Samsung SA 950

sybaris · 16 Apr 2011 at 10:56

Having had the chance yesterday to play with a Samsung SA 950, I can honestly say that it is a very slick screen. Its 2D pictures were very sharp, and vibrant, but this screen really excels is in 3D. Having spent a lot of the day comparing a number of 3D TVs, watching every kind of available 3D demo, I felt I had a basis of comparison. If I had to describe the 3D capability of the Samsung SA 950 in one word, I would call it "mind-blowing". (ok so I cheated there). Watching a jazz band play, I had to dodge the trombones pooping out the screen at me, or duck as predatory animals fought out of the screen. Initially it is a very weird sensation, as you get used form 2D to 3D and sometimes it is over powering and you need to look away, but this screen is very good at delivering an exceptional experience.

Now I understand that there will be 2 versions. A standard monitor, and a standard monitor with a TV Tuner. From my sources, the standard monitor will be around £500 in the UK and the Tuner version slightly more, though I wasn't given a price, expect £150-£200 on top and you probably won't be too far out.

The slick style of the screen is a very futuristic shape meets a brushed chrome industrial stand and surround. Samsung have moved away from their black and clear plastic for this one, something I would have actually preferred.

Anyone looking for a top 3D screen should consider this as a choice, though, the style may not be to everyones liking.

Gelly54 · 16 Apr 2011 at 14:11

What inch was it? £500 for 27 is reasonable maybe? Would like a price for the 23 inch....

sybaris · 16 Apr 2011 at 14:18

It was the 27 inch.
Oh and the expected release date for the UK will be June 2011

PCM2 · 16 Apr 2011 at 14:55

£500 would not only be reasonable as an RRP for the S27A950, it would actually be very good! Remember that the somewhat less inspiring Acer HN274H has an RRP of $689 (£430 ex. VAT). What is apparently the 23" SA950 has an apparent RRP of £399 - £100 for that much extra screen space on such a nice monitor is quite impressive. Perhaps £399 is actually the RRP for the 27" SA750 (S27A750) - unfortunately bits and pieces of information that contradict other information is all that people have to go on. What is your 'source', incidentally? Not to discredit them but you should ask them to have a word with Samsung's PR department as there are some serious failures of communication going on here. I have spoken to various people in the media on both sides of the Atlantic, people linked to major retail companies and Samsung directly and everyone is saying something different. As for finding out about the SA850 et al... Best to just wait it seems.

bobert50 · 16 Apr 2011 at 18:29

£399 for the 23" would be bonkers! compared to £160 ish for the LG.

sybaris · 16 Apr 2011 at 18:30

My sources are
a) I happen to know on a personal basis someone at director level in the Samsung hierarchy.
Sometimes, it is often the case that the inside information may be different to what the general public is told for various reasons. I know this from first hand experiences, at senior levels with a number of well known corporate organisations I have worked with.

B) I happened to be at a demo of the screen, and seen it and played with it first hand.
While doing so I was speaking to one of the reps there who provided me with the information I have posted. After which I tried to haggle a deal for myself to purchase one of the demo models at a reduced price, but unfortunately they couldn't do so.

C) The monitor was also on display on the "E-byer" stand at The Gadget Show Live at the Birmingham NEC, with a load of blurb and details corroborating what I have been told.

Anyone going there tomorrow (the last day) feel free to go and have a look and ask questions to the staff there.

D) The brief review is my personal opinion of having played with the monitor and watched 2D and 3D demos on it. All I am doing is trying to provide one persons insight on a product that is eagerly awaited and to feed back to the loyal customers of OC with what I have been told personally. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

PCM2 · 16 Apr 2011 at 19:03

sybaris said:
My sources are
a) I happen to know on a personal basis someone at director level in the Samsung hierarchy.
Sometimes, it is often the case that the inside information may be different to what the general public is told for various reasons. I know this from first hand experiences, at senior levels with a number of well known corporate organisations I have worked with.

B) I happened to be at a demo of the screen, and seen it and played with it first hand.
While doing so I was speaking to one of the reps there who provided me with the information I have posted. After which I tried to haggle a deal for myself to purchase one of the demo models at a reduced price, but unfortunately they couldn't do so.

