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Product:
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Xenarc 700TSV 7" Touch Screen VGA LCD Monitor |
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Price:
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$750 (CAN) / $562 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Bytewize Computers
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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November 10th, 2003
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Once powered up, by pressing the menu button on the base of the LCD brings up the On Screen Display. The
menu system for the Xenarc 700TSV 7" Touch Screen VGA LCD Monitor is very easy to navigate and covers
all the basic settings such as vertical and horizontal positioning, brightness, contrast, phase alignment
and auto screen detection.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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There are currently no practical benchmarking applications for testing TFT-LCD displays, so I ran the
Xenarc 700TSV 7" Touch Screen VGA LCD Monitor through a series of applications at different resolutions
ranging from 2D and 3D programs, DVD's, and games. Overall performance was good when connected to both
my MSI GF4 TI 4200 and Radeon 9700 Pro. I did notice a few ghosting and artifact issues during
normal desktop use and during DVD Playback. Considering the size of this display DVD playback of
Lord of the Rings - The Twin Towers was surprisingly good but not as sharp or vibrant as regular
standard desktop monitors that MTB has reviewed in the past.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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If you are an audiophile, where the Xenarc 700TSV 7" Touch Screen VGA LCD Monitor excels is with
multimedia applications. By using this product as a secondary monitor or installed inside a car, you can
run a simple program like Winamp 3 and have an easy to use digital jukebox. Winamp 3 supports full
screen modes for the application itself and any programmed play lists. I was curious to see how well the
Xenarc 700TSV 7" Touch Screen VGA LCD Monitor would be as a video gaming device, so I fired up one of my
favourite games HALO. Video game playback was exceptionally smooth and the display quality was excellent.
I set a max resolution 800 x 600 and played a few campaigns on both my MSI GF4 TI 4200 and Radeon 9700
Pro video cards. There was no major performance issues noted, although the size of the display area does
require some getting used to if you are accustom to larger size monitors.
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Conclusion:
The Xenarc 700TSV 7" Touch Screen represents a unique product for those individuals looking for an
all-in-one solution in miniature TFT-LCD based displays. Depending on where this product is deployed
it is fully capable of being used with normal desktop applications and is the perfect transportable
system for any computer enthusiast. Consumers will appreciate the included black copper stand which
provides two different mounting options and 360° of height adjustment. The On Screen Menu options
provide a simplistic set of controls that allow this product to be fine tuned to any configuration.
Add in dual composite video ports, two power options and you have what looks to be a great product.
Where the Xenarc 700TSV 7" Touch Screen falls short is that it failed to work as advertised right
out of the box. I had a frustrating time getting any assistance from Xenarc Technologies since the
problem with the cable was not documented in the troubleshooting guide that is bundled with the CD.
I was also not impressed that I had to strip the bundled cable and resolder all the cable connections
to get the Touch Screen function to work correctly. The second negative aspect of the Xenarc 700TSV 7"
Touch Screen VGA LCD Monitor is the current advertised price of $750 CDN. With a product of this nature
being so expensive, there will only be a select group of individuals who might be interested in its use
for specialized projects and applications. One point to consider is that this unit is currently more
expensive than a standard 15" LCD-TFT Monitor and is almost equal to price of a 17" LCD-TFT Monitor.
The selling point of this product is that it provides touch screen capabilities for a mouse less
environment and unless you really need these features then this product might not be for you.
Aside from a few major issues, I'm awarding the Xenarc 700TSV Touch Screen VGA LCD Monitor
a final rating of 5 out of 10. If you have
any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the
Bytewize Computers website for more
information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Miniature display
- Good picture quality
- Aesthetically pleasing design
- Good for multimedia and automotive applications
- Easy to navigate on screen display menu
- Adjustable stand provides good tilting options
- Dual composite video ports for multi-monitor setups
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Cons:
- Price
- Faulty bundled cable
- Poor documentation and support
- Touch Screen functions and TouchKit application software did not work as advertised right out of the box
- Slight ghosting and artifact issues noted
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