Sony SDM-HS73P

Fantastic looks and sharp picture quality can't make up for the steep price.

Price: £449

Manufacturer: Sony

Ratings

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Verdict

Pros:
Looks fantastic; good picture quality; does its best to keep cabling tidy.

Cons:
Simply too expensive; the menu system is a little fiddly.

Overall:
There's certainly nothing wrong with the picture quality or looks but it's too expensive to recommend.

David Ludlow, Computeract!ve 14 Jul 2004

Let's face it, half the reason for getting a TFT display is style. Taking up a fraction of the space of a traditional CRT, these monitors are so much better looking. Sony's new 17in SDM-HS73P has style by the bucketload. Its sweeping, silver contoured lines look great on any desk and it is one monitor that's begging to be put out on display.

It does its best to keep the cabling tidy too. Both the power cable and analogue video lead, which connects to your PC, are kept behind a curved panel. It keeps them out of sight and leaves your desk free from clutter. It also helps that the SDM-HS73P has an internal power supply, so there's no clunky box hanging out the back.

Style might attract the eye, but there's a lot more to this monitor. Size is important and at 17in the Sony is a good choice. We found it's best run at a resolution of 1280 x 1024, where the picture was sharp.

There are some good features too, such as the brightness button. It cycles through three preset brightness options, which makes it easy to match the display with different light conditions. Of course, there is full manual control for those that like to get their hands dirty. For the most part, manual settings shouldn't have to be tinkered with. The auto-adjust setting did a good job of configuring the display. Staying away from controls is a good thing, as the menu system is a little fiddly to use.

The biggest problem that we have with this monitor is the all-too-familiar Sony price premium. At £449 it's a considerable investment and as expensive as some 19in TFTs that we have seen. Considering it doesn't really offer a lot over cheaper monitors, it is very hard to recommend. We suggest shopping around for cheaper alternatives. Sadly, this means that this monitor is only going to appeal to the style-conscious shopper with money to burn.

Contact: Sony 0870 542 4424
www.sony.co.uk

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