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Eizo FlexScan L565
Eizo FlexScan L565
pros and cons
- Excellent image quality with good viewing angles screen size equivalent to 19in
- CRT display elegant case design with integrated speakers attractive price.
- Display height cannot be adjusted.
With its FlexScan L565 model, Eizo is now represented in the 17in. LCD monitor market, which is fast becoming the ‘sweet spot’ for office use. Eizo is known for high-quality and relatively high-price products, but has delivered a winning combination of price and performance in the shape of the £549 (ex. VAT) L565.
For general office use, 18.1in. LCD monitors such as Eizo’s award-winning FlexScan L685 are not really necessary -- and are also simply too expensive at around £1,000 (ex. VAT). More suitable are 15in. TFTs (comparable with 17in. CRTs) if you’re on a budget, but above all 17in. TFTs, which offer the picture size of a traditional 19in. CRT monitor in a compact form factor for around £500 (ex. VAT).
The L565’s housing (including an aluminium foot) resembles that of the 15in. L365 model, while its Super-IPS (In-Plane Switching) display technology originates from its bigger brother the 18in.L685. Super-IPS screens deliver a wide viewing angle without suffering from the colour shifts often seen in standard IPS screens.
The screen’s height can’t be adjusted, but it can be tilted upwards by 30 degrees and downwards by 3 degrees. There are two integrated 1 Watt speakers, as well as audio input and output jacks. The L565’s bezel is just two centimetres thick, and with a visible screen diagonal of 43 centimetres the casing nearly disappears into the background. The power supply of the L565 is integrated into the casing, which still has a total depth of only 17.8cm.
At the back, you’ll find not only a 15-pin D-sub connector for conventional analogue video input, but also a digital DVI-D connector, allowing owners of graphics cards with digital outputs to benefit from the higher-quality video signal that results from not having to convert it to analogue and back again. Signal recognition is automatic. You get an analogue signal cable as standard, but the digital cable is only available as an option.
Picture size and position are automatically adjusted via a simple button push. The native resolution is 1,280 by 1,024 at 75Hz, and lower resolutions can be interpolated to fill the screen. To be sure of an optimum picture, you can download Eizo’s screen adjustment tool over the Internet. The L565 uses an integrated sensor to take regular measurements of brightness fluctuations in the backlighting, which can be temperature dependent. This information is then used to maximise brightness uniformity. Unlike with the 18in. L685, there’s no USB port that supports remote management over the network.
The Eizo L565 offers a good contrast ratio of 400:1 and a maximum brightness of 230cd/m2, with Super-IPS technology delivering viewing angles of 170 degrees both horizontally and vertically. Even when displaying video games, not traditionally one of LCD technology’s strengths, the L565 benefits from a good response time of 30ms.
Top ZDNET Reviews
This high-quality 17in. LCD monitor delivers an array of useful features, including dual digital and analogue inputs, excellent picture quality and automatic picture adjustment via a single button push. The integrated power supply makes for a tidy system, while the integrated loudspeakers deliver reasonable sound quality, although they cannot match a decent dedicated speaker system. Highly recommended for general office use.