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By James E. Powell
Twins aren't always carbon copies of one another-there's usually one small distinction that gives away their identities. The same holds true for two new 17-inch monitors from Princeton Graphic Systems. The only difference between the EO17 and EO70 is dot pitch.
You would think the EO17, which has a 0.26mm dot pitch, would provide better display quality than the EO70's 0.28 mm dot pitch. The difference in viewing quality, however, is less than you might imagine.
These multifrequency monitors, both with 15.8 inches of viewing area, use microprocessors to automatically synchronize and adjust to the most common video modes. I had no trouble moving from 640x480 pixels (maximum refresh rate of 120Hz) up to 1280x1024 pixels (maximum refresh rate 66Hz), all noninterlaced.
Except for dot pitch, both monitors share the same technical specifications. Each supports multiscanning at horizontal frequencies of 30kHz to 70kHz, and vertical frequencies of 50Hz to 120Hz. Measuring 16.7 by 16.2 by 17.9 inches and weighing 43.4 pounds, each unit sits on a tilt-and-swivel base and is Windows 95 Plug-and-Play ready.
As you'd expect, the pair are MPRII-compliant, meet EPA Energy Star power-saving specifications and support VESA Display Power Management Signaling. The monitors consume less than 100 watts in normal operation, barely 70 watts in standby mode, less than 25 watts in suspend mode but a relatively large 8 watts when off.
The power switch is located to the right of the slightly tilted control panel underneath the screen. On the left, three small buttons adjust the display; the degauss button also serves as an exit from the on-screen menus.
PreVu, the on-screen display control program, consists of two menus. The first lets you set brightness, contrast, horizontal size and position, and vertical size and position.
The second menu controls less frequently used settings. These include the side-pin (pincushion), trapezoid, tilt (rotation) and color temperature. Other second-menu options let you adjust the red-and-blue gain.
I ran the monitors through a battery of performance tests using Sonera Technologies' DisplayMate for Windows. In the Pincushion/Barrel distortion test (where line segments should be parallel and perfectly straight), the EO monitors had no trouble at all. Even in the corners, the images were sharp, crisp and accurate; overall image quality was equally good from top to bottom and side to side. Color rendition was excellent-reds were bright, and gradient images were rich and true.
Upon initial setup of the EO70, I found it time consuming to get a satisfactory combination of side-pin, trapezoid and tilt settings so that the screen's sides displayed in perfect vertical form. The EO17 had no such problem, but the finer dot pitch didn't result in noticeably clearer text. The EO17 is a fine monitor, but not worth the price premium. Both monitors come with a three-year limited warranty.
-- Info File --
Princeton EO17
Price: $623
Pros: Easy, on-screen controls
Cons: Picture quality could be better; uses 8 watts even
when off
Platforms: 3x, 95, NT
Princeton Graphic Systems
800-747-6249, 714-751-8405
WinMag Box Score 4.0
Princeton EO70
Price: $575
Pros: Easy, on-screen controls; crisp, clean text
Cons: Uses 8 watts even when off
Platforms: 3x, 95, NT
Princeton Graphic Systems
800-747-6249, 714-751-8405
WinMag Box Score 4.5
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