X-bit labs

New LCD Monitors from Samsung. Part II (page 5)

Category: Other

by Oleg Artamonov

[ 06/18/2004 | 07:26 PM ]

These are all subjective impressions, though, let’s get some objective results.

By default, the brightness is set to 80% and the contrast to 50%. To reach a screen brightness of 100nit, I set 40% of both contrast and brightness.

The color curves are well-shaped, although blue is too intensive, and green is also higher than it should be. This is noticeable in the image – the colors are colder than they should be.

The response time didn’t meet the specification: instead of the declared 12msec matrix we have a 16msec one. Well, I doubt you should be really concerned about this difference. Overall, the matrix behaved quite typically, with a maximum pixel rise time of 29msec and a minimum of 12msec. An overwhelming majority of 16msec matrixes work likewise.

The contrast ratio is rather high, deviating from 300:1 to 400:1 depending on the screen brightness. This is just a little below the declared value.

Overall, the SyncMaster 172X is a good device, featuring a nice design, a digital input and good matrix parameters. It will make a good home monitor for gamers. On the other hand, if you choose a monitor for work, you’d better consider a model on a PVA matrix, because devices on TN+Film matrixes, and the 172X is no exception, cannot regrettably provide a wide viewing range, good contrast ratio and color reproduction.