|
HANSOL MAZELLAN B19AL
STANDFIRST
The Korean company Hansol is a relative
newcomer to the UK monitor market and they're off to a flying start with this
attractively priced 19-inch model
COPY
If you're concerned about what sitting in
front of a computer screen for several hours each day could be doing to your
love-life, or your future prospects as a parent, then you might like to have a
look at the Hansol Mazellan B19AL. Inside the swish retro-styled cabinet the
chassis is shrouded by a full metal jacket. No harmful trouser-penetrating rays
can get out -- through the top, bottom or sides at any rate -- though you're
left wondering why they had to go to such lengths in the first place? Most
other TV and monitor manufacturers seem to manage to meet the tough
international emission regulations without recourse to such drastic measures…
The 19-inch screen is an ideal size for
desktop video but it means it's quite a lump though the curvy cosmetics help
reduce its apparent bulk. It's a welcome change from the clinical boxy shapes
we've become accustomed to on larger screen monitors. The main points of interest on the feature list are:
·
auto scan (30kHz to 96kHz
horizontal and 47 to 150Hz vertical)
·
14 preset resolution modes (PC
and MAC) up to 1600 x 1200
·
full support for VESA power
management
·
Hitachi tube with 0.26mm dot
pitch
·
universal power supply (100-
240vAC 50/60Hz)
·
dual input (D-Sub & BNC)
·
on-screen displays
Head on the first thing you notice is the
lack of control buttons. There's a discrete on/off/standby button and in the
middle, a recessed wheel, and that's it! The wheel is a multi-function control
for the menu-driven on-screen display. Press the wheel once and the main menu appears
rotate the wheel and each function icon is highlighted in turn. Press it again
when you come to the function you want and turn the wheel to adjust the
setting. It sounds simple but there were a couple of problems with out sample.
The wheel was tight -- possibly because it was new -- and not very grippy, so
you press a little harder, to make it turn, and more often than not inadvertently
select a function you didn't want. Hansol UK tell us they're changing the design
of the wheel so that it has a rubber face, so it should be easier to use. Second,
there's no way of making the display disappear, which can be a little
irritating. Eventually, after what seems like an age (around 10 seconds), it
goes of it's own accord, but only if you have the willpower not to click the
wheel in a vain attempt to make it go…
Menu options include all the usual display
and picture geometry controls, additionally there's a three stage colour
temperature adjustment (user, 6500 and 9300) factory pre-set and a very useful picture
zoom, that increases or decreases the size of the image.
The backside is
slightly unusual. In addition to a standard 15 D-Sub connector and a set of 5
BNC sockets (for a Mac lead), there's a second larger 15-pin connector, also
for Macs. There's a menu option to switch between the D-Sub and BNC connectors,
so it could be used to display inputs from two sources.
PERFORMANCE
The 19-inch CRT is made by Hitachi and in
common with previous screens made by them it produces a clean, accurate image in
all resolution modes with no visible defects. We did see some moire patterning on
the default settings. These were mainly confined to bright highlights at the
sides of the picture but these could be cancelled out using the moire control,
without adversely affecting focus, which remained pin-sharp across the whole
screen area. Out usual batch of tests, using Ntest and CheckScreen showed no
problems with colour purity or convergence but the power supply test -- a flashing
black/white display -- caused very slight instability, with the display area
pulsating in sympathy. It wasn't enough to be a problem in normal use but it
does suggest that a little more care could have been taken with the design of
the electronic circuitry.
SUMMARY
The B19AL comes across as a competent
general-purpose monitor; the main selling points are the large screen, and the
very reasonable selling price. It has a useful range of functions and the
feature list is adequate, though not especially exciting. It lost a couple of
points over the multi-function control wheel and the power supply, though neither
are enough to rule it out for the kind of applications we're most interested in.
How Much?
£428 (inc.VAT)
Tube size
19-inch
Visible display area
362 x 272mm
Dot pitch
0.26mm
Max Resolution
1600 x 1200 pixels
Max refresh rate
auto scan to 96kHz
Dimensions
470 x 487 x 470mm
Weight
23.1kg
CV RATINGS
Features 8
Performance 8
Ease of use 7
Value for money 8
Overall Rating 83%
Hansol UK, telephone (01252) 360400, http://www.hansolel.co.kr
---end---
ă R. Maybury 1998 2008
| 
