Looking for a LCD monitor? This monitor is it!
Written: Jul 30 '03 (Updated Jul 31 '03)
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Pros: Value pricing, good picture quality
Cons: 25ms response time
The Bottom Line: Samsung 172W monitor is simply the best. I am a very tough critic but I just fell in love with this monitor.
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| nueok's Full Review: Samsung SyncMaster 172W 17 inch LCD Monitor |
Are you looking for a great LCD screen?
Are you sick of adjusting your monitor's alignment?
On a budget?
Read on then!
Specs:
Viewable area : 17"
Pixel Pitch :0.289 mm
Brightness : 450cd/§³
Contrast Ratio : 400 : 1
Viewing Angle (H/V) : 140¢ª / 110¢ª
Response Time : 25 ms
Maximum Resolution 1280x768
Color Supported : 16.2 Million
Input Connectors Analog 15pin D-sub, Digital DVI-D
Included Cables : VGA Cable
Plug & Play
Power Usage : 42 Watts (Max.)
DPMS Mode : Less then 2 Watts
Multimedia Speakers
Wall-Mount VESA 75mm
Dimensions (WxHxD) : 431mmx371mmx216mm
Detailed Info:
The monitor is 17 inches diagonally. It is also a wide screen monitor witch means it has the aspect ratio of 16:9. Wide screen will let you see more desktop space, and your DVD's will fit in the screen without the big black lines on the top and bottom of the screen.
The screen produces very bright images. This monitor has one of the highest rating for brightness of 450cd/§³.
When buying a LCD screen you have to consider the picture and text quality on a LCD screen. Some LCD's will produce great pictures but washed out looking text, or vice versa. That will not be an issue with the Samsung 172W because pictures and text comes out on the screen flawlessly. Trust me I'm using the monitor right now.
There are several nice features this monitor has, one of them is Magic Bright. Magic Bright allow you to change the contras and brightness with a press of a single button. You could use one of three built in preset contras and brightness levels witch consists of, Text, Internet, Entertain. Or if you prefer to have your own setting adjusted there is also a User Adjust setting. So whatever your occasion is, your monitor will alway be perfectly tunned.
Another good feature the monitor has is the dual interface. Even the $800 Sony wide screen LCD will not have dual connections! You can connect your standard analog connection to the monitor and/or connect it using the digital DVI cable. If you ever wanted to use two computers with one monitor this will do it. Or if your like me you can put a TV tuner into the analog connection and your PC to the digital connection and you can switch between them with a single button.
If you are connecting the monitor with the analog connection there is a special feature. That feature is the Auto Adjust. Auto Adjust will automatically align the monitor top to bottom, left to right to fit your desktop perfectly in your LCD screen. You never have to adjust the screens position manually!
If your using the digital connection then you will get brighter crisper picture. And another great thing is you never have to adjust the screen's position because its ALWAYS PERFECT! The Auto Adjust button will not even work if your using the DVI connection.
The Samsung 172w will also come with the mounting brackets, so you can mount on the wall. And all necessary cables and documents to get you started ASAP.
Installation was a snap. Simply plug and play. I was up and running in about 5 minutes.
My Samsung 172W also came with speakers built in the base, but I believe they do not have the speakers anymore. That would explain the price drop. I had the monitor for about an year now and paid $700 dollars for it. Still working great with no problems at all.
The monitor looks great also. The gunmetal color and the way the buttons are located it is definitely an eye catcher. Looks very elegant and simple.
If your worried about the brand name and reliability do not worry. The monitor will come with a 3 year warranty. The Sony LCD's usually come only with 1 year warranty. In my opinion Samsung makes the best LCD. No other company comes close to the quality and specs Samsung will give you with that price tag.
Samsung is the largest electronics company in Korea. And also they are the word leaders in making memory(RAM) for your computer, and is quickly gaining the electronics market shares in the US.
The only down side:
The monitor has a response time of 25ms. That time is no where slow but it is also not the fastest. The monitor has no visible ghosting in movies or games.
Final Thoughts:
If you want a bright screen that looks good and have excellent quality, there is no need to look further. Buy this monitor now.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 700
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
nueok
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Location: CA, United States
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
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