Customer Reviews

Viewsonic VA720 17" LCD Monitor

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a nice piece of hardware. I brought it about two weeks ago to replace a HP Pavilion 15 inch monitor and I can honestly say I will never go back to it again. It had no dead pixels, and the image was clear and bright. I had to lower the contrast and brightness a lot to make it comfortable. It helps to know the option is there though.

Installation was easy. Just plug it in and turn on the computer - the Auto Image Adjust feature centers and sizes picture to fit the screen. It's good to have a recent video card too, otherwise it probably wouldn't work to its fullest potential. Unfortunately it doesn't have a digital connection, but analog works perfectly fine. You don't have to install the drivers if you don't want to, but if you do, go to ViewSonic's website and get the most current ones. Something was wrong with the ones on the CD.

As with any other LCD, the native resolution of this 17" is 1280x1024. If you jump from 800x600 it's quite a leap for the eyes, but in about a week or so you won't have any problems.

Now, about the important stuff...how well do programs run? Everything works and looks fantastic on this monitor. I can't stop watching DVDs on it. The movies are sharp and the colors look much livelier than before. Games run exceptionally well on it. I was worried about that before I purchased it. But it can support up to 75Hz refresh rate at its native resolution, so games run without any problems.

The text is very sharp too, but unless you use ClearType in Windows XP, it might be a little harder to read.

I have a few small gripes though. Sometimes it's annoying not to be able to control the hight of the monitor. Once you put it on your desk, all you can do is tilt it back and forth, not up and down. It hasn't been an incovenience for me, but I can understand why someone would need to adjust height once in a while. Most LCD monitors allow that. On the other hand, it allows itself to be mounted on a wall, so it's really a matter of preference.

Another thing is that at really low resolutions, like 640x480 some of the picture gets cut off on top. The automatic image adjust feature should scale it to fit the screen. Nevertheless, it doesn't. It makes some games difficult to play. Certain EA Sports games have menus set in that resolution. For most applications and games, however, this doesn't present any problems.

If you dont want to read all that up there, here's a breakdown.

Pros:

1) Very sleek design, silver frame and black stand really compliment virtually any computer system.

2) Fantastic picture - bright, vivid colors make movies extremely enjoyable to watch. Sharp text makes it easy to read any kind of document.

3) Fast response for games with no noticeable blurring effects

Cons:

1) No height adjustment unless mounted

2) Problems displaying really low resolutions

3) No DVI connection

I would recommend this monitor to anyone looking to enhance their computing experience. It makes an amazing difference if you use your computer all the time, especially after years staring at a curved CRT. And...it's a ViewSonic. That in itself should speak volumes.

VERY impressed with this monitor. Outstanding resolution and color. By far and away the best at displaying text of any 17" I have looked at. I have yet to do video editing with this monitor, and Viewsonic doesn't provide a refresh rate for it, so I am a little nervous about that. But as someone who doesn't "game" and mostly uses this for graphics and text work, this is outstanding. My only gripe is that the screen bounces a little when I type, but I haven't seen a 17" that didn't . . . And although it isn't as handsome as the NEC or even the Sony, it's no eyesore. And the image blows those two away.

I just bought my viewsonic VA720 today. At home I plugged it in, it is very good looking and has a very sharp picture. At first the image was a little shaky and I couldn't understand why. Then I discovered the auto-adjust feature, which is very useful. I ran it and the weird lines disappeared. The only problem with the monitor is that it has a dead pixel. When the monitor shows a black screen the pixel shows up magenta. It really is an eye sore. I am going to take it back to the store tomorrow see if I can get it replaced. Everything is super, just for that lonesome pixel. If it weren't for that defect I would have given it a perfect 5.

The display can't be better for the money. A response to the previous review about 'a' dead pixel on his monitor: dead pixels are pretty common among any LCD displays. This is an issue that can't be illiminated until the consumers find out and complain to the manufacturers. BTW, Viewsonic offers 3 year warranty on this product. So rest assured...

Crisp and sharp images, slim and sleek design. Definetely compliments any computer system. Game play is great!

I paid $523.00 for VeiwSonic in 2003, I was told the monitor would last for ever. it lasted about 3 years. The picture started going negtive and would come back and finaly gone. It was a good thing I saved my Sony which I am still useing!

Works beautifully. No dead pixels. Love the auto-image adjust. The range of veiw isn't amazing but this is still an amazing monitor for the price.