Samsung 950d?

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What is this monitor like for gaming and blu ray? and does 120hz out weigh the benefits of higher resolution for gaming then getting a ips monitor like the dell or hazro
 
Had one for half a month now. It's bright, clear and games look great on it. Watched Star Trek and Transformers 2 on it via my PC blu-ray and again it looked great. I don't have a Hazro or Dell to compare it to, I do have a 27" iMac though(2560*1440, not IPS though). compared to the mac it can go a lot brighter (and the iMac can go really bright), the only thing I am missing out on is the extra desktop real estate, to combat that I bought a 2nd ilyama monitor for when I do 3D work.

The 3D feature is also really cool, some games don't look to great but others look fantastic (Mass Effect 2, Witcher 2 and Starcraft 2 all look awesome in 3D).

Overall I'm extremely pleased with the purchase.
 
Had one for half a month now. It's bright, clear and games look great on it. Watched Star Trek and Transformers 2 on it via my PC blu-ray and again it looked great. I don't have a Hazro or Dell to compare it to, I do have a 27" iMac though(2560*1440, not IPS though). compared to the mac it can go a lot brighter (and the iMac can go really bright), the only thing I am missing out on is the extra desktop real estate, to combat that I bought a 2nd ilyama monitor for when I do 3D work.

The 3D feature is also really cool, some games don't look to great but others look fantastic (Mass Effect 2, Witcher 2 and Starcraft 2 all look awesome in 3D).

Overall I'm extremely pleased with the purchase.

Thanks for the input m8 not sure what to do its the price thats putting my mind to question when you can get an ips for the same amount but people keep saying how good 120hz is in everyday scenarios not just gaming
 
What is this monitor like for gaming and blu ray? and does 120hz out weigh the benefits of higher resolution for gaming then getting a ips monitor like the dell or hazro

I haven't got around to testing the 120Hz SA750 or SA950 (yet) but if you would like something to whet your appetite take a look at the T27A950 review we just published (link to website if you click my name). It is over 6000 words long, includes a dozen pictures and 4 videos and is about as good as you'll find on what the gaming experience should be like on a nicely calibrated 950D. The 120Hz capabilities of the 'SA' is undoubtedly a huge advantage and from the research I have done it is a very responsive monitor and this really isn't something you will have to worry about. With any luck I'll be able to confirm this by reviewing an SA750 model at some point next month. I also want to compare the screen coating on the '750' and '950' series as word on the grapevine suggests it may be slightly different. The difference that this makes over a matte screen surface is all too palpable when you use the monitor (and tweak the colours a little) but apparently the '750' series has a slightly more generous helping of silver nano particles and I would love to see the effect of this if correct.

Whether you do get any real advantage from 120Hz or indeed a higher resolution IPS panel monitor does depend on how powerful your system is. You will need to be able to pump out 100+ fps consistently or be able to comfortably run the higher resolution to see their respective advantages.
 
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I haven't got around to testing the 120Hz SA750 or SA950 (yet) but if you would like something to whet your appetite take a look at the T27A950 review we just published (link to website if you click my name). It is over 6000 words long, includes a dozen pictures and 4 videos and is about as good as you'll find on what the gaming experience should be like on a nicely calibrated 950D. The 120Hz capabilities of the 'SA' is undoubtedly a huge advantage and from the research I have done it is a very responsive monitor and this really isn't something you will have to worry about. With any luck I'll be able to confirm this by reviewing an SA750 model at some point next month. I also want to compare the screen coating on the '750' and '950' series as word on the grapevine suggests it may be slightly different. The difference that this makes over a matte screen surface is all too palpable when you use the monitor (and tweak the colours a little) but apparently the '750' series has a slightly more generous helping of silver nano particles and I would love to see the effect of this if correct.

Whether you do get any real advantage from 120Hz or indeed a higher resolution IPS panel monitor does depend on how powerful your system is. You will need to be able to pump out 100+ fps consistently or be able to comfortably run the higher resolution to see their respective advantages.

