Sceptre NAGA X 7G 17 inch LCD Monitor

When it comes to technology, I am usually a late adopter. When most people had cell phones, I was still carrying a beeper. I didn't upgrade to a Windows 95 system for a year after it came out. And for the longest time, I have sworn by conventional CRT monitors. I've long held that video quality on CRT screens looks better than it does on their LCD counterparts – less grainy; warmer and more real.

However, with the Sceptre X7g Naga VI flat-screen LCD monitor – hereafter, the "X7" – I found reasons to upgrade in price and a smaller desktop footprint. I didn't realize how large my honkin' huge, black Dell CRT monitor was until I added the Scepter X7 to my eMachines T2240 tower system. The difference is night and day.

HOW I SHOPPED

I walked into a Micro Center store and headed for the monitor department. My original plan had been to spend less than $150 and to just get a cheap LCD monitor. If I didn't like it, I figured, I could return the thing and get my money back (minus the 10 percent restocking penalty).

There were a handful of monitors under $200. The lowest-priced one was $129 but was only 15". The Sceptre X7's a little larger at 17" and matched the size of the Dell CRT monitor I had at home. Another monitor sold for $189 and carried a $50 rebate but I didn't care for the styling. So it has to be said that the Sceptre X7 is not the least expensive monitor out there.

But I did like the styling of the X7. It is a simple black case that sits on a base that can pivot a full 90 degrees horizontally, able to lay flat on its back if the need arises.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The X7 comes in a nice box that's about 2/3 the size of a window box fan. There is a carrying handle. I would suggest you keep the box and the Styrofoam packing so that if you ever need to carry the monitor elsewhere (such as for a field presentation) you have a convenient way of porting it around.

It was a pleasure to be able to lift and carry a box that is so much lighter than I had for my Dell CRT monitor, which was unwieldy. The great thing about LCD monitors is that their low profile makes them easy to put in your car trunk.

There's not much to the contents of the X7. You get the monitor and its base (already connected, thankfully), the power cord, and user documentation. The monitor should have protective material taped in front of the screen so if the one you get doesn't, it's probably been opened before (or slipped through the quality control process).

INSTALLATION

I powered down my desktop computer, detached the Dell CRT monitor and attached the X7. The instructions recommend powering off everything before connecting your X7 monitor. There was no display driver to install, so I was good to go right away.

Since the X7 is pretty a basic monitor, there is only the "standard" monitor connection to allow it to plug into your computer. There are no plugs for SVGA, RCA, cable/coaxial, or anything else - kind of a shame, actually.

THE DISPLAY

The X7's resolution has more real estate than my previous monitor – at 1280 x 1024, it is slightly more square than a conventional monitor, which is great if (like me) you have a zillion icons on your Windows desktop.

Colors are bright and well-defined, as you would expect on an LCD monitor (not unlike what you'd see on a notebook computer). Lines are also well-defined, but I think I'm always going to be a bit partial to CRT displays for cleaner lines. Otherwise, no problems with the display.

The specs for the X7 say it's flicker-free and has an 8ms response and both are true. I watched video recorded from my TV tuner card and it looked good.

Your best viewing angle, consistent with other LCD monitors, will be if you're sitting right in front of the X7. If you're more than 20 or so degrees off center, the picture will be a little dimmer, but still decent. You and two guests should have no complaints playing online games or watching a DVD while seated around it.

CONTROLS

The only major complaint I have about the X7 is the controls. The buttons, located under and to the right of the LCD, are not as intuitive to use as they could be. There are five buttons – left, right, plus, minus, and on/off. The way to active the on-screen image adjustment menu is to press the left button. There is no button labeled "menu", which would have been more helpful. Pressing the right button activates the X7's automatic self-adjust feature. Pressing the plus button turns triggers the contrast control, with which you use the plus and minus buttons to adjust the degree of contrast. Pressing the minus button triggers the brightness control, with which (similar to contrast) you use the plus and minus buttons to adjust the brightness level.

You exit any of these modes by pressing the on/off button. There is no "OK", "exit", or "end" button. I think Sceptre could have sprung for the two extra buttons to help the end user out here.

A pilot LED lamp indicates the state of your monitor – if blue, the monitor is receiving a signal and is active. If red, there is no signal – meaning it likely became unplugged accidentally.

OTHER

Unlike another monitor I checked out when shopping, the Scepter does not include built-in speakers or any other frills. It is a simple, bare-bones monitor.

Sceptre does have a web site which you can check out at www.sceptre.com. You can review all the specs on the X7 at this link:

http://www.sceptre.com/Products/LCD/Specifications/spec_X7G-NagaVI.htm

Sceptre is headquartered in City of Industry, California although I have to believe their monitors are actually manufactured overseas. The company claims it's been producing monitors since 1993 and has a Komodo dragon as their mascot (!). Apparently, the company has managed to amass some honors and kudos (click on their "Praise" page) but to be honest I hadn't heard of them before I walked into Micro Center.

FINAL VERDICT

At a street price of $179, the Sceptre X7 is a good value for an LCD monitor. The screen image is bright and well-defined and the form factor won't monopolize your desktop. Those seeking a bit more flexibility in the connections department, though, may want to keep shopping.

The X7 would also be a suitable companion for those making sales presentations in smaller environments, but who don't want to shell out a lot of money for an LCD projector. While I could have opted for a monitor with a post-rebate price that was $50 less, I'm comfortable with my selection of the Sceptre X7. Before you spring for a ViewSonic or a Samsung monitor, take a good look at the Scepter X7 first.