Eizo Nanao FlexScan T765

Eizo's jumbo-sized, 19-inch FlexScan T765 is much like its sibling, the 17-inch FlexScan T565. It has an identical look, many of the same features and extras--including sophisticated calibration controls and add-on speakers--and a commensurately high price. It does offer a couple of things that the T565 doesn't, such as extra screen space and a USB hub. But unfortunately, bigger does not equal better when it comes to image quality, especially when you can buy a 19-inch display with comparable performance, such as the Samsung SyncMaster 950b or the ViewSonic P95f+, for about half the price.Eizo's jumbo-sized, 19-inch FlexScan T765 is much like its sibling, the 17-inch FlexScan T565. It has an identical look, many of the same features and extras--including sophisticated calibration controls and add-on speakers--and a commensurately high price. It does offer a couple of things that the T565 doesn't, such as extra screen space and a USB hub. But unfortunately, bigger does not equal better when it comes to image quality, especially when you can buy a 19-inch display with comparable performance, such as the Samsung SyncMaster 950b or the ViewSonic P95f+, for about half the price.

Land the white whale
You'll need a friend to help you unpack the 60.7-pound, $689 FlexScan T765, but once this behemoth is on your desk, setting it up is easy. The box doesn't contain a quick-start poster, but the manual is quite comprehensive, beginning with a detailed setup diagram, a description of how to understand and navigate the onscreen display (OSD), and a lengthy troubleshooting section.

The monitor itself has a glare-reducing flat screen with a 17.8-inch viewable area, four USB ports, and both VGA and BNC inputs on the back so that you can connect two computers to the display. The FlexScan sports a tight, .24mm dot pitch at the center of the screen and .25mm at its edges. The display can support a maximum resolution of 1,600x1,200 at a flicker-free 92Hz refresh rate, but the manual recommends a resolution of 1,280x1,024 at up to 107Hz. The T765 is compatible with both PCs and Macs.

You access the FlexScan T765's OSD via a joysticklike button on the front panel that serves as both quadridirectional arrow keys and the Enter key. This one-button system, though intuitive, is a bit hard to manipulate, especially when you must press the center button to confirm a selection. At least the OSD menus are well designed and organized, and they include all the basic controls such as geometry, brightness, and contrast. Those who find the joystick control too clumsy can install Eizo's ScreenManager Pro software from the included CD. You'll need to connect the display to your PC via a USB cable, but once you do, you can adjust your monitor settings with your mouse via a graphical interface.

For an extra $45, Eizo offers the i-Sound, a little bracket with speakers on either end that slides under the front panel of the FlexScan T765 and draws its power from the monitor. While this system might not offer the highest-quality audio, it saves space on your desk and at your wall power outlet.

Good but not great
In CNET Labs' DisplayMate-based benchmark tests, the T765's image quality was good overall. Unfortunately, it just didn't measure up to that of much more affordable competitors, such as the ViewSonic P95f+ or the Samsung SyncMaster 950b The FlexScan T765 handled colors ably; in both Photoshop and on the Web, they were vibrant and true, with excellent red reproduction and a good range of shades. But our grayscale-test screens showed that blacks looked more like charcoal and that whites had a slight pink tint. There were also geometry problems, especially along the right side of the picture, where we noticed some curvature and compression of objects on our test screens. Looking at a page of text, we noticed some blurriness in the corners. On the plus side, the display's high refresh rate made for no visible flicker or movement. Hide Review