Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/407

iiYama VisionMaster PRO 450

by Jason Clark on November 12, 1999 11:29 PM EST


Introduction
This is AnandTech's first monitor review, and with what a great monitor to start it off! We are going to take a look at iiYama's VisionMaster Pro 450. Thankfully, this is one area of computers that isn't advancing at 90 miles an hour, requiring a weekly upgrade. But the market is changing in that purchasing a larger monitor is more common, and the fact that they have definitely lowered in price adds to that appeal.

The 19" monitor market is quite large these days, considering every manufacturer is making at least one 19" model; there are so many to choose from. Making that choice is a very, very tough decision. Buying a monitor can be the most expensive thing to add to your PC. That's why no matter what you read, try to test the monitor before buying it. I can't stress this enough - if you have to sit in front of it for a long period of time, you might as well buy something you enjoy looking at.

The VisionMaster PRO 450 uses Mitsubishi's DiamondTron NF TM Tube, which is a natural flat tube. Is it more flat than the older Trinitron tube? Yes. I have viewed this monitor along side a 21" Sony Trinitron and a ViewSonic SonicTron tube and there is no comparison. They look like bubbles beside the VisionMaster Pro 450. During the first few viewing hours, you actually get the impression that the tube is concave, but you get used to it; and after your eyes adjust, there is no turning back.

iiYama has been around for over 20 years. They are the US subsidiary of "iiYama Electric Corporation" of Nagano, Japan. The company's track record is very good. They are recognized as a quality monitor manufacturer. So not to fear - you are not sinking your money into a company that has no idea how to construct decent monitors.

Testing Hardware

Windows 98se
Matrox G400 Dual Head (5.30 drivers)
AMD Athlon 600Mhz
256MB Ram

Specifications

Model # A901HT
Street Price (Avg) $650
CRT 19" Diamondtron NF(TM) True Flat CRT
Aperture Grill Pitch: 0.25mm
Anti-static, Anti-reflection coating
P22 Med-Short phosphor
Viewable Area: 18"
Sync Frequency fH:30-112KHz fV:50-160Hz
Video Bandwidth 230Mhz dot clock
Max Resolution 1600X1200 (Non-interlaced) @ 85Hz
Plug and Play VESA DDC1/2B(TM)
Input Connector D-SUB mini 15pin, BNC
Input Power AC90-132V 50/60Hz
Power Consumption MAX 140w (Normal), 10w (Standby), 5w (Off mode)
Dimension W17.7" x H17.6" x D17.6"
Weight 61.6 lbs (incl. Stand)
Approval TCO' 99, FCC-B, UL/C-UL


Operator Controls
The monitor comes with a complete OSD (On Screen Display) menu. Listed below are all of the menu functions included in the OSD.

1 (Screen Control)
Contrast
Brightness
H-Size
H-Position
V-Size
V-Position
2 (Distortion)
Pin-Cushion
Trapezoid
Parallelogram
Pin-Balance
Tilt
3 (Color Control)
Color Temp
RB Adjustment (Red/Blue)
H-Convergence
V-Convergence
Sync on Green
4 (Landing)
Top Left
Top Right
Bottom Left
Bottom Right
Degauss
5 (Function)
H-Moire
Signal Select (BNC/D-SUB)
OSD Position
Display Frequency
Language
Reset (Factory Defaults)

So as you can see, it has pretty much everything there that may need adjusting; some you will probably never use. I found the factory defaults to be just fine, except for a brightness/contrast adjustment for my own personal preference. I found the menu easy to use, and the manual explains the OSD very well, so you shouldn't have any issues here whatsoever.

DisplayMate Tests
Using the handy utility, DisplayMate, I went through all of its tests and was able to have a good close look at the display quality of the monitor. I have broken it down below into the various sections tested. For all of the tests, I ran them at various resolutions and color depths, and then summarized my findings.