You are a well respected member on here and are the man to turn to in a situation like this would you have the samsung over a ips monitor like the Dell u2711 or the Hazro HZ27WA what i mean is are the features like 120hz a worthy trade off then colour reproduction and higher rez for gaming,movies and web browsing
 
The review was good on the hybrid monitor it seems identical to a 950d bar a few features just wonder about the trade offs against a ips monitor like the dell or hazro
 
I have been pondering your question, padmdhs, but it isn't really something I could give a definite answer to. I completely understand your predicament and it is a 'hole' many people find themselves in when it comes to medium-high budget monitors. The snob in me would love to say with great pride that I would take an IPS panel over a TN panel regardless of usage - but there is really a lot more to it than that. As I'm sure you can appreciate from reading the review of the hybrid (and perhaps comparing it to our experiences with a number of IPS and VA panel monitors, as well as other TN panel monitors) it is certainly not the case of 'just another TN panel' with the new Samsungs. They are not all the same at all despite sharing certain colour consistency-related flaws.

One thing I always like to do when reviewing a monitor, or assisting with a review, is to gather as much feedback as I can from 'normal' people who aren't as particular as somebody like me when it comes to monitors. Having shown the 'calibrated' T27A950 to a number of family members, friends and work colleagues I can tell you that there was a kind of unanimous 'wow' that filled the air. I never sway them by giving my own impressions I simply let them have a go with it and see what they think. A lot of these people aren't complete novices when it comes to monitors either in that I have shown them various IPS, VA and CRT models in the past for comparison. The 950 series simply has a certain 'X-factor' that most other monitors lack.

I'm not sure how strongly this came across in the review, but when taking measurements from the thing I had to keep triple checking everything and even using my backup devices to make sure the readings were accurate. I mean that thing was only setup to pump out 160 cd/m2 but the perceptive clarity, contrast and vibrancy of the colours was on a different level to any of LGs matte IPS panels. You can kind of engage that 'wow' factor on a broad gamut monitor like the U2711H but the tendency to oversaturate colours and the general 'purity' (for lack of a better word) is simply not there due in large part to the matte screen surface.

The non-glass covered Hazro is more to my taste when it comes to the screen surface compared to the Dell. I haven't tested this model out myself but I would assume it is similar in physical light transmittance to the Apple Cinema Display which shows excellent sRGB vibrancy. Obviously being an IPS panel it does handle subtle shade variations better than the S27A950 would but I am honestly very impressed by how the Samsungs handle these (as mentioned several times in the review) and the dithering algorithm is amongst the best I have ever seen on a TN panel monitor. I am also not a big fan of IPS glow and perceptively speaking the blacks on the T27A950 were far more impressive than on any IPS panel monitor I've used, glossy or otherwise.

Because I am able to tightly control light in my viewing environment and I generally find that I only suffer problems if loads of sunlight is beaming in through the side window - but even the strongest matte screen surfaces suffer under such lighting and so does the side of my face. Fortunately where I live, in Newcastle, we don't tend to get much sun anyway. :p Personally I tend to prefer something in between matte and full-on glossy and I think Samsung's 'Ultra Clear' panel coating on the SA950D goes some way to achieving this, but is still a bit on the glossy side for some people's tastes. As I mentioned in the previous post it could be that the SA750 uses a stronger UCP coating (a Samsung engineer noted that it can be varied and isn't just a standard coat).

Now there are some pressing issues I would personally have with a 27 inch IPS panel monitor such as the U2711H or the HZ27WA, and they relate to responsiveness. This isn't actually entirely down to the monitor itself - for one thing I know my single Radeon 5850 wouldn't cope well at this resolution on the game titles I like to play (with the kind of eye candy I also like). I would most likely be forced to use the 1920 x 1080 resolution and I know from experience that a scaled image such as this is not as good as a native 1920 x 1080 image. There is also the issue of input lag on the HZ27WA and U2711H, natively, due in large part to the image processing and scaling on the monitor itself. The HZ27WC bypasses much of this but you then get similar 'input lag' if the GPU itself has to do any scaling for you and again the overall effect is sub-optimal.

