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| Sony CPD-G420S |
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Hardware Reviews December 2001 • Vol.12 Issue 12 |
 Sony CPD-G420S Nothing But The Best | ||
 Among the CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitors we've reviewed in the past few weeks, the 19-inch CPD-G420S from Sony is the best. This newcomer sports some noteworthy features, including a whopping 1,880 x 1,440 maximum resolution that expands the workspace, and built-in stereo speakers. Like almost every monitor nowadays, the CPD-G420S uses Plug-and-Play technology, so it was easy to install. We installed it on a 450MHz Pentium III VIA system running Windows Me and using a GeForce2 GTS 32MB video card with Detonator 3 drivers. We tested at a 1,024 x 768 resolution with a 75Hz refresh rate, which is easy on the eyes. The OSD (on-screen display) was user-friendly, with a comprehensive range of setting controls. The only adjustments we had to make, though, were to the brightness setting; the factory setting was 50%, but this left images a little dark, and changing it to 65% achieved an appropriate balance of light to dark. The monitor also switches among three viewing modes: Professional, Standard, and Dynamic. We understand how these choices might be helpful in terms of adjusting the brightness for specific tasks—for example, Sony recommends the Professional mode for more accurate colors, and the Standard mode for higher contrast and brightness—but we got the clearest results using the Dynamic mode. The CPD-G420S responded perfectly to most of our tests. It performed exceptionally well during color and grayscale tests; it rendered colors accurately and vividly, and the ratio of lightness to darkness in the grayscale tests was right on target. Text looked clear and sharp at all sizes above 6 points. Finally, we looked at some complex images using Adobe Photoshop. Because the monitor had done so well during the diagnostic tests, we had high expectations for its performance under normal, practical circumstances, and we weren't let down. The CPD-G420S provided nice, rich color; it didn't wash out brighter images, and it didn't mute darker, shadowed images. Everyone, professional and home users alike, will enjoy this monitor's imaging prowess.  by Cal Clinchard CPD-G420S $529 Sony Electronics (800) 571-7669 (201) 930-1000 http://www.sony.com/displays
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