C) The monitor was also on display on the "E-byer" stand at The Gadget Show Live at the Birmingham NEC, with a load of blurb and details corroborating what I have been told.

Anyone going there tomorrow (the last day) feel free to go and have a look and ask questions to the staff there.

D) The brief review is my personal opinion of having played with the monitor and watched 2D and 3D demos on it. All I am doing is trying to provide one persons insight on a product that is eagerly awaited and to feed back to the loyal customers of OC with what I have been told personally. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I have also gained insight from similar sources myself (unfortunately a lot of it has been third-hand due to other commitments at the moment) but there is so much ambiguity and uncertainty at every 'level' that I would take everything people have gleaned with a pinch or two of salt. As I said I'm not trying to discredit anyone, it's just that the information has changed considerably over the past few months and I don't think anybody should place too much trust on any of this information. I am not trying to be awkward but I know from my considerable experience with such launches and from the various people I've discussed this with that the prices and release dates are very fluid even at this (hopefully) late stage. Sometimes these things are known about and decided well in advance but I really think Samsung have a unique product here and have been a bit unsure about how to position it in terms of price and also when to 'unleash the beast'.

What I will say is that £500 sounds like a very good price for the S27A950 and I very much hope this is the case. After launch I expect retail competition to nock it down a peg or two as well and I absolutely can't wait to review any of the 120Hz SA series monitors. I am also particularly excited about the SA850 and related PLS technology (and of course the 31 inch OLED TV that will hopefully be pushed out by LG later this year) but frustrating doesn't begin to describe how finding out about these monitors has been. Obviously as one who reports about such things I have to be very careful with what I write unless I am fairly certain about it - and certainty is not a word I would associate with these upcoming Samsung monitors.

@bobert50

I agree that £399 is a very high price for the 23 inch version but as I've said on another thread that is the same price as the Alienware 3D monitor from a lot of places. The LG has only been knocked down to that price very recently and was around £280 at launch. Unlike either of these 'other' monitors the SA950 is arguably much better constructed, has very nice features that the other monitors lack and is hopefully a very high quality product. An individual who worked very closely with Samsung on these monitors had suggested a similar asking price for the SA27A750 (27 inch SA750 monitor) which is probably a lot more tempting if correct!

sybaris · 17 Apr 2011 at 00:33

I understand your position PCM2 and it is not my intention to challenge that, to mislead people or to make any promises. I only wish to share my findings with the forum community as a glimmer of light and a point of discussion and maybe even provided some information that people may not otherwise know. None of which is confidential, nor am I suggesting that any party is committed to current figures.

I have however seen and played with the SA 950 first hand and in my humble opinion it is a stunning piece of kit. (though I would prefer to see it in black plastic and not silver metal). I also chose to draw my own conclusions from the information I have at hand and it is my choice to believe that information is (pretty much) accurate.

Anyone who has tickets for the the gadget show live tomorrow, go and take a look for yourself and ask as many questions as you like. Everyone is free to conduct their own research, make their own inquiries, discuss their findings and come to their own free will conclusions.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just for clarification.
My opinions are my own and don't form any formal review and as mentioned they are purely to offer the insight from one individual's personal experience. (which is kinda the point of having a forum).

In no way would I expect any individual, group, business, association etc, or even OC to base any business or financial decision on any findings, comments or statements posted in this thread, regardless of source, without conducting their own verification first and taking liability for their own decisions and findings. Anyone wanting these monitors would be advised to wait for further details from their official channels before making any decision.

clippa · 17 Apr 2011 at 03:07

How was the glossy screen? Does it reflect stuff? One of the things I'm concerned about with this monitor.

sybaris · 17 Apr 2011 at 07:32

I didn't notice reflection, then again it was under bright lights, with lots of space around it. Not the same as on a desk with some clutter. However once the 3D glasses went on, I was focusing on the animations and film footage and was absorbed in that.

