A new winner/contender in the 20" WS debate?

davidstone28

davidstone28

davidstone28

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Samsung 215T - a new winner/contender in the 20" WS debate?

Been looking around for a 20" WS and have considered the following:-

Belinea 102035W - dodgy build quality, backlight bleed, no 1:1 pixel mapping etc

Viewsonic VX2025 - great price but can't live with the lack of scaling and the frosty look on the screen.

NEC LCD20WGX2 - best monitor around by all accounts but the glossy screen would drive me nuts. Pricey.

Philips 200W6CS - all the confusion about what type of panel is in this monitor and the 16ms=05 v 8ms=0 v 8ms panel in a boxed marked 16ms is putting me off. a lot of retailers also seem to be stocking the 16ms version.

Dell 2007FPW - My preferred choice....when they release rev A02. Much more expensive than the others though.

But how about the Samsung SyncMaster 215TW?

http://www.samsung.com/Products/Monitor/LCD_Digital/LS21DPWABXAA.asp?page=Specifications

Only review I've found so far is a user reviews, albeit a very good one:
http://forums.anandtech.com/message...eyword=&STARTPAGE=1&FTVAR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear
(about half way down the page) I just wish he had done some video tests. Also seems to have a 4:3 option, 1:1 pixel mapping etc which is a bonus.

The main requirements I'm looking for are good video playback, crisp desktop image / text (for office work), colour reproduction (photos), and occasional gaming (details in dark area of screen).

Thoughts?

Edit: found some reviews
http://www.behardware.com/articles/619-12/updated-survey-13-lcd-20-5-6-8-16-ms.html
http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=3081
 
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Thanks for the links davidstone28!

My CRT's starting to have problems so I'm thinking about replacing it with an LCD screen and the Samsung looks interesting.
 
I recieved the Philips the other week and I'm very happy with it. No dead/lazy pixels and there is a certain place selling these fully advertised 800:1, 8ms, for £280. So well worth it. Its a fairly mainstream components webshop.

I needed a screen that was a good all rounder and this fits the bill for the price. I do a bit of dvd editing, 360 gaming, and surfing.

Its not as black/dark as my old iiyama 19" crt (but what tft is?) And the colours and picture accuracy is spot on. Oh and 1:1 mapping which is great.

Mick

BTW: When I got it the box had a code on it ending in 05, but the monitors serial ended in 00.
 
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Please post any links regards info/reviews on the Simsang 215...

Seems to have everything at a price available under £400.
Component input and HDCP are my main interests as are is its very high contrast/portrait.

EDIT/ now see above links
 
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Biggest concern is the quality of the inputs will not be great, ok the idea is to use PIP mode rather than expect a console/tv transmission to be 100% when scaled so much. PVA panels usually have great blacks and very good viewing angles.

Ive asked in other threads but has someone tried this monitor with a console using the component connections, its the only chance any external video source will look good full screen as its already in progressive scan rather than needing to be de-interlaced like traditional video.

After reading the TR review i rekon its def the one, not the cheapest but prob the best, well for me anyways.

Seen it for just under £400 and stock expected soon.
 
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Arrrrgggh

Now im torn between the NEC and the Samsung!

They stock the Samsung 215 At ocuk right? Its a bit pricey but i spose the features are worth it.

What would you recommend for gaming and movie watching?

The Samsung 215 or the NEC 20"??
 
Im not bothered about size really, im more bothered about picture quality.

Ive read reviews and they both have the same twinkling problem when watching movies, but i wanna know what its gonna be like for gaming.

I dont really wanna pay £50 for an extra inch tbh, and if the differences between the two are marginal then ill go for the NEC as its cheaper.

So for gaming and desktop use, NEC 20" or Samsung 21"?
 
Ive got my mouse hovering over the "add to cart" on both of these, and i have no monitor sitting in my bedroom at the moment, just an empty space lol!

Samsung or NEC!! ANYBODY??
 
t_aitch said:
Samsung or NEC!! ANYBODY??
Click to expand...
WE CAN'T HEAR YOU! LOL

If you want the monitor who will offer you best gaming experience and exemplary picture quality: NEC
 
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t_aitch said:
Ive got my mouse hovering over the "add to cart" on both of these, and i have no monitor sitting in my bedroom at the moment, just an empty space lol!

Samsung or NEC!! ANYBODY??
Click to expand...

I have the Samsung 215tw and as I have said to others I cannot recommend it enough. I love it!

S
 
t_aitch said:
Im not bothered about size really, im more bothered about picture quality.

Ive read reviews and they both have the same twinkling problem when watching movies, but i wanna know what its gonna be like for gaming.

I dont really wanna pay £50 for an extra inch tbh, and if the differences between the two are marginal then ill go for the NEC as its cheaper.

So for gaming and desktop use, NEC 20" or Samsung 21"?
Click to expand...

NEC has the edge in gaming. This link hasnt been posted yet, but THG France reviewed both as well here (latest two articles) and the NEC was certainly more responsive from their tests too. At the moment the NEC is one of the best gmaing screens out there, and offers excellent performance in other areas as well
 
I just got the NEC at a very good price - fabulous bit of kit. I can't compare it with the Samsung but if it displays images anywhere near like the NEC I doubt you will be disappionted.

Yeknod
 
Baddass said:
This link hasnt been posted yet, but THG France reviewed both as well
Click to expand...

Looks like they've posted it now:
THG France

One thing that puts me off slightly about the Samsung is the design - it isn't a handsome monitor (unlike the rather gorgeously designed Dell 2007) Aesthetics baby, aesthetics!

Interesting what THG France have to say about the Belinea (via Google language tools):-

"Belinea 10 20 30: The dress does not make the monk. It is true that the Belinea screens do not pay a mine, but one does not need y proud. The manufacturer often testified to a remarkable intuition in the choice of his flagstones." :D

Have to say that all these reviews seem to contradict each other. THG seem to have different opinion on the Samsung than Behardware, TrustedReviews etc. :confused:
 
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sorry, i meant that link hadnt been posted in this thread yet ;)

the translations are funny sometimes, garbled but you can kind of make out what they are saying. I think the reviews do put across the same kind of message about the NEC though. They both say it's a very good gaming screen, backed up by the very impressive response time graph (THG) and pixperan pixtures (BH). They do both comment on the reflectiveness of the screen coating and on the noisy movie playback relative to other models like the P-MVA panels (Belinea 102035W and Viewsonic VX2025WM). These sentiments are echoed elsewhere as well, and i user comments. However, as igors has pointed out before about the NEC, the "problems" with the NEC are not a problem for most average users anyway, and its very much down to taste as well
 
Yeh, the screen looked glossy out of the box but once up and running I don't find it noticeable. Movie play back is perhaps the weakest performance of the NEC - playback is grainy when using the whole screen but in a smaller window less noticeable.
 
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