Cornea CT1704 review: Cornea CT1704

The Cornea CT1704 is a 17-inch LCD whose quality doesn't quite match its price. For about $450, you get slightly better-than-average image quality and an audio jack for speakers and headphones. Unfortunately, other comparably priced 17-inch displays, such as Dell's 1703FP, offer more for the money.

While other LCDs in the $450 price range can swivel, pivot, and telescope, the CT1704 is relatively inflexible. The panel tilts backward only 20 degrees and forward 3 degrees; it can be mounted on a "--="" rel="noopener nofollow" class="c-regularLink" target="_blank">&siteid=7&edid=&lop=txt&destcat=ex&destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Evesa%2Eorg%2Ffdmipr%2Ehtm" target="_blank">VESA wall- or arm-bracket. On the other hand, we would have preferred less flexibility in the hinges that connect the panel to the pedestal; they're slightly flimsy, so the display wiggles a bit.

Lack of connectivity is another shortcoming of the CT1704. There are no USB ports, and while some 17-inch LCDs in this price range have both analog and digital inputs, the CT1704 has only the former. Our test unit's analog cable had thumbscrews that were too short to screw in to the back of the display; customers with this problem can contact Cornea's toll-free tech-support hotline for a replacement part. Cornea says that new units are shipping with longer screws.

The menus are accessed via four clearly labeled and responsive buttons that run along the bottom edge of the bezel. The onscreen menus are well organized but provide inadequate direction for selecting a setting.

The CT1704 scored well in CNET Labs' performance tests, rendering text and images sharply. We noticed hints of gray at the edges of bold black letters, and some shades of gray betrayed a trace of color. The panel rendered blocks of adjacent colors clearly and accurately, although we wished that saturated colors had greater intensity.

The CT1704 comes with a three-year warranty on parts, labor, and backlight. If you send your unit in for repair, Cornea will pay for shipping and supply a temporary replacement unit. Lifetime, toll-free telephone support is available weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. A panel with four dead or stuck-on pixels qualifies for replacement. The CT1704 comes with a comprehensive manual on a CD and a very basic printed manual.