Syncmaster 170T a Great Buy
Written: Aug 03 '01 (Updated Sep 25 '01)
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Pros: Sharp with vivid colors, bright, great image quality
Cons: A tad pricey
The Bottom Line: If you want the digital input capability and have the video card to support it, get the 170T, otherwise look for the 760V or 770. They're all great monitors!
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| mark_ufl's Full Review: Samsung SyncMaster 170 T 17 inch LCD Monitor |
Updated September 25, 2001
I've used the Samsung Syncmaster 170T for about three months now, and absolutely love the monitor. The contrast (400:1)and brightness (220:1) ratios help the monitor to have extremely bright and vivid colors. Text is sharp, images look very good, and the setup is very easy.
Setup
It is fairly easy to setup the monitor. It comes with a regular analog cable (DB-15) included. Mine did not come with a DVI-I adapter for the digital output on my video card, however I called Samsung and they sent me one without a problem. If you need a digital connector (in case you have a video card with DVI output), you can call Samsung and they should send you one for free.
There is a connection from the monitor to a power block, and the power block has a cord that goes into your electrical outlet. Depending on what input you use, you'll either use a regular DB-15 monitor plug to input it into your video card, or a DVI-I or DVI-D connector to input it into a digital connector on your video card.
When using the analog input, there are some fine tuning adjustments that need to be made. With an analog input, you can adjust brightness, contrast, coarse/fine tuning (which is most likely necessary to get the best output for whoever's viewing it), rgb controls, and image positioning. There is an auto button that will automatically configure it to what it considers optimal performance, and does a pretty good job. You may have to do a little fine tuning after auto adjustment to get best quality. In digital mode it is automatically optimized for best quality so the only thing you can change is the brightness (which is fine... in digital mode it looks great). The menu is easy to use and all buttons are arranged well on the front of the monitor.
Display Quality
I've tested it using both connections, and the analog and digital versions are virtually identical, there's not any perceptible difference. Do not run this monitor at a different resolution other than the recommended (1280x1024) because at other resolutions it has to compensate for a non-native resolution and the quality diminishes considerably.
For programs such as word processing and internet surfing, it handles these tasks with ease. Text is extremely sharp, images have great color saturation and look excellent in either analog or digital mode. With games (I've played things such as Max Payne, Madden NFL 2002 among others), it also handles things extremely well. It has little to no problem with motion scenes and there is very little if any in the way of motion artifacts (basically this is motion blurring caused by pixels that refresh slowly). I've also had the chance to play DVD's on the computer, and everything looks crystal clear, with no problems in the way of fast scenes that involve lots of movement.
Other details
It uses little current (about 50W), which is about 1/2-1/3 the amount of current of a comparable 19" CRT monitor. It is about 6 inches deep, and its silver look gives it a very refined and polished look which is pleasing to the eye over a normal beige colored monitor. It is backed by a 3 year warranty on parts and labor in case anything goes wrong (I believe it also has a 3 year warranty on the lcd backlight which is very nice.)
Conclusion
As far as price, it has been dropping a little recently, and I've seen it as low as $899 online, so it is a good time to buy the monitor. If you don't care about the digital connection, then I suggest buying the 770 or 760V LCDs from Samsung, as they are a little cheaper than this particular monitor. However, for the little bit of extra money, you can get both connection options, and it is definitely worth the money if you're cramped for space. As far as I'm concerned, it is the best 17" LCD w/digital input at this price point.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1025
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
mark_ufl
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Reviews written: 35
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About Me:
UF student majoring in computer science. Wish me luck!
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