Korea and Japan may lead the world in LCD technology, but where does that leave the Europeans? We look at German company Metz’s foray into flatscreen.
Metz Milos 32S | $4499 | 
For: Excellent image processing; excellent sound; dual SD tuners
Against: High price; picture not as vivid as some rivals
Verdict: An excellent monitor at a premium price, but as they say, you get what you pay for
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Metz made its name in CRT TVs and has made the transition to LCD only recently. One difficulty many manufacturers have faced is that CRT is a mature technology, and LCD is still probably 12 months shy of its adolescence. Even so, the Metz uses a latest generation panel of Asian origin, and it’s quite good.
Black levels of the Milos 32S are very good, but not up the level of Samsung/Sony panels, and detail is high. Colour is a little muted, especially when compared to the Candyland colour palette of the Sony Bravia, but instead produces tones which are incredibly lifelike. Especially flesh colours. Pictures courtesy of the onboard SD tuner are excellent, especially for an integrated design, with very little noise or digital artefacting.
And while this TV is a feast for the eyes, Metz hasn’t forgotten the ears either. Sound is nothing short of superb, with driving bass and perfect dialogue intelligibility.
DVDs are replayed with vigour, the sophisticated configuration options able to boost realism (at the expense of some artefacts), and there is very little smearing or juddering to be seen.
The menu system is quite flexible, and it’s very easy to navigate. Connectivity is comprehensive, with HDMI inputs, DVI and progressive. If fed a signal via component, the Metz’s own image processing takes over and, when compared to the HDMI input, contrast and image depth increased exponentially.
This is an excellent screen with great sound. But the LCD TV market is becoming more and more cut-throat. Rivals such as Baumann Meyer are offering incredibly competitive offerings at a discount of $2000 on this model. Here, you’re paying for Metz’s experience in image processing and beautiful sound. And for this, it’s well worth the asking price.
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