Geometry & Distortion
This test displays various line patterns and geometric shapes, which gives you an accurate representation of the monitor's ability to properly display geometric shapes. The only problem I had seen during this test was that the top left and right ends of the monitor were a little off, but by only a very slight amount.

Sharpness & Resolution
During these tests, the monitor was put through various patterns and lines. The most noticeable thing you will usually see here is Moiré. Moiré occurs when there is interference between the phosphor layout and the video signal. The iiYama has an adjustment to compensate for this, and it did a fairly good job of it. After adjusting it, you could still see a small amount of the effect, but nothing to be concerned about.

Screen Pixel Resolution
This test is similar to the Geometry test. It displays various line patterns and shapes. Here again, you are looking at the Moire effect - jagged lines, rippled effects in the images, and lines that start to mesh together. I really didn't notice anything out of the ordinary here, because I had already adjusted the Moire control a bit earlier in the Sharpness tests. So, the effect was barely noticeable. There was some minor rippling when the lines were incredibly close together, but after doing the same test on a Viewsonic G790, the iiYama's clarity was evident. You will rarely, if ever, find a monitor that can go through all these tests and score perfectly.

Color and Gray-Scale
Now we get into the monitor's ability to display colors. One of the most important things to look for here is misconvergence. Misconvergence is essentially the misalignment of the red, green, and blue electron beams. The iiYama did fairly well here. There was a tiny bit of it at the very edges of the screen, where it's usually most predominant. By using the H-Convergence and V-Convergence functions, I was able to eliminate 80% of it. Where this affects you in day-to-day use of the monitor is in the overall sharpness of images and text. I did not see any evidence of this, aside from in the tests.



Photo Tests
I used a resolution of 1280X1024 at 85Hz with the color depth at 32bit. After the grueling DisplayMate tests, it was time to take out some high resolution photos. Photos display beautifully on this monitor. The photos were incredibly clear; the colors, deep and vibrant. There were no issues here whatsoever in my opinion.

Text Test
Setting it at various resolutions, I loaded text documents into Microsoft Word, and Notepad. I examined the clarity of the text on different colored backgrounds. Text was clear and sharp, all the way up to 1280X1024. I found that at a resolution of 1600X1200, there was a bit of a loss in clarity, but nothing substantial.

Resolution Test
Here, I simply tried every resolution up to the monitor's maximum, 1600X1200, and looked for defects and clarity issues in the display. There were none at all that would be of any concern. Again, at 1600X1200, it loses some clarity, but nothing substantial.

Support & Warranty
This is an area often overlooked in a product review. I think it's important and should be addressed. I called up their support and asked some questions about their warranty. The monitor is covered for 3 years parts & labour (this is pretty standard). The average turn-around time for a monitor repair, providing there are no parts issues (i.e. having to order parts), is approximately one week. If you purchase the VisionCare warranty, which is $99.00 for this model, then iiYama will ship a replacement monitor to you within 48 hours. That's yours to keep at no cost. From what I can tell, it seems iiYama is willing to provide consumers with good support.

Conclusion
iiYama has produced a high quality monitor. There is no questioning that. This monitor can be purchased for as low as $629, which in my opinion, is a decent price for an outstanding monitor. Granted, you can spend a lot more and probably get even better quality, but isn't that the case with everything? When you are talking value for your money, I think the VisionMaster PRO 450 delivers a high quality picture to the consumer. My only complaint is the lack of a USB hub included in the monitor, which the Mitsubishi 900u has. However, you can order the USB hub base separately for the monitor from iiYama. I have not seen a Mistubishi's picture, so I cannot really comment on how it compares to the iiYama; however, they do share the same CRT, yet the electronic components are not the same. As for who should buy this monitor? I think it would suit the home and business user very, very nicely. Will graphic designers like this monitor? I think it will satisfy a good portion of graphic designers. Although, some will want the absolute best, which of course, costs more. In conclusion, I would highly recommend this monitor if you are in the market for a high quality 19" monitor.