Digital Trends

Zenith Z20LA7R

April 19th, 2005 | by Ian Bell

Features and Design

Several of Zenith's new LCD televisions including the Z20LA7R, use LCD panels developed by LG.Philips that use Super IPS technology. Super-IPS stands for Super In-Plane Switching and was co-developed by LG.Philips, Philips Consumer Electronics, Hitachi and Zenith. Super-IPS works by using a switching mode that keeps all of the molecules in the display plane at all times so that when light passes through the display the picture brightness, contrast and color are accurate regardless of the viewing angle. Super-IPS LCD panels may not have a maximum contrast ratio that is as high as traditional LCD panels, but the overall viewing angle performance is much better. Another downside to a LCD panel using Super-IPS technology is that the response time is typically slower than LCD panels using a TN or VA mode technology. The Z20LA7R has a 20-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio display with a 400:1 contrast ratio and a 25MS response time. For complete specifications, please click on the specification tab and link located above and below this review.

Cosmetically, the Z20LA7R is probably one of the better looking LCD televisions we have seen lately. The television is very flat measuring 23.2” wide by 16.2” tall and only 2.8” deep. And since the Z20LA7R only weighs 22Lbs, it is extremely easy to move. Housed in a silver case, the Z20LA7R has a shiny chrome strip that helps to enhance the televisions look. There are no buttons that are visible from the front of the television, only the remote control sensor, presenting a television that has very clean lines and a high quality look and feel. A plastic panel on the back of the television acts as a cable management system hiding the cables from being viewable. You can either use the provided stand or you can use a VESA compatible bracket to mount the Z20LA7R on the wall.

Image courtesy of Zenith

Usually the most overlooked part of the television is the remote control. We have seen immaculate plasma TVs costing thousands of dollars but come with ugly and nonfunctional remote controls. Zenith has done a great job in making sure that the remote that comes with the Z20LA7R looks as good as the television itself. The remote is very slim and has a very modern, hip look to it. The buttons on the remote are well laid out and the controls are very intuitive to use. Keep in mind that this is an EDTV LCD with budget conscious users in mind, so there are not a whole lot of advanced features, and thus very few buttons to use.

Feature-wise, like we have mentioned, the Z20LA7R is as basic as it gets. There are a total of five inputs to choose from: Component Video which is capable of receiving 480i/480P signals (EDTV broadcasts), S-Video, Composite Video, Analog VGA (non-usable) and Coaxial inputs. The Z20LA7R comes with an integrated NTSC tuner so it will be able to natively support the basic cable or over-the-air broadcasts. If you plan on using satellite or digital cable with the Z20LA7R, than you will want to use the S-Video input for the best possible picture quality.

You can control the Z20LA7R by either using the remote control or the controls on the TV itself. Hidden behind the right hand speaker there are Channel, Volume, Menu, Enter, TV/Video selection, Power buttons. The remote control has the same buttons but adds the Mute, Channel Recall, Sleep Time, and Closed Captioning controls.

The Z20LA7R comes with a remote control including batteries, manual, and A/C power cable. We were disappointed to see Zenith decide not to include any PC or video/audio cables; you are forced to buy those separately. The Z20LA7R comes with a one year parts and labor warranty.