On screen.
Twenty-one TFTs, 21 brands. Such a response is testament to the fact that '04 is the year of the 17in flat screen.
Early last year we predicted that 2003 would be the year of the TFT, and we were proven right. TFT prices tumbled to affordable levels, and for the first time TFTs were arriving that had comparable quality to CRTs.
It's a year on since our mega-test of 57 TFTs, and while pricing and the gradual creep of 16ms (millisecond) response times has really started to take hold, the great price reductions have currently bottomed out with 15in models ranging from $350 to around $600.
There is, however, still some leeway in the pricing for the larger panels. At the moment the cost of a 17in TFT is still dropping (albeit slowly), and it's this size-for-cost arena where PC Authority anticipates the most movement over the next year (with subsequent kick-on effect for 19in and above).
Today's graphics cards are capable of high-end gaming and graphics at resolutions well above a 15in TFT's 1,024 x 768, and it's time to move up to 1,280 x 1,024. Most 17in TFTs have this as their natural resolution. What's more, with the prices coming
down the resolution alone future-proofs your purchase.
But are you really buying peace of mind?
We've taken great pains to delve into the whole pixel policy issue to clarify the situation. It wasn't easy, as even the manufacturers weren't too sure what policies applied to their own TFTs, so for any readers who have ever tried to get to the bottom of the issue yourselves, you have our sympathy.
Most TFTs are manufactured to the ISO 13406-2 standard which has very strict guidelines for how many defects a TFT screen can exhibit before being repaired or replaced. It makes for interesting reading, particularly when you compare it to the policies actually offered by the manufacturers. Some brands go above and beyond the standard, some adhere faithfully, while others seem to ignore the standard completely and have their own guidelines. Our dissection of the matter begins on page 77 and is a must-read if you're after a TFT of any size. Forewarned is forearmed.