NEC MultiSync PA271W 27 inch Monitor
NEC’s PA271W is a professional 27in widescreen display. It’s similar to the upmarket 27in panel fitted to Apple’s iMac and Cinema Display screen, and will be ideal for those who require more control, less glare and ergonomic adjustments.
The NEC PA271W offers height-adjustment. It also swivels from left to right, tilts back and forth, and even rotates into portrait mode.
It offers two DVI-D ports, as well as a DisplayPort connector. It supports picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture – the latter splits the screen in half between two connected computers.
With two USB 2.0 upstream ports and three downstream, the PA271W’s DisplaySync Pro tools allow it to work like a KVM switch, sharing the screen, mouse and keyboard between two computers.
If you need accurate and consistent colour, plenty of tools can provide it. ColorComp lets the display track and adjust its backlight for consistent brightness over time.
The PA271W also sports a 14-bit 3D colour-lookup table.
The CCFL backlights are optimised to get to a ready state in a shorter time – less than one minute instead of the 30 once recommended.
The brightness controls are more professionally oriented, too. Instead of 20 clicks between the darkest and lightest modes, the onscreen display shows you nit values for brightness. A light sensor adjusts the brightness based on the environment.
The display presets include Adobe RGB, sRGB and full bright. For each setting you can adjust the temperature. There are also six colour controls: red, green, blue, cyan, magenta and yellow. And you’l be overwhelmed with customisation options in the Advanced menu.
We connected the NEC to a Mac Pro and set the display to 6500K colours and 100cd/m2 brightness. We found no pixel defects. Greys appeared neutral and gradients smooth. Screen uniformity tests showed no problems but, because of its size, if you sit too close you’ll find it appears darker at the edges due to the viewing angle.
That’s not to say that viewing angles aren’t good, however, and there was little contrast loss or shift in colour, even from extreme angles.
Verdict
For professional users looking for a large, glare-free, economically adjustable display with colour-tweaking tools and the technology to achieve and maintain accurate images over time, the NEC PA2701W delivers.
Specification
27in (2560×1440) 16:9 widescreen LCD monitor; pixel pitch 0.23mm; 6ms response time; picture-in-picture; CableComp; Ambix; AutoBright; power off timer; TileMatrix; NaViSet; ColorComp; AmbiBright; Eco-Mode; Overdrive technology; 2 x DVI-D; VGA; DisplayPort; 4-year warranty; 644x250x398mm; 15kg
Specification
27in (2560×1440) 16:9 widescreen LCD monitor; pixel pitch 0.23mm; 6ms response time; picture-in-picture; CableComp; Ambix; AutoBright; power off timer; TileMatrix; NaViSet; ColorComp; AmbiBright; Eco-Mode; Overdrive technology; 2 x DVI-D; VGA; DisplayPort; 4-year warranty; 644x250x398mm; 15kg
Price £1,050
NEC’s PA271W is a professional 27in widescreen display. It’s similar to the upmarket 27in panel fitted to Apple’s iMac and Cinema Display screen, and will be ideal for those who require more control, less glare and ergonomic adjustments.
The NEC PA271W offers height-adjustment. It also swivels from left to right, tilts back and forth, and even rotates into portrait mode.
It offers two DVI-D ports, as well as a DisplayPort connector. It supports picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture – the latter splits the screen in half between two connected computers.
With two USB 2.0 upstream ports and three downstream, the PA271W’s DisplaySync Pro tools allow it to work like a KVM switch, sharing the screen, mouse and keyboard between two computers.
If you need accurate and consistent colour, plenty of tools can provide it. ColorComp lets the display track and adjust its backlight for consistent brightness over time.
The PA271W also sports a 14-bit 3D colour-lookup table.
The CCFL backlights are optimised to get to a ready state in a shorter time – less than one minute instead of the 30 once recommended.
The brightness controls are more professionally oriented, too. Instead of 20 clicks between the darkest and lightest modes, the onscreen display shows you nit values for brightness. A light sensor adjusts the brightness based on the environment.
The display presets include Adobe RGB, sRGB and full bright. For each setting you can adjust the temperature. There are also six colour controls: red, green, blue, cyan, magenta and yellow. And you’l be overwhelmed with customisation options in the Advanced menu.
We connected the NEC to a Mac Pro and set the display to 6500K colours and 100cd/m2 brightness. We found no pixel defects. Greys appeared neutral and gradients smooth. Screen uniformity tests showed no problems but, because of its size, if you sit too close you’ll find it appears darker at the edges due to the viewing angle.
That’s not to say that viewing angles aren’t good, however, and there was little contrast loss or shift in colour, even from extreme angles.
Verdict
For professional users looking for a large, glare-free, economically adjustable display with colour-tweaking tools and the technology to achieve and maintain accurate images over time, the NEC PA2701W delivers.
Specification
27in (2560×1440) 16:9 widescreen LCD monitor; pixel pitch 0.23mm; 6ms response time; picture-in-picture; CableComp; Ambix; AutoBright; power off timer; TileMatrix; NaViSet; ColorComp; AmbiBright; Eco-Mode; Overdrive technology; 2 x DVI-D; VGA; DisplayPort; 4-year warranty; 644x250x398mm; 15kg
Specification
27in (2560×1440) 16:9 widescreen LCD monitor; pixel pitch 0.23mm; 6ms response time; picture-in-picture; CableComp; Ambix; AutoBright; power off timer; TileMatrix; NaViSet; ColorComp; AmbiBright; Eco-Mode; Overdrive technology; 2 x DVI-D; VGA; DisplayPort; 4-year warranty; 644x250x398mm; 15kg
Price £1,050