I am also very particular about the pixel response of a monitor and I can even notice the difference between a 5ms and good 2ms TN panel monitor (it is not in the absolute stated speed difference, because that is rubbish, but to do with one lacking any sort of pixel overdrive for grey to grey transitions). I think this is explained quite well in the BX2440 review on our website. What I find most obtrusive, though, is the presence of 'negative trailing' and other 'overshoot' related artifacts from overly aggressive overdrive. Unfortunately the IPS panel monitors you've mentioned do employ this kind of aggressive overdrive and coupled with the fairly moderate trailing even after the impulse is applied it isn't something I find ideal for fast-paced games. But hey - I manage to put up with an EW2420 so there's a lot to be said for mental adjustment. Or perhaps just being mental. :p

I do very much enjoy the added smoothness of 120Hz. I wouldn't say I find it essential for my gaming experience but it is certainly something I appreciate. The S27A950D handles its 'overdrive' very nicely and as such you don't suffer from any kind of noticeable overshoot artifacts and whatnot and are left with very little if any visible 'conventional trailing'. Again there are caveats in that the difference is only truly palpable if you are able to run well above 60fps (ideally up to 120fps) consistently. Even if you only occasionally spike above 60, though, there are many people who will tell you that the massively reduced screen tearing and additional reduction in input lag once you disable v-sync is a big bonus.

I'm sorry if this post has made your job even more difficult and the same for anybody else who was following this thread expecting an absolute answer. In all honesty, knowing what I do, I would be tempted to buy an S27A750 and sell the 3D glasses if I was in your position. That would rely on you having a GPU with DisplayPort but you did ask what I would go for myself if I were to choose a 27 inch monitor for gaming and movies. Alternatively I would wait for Samsung's 27" PLS monitor (S27A850) which should be out at around the same time as the next generation of GPUs at this rate (which I would also upgrade to for good high res. horsepower) and see how they turn out. ;)
 
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I have been pondering your question, padmdhs, but it isn't really something I could give a definite answer to. I completely understand your predicament and it is a 'hole' many people find themselves in when it comes to medium-high budget monitors. The snob in me would love to say with great pride that I would take an IPS panel over a TN panel regardless of usage - but there is really a lot more to it than that. As I'm sure you can appreciate from reading the review of the hybrid (and perhaps comparing it to our experiences with a number of IPS and VA panel monitors, as well as other TN panel monitors) it is certainly not the case of 'just another TN panel' with the new Samsungs. They are not all the same at all despite sharing certain colour consistency-related flaws.

One thing I always like to do when reviewing a monitor, or assisting with a review, is to gather as much feedback as I can from 'normal' people who aren't as particular as somebody like me when it comes to monitors. Having shown the 'calibrated' T27A950 to a number of family members, friends and work colleagues I can tell you that there was a kind of unanimous 'wow' that filled the air. I never sway them by giving my own impressions I simply let them have a go with it and see what they think. A lot of these people aren't complete novices when it comes to monitors either in that I have shown them various IPS, VA and CRT models in the past for comparison. The 950 series simply has a certain 'X-factor' that most other monitors lack.

I'm not sure how strongly this came across in the review, but when taking measurements from the thing I had to keep triple checking everything and even using my backup devices to make sure the readings were accurate. I mean that thing was only setup to pump out 160 cd/m2 but the perceptive clarity, contrast and vibrancy of the colours was on a different level to any of LGs matte IPS panels. You can kind of engage that 'wow' factor on a broad gamut monitor like the U2711H but the tendency to oversaturate colours and the general 'purity' (for lack of a better word) is simply not there due in large part to the matte screen surface.

The non-glass covered Hazro is more to my taste when it comes to the screen surface compared to the Dell. I haven't tested this model out myself but I would assume it is similar in physical light transmittance to the Apple Cinema Display which shows excellent sRGB vibrancy. Obviously being an IPS panel it does handle subtle shade variations better than the S27A950 would but I am honestly very impressed by how the Samsungs handle these (as mentioned several times in the review) and the dithering algorithm is amongst the best I have ever seen on a TN panel monitor. I am also not a big fan of IPS glow and perceptively speaking the blacks on the T27A950 were far more impressive than on any IPS panel monitor I've used, glossy or otherwise.

