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KDS Radius RAD-7 17" TFT Monitor
By Kelly Lu - August 7, 2001
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Standalone LCD monitors, with their sleek, stylish looks, have long been one of the most desirable pieces of equipment any computer user wishes for, but have always been out of reach for the average user to actually be able to afford. Recently, however, manufacturers have been finding ways to make more affordable LCD units--many 15" TFT units can be found for less than $1000 USD and as low as $400 USD sometimes, which makes them as a viable alternative to buying 17" CRT monitors.
Power users, however, will usually feel that a 17" CRT or a 15" LCD monitor is not enough for their needs, and that a 19" or 21" CRT or 18" or 20" LCD solution, respectively, is a better choice. Unfortunately for them, 18" LCD monitors, which is the usual size that corresponds to 19" CRT monitors, are still well over $1000 USD in price, while their CRT counterparts can be found for as little as $250 USD (for a decent one, too) in some cases. Thus, one can see that larger-sized LCD monitors such as 18" models still have quite a limited market for them because of their price.
Before I move on, I'd like to point out that the marketed screen size for CRT's and LCD's are quite different. This is because with a CRT, the monitor is not able to use up the entire screen around the edges, so the actual viewable size is always smaller than the marketed size. For example, most 19" CRT monitors actually only have 18" of viewable space. LCD's, on the other hand, use a much different technology to paint the picture that we see and are able to use virtually its entire specified size for displaying. Thus, 18.1" TFT screens, for example, will have a viewable space of 18.1" and will actually have the similar viewable space as a 19" CRT.
 If a jump of only 3" (between 15" and 18") can make such a large price difference, then how about we shave off 1" from a 18" monitor to save a bunch of money, have it run at the same resolution as that 18" monitor but just have everything a tad bit smaller? I mean, 1" lost can be hardly a problem with the consumer once they save a couple hundred dollars!
Well, that's exactly what KDS did with their Radius RAD-7 monitor. The RAD-7 is a 17" LCD monitor, a measurement that is relatively seldom seen in the LCD arena, that can still be thought of as an equivalent to a 19" CRT monitor much like how a 15" LCD monitor is to a 17" CRT. At about $750 USD, it is also a very nicely-priced 19" CRT monitor LCD equivalent!
Specifications
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Radius RAD-7 |
| LCD Type |
a-Si TFT LCD |
| Pixel Pitch |
0.264(H)mm x 0.264(V)mm |
| Max Color |
16.7 Million displayable colors |
| Contrast Ratio |
350:1 (typical) |
| Brightness |
250 cd/m2 (typical) |
| Response Time |
35ms (typical) |
| Viewing Angle |
80°/80°/80°/80° (T/B/L/R) |
| Video Input Analog |
R, G, B |
| Frequency |
30-80 kHz (horizontal) 55-75 Hz (vertical) |
| Max Resolution |
1280 x 1024 @75Hz |
| Voltage |
Universal Input Voltage, 12Vdc Output |
| Standby,Suspend,Off |
Less than 5W, Regulation EPA |
| Weight |
Net: 6.0kg(13.2 lbs) Gross: 8.5kg(18.7lbs) |
| General Features |
On-screen, digital control VESA DDC 1/2B Plug&Play, Wall mount capability |
| OSD Controls |
Auto tune, Contrast/Brightness, H/V Position, H-Size, Phase, Color Control, Auto Level, OSD Position, OSD Time-out, Power Save Delay, Language and Recall |
| Safety |
NRTL c CE (EN60950), SEMKO |
| Sync Type |
Separate, Composite, SOG, Input Terminal D-SUB 15Pin |
| Tilt Angle |
-5, +15 |
With a recommended resolution of 1280x1024 and a contrast ratio of 350:1 (very good in itself), the RAD-7 is right up there with the other, larger, 18" pack--only the RAD-7 has a negligible 1" chopped off for savings sake. It also has a 160-degree viewable angle on both horizontal and vertical axis and a dot-pitch of 0.264mm, which are quite good for an LCD screen. Finally, the RAD-7 boasts a typical brightness of 250 cd/m2, which is better than most 17" and 18" LCD monitors out there.
From the specifications side, the Radius RAD-7 looks like a top-notch LCD TFT monitor--except, without any bells or whistles such as built-in speakers or USB ports.
 On to: First Impressions
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