BenQ FP731 17 inch LCD Monitor
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- Aspect Ratio: 5:4
- Response Time: Slow (More than 17 ms)
- Contrast Ratio: 450:1
- Screen Size: 17 inch
- Monitor Type: Flat Panel LCD TFT (Active Matrix)
- Family Line: BenQ FP
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Good looking, sharp, bright ; no, this review isn';t about me. The BenQ FP731 Monitor.
Pros
Affordable for an LCD, good picture, nice size, easy to deal with
Cons
Still expensive in comparison to a CRT monitor
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you're looking to free up some desk space, but don't have a lot of room or money, the FP731 is a great choice.
I complained, and complained, and eventually, five years after beginning with the complaints, I got a new computer. Along with that, I wanted to move it to a new location so that I had one central workstation so I could be a little more efficient. Although attractive because of its lower price, a classic CRT monitor would have taken away too much desk space for my liking. Thus, I looked for a cheap LCD monitor of decent quality, and ended up with the 17" BenQ FP731.
Out of the Box
The FP731 has a slim bezel that comes in three different colours: white/beige, black, and silver-black. For some reason the white/beige bezel makes the monitor look cheap, and so I got the silver-black. On the lower part of the bezel are six buttons, one of which is the i Key auto-calibration (vertical & horizontal position, size, etc). The other buttons control power and the basic menu functions – like brightness, which you'll probably want to tone down a bit.
Installation is idiot friendly and only takes a few minutes. You attach the base, plug in the power cord, and then plug in the analog video connector that goes to the PC, and you're done. The base is quite stable, and provides two hooks on the back to put the cables through, just to keep things a little cleaner looking. A nice feature is that it auto-calibrates and eliminates the need to mess around with the settings to get the picture just right. The only problem I had along the way was that the neck required some real muscle strength to move, to the point it seemed I was going to rip off the back of the monitor. However, now that everything is set up, it easily tilts within its proper range of motion, although it does not swivel. At 12 pounds, it's easy to move around, and with a VESA attachment (which is not included) you can hang it from a wall. In terms of space, I'd say it takes up about a third of the space of a 17" CRT monitor, leaving me with plenty of desk-space to spare. Its dimensions are 14.8" x 14.5" x 6.1".
Unlike some LCD monitors, the FP731 does not come with any speakers. However, it helps keep the cost down, making it a viable option for somebody like me. The power supply is built-in to the back of the monitor, helping to minimize clutter around the plug-in.
Picture Quality
I have been quite impressed with the picture quality from the D-sub input, and when I was comparing it before purchasing, I couldn't have told you the difference between it and something twice the price. I do quite a bit of graphic design, as well as some video creation, and I couldn't really ask for anything more. With everything being crisp and clear, this is actually the best monitor I've ever used. However, I'd imagine that a hardcore gamer or somebody that's into graphic intensive things would want something of higher quality, with something better than the 25ms response time. There's no ghosting to speak of. To me, the only monitor that had a significant improvement in picture quality was five times the cost of the FP731.
The black levels are its biggest fault, but I find with general use that I don't even notice it. It's just when examining photography that I notice it, and even then it doesn't really bother me. I've read some complaints of discolourment when viewing this monitor at an angle, but I have witnessed nothing of the sort. What I do love about this monitor over my old CRT is that I can work for hours on end if need be and not have the slightest bit of eyestrain at the end of it all. The optimal resolution for the 17" screen is 1280 x 1024, although I found 800x600 was also decent. None of the other resolutions worked too well though.
Price
What holds this monitor back from a 5/5 is the price, but that's a problem with all LCD's. For half the price you can get an equivalent CRT monitor, with the only difference being the physical size. The monitor was priced at $499 CDN, but came with $50 US manufacturer rebate (however, BenQ never did give me this rebate, cheesing me off somewhat), coupled with a $300 CDN discount for the computer package I purchased along with it. When all worked out, it ended up costing about $400 CDN, making it the cheapest 17" screen that I could find. However, the just as good CRT monitor that it replaced in that package deal was $230 CDN. For you Americans, you're probably looking at paying around $300 to $400. If I had to do it all over again, I'd still get the FP731, as I just love the smaller size and think it was worth that extra bit of money in the long run.
