Sharp LL-T17A3

This 17in LCD monitor boasts an attractive price, solid design and a twisting stand.

The LL-T17A3 is well constructed, has an attractive black chassis, and certainly looks the part.

The unit tilts through 25 degrees and comes with a turntable integrated into the stand so that you can twist the screen through 90 degrees.

It's multimedia-ready too, with a 3.5mm audio jack around the back, and a pair of stereo speakers built into the bezel under the screen. As is so often the case, though, the speakers are distinctly tinny.

Sharp has only fitted an analogue D-Sub port, which is a shame as we expected to see a DVI port too. The majority of new graphics cards have DVI outputs, so it's a waste not to take advantage of this cleaner digital signal. Furthermore, there are no USB ports.

The display has a native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024, and the 500:1 contrast ratio makes for a vibrant display.

The LL-T17A3 is let down by some compression at the extreme highlight and shadow ends of our colour scale and greyscale tests, but shades such as skin tones do appear realistic.

Five buttons for power, menu access, mode select, and left and right cursors that double up as volume controls, are positioned below the display.

On-Screen Display navigation is simple, and settings for clock, phase and position are present.

Two auto-adjust options are nested within the menus - one for overall adjustment and the other for black level and contrast. 'Standard' and 'sRGB', colour presets also exist.

The LL-T17A3 is a well-finished 17in TFT LCD. However, shop around and you're likely to find a DVI-equipped TFT LCD that can handle colour and greyscales with more finesse.

Contact: Sharp 01923 434 647
www.sharp.co.uk

Specifications:

• 17in LCD
• 1,280 x 1,024 native resolution
• D-Sub, 3.5mm audio-in jacks
• 398 x 376 x 188mm (w x d x h) inc stand
• 6.5kg
• 250cd/sq m
• 500:1 contrast ratio
• Horizontal 160 degree, vertical 135 degree viewing angles