Love it, even if I can't pronounce the name!
Written: Oct 03 '03 (Updated Sep 21 '04)
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Pros: Glass screen and metal body is sturdy! Crisp images. DVI, analog, S-video and video inputs.
Cons: Glass reflects some glare. Still not accurate enough color for professional pre-press work.
The Bottom Line: The best 17.5" monitor in this price range, bar none.
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| motioncapture's Full Review: AG Neovo X 174 17 inch LCD Monitor |
"Knee-o-vo"? "new-way-o"? I don't know, but I still love it.
*Update 10/6/03*
I called tech support (see below) and it is pronounced "A.G. Neo(like the guy in the Matrix) Vo (like the first part of "vogue")
Since I do a lot of motion graphic work, I found that my 17" Dell Trinitron was too small for most video editing applications, like After Effects and Premiere. If you want to view your video at full size, you don't have room for your editing controls. One solution is to go out and buy a 21" monitor.
But I thought I got enough radiation from my 17" as it was, and heard that prices were coming down on flat screens. So, I decided to go the other route, which was to hook up two monitors to my machine for more real estate. Fortunately, I have a video card that has multiple outputs (Win fast NVIDIA Geforce Ti 4400) and it can pull this off pretty well.
After doing some extensive research, I found that the AG NEOVO X-174 (sounds like a Rocket ship in a 50's sci-fi, doesn't it? It actually stands for 17.4" monitor) had gotten some great reviews. It received Macworld's 4 mouse rating, and to me looked like it was the next best thing to an Apple cinema display. I didn't want to spend over $900 for a monitor, so the cinema display was out. The only place I found one in stock was at Fry's Electronics outside of Portland, Oregon. So, I drove over 3 hours get one (it was worth it!).
Fry's had a wide selection of other flat panels, including a number of Viewsonic models (the other monitor brand I was considering) It was great to see all of them side by side, to do an image comparison. The image on the X-174 looked better than the Viewsonic model (crisper and more color depth), and the Viewsonic did not have a DVI-in port. They were both $700. So, without delay I got the X-174.
Features:
Glass screen
On Neovo's website they list: "Patent pending NeoV Crystal Optic Filter offers superb color definition and image sharpness" which translates into "this flat screen monitor has a hunk of high-tech glass covering the entire front"
This is a double edged sword, sort-of. I think it provides a better image with more color depth than every flat panel out there with the possible exception of the Apple cinema displays. Also, if you have kids, pets, or clumsy partners, it is a lot more resistant to damage than other monitors. However, you can notice a little, tiny bit of reflection from the glass. Oddly enough, this 'mini-glare' is in a purple hue and is barely noticeable.
Metal body
Sturdy and industrial, unlike every other LCD monitor I've seen which is made of plastic. (downside, a little heavier, but still a LOT lighter than any CRT monitor!!)
Removable base and mount screws for big metal arm thingys
Uh, I don't have a need for this, but if you were REALLY into ergonomics, and wanted you monitor on a swing arm, go for it! Or, perhaps you are doing a trade show, and need to mount some cool techno monitors to your already cool techno scaffolding booth. This is the monitor for you.
Clean Design
buttons are on the side, monitor is black metal and glass. Very cool. (did I mention an auto adjust button that automatically optimizes the monitor when in analog mode? It worked better than when I tried to set it manually!)
Incredible Crispness
I thought my 17" Trinitron was a great monitor. Still do. Then I plugged in the X-174 into my computer via the analog connection. I was amazed at how much crisper and easier to read the text was! It is also a LOT easier on my eyes. LCD monitors don't have any flicker like CRT monitors do. To test this, put your hand in front of a LCD monitor and wave. Looks normal. Do the same on a CRT and it will make a neat strobe image. OK, so I was amazed with the analog connection. Then I connected to my computer via a DVI cable (not included.. had to order the darn thing). It was EVEN BETTER!
Pretty much any input you would ever want or need
Analog, DVI (the most compatible type), S-video, and analog video. I plugged in my DVD player to this guy via the s-video in. It looked great!
Cons
Almost none. The price was $700. Most people who see it think I paid more. On some rare occasions, like when browsing some websites, I have had seen a few animated pixels dancing on the screen that were not part of the web site. Also, on one or two rare occasions, the monitor would flicker on and off as if the video signal was faulty. This may be a video card problem. I talked with other X-174 users and they have not had either problem at all.
*Update 10/06/03*
I called tech support about this problem. First of all, the number took me directly to a live human being! (US number is 866-333-3686. For other numbers, go to their website, and use the pull down menu for your appropriate country)
Secondly, that human was very friendly, and just asked for some basic info (which was good considering I didn't remember the exact purchase date off the top of my head... it has a 3 year warranty by the way)
Thirdly and finally, he suggested I turn the refresh rate to 60Hz, which is standard for LCD monitors. I haven't experienced any problems since then.
If you live in the Seattle area, Computer Stop offers these monitors for a lower price than what is listed currently on the pricing page. This may be for a limited time. They also offer other Neovo monitors. http://www.computerstop.com
Neovo's US webpage: http://www.neovo-usa.com/
UPDATE 9/21/2004: The X-174 is no longer offered by AG-Nevo. The new models are the X-17AV, which adds sound to essentially the same monitor, the E-17A which is differnt, but still has a glass front (my sister got it and it looks GREAT!!) and the SX-17A which is being marketed as security monitors. I have no idea how they differ from the X-174.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $700
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
motioncapture
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Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Motion Graphics and Motion Capture Guy: two totally different fields with two nearly identical names!
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