Overall
For my needs, the 17" FP731 gives me all I need. It's simple, inexpensive, and provides me with more than acceptable picture quality. In terms of LCD monitors, this would appear to be one of the best values out there, and definitely is great if you've got a little bit of extra cash to play with. If you want to free up some desk space and are looking for a basic LCD of good quality, I highly recommend taking a look at the FP731. If you're a gamer or are really into graphics though, you'll probably want to consider something of a little higher quality. In terms of a 17" entry-level LCD monitor, you're not going to find a much better choice than the BenQ FP731.
Out of the Box
The FP731 has a slim bezel that comes in three different colours: white/beige, black, and silver-black. For some reason the white/beige bezel makes the monitor look cheap, and so I got the silver-black. On the lower part of the bezel are six buttons, one of which is the i Key auto-calibration (vertical & horizontal position, size, etc). The other buttons control power and the basic menu functions – like brightness, which you'll probably want to tone down a bit.
Installation is idiot friendly and only takes a few minutes. You attach the base, plug in the power cord, and then plug in the analog video connector that goes to the PC, and you're done. The base is quite stable, and provides two hooks on the back to put the cables through, just to keep things a little cleaner looking. A nice feature is that it auto-calibrates and eliminates the need to mess around with the settings to get the picture just right. The only problem I had along the way was that the neck required some real muscle strength to move, to the point it seemed I was going to rip off the back of the monitor. However, now that everything is set up, it easily tilts within its proper range of motion, although it does not swivel. At 12 pounds, it's easy to move around, and with a VESA attachment (which is not included) you can hang it from a wall. In terms of space, I'd say it takes up about a third of the space of a 17" CRT monitor, leaving me with plenty of desk-space to spare. Its dimensions are 14.8" x 14.5" x 6.1".
Unlike some LCD monitors, the FP731 does not come with any speakers. However, it helps keep the cost down, making it a viable option for somebody like me. The power supply is built-in to the back of the monitor, helping to minimize clutter around the plug-in.
Picture Quality
I have been quite impressed with the picture quality from the D-sub input, and when I was comparing it before purchasing, I couldn't have told you the difference between it and something twice the price. I do quite a bit of graphic design, as well as some video creation, and I couldn't really ask for anything more. With everything being crisp and clear, this is actually the best monitor I've ever used. However, I'd imagine that a hardcore gamer or somebody that's into graphic intensive things would want something of higher quality, with something better than the 25ms response time. There's no ghosting to speak of. To me, the only monitor that had a significant improvement in picture quality was five times the cost of the FP731.
The black levels are its biggest fault, but I find with general use that I don't even notice it. It's just when examining photography that I notice it, and even then it doesn't really bother me. I've read some complaints of discolourment when viewing this monitor at an angle, but I have witnessed nothing of the sort. What I do love about this monitor over my old CRT is that I can work for hours on end if need be and not have the slightest bit of eyestrain at the end of it all. The optimal resolution for the 17" screen is 1280 x 1024, although I found 800x600 was also decent. None of the other resolutions worked too well though.
Price
What holds this monitor back from a 5/5 is the price, but that's a problem with all LCD's. For half the price you can get an equivalent CRT monitor, with the only difference being the physical size. The monitor was priced at $499 CDN, but came with $50 US manufacturer rebate (however, BenQ never did give me this rebate, cheesing me off somewhat), coupled with a $300 CDN discount for the computer package I purchased along with it. When all worked out, it ended up costing about $400 CDN, making it the cheapest 17" screen that I could find. However, the just as good CRT monitor that it replaced in that package deal was $230 CDN. For you Americans, you're probably looking at paying around $300 to $400. If I had to do it all over again, I'd still get the FP731, as I just love the smaller size and think it was worth that extra bit of money in the long run.
Overall
For my needs, the 17" FP731 gives me all I need. It's simple, inexpensive, and provides me with more than acceptable picture quality. In terms of LCD monitors, this would appear to be one of the best values out there, and definitely is great if you've got a little bit of extra cash to play with. If you want to free up some desk space and are looking for a basic LCD of good quality, I highly recommend taking a look at the FP731. If you're a gamer or are really into graphics though, you'll probably want to consider something of a little higher quality. In terms of a 17" entry-level LCD monitor, you're not going to find a much better choice than the BenQ FP731.