PCM2 · 17 Apr 2011 at 07:48

Sybaris I am very greatful for this information but you do understand my inquisitive and perhaps mistrusting stance. I have been in contact with somebody this morning who works with PR representitives at such events and he has confirmed some things are still up in the air (as I suspected). He had emailed me last week but sent it to a work address I haven't accessed for a while. £499 is pretty much set as the RRP for the highest end but release date is still uncertain. £399 is apparently a likely RRP for the S27A750 whilst the 23 inchers are pretty much undecided but probably a decent chunk cheaper. Sounds as if the 23 inch 950 might be quite a bit more than people would expect to pay for a 23 inch TN panel monitor, though.

I am very happy to hear you enjoyed the 3D effect and I am eager to find out how well it works with the latest gaming titles. This is something a lot of people are curious about as 3D Vision has set a fairly high (but Nvidia specific) benchmark here.

@clippa

The ultraclear panel coating is the same as Samsung uses on some of their TVs and other monitors. It is not really massively reflective although strong sunlight can still be problematic. It is kind of semi-glossy or a very weak antiglare solution that is nowhere near as reflective as a piece of shiny glass infront of the screen.

clippa · 17 Apr 2011 at 13:48

Thanks PCM2, allayed my fears somewhat. I mean I can always close the curtains but I'm pale and interesting enough as it is.

PCM2 · 17 Apr 2011 at 14:15

Haha - no problem.

sybaris · 17 Apr 2011 at 14:28

PCM2, you are free to trust or distrust whatever information you like. I am not telling you what you should believe or use and I am sorry if that is what came across.

If you are a journalist writing an article for the mass market, then I understand your skepticism, then again I wouldn't have thought you would be basing your article/review solely on the discussions of a forum.

As I said, I am only feeding back my findings for discussion and so that others who aren't in a position to obtain information can also get a hint of what is going on.

I did come across this site today which I found interesting http://www.pcmonitors.org/news/sams...s-3d-monitors-at-ces-2011-including-27-inches

It does seem to me that Samsung are starting to showcase these monitors at various events now, perhaps as I believe, the release date is not that far off.

WingZero30 · 17 Apr 2011 at 14:38

sybaris said:
I did come across this site today which I found interesting http://www.pcmonitors.org/news/sams...-monitors-at-ces-2011-including-27-inches[/B]

It does seem to me that Samsung are starting to showcase these monitors at various events now, perhaps as I believe, the release date is not that far off.

hahaha

If I am correct that is PCM2 website

PCM2 said:

Edit: That thing really grew on us. Well it stayed the same size - 24 inch diagonal screen with a bit of plastic around it, but we found the experience very good. Just how good? Read the full review and see - http://www.pcmonitors.org/monitor-reviews/benq-ew2420.

Click to expand...

But Sybaris you are correct in saying that you are only providing user feedback to other members.

PCM2 · 17 Apr 2011 at 15:02

Well I do like the website you linked to if I do say so myself.

But on a serious note - you're right to be excited and I'm really glad you enjoyed using the monitor. The feedback you are providing is very much appreciated and if anybody else has anything to add then this forum is an excellent place to do so! Any anger or negativity in my above posts is really not directed at you, it is directed at the general uncertainty surrounding this series of monitors. I almost feel like people connected to Samsung have been holding back or misleading me and others with their information or lack thereof, but in actuality it is probably just one of those turbulent launches of a new and pretty unique line of monitors. I have been tracking the progress of these monitors for quite some time now and it's been a bumpy ride to say the least. Was originally slated for a March release, then it was changed to the more ambiguous 'Spring' and now seems to stand at May or June (possibly a launch spread across this time period). At least now things seem to be coming to a head.

Alfie · 17 Apr 2011 at 15:13

The SA750 looks fantastic. I found this promo video on youtube so it can't be far away!

WingZero30 · 17 Apr 2011 at 15:15

Alfie said:
The SA750 looks fantastic. I found this promo video on youtube so it can't be far away!

Corrected

Alfie · 17 Apr 2011 at 15:19

haha, thanks, just as I was working out how to do it

clippa · 17 Apr 2011 at 15:33

Since the sa750 won't have dual link dvi, am I right to assume that it would be no good for my gtx 580 if I wanted 120hz?
I'd have to go with the sa950?