March 2
Eizo Ships High-End Flat Panels
18.1" screen offers 170 degree viewing

By David Nagel
Senior producer

Eizo Nanao Technologies, Cypress, Calif., has begun shipping two new flat panel monitors—the FlexScan L661 and L680—geared toward the high-end graphics market. Both monitors offer an 18.1" viewable area and come in black or beige. L680 sports a 170 degree horizontal and vertical viewing angle, while the L661 has a 140 degree viewing angle. Both come with integrated power supplies, 1280 x 1024 resolutions at 75 Hz, adjustable image smoothing, full-screen scaling and VESA compatibility. The active-matrix displays deliver 16 million colors, and the monitors come equipped with a USB hub built in. Other features include:

• An ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) offering automatic contrast adjustment that amplifies the video input for the more accurate color reproduction. The display senses and automatically adjusts the brightness to the proper settings even as the monitor warms up.
• The one-touch auto-adjustment feature for screen sizing and positioning allows for instantaneous set up of the screen display.
• A high-contrast (300:1), 0.28 mm pixel pitch flat panel
• An integrated control suite, called ScreenManager, which allows users to refine images and settings to suit specific needs.
• Dual inputs that allow two computers to share the monitor simultaneously.

The company says the monitors will expand to full screen and initiate auto image focusing whenever the resolution is set lower than its native 1280 x 1024.

According to Eizo, Mac users will need a special adapter to run the monitors, but they're otherwise compatible.

The L661 will have an estimated street price of $3,129 (beige) and $3,329 (black). The L680 goes for $3,699 (beige) and $3,799 (black). The company also offers a sound unit for the monitors priced at $89 (beige) and $105 (black). A newly designed protective panel goes for $90.

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