The 11710 17in flat panel LCD is one of the latest products from HP targeted at the small and medium business segment. This one isn't a wide-screen and maintains the standard 17in aspect ratio of 4:3. It doesn't give that wide-screen effect like some of the other ones we reviewed here, but the display quality and the 'Active Matrix' TFT is more than enough to woo any buyer looking for a quality performer. The TFT flaunts Anti Static and Anti-Glare characteristics along with a dust resistant screen.
Framed in a silvery grey body, with a detachable base, the LCD overall gives a pretty solid feel on your desk. The 3-button OSD (menu, minus, plus); power on/off buttons are aligned near the bottom right panel of the frame. The menu functions are very easy to use and allows for 15 program modes.

The sturdy base lends adequate stability to the LCD so as to prevent it from toppling over with an inadvertent jerk or shake. The base is foldable and the screen can be adjusted in a vertical plane to adjust the angle of view, the movement allowed being in the range of -5 to +25 degrees tilt. However, one chink in its build forte would definitely be the lack of vertical height adjustments. Also, the absence of pivot rotation for different view angles is something that should be looked into by HP. With the sturdy build and solid base-screen attachment, these parameters should definitely have been included.

On the performance front, HP does justice to the brand name and quality that one usually identifies with it. The native resolution of 1280 x 1024 @ 60 Hz is recommended with a view angle of 160 degrees horizontally and vertically for optimal display. A quick response time of 5ms ensures that faster frames for gaming kinds are well supported without any ghosting/blurring of the screen. A reading of 300 nits on luminosity scale and a contrast ratio of 800: 1 ensures that the colour gradient and intensity are well defined and distinct. The photo displays were very vivid and colours were represented quite well. The brightness, contrast, grey scale, and aspect ratio performed well in our tests and produced good results. At the supported resolutions, the analog only monitor does a good job, but one would definitely yearn for a digital output.

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The lack of DVI surely packs a defining punch to HP when pitted against the one we reviewed from Dell. Also, integrated speakers should have been there for that extra zing to its specs. Like most other standard products, this one from HP meets the meets the ergonomic requirements and is certified with standard eco-labels. The VESA standards are strictly adhered to and come with some bundled software. The HP Display LiteSaver feature allows you to schedule Sleep mode at preset times to help protect the monitor against image retention, drastically lower power consumption and energy costs, and extend the lifespan of the monitor. HP Display Assistant is a software utility that allows monitor adjustment, theft deterrence, and colour calibration using the Display Data Channel Command Interface (DDC/CI) protocol of the connected PC.

The product comes with a three year warranty and with a Blitz Krieg pixel response rate it is definitely recommended for gaming kinds. For regular users, who are not carried away by a wide-screen effect and can do without it, will appreciate this offering from HP.