A picture IS worth a thousand words.
Written: Oct 26 '02
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Pros: Razor sharp image, vivid colors, ultra flat screen, easy adjustments.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: No hesitation recommending this monitor to anyone. The sharpest images I have ever seen. Watching a DVD is simply incredible. A true high performance quality monitor.
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| cudaviper's Full Review: Dell P780 17 inch CRT Monitor |
GENERAL:
I have long trusted Dell monitors. I presently have four, one is a 15", 1 is a 19" and two are 17" and have had absolutely no problems with any of them. I think one reason is the trinitron tube, and another being the high standard Dell seems to set. I don't own a Dell computer but I do trust them to endorse high quality components. This model has to be their best endorsement yet.
MONITOR:
The first thing I noticed about this unit was the compact design to the case. Fairly squared and appeared that it was going to fit nicely without any issues about space. I was correct. The next thing was the flat, I mean FLAT screen. Without turning it on, it looked like a high performance monitor with its dark background grill.
Upon viewing an image for the first time, it was even better than I had expected, with extremely sharp detail and very vivid colors. I never would have thought that the difference in .24 and .25 pitch dot would be noticeable, but it is, to me anyway.
To even see the pixels, one must move in to about 18", any further away and they are just not visible. Which in my opinion, translates into a seamless photo like image.
The viewing area is 16", and coming from a 14" viewing area, it seems to be more than a 2" change. You will never want to go back...
I have my settings at 800x600 but changed it to 1280x1024, just to see the difference. And although the desktop size was well expanded and the text was much smaller, it was perfectly clear and extremely detailed.
The "P", in P780, stands for professional series. And that title is very well deserved.
Adjustments of the internal settings are easy, through a simple but diverse on-screen menu. And easy physically, as it tilts and swivels smoothly with small effort. My P780 appears slightly different than the one used as the image photo on this review site. The control buttons on the front of mine are all the same size and much smaller. But I am willing to guess the functions are identical.
As with all trinitrons, there are two tiny, almost invisible lines, running horizontally, with one about 1/3 from the top of the screen and another 1/3 from the bottom. These are built in to stabilize the picture, I have read. Not even visible except on a white screen, and then, hardly noticeable. Do not start to think that this is any issue at all, none what so ever.
The screen is coated with an anti-glare film that reminds me of the coating found on a high quality camera lens. The P780 is definitely a giant step above your average 17" monitor.
SETUP:
I decided to purchase one from an on-line auction, a quality seller that dealt with off-lease equipment. I paid 100.00 plus 35.00 to ship. The unit was almost 2 years old when I received it. The monitor itself is a bit heavy, weighting in at about 42 lbs. and displays the usual semi-large footprint and area displacement found with most 17" CRT monitors. This model is approximately 16.5" X 16" X 16.5".
When it arrived, the setup was fast, easy and straight forward. Plug and play setup installed a driver that allowed functionality right away. Then I downloaded the correct drivers from the Dell site. This feature is no longer available from the public site but here is a back door to it.
http://ftp1.us.dell.com/monitors/
In the list given select the following, (delmon0_.exe)
Downloading them to a floppy disk will make installing simply.
To install them, (Go to START, SETTINGS, CONTROL PANEL, SYSTEM, DEVICE MANAGER, double click (Monitor). double click (default monitor or P780) select (Driver) tab. Click (Update Driver). This will bring up the Update Wizard program. Select (display a list of all the drivers....) and click next. Then click (Have Disk). Insert the floppy. Click OK. You will copy the P780 files from the A: drive, and that is it, restart the computer. Very little screen adjusting was needed to look absolutely beautiful.
(NOTE): You may or may not want or need to update this driver. This may depend on your OS and video card. I updated and could tell no difference..
DVD and GAMING:
I had never watched a DVD on a monitor before, but I can say, without reservation, that it just looks incredible. When you watch a movie, the clarity on this monitor will either make your jaw drop or you'll just grin like a possum. (guess my logistics). I can not begin to describe the picture except to say it is amazing. You can read signs and advertising bill-boards in the background that are just not legible on a television screen. Everyone that has seen a movie on it, can NOT believe how extremely detailed the scenes are. Crystal clear and razor sharp.
As far as gaming goes, the same hold true for that as well. Vivid colors and very fast refresh rate with fantastic detailed graphics. This is truly an excellent example of what a high performance monitor is suppose to look like.
PERSONAL NOTE:
My other Dell 17" has a beautiful picture too, a 1025TM model, but this is better, without a doubt. I really wish you could see it. The old saying that a picture is worth a 1000 words, could not be truer in this case.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100+35ship
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
cudaviper
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Location: Nashville
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
1953, drummer, photographer, married, car & motorcycle painter, artist, father, grandfather, 4cats, 3computers,
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