types of high definition content including movies, sports, and regular television programming, all of which looked excellent. There was some signal noise, but once I backed up to about 10 feet viewing distance it all but disappeared.

Here are a few sample images of the PDP-505CMX, set at factory defaults, compared to the BenQ PE7700 DLP Projector (The PDP-505CMX is the bottom image). It should be noted that PE7700 is a front projector, and in a different price range (less than $2000) than the PDP-505CMX, so it is not surprising that the PDP-505CMX produces a better, higher contrast image.

2006 Winter Olympics (NBC HD, 1080i)
This comparison is an excellent illustration of why plasma is superior to DLP. Better contrast, color saturation, and especially image detail. Both images handle reds very well, with the PDP-505CMX leaning a bit towards orange.

2006 Winter Olympics
TOP: BenQ PE7700    BOTTOM: PDP-505CMX

2006 Grammy Awards (CBS HD - 1080i)
Excellent contrast and color saturation (despite the slight orange cast) in the PDP-505CMX. Notice how the highlights punch out in Bono's jacket.

2006 Grammy Awards
TOP: BenQ PE7700    BOTTOM: PDP-505CMX

I, Robot (HBO HD - 1080i)
The Shadow detail in the PDP-505CMX is evident in Will Smith's hat, which retains excellent contrast without sacrificing detail. Colors are rich, even with out of focus background content.

I, Robot
TOP: BenQ PE7700    BOTTOM: PDP-505CMX

Sin City (HBO HD - 1080i)
In this black and white scene, there is a slight green-cast in the PDP-505CMX. Resolution is excellent.

Sin City
TOP: BenQ PE7700    BOTTOM: PDP-505CMX

The Fifth Element (Oppo OPDV971H DVD Player - 720p via DVI)
The PDP-505CMX has much smoother transitions from light to dark, with good shadow detail.

The Fifth Element
TOP: BenQ PE7700    BOTTOM: PDP-505CMX

Color
As you can see from the sample photographs, there are some small issues with color accuracy out of the box with some slight pushing of orange and green hues, but these were fixed easily after some small adjustments. To fix the green push most evident in the Sin City photo, I changed the color temperature from Medium to Medium-high, which seemed to do the trick. For the slight exaggeration of orange hues, I increased the Blue Level control a couple of clicks. Aside from these minor issues, the color saturation is fantastic, with lifelike flesh tones and rich colors throughout the display.

Contrast/Black Level
Contrast and Black Level are the primary differentiators for plasma compared to LCD or any rear-projection television technology, and the PDP-505CMX does not disappoint. Overall contrast is very good, with plenty of punch to bring out light and dark details within the same image. Black levels and shadow detail are also improved, and while the PDP-505CMCX does not quite match the current industry leading Panasonic displays, most viewers will probably not miss the difference unless seeing the displays side-by-side.

Brightness
Brightness has historically been one of the most significant weaknesses of Plasmas, but the top tier brands have not had any issues with brightness the past few years, and I would say Pioneer falls in this category. While certainly not in the league of many LCD displays, the PDP-505CMX has plenty of brightness for low to medium-lit room environments and performed admirably even when blasted with direct light sources. Of course, there is still a decent reflection from the display's surface, even though it's made of a new non-glass material. For movies, I found the best results with a small amount of ambient light.

Video Processing
Historically, this has been the strong suit of the Pioneer plasmas, consistently outperforming all other brands at displaying multiple resolutions and source material with inordinate amounts of smoothness and overall quality. The PDP-505CMX is certainly no exception as non-HDTV content, particularly DVD and digital cable, looked spectacular. Scaling was first rate and the Full mode, which takes the vertical edges of 4:3 material and stretches it to fit the 16:9 display, did an admirable job.

One unique feature of the Pioneer plasmas is their Advanced Pure Cinema, which they claim improves upon the industry standard of 3:2 pulldown, which is the conversion of 24 full frame per second film (all movies are filmed at this rate) to be played on televisions that display content at 60 interlaced frames per second. To split up 24 frames into 60, one film frame is scanned three times, the next frame is scanned twice, the next frame is scanned three times, etc. Because the distribution of frames is uneven, the result is various types of motion artifacts and other distortion, particularly in fast moving scenes or panning across an image that has a lot of straight lines. The Advanced Pure Cinema feature takes 24 frame per second film and scans each frame three times and displays content at 72 interlaced frames per second, a first in the television industry. Theoretically, because the distribution of frames is even, the result should be a smoother overall image and less motion artifacts.