Because I am able to tightly control light in my viewing environment and I generally find that I only suffer problems if loads of sunlight is beaming in through the side window - but even the strongest matte screen surfaces suffer under such lighting and so does the side of my face. Fortunately where I live, in Newcastle, we don't tend to get much sun anyway. :p Personally I tend to prefer something in between matte and full-on glossy and I think Samsung's 'Ultra Clear' panel coating on the SA950D goes some way to achieving this, but is still a bit on the glossy side for some people's tastes. As I mentioned in the previous post it could be that the SA750 uses a stronger UCP coating (a Samsung engineer noted that it can be varied and isn't just a standard coat).

Now there are some pressing issues I would personally have with a 27 inch IPS panel monitor such as the U2711H or the HZ27WA, and they relate to responsiveness. This isn't actually entirely down to the monitor itself - for one thing I know my single Radeon 5850 wouldn't cope well at this resolution on the game titles I like to play (with the kind of eye candy I also like). I would most likely be forced to use the 1920 x 1080 resolution and I know from experience that a scaled image such as this is not as good as a native 1920 x 1080 image. There is also the issue of input lag on the HZ27WA and U2711H, natively, due in large part to the image processing and scaling on the monitor itself. The HZ27WC bypasses much of this but you then get similar 'input lag' if the GPU itself has to do any scaling for you and again the overall effect is sub-optimal.

I am also very particular about the pixel response of a monitor and I can even notice the difference between a 5ms and good 2ms TN panel monitor (it is not in the absolute stated speed difference, because that is rubbish, but to do with one lacking any sort of pixel overdrive for grey to grey transitions). I think this is explained quite well in the BX2440 review on our website. What I find most obtrusive, though, is the presence of 'negative trailing' and other 'overshoot' related artifacts from overly aggressive overdrive. Unfortunately the IPS panel monitors you've mentioned do employ this kind of aggressive overdrive and coupled with the fairly moderate trailing even after the impulse is applied it isn't something I find ideal for fast-paced games. But hey - I manage to put up with an EW2420 so there's a lot to be said for mental adjustment. Or perhaps just being mental. :p

I do very much enjoy the added smoothness of 120Hz. I wouldn't say I find it essential for my gaming experience but it is certainly something I appreciate. The S27A950D handles its 'overdrive' very nicely and as such you don't suffer from any kind of noticeable overshoot artifacts and whatnot and are left with very little if any visible 'conventional trailing'. Again there are caveats in that the difference is only truly palpable if you are able to run well above 60fps (ideally up to 120fps) consistently. Even if you only occasionally spike above 60, though, there are many people who will tell you that the massively reduced screen tearing and additional reduction in input lag once you disable v-sync is a big bonus.

I'm sorry if this post has made your job even more difficult and the same for anybody else who was following this thread expecting an absolute answer. In all honesty, knowing what I do, I would be tempted to buy an S27A750 and sell the 3D glasses if I was in your position. That would rely on you having a GPU with DisplayPort but you did ask what I would go for myself if I were to choose a 27 inch monitor for gaming and movies. Alternatively I would wait for Samsung's 27" PLS monitor (S27A850) which should be out at around the same time as the next generation of GPUs at this rate (which I would also upgrade to for good high res. horsepower) and see how they turn out. ;)

Thank you for you well thought out reply and helping me in this predicament i to have been eagerly watching the S27A850 it looks a good monitor and intrests me a great deal as do the first batch of oled monitors to be more affordable then sonys effort but i should imagine they still will be way out of my price league :)
 
Thank you for you well thought out reply and helping me in this predicament i to have been eagerly watching the S27A850 it looks a good monitor and intrests me a great deal as do the first batch of oled monitors to be more affordable then sonys effort but i should imagine they still will be way out of my price league :)

No problem. I'm sure you've got a lot to think about now. You caught me on a good day. ;)
 
No problem. I'm sure you've got a lot to think about now. You caught me on a good day. ;)

LOL thanks again i have got a lot to think about so you couldnt really recommend the 950 if i was to buy it now and not wait as i need a monitor with a dvi port as im going to buy a 580gtx or wait for the next gen cards
 
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