Home > Consumer Reviews > HP Pavilion F1703 17" LCD Monitor

Everything started out fine, except, I couldn't quite turn it off. I'd have to unplug it in order for the screen to go dark. So I just left it to the screensaver and paid it no worry.

Needless to say, it's burnt out--under a year.

HP's customer service took my information (name/email/phone number) and said they'd do some research. This was the most disgusting part of the whole ordeal. I did not hear back from them. I emailed them a second time, and they gave me some tips. One of them worked, and my monitor was on. Problem was, it only worked because the monitor had been inoperative and disconnected for a month and had cooled down a bit.

Long story short, I'm over the warranty and they want me to pay in order to fix a problem that came with the monitor. Between this and the other HP products that have broken down on me, I'm never going to buy anything by Hewlett Packard again. Now that I'm five-hundred dollars down with a monitor that'll work for a little while every leap year.

This product has a sturdy look, one of the best monitor stands of any lcd, and is almost 100 per cent anti-glare-- the three reasons I bought it. However, its electronics components were poorly designed which is why HP now makes its vs17c 17" lcd instead. Do not just take my word for it, a technician from HP told me this himself. My monitor blacks out with its backlight off. Then, after some time for some reason it seems alright, sometimes for a couple days. An lcd backlight and picture has an average lifespan of 60,000 hours of duty (6.8 years). However because of its poor electronic design, is much less than this. The amperage rating on its back cover reads 3.5A, however, if you hook an ammeter to its power source (know how to do this before attempting!) it might read much less, even 2.1A like mine. You can surprisingly (use test wires and do not cut the power cord!) disconnect the negative wire and your monitor will remain on! Then the ammeter might read 0.9 A like mine. The remainder of the 3.5A (minus 2.1A or 0.9A) is actually stolen from the computer through the video cable. You can never know when this monitor first malfunctions because this power drain through the computer still might make the monitor work, even long periods of time. If this happens it is broken (even if the monitor apparently works). HP's limited warranty for f1703 covers materials and workmanship free from defects for 1 year. However "HP does not warrant that the operation of HP products will be uninterrupted or error free." You should be patient, and have proper electrical diagnostic training if you purchase it (unless you like these sorts of things). Customer service also tries to sell you a "free" $327 upgrade to a 19" lcd (similar design) when your warranty is expired. I also believe it should be recalled because it is a product which almost, if not entirely, violates FTC law as a nonmerchantible product.

Before you buy this piece of junk it would be wise to read the negative reviews. This f1703 monitor has offically been recalled and is a lemon. The monitor works fine for a while but after a year the screen starts blacking out. The screen will turn on then it will repeatidly black out. Do not buy this item,you will be wasting your money!! If you already have one it would be wise to call the service support number and get the f1703 replaced.

Had this product for 2 years and screen started to turn black from the top of the screen down. Quality is lousy. I have a less expensive brand, smaller monitor that has been in service for 4 years without problems. This is the last HP I ever get for me or my company. Good luck if you have one.

I was amazed when my monitor started shutting off and looked online to find others had the exact same behavior. The monitor was great until 1 year and 17 days. Talk about planned obsolescene! The warranty and the monitor expire at the same time. Fortunately, I bought the extended service plan at Best Buy, so its their problem for now. But, will it die in 3 months after I get it back again?