Hanns-G HG281D 28 inch Widescreen LCD Monitor: Size does matter!
Written: Apr 14 '09
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Pros: Big beautiful display, HDCP compatible, HDMI input, and built-in speakers.
Cons: Inaccessible or at least hard-to-reach audio jacks.
The Bottom Line: If you want a great big monitor and have the room for it, this is an excellent choice.
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| Gr8ful's Full Review: Hanns-G HG281D 27.5" Widescreen LCD Monitor |
About two years ago I purchased a Hannstar I-INC 28 inch widescreen LCD monitor that I was very happy with and which I still own. Recently I decided to purchase another 28 inch widescreen and had planned on getting another I-INC. I found the Hanns-G model of the same monitor (literally the same monitor) on sale at Newegg.com for about ¨÷ of the price I paid for the I-INC.
The shape, size and specifications of the two monitors are identical. Even the frame is the same with the exception of the logo and the model number. The Hanns-G model has a blue "G" inside a circle for the power LED where the I-INC had a plain blue LED. Being the avid technology fan I wanted to compare the two side by side and found them to be literally identical in clarity, brightness, viewing angle, display area and color. The only difference in functionality is the OSD (On-Screen-Display) menu looks different but has the same controls and in the same place on the monitor. I believe (but I may be wrong) that Hannstar is owned by Hanns-G (or vice-versa) because all of the important aspects of the Hannstar I-Inc iF-281DPB and the Hanns-G HG281D are identical.
The Hanns-G HG281D
The Hanns-G HG281D (also HG281DPB) is a huge widescreen LCD monitor that takes up less space front to back than a 19 inch CRT monitor but is much wider side to side. The frame is black as well as most of the casing but the stand is two tone black and silver. The power button and OSD controls are on the right side if you are facing the monitor but set facing the back so you don't accidentally hit a button if you are trying to move the monitor. The cable connections are in the rear and the cables plug up into their respective sockets making the monitor easily wall mountable or able to be placed against a wall on your desk.
The video inputs are 1 D-Sub (15-pin VGA) and 1 HDMI. The monitor comes with a VGA cable and a DVI-D to HDMI cable; so you can connect the monitor to any computer right out of the box; unless your computer has HDMI output only, then you'd need to purchase a straight HDMI cable. My computer has dual DVI-D outputs so I can use the DVI-D to HDMI cable. You can also plug your digital cable or satellite into the monitor and use it as a television if you have HDMI outputs on those devices. The monitor is HDCP compatible so you can play the latest DVD and Blu-ray titles with no issues.
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" HDCP stands for High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection, a copy protection scheme to eliminate the possibility of intercepting digital data midstream between the source to the display. The format designed by Intel and licensed by Digital Content Protection, LLC using an authentication and key exchange procedure before video and audio is presented."
_ http://www.digitalconnection.com/FAQ/HDTV_12.asp
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Specifications
* Screen Size: 28" WUXGA TFT LCD (27.5" viewable)
* Resolution: 1920 x 1200
* Response time: 3ms
* Brightness: 500 cd/m²
* Display Colors: 16.7 million
* Vertical Refresh Rate: 56 ~ 75Hz
* Horizontal Frequency: 24 ~ 80kHz
* Contrast Ratio: 800:1
* Viewing Angle: 160° H/160° V
* Pixel Pitch: 0.309mm H/ .0309mm V
* Input Connection: HDMI, VGA 15-pin mini D-Sub, DVI and component via cable (cables included)
* Audio: Line in, Integrated 2.5 Watt Stereo Speakers
* Energy Star Qualified
* VESA Wall Mount Capable
* Full HD 1080p
* Tilt Stand: 0º - 20º
* Swivel Stand: Right 30º/Left 30º
* Windows Vista Premium Certified
* Dimensions: W 26.4" x H 19.2" x D 8.4"
* Weight: 24 lbs.
* Warranty: 3 Year Limited
In the box
* Hanns-G HG281D LCD monitor
* DVI-D to HDMI cable
* Stereo RCA to 1/8 inch audio cable
* Stereo 1/8 inch to 1/8 inch audio cable
* D-Sub to RGB component video cable
* Driver and documentation CD
* Quick Start Guide
* Written limited warranty
Performance
In a word, outstanding. The Hanns-G is one big beautiful window to the web. The display is magnificent; very bright and crisp with almost perfect color. The color temperature can be manually adjusted in the OSD as well as brightness and contrast but I did not have to adjust anything. It was good to go right out of the box. Photo editors and video editors may want to adjust it for color but most will find it fine set to default. There is enough display area to have two web browsers open side by side which is great for comparing product specifications or keeping track of stocks (if anyone out there hasn't given up on the stock market yet).
The size is great for playing games and there is absolutely no trail effects or blurred image when objects move on the screen. That is due to the incredible 3ms response time (measured gray to gray) and the very acceptable 800:1 contrast ratio. Black is black, not really dark gray or almost black. White is white but can be a little off depending on the color temperature. By default the color temperature is pretty much right on.
The viewing angle is 160° horizontal and vertical but the more your angle is the more off the color gets. In other words you can sit three feet to the right of the monitor and still be able to read the words but the colors will appear darker and depending on the color temperature the white background will get redder or bluer and so on. The monitor adjusts by tilting forward and back and turning side to side so it isn't hard to get a perfect angle no matter where you sit.
Blu-ray movies are absolutely wonderful on this display. In your face high definition; folks it don't get any better than this. Unless of course you have a bigger monitor that does high resolution (high definition). Currently most HD videos and broadcasts are in either 1080i (interlaced scan) or 1080p (progressive scan), both of which are supported by this monitor. The monitor displays 1920 x 1080 resolution but the native resolution is a little higher at 1920 x 1200 so if you have the monitor set at its native resolution, there will most likely be slim black outlines at the top and bottom of the display when playing HD video content. You can set your Blu-ray or DVD player program to automatically switch to 1920 x 1080 when it launches and that will get rid of those outlines.
The built-in speakers are not bad but not great. I do not use them anyway because I have a 7.1 surround system on my computer which is much better. There is an audio-in jack and a headphones jack on the back of the monitor right next to the VGA and HDMI ports but the inaccessibility makes them not very useful.
Conclusion
The Hanns-G HG281D widescreen LCD monitor is an excellent monitor and the price has seriously dropped since I purchased the Hannstar I-INC iF281DPB almost two years ago. Back then the monitor sold for $549.99 and I just got the Hanns-G HG281D at Newegg.com for $349.99 and no, it is not a refurbished model. If you want a great big monitor and have the room for it, this is an excellent choice.
Thanks for reading,
Gr8ful :-)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 349.99
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