Looks aren?t everything, is a phrase that regularly crops up in our reviews. We always seem to be criticising manufacturers for focusing on appearance, at the expense of raw performance. The issue becomes slightly confused, though, when we?re talking about monitors. After all, displays are made to be looked at, so if they?re not aesthetically bearable, they?re going to win few admirers. Fortunately, LG is aware of this, and have proved it with its latest range of LCDs. In PC Plus 209 we reviewed the standard bearer of this series ? a stunning, but pricey 23in model. This time around, we?re looking at the eminently more affordable 17in 1720B.
This screen is gorgeously styled, with curves and lights in places where other monitors don?t even have places. Disappointingly, it hasn?t inherited the 23-incher?s other great selling point. The 2320A housed all manner of ports and connections within an external media station. This model manages a paltry single VGA interface. Considering the fact that certain graphics cards now rely solely on digital video, this is far from ideal.
In fact, the 1720B is without much of the finery that made the flagship product so desirable. There?s no USB hub, no speakers, and no picture-in-picture functionality. Thankfully, there?s a silver lining to this particular cloud. Less features equal a lower price point, and if you can find a decent 17in LCD for less than £350, you?re a better shopper than any of us.
Of course, the burning question is whether this is a decent LCD. One factor above all others will dictate the answer ? picture quality. For such a low price, this isn?t bad at all. Images are sharp at the native resolution, which is as much as you can ever expect, while both brightness and colour are consistently good from corner to corner. Admittedly you?ll need both brightness and contrast set to the maximum, but that?s not a huge problem thanks to a simple, well-ordered menu system.
We?ve certainly seen monitors with more impressive feature lists. When it comes down to it, though, many people will simply be looking for a cheap LCD that?s stylish enough to sit in your lounge. If you?re one of these people, the 1720B?s well worth a look.
Russell James