Sony CPD-200ES

200ES

Features and Specifications

17" Trinitron CRT, short neck design 16" viewable
.25 "Aperture Grill" Pitch
120Hz Max Vertical Refresh
30-70Khz Horizontal Refresh
1280 x 1024 (@60Hz) Max Resolution
Digital On Screen controls
Built in Self Diagnosis Function
1 Year limited warranty on parts and labor
Average Street Price: $300 -$350

The Good

Sony's Trinitron technology is very well known. It provides for a remarkably flat screen that is very bright and vibrant. And when I say flat, I mean flat! Just like the Multisync series from NEC, the Trinitron tubs are incredibly knock you down, slap you silly, super-duper flat, and the colors are ultra vibrant.

The resolution and refresh capabilities are on par with all the other tubes in the round up as well as the standard on screen display controls. With the ultra flatness of the screen and better color saturation, the Trinitron will always look more pleasing when compared side by side with a standard CRT. Overall, the Trinitron tubes are just fantastic, but the price of them has always been higher than the competition, and that scared people off since price is a major deciding factor. The 200ES here delivers all that Trinitron goodness in a price that won't totally break the bank. Also note that the tube is notably shallower than a standard CRT. Again this leaves you with a little more of your desktop space intact.

The Bad

The most common complaint about the Trinitron tubes concern the "damper wires" which are visible on the screen especially when you are viewing a bright colored image or desktop. Early in the life of the Trinitron, many people called tech support believing they had defective monitors because of these visible damper wires. As it turns out, the damper wire is an integral part of the Trinitron technology. Since the screen is almost perfectly flat, the damper wires are needed to keep the Trinitron grill held tightly up against the screen, otherwise the grill would move around and bow away from the screen, causing a screwy image.

The damper wires, which appear as a dull line along the bottom (and top for larger CRT's) of the screen are perfectly normal. Whether or not this is going to be a hold back to your decision to purchase a Trinitron equipped monitor is strictly a personal preference. Some folks find it to be intolerable, but a vast majority of people swear by the Trinitron and don't sweat the damper wire at all.

The damper wire does personally not bother me either, but the short (1 year) warranty does. Most other CRTs carry a 3-year (albeit limited) warranty. It makes you wonder why Sony is only offering one year, especially when you consider the higher than average price.

Control Gripes

Not only are the buttons set back on a recessed panel, but they are tiny, all the same exact shape and spaced very closely together. Someone with large fingers has a good chance of accidentally hitting two buttons at the same time.