In one particular scene from the movie Assassins, the camera shows a shingled building and does a slow pan upward, which produced a good amount of motion artifacts or jaggies. The PDP-505CMX still gives you the choice of traditional 3:2 pulldown, which is named Standard in their Pure Cinema setting. I found this setting to perform very well relative to other displays. When I flipped the switch on the Advanced Pure Cinema setting, I did notice a slight difference over the Standard setting, but I had to look really hard and play the scene back several times to see the difference. After close inspection, it did appear that the Advanced setting was slightly smoother, but perhaps it is a testament to how good Pioneer's existing 3:2 pulldown technology already is that the Advanced 3:3 pulldown did not provide an earth-shattering improvement. I have also heard some reports that the 3:3 pulldown feature actually added picture noise compared the Standard 3:2 pulldown, but I did not see any such issue during my testing.

Viewing Angle
Pioneer claims a viewing angle of 160 degrees (horizontal and vertical) on their spec sheet, which is the current industry standard. I found the PDP-505CMX to maintain plenty of image integrity at all but the most severe angles, vertical or horizontal.

Viewing Distance
I found the closest comfortable viewing distance is about ten feet, which equates to 2.6x screen width. Any closer and you start to see small noise artifacts. This viewing distance is comparable to other 50" plasmas I've viewed.

DVD Performance
When connected to the Oppo OPDV971H upconverting DVD Player, the PDP-505CMX produces fantastically clear, vibrant images that almost made me forget I was watching a non-HDTV source, which is uncommon to say the least.

When using the DVI Input, the PDP-505CMX offers a 1:1 dot-to-dot mode, which displays the source image resolution regardless of size and a Full mode, which stretches any source to the full 16:9, 1366x768 resolution. The Oppo DVD Player does not convert to 768p, so when dot-to-dot mode is selected, the supported 1280x720 image is displayed. Since the PDP-505CMX has a 1280x768 resolution, the result is 24 blank horizontal lines on the top and bottom of the display (see below). I'm unsure why gray and not black was chosen to be used for these empty lines, as black surely would have been a better choice. However distracting this may be, the image quality is fantastic, and blows away the 768p Full mode image. Besides being stretched vertically and having significant horizontal overscan, the Full mode image is dark with poor color accuracy and I was unable to improve the picture no matter what settings I adjusted. You can clearly see the quality of the top image, with excellent shadow detail, geometry, and color saturation.

The Fifth Element
TOP: PDP-505CMX ('Dot-to-Dot', 1280x720)    BOTTOM: PDP-505CMX ('Full', 1280x768)

PC Monitor
In addition to the VGA PC input, the PDP-505CMX's DVI input can accept PC signals at 1280x768 with 1:1 pixel mapping. This resulted in a detailed "desktop," but there was a significant problem with brightness as the more white placed on the desktop, the darker the overall image became. I was unable to fix this issue with any of the brightness or energy saving settings. The issue was also present when using the RGB input. Because of this, the PC image was good with colors or darker images, but a very subpar grayish image for most webpages, emails, etc.

Ratings
Performance: 4.5 out of 5
If not for the existence of Panasonic, I might have given out a full 5 stars, but because Panasonic has recently improved their video processing and are still the industry leaders in contrast and black levels, the PDP-505CMX gets an enthusiastic 4.5. Video Processing is still first-rate, and after some slight adjustments, the color saturation and accuracy was excellent. I also found the overall contrast and black levels to be very good if not spectacular. DVD/digital cable performance was the best I've ever seen on any HDTV. Features: 3.5 out of 5
This relatively low rating is mostly a result of the PDP-505CMX being a commercial display, which means fewer inputs, no tuner, no built-in speakers, etc. This is also true of other brands' commercial displays. However, the lack of such features can save you money if you have your own audio system and satellite or cable receiver.
Ease of Use: 4 out of 5
Overall, I found the PDP-505CMX settings and documentation easy to use and configure. I did have to check the manual on what some of the settings meant however, as common terminology such as Tint and Sharpness are not used within the settings menu. Value: 4 out of 5
While its MSRP is a hefty $4999, the PDP-505CMX currently can be found for under $4000, which is competitive with many leading 50" plasmas. The only models that are significantly cheaper are relatively flawed from a performance standpoint. The price of the PDP-505CMX has been dropping since the release of the 6th generation PDP-5060HD, making the PDP-505CMX even more attractive from a price point. Since the PDP-505CMX is markedly better than most other similarly priced displays, I would say it is an extremely good value. Conclusion
The PDP-505CMX is a great display, with very few flaws and some industry leading performance attributes. The gap in black levels between Panasonic and Pioneer has shrunk considerably from a few years ago, and I would recommend this display whole-heartedly, especially at its current price point.

[Correction: This article has been modified from its original posting to clarify packaging, deliverables, and pricing.]

View the original article here

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