BenQ Unveils 'Sexy' New LCD Panel

  Leave a comment      Email this to a friend TrustedReviews Newsletters

The FP785 does feature some clever design touches. When the monitor is resting conventionally on a desk, the handle actually acts as the base. The BenQ logo is lit up by a blue light underneath and is circled by silver buttons, which also serve as the OSD buttons.

As well as acting as a handle the feature also enables the monitor to be hung up and wall mounted. It’s especially suitable for this with a thickness of only 3.5 inches, which BenQ claims is half the thickness of most normal LCDs.

As the monitor is upside down when wall-mounted the logo rather smartly rotates 180 degrees so as not to spoil the carefully designed looks. It’s not just an aesthetic touch however - the control functions switch round too so that you don’t have to reverse how you use the OSD.

In keeping with its lifestyle aspirations the rear of monitor is covered to hide all unsightly cables and ports, one of which is a DVI connection. Other technical details include a native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 and a response time of 25 milliseconds. The brightness rating is 250cd per metres squared while the contrast ratio is given as 600:1, which is a high figure for a panel, which should make it ideal for movie watching. At 170 degrees, the viewing angle is also good enough for those placed off-centre to the display to be able to view its images clearly.

Four brightness settings are included, optimized for different uses, such a movie watching or photos.

BenQ also talked up its Senseye Technology used in the panel, intended to enhance the quality of images by optimising the brightness and contrast settings to improve colour fidelity. The technology is sophisticated enough to alter the properties of one colour, such as reds or skin tones, without affecting the other colours.

The speakers benefit from SRS 3D surround technology, which adds a virtual surround effect, enhancing audio from sources such as games and DVD.

Considering the style conscious design the monitor seems an obvious candidate for integrating a TV tuner. However, BenQ told me that this was omitted as it would categorise the unit as an AV device and raise the price due to European import duties. However, it was hinted that BenQ might be producing a dedicated range of monitor for this market. Hopefully, these will be in widescreen aspect ratio.

Pricing of the monitor in the UK was unconfirmed at the time of writing but availability should commence mid-October.

Links:
www.benq-eu.com

Add your comment