HANNSPREE HANNS SOCCER

This Monitor's Got Game




Already counting down the days until the next World Cup? If so, Hannspree has a monitor for you. The Harms Soccer (one of four 19-inch sports-themed displays) is designed for users who want to express their love of the game.

This display's 19-inch (4:3 aspect ratio) panel is housed in a round cabinet covered with black and white leather, giving it the look and feel of a real soccer ball. The company also offers baseball and basketball models, as well as a 19- inch widescreen with a basketball-hoop stand.

The 1,280-by-1,024 display sits atop a sturdy black-and-silver stand with tilt and swivel capabilities. You can also pivot the display 90 degrees to view the screen in portrait mode. 'Iwo 1-watt speakers embedded below the screen are typical monitor speakers; they're adequate but can't handle loud volume without distorting. At the rear of the cabinet are audio, HDMI, and analog (15-pin VGA) inputs, but the monitor does not have a DVI connection. In testing, the 2-millisecond (gray-to-gray) pixel response panel had no trouble handling fastmotion sequences.



However, this monitor's viewing angles weren't quite as claimed, and it had trouble reproducing dark and light shades of gray. Fortunately, the flaw did not affect color quality, but if you'll be retouching photos or doing anything that requires grayscale accuracy, this monitor will likely disappoint.

Even with its Haws, this display is more than capable of fulfilling your basic viewing needs, as well as impressing your soccer buddies. John R. Delaney.

PC Magazine February 2009