The Planar Helium PCT2785 display is unique
among those profiled in this guide for being LED edge-lit. Most monitors
(indeed, all of the other ones we've looked at) are LED backlit, which means
they have a solid, uniform glow that comes from behind the screen. However, it
also means they have to be reasonably thick to accommodate the lighting. By
being edge-lit, the Planar Helium PCT2785 manages to be the thinnest
touch-screen in this guide.
Planar
Helium PCT2785
Whether that's a quality you enjoy is
another matter entirely. Still, on a number of other levels, it's a decent
screen, with a 1920x1080 resolution and a pleasingly huge 27" panel. It's
a little problematic that the response time is a rather massive 12ms, though,
which is more than double that of most monitors, touch-screen or otherwise. If
you use it to play games or watch movies (and if you want a 27" screen,
you probably do want to do that), you're likely to notice some ghosting on dark
or fast-moving images. Not a deal-breaker, but also not ideal.
The touch-screen is capacitive, with the
ability to recognize a ridiculously huge 20 points of multi-touch
simultaneously. That's perhaps too much, unless you're planning to type with
your toes as well as fingers, but on the other hand, 20-point multi-touch and a
27" screen does invite the idea of multiple-user collaborations on a
single display - not a horrible idea by any stretch. Interestingly, the monitor
also comes with handwriting recognition, but that feels a bit more gimmicky
than anything else.
The
edge-lit LEDs don't present as much of a problem as you might think, but what
is a problem is the price
Connectivity is through VGA, DisplayPort or
HDMI, with extras including a two-port USB hub, and two-megapixel webcam with
built-in microphone. The stand also allows you to lie it flat, which is always
a welcome capability for touch-screens. The edge-lit LEDs don't present as much
of a problem as you might think, but what is a problem is the price:
unsurprisingly, you pay through the nose for a touchscreen this large, and
despite its high quality, that means it's worth considering for corporate users
only.
Specifications
·
Display Type: Widescreen LED
·
Screen Size: 27"
·
Widescreen: Yes
·
Display Colors: 16.7 million colors
·
Display Format: 16:9 Widescreen
·
Touch Screen: Yes
·
Interface Type : HDMI, DisplayPort
·
Maximum Resolution: 1920 x 1080
·
Features: Tilt, Built-in Webcam
·
Contrast Ratio: 5000:1
·
Brightness: 300 cd/m²
·
Response Time: 12 ms
·
Horizontal Viewing Angle: 178 degrees
·
Vertical Viewing Angle: 178 degrees
·
Cabinet Color: Black
·
VESA Mounting Compliant: VESA 100mm
·
Unit Dimensions (WxHxD) : 26.48" x 16.47"
x 1.95"
·
Unit Weight: 19.5 lbs.
LG ET83 Touch 10
We have to wait for the retail release of
the LG ET83 Touch 10 before we can review it properly, but one thing is
certain: from the glimpses we've seen of it (most recently at C ES 2013) we can
reasonably expect something rather special indeed.
LG
ET83 Touch 10
For a start, LG has done something oddly sensible
and waited until Windows 8 was actually in use to release a compatible monitor.
This means that it's one of the first to be designed specifically with the
operating system in mind, rather than to simply meet the criteria for a Windows
8 monitor based on abstract specifications. Our impressions of its performance
(while admittedly based on demos performed under controlled conditions) are
that it's going to be very good as a result.
One innovation appears to be a slightly
grainy texture, which has divided the opinions of those who have used it: some
find the grain perfect for reducing the appearance of greasy smears and prints.
Others think it impedes any smooth movement of their fingers. We'll have to
wait until one's in front of us to see whether the coating makes it to the
retail model, but it has the potential to be a real advantage for the monitor
or a giant millstone around its neck.
Technical details are still scarce, but the
specs seem fairly standard for this end of the market: ten-point capacitive
touch-screen, 1920x1080 resolution and an IPS panel. You can expect the picture
to look great, and for the hardware to cost the best part of $757.6, and maybe
even close to $909.1. Design-wise, you only have to look at the screen to see
that it's both stylish and modern in appearance. The stand isn't quite as
good-looking as the Dell S2340T's arm, but it's at least as functional and
strong.
Although the UK release hasn't yet been
announced, if you're in the market for a high-end touch-screen it's a screen
worth hanging on for. We expect it to arrive in the first half of this year,
and maybe even the first quarter the US release is slated for March, and it's
already out in Korea, so it's just a matter of time until it makes it to Europe
and the UK.
Specifications
·
Screen size: 23”
·
Screen resolution: 1920x1080
·
Panel type: IPS
·
Win 8 certified: Yes
