Good for the price, but puts form over function in annoying ways. | Samsung SyncMaster 2253BW 22" LCD Monitor

pc hardware: Samsung SyncMaster 2253BW 22" LCD Monitor

computers & hardware:


	• Samsung SyncMaster 2253BW 22" LCD Monitor Samsung Samsung average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

Great Gaming Monitor

I got this monitor to replace my 19" LCD gaming monitor and I love it. Beautiful and bright - no ghosting with 5 ms response time (2 ms with their acceleration tweaks). Its a great value for the price and the only minor issue is some backlight bleed in the top and bottom of screen.

Good for the price, but puts form over function in annoying ways.

Well, it sure beats an entry level $200 tiny panel monitor, and it sure looks better than some of these larger LCD monitors that combine black and silver in such a garish way that you'd think they came off the set of a 1970's Dr. Who episode. But this thing isn't perfect by a long shot. I consider it acceptable, but not much more.

First, it runs blurry in all resolutions except it's native resolution of 1680 x 1050, and in order to get that resolution I had to buy an $80 video card. However, right now as I type this I'm running at 1024 x 768 and it's OK. Some relolutions are blurrier than others. Gone are the days when you could buy a Sony Trinitron CRT and choose from many different resolutions and have it look great at many different settings.

Of course, once you get to 1680 x 1050 every is razor sharp but then it's really really small too. Great for people with 20/20 vision, but not so great if you already have vision problems. You may need your software to compensate by setting font levels larger. I set the icon size to large in Windows XP just to get them to look as they normally do on other machines I use.

To save you some time if you're looking for the right video card, I'm using a Diamond Stealth® S120 Radeon 9550 AGP 256MB Graphics Card.

And to be fair, I'm using the VGA connection, not the digital connection, so that may make a difference too.

This monitor is beautiful to look at. The shiney black surface and minimalist styling make it attractive without being distractive. I'm dreading the day, however, when I or my wife rubs it the wrong way and it gets scratched. This monitor even comes with a cleaning cloth, but it's not for the LCD display, but rather for the black frame cabinet, and the directions show you the one correct way to rub the cabinet! So, they thought of giving me a cloth, but not one to clean the LCD itself! Well, that's when you get the LCD screen cleaning kit, which is an inevitable accessory so you may as well order one now.

The really annoying thing about this monitor are the controls. On the bottom of the monitor frame is a clear plastic bar with the various cryptic internations symbols for montor controls, and the symbols are just about unreadible. Now, they could have put the symbols on in white along the bottom of the black frame, but that would make them perfectly readible and useable, and we wouldn't want that, would we? Noooo, we need an uncessessary clear plastic bar with unreadible symbols. Well, no problem, just start pushing those little buttons (made harder to access because you have to curl your fingers around the plastic bar) and learn through trial and error what the controls do. Sooner or later you'll remember by feel alone what does what.

Top it off with the obligatory annoying blinking blue light that tells me when this monitor is in standby mode (unlike the old days when a single solid light changed from green to amber, for example) and you've ready to enjoy your computer 21st century style.

Still, it's worth an additional $100 over an entry level unit, if you are on a budget or setting up a second workstation in the home for light computing use. So, I'm not unhappy, just not thrilled.

for more information click here

Immerse yourself in your digital entertainment. With an ultra-fast 2 ms response time, you'll experience virtually no blurring when watching movies or playing video games. Add to that an 8000:1 contrast ratio for superior quality color and a 1680x1050 resolution that lets you see the sharpest details, and you're ready for the ultimate viewing experience. This stylish widescreen monitor was made for you and your lifestyle.