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Samsung SyncMaster 193P LCD Review

December 8, 2004
Reviewer: Jedd
Editor Rating:

Company:

Samsung, www.samsung.com

Price:

Average retail price is about $700 US.

Ratings

Price:
Install/Setup:
Usability:
Support:
Average Rating:

Pros:

Quality exterior finish
Crisp, crystal clear viewing
Very simple setup
Analog and digital inputs

Cons:

Expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for here.

Getting Started

The Samsung SyncMaster 193P Silver LCD is a superb LCD. The large display provides fantastic resolution and crisp, crystal clear viewing. Sitting on my desk next to a 17" CRT monitor, the 193P has a smaller footprint even with a much larger viewing area.

Set up on this monitor is a snap. You connect to your PC's video card with either of the included analog or digital inputs cables, plug in the power, power up both your PC and the LCD, install the included software, and you are up and running.

Using this display is a dream. Whether you are using office documents, doing web development, graphics work, watching movies or TV, or even gaming, you can't go wrong here. Even though the response time is 20ms, I played several hours of Half Life 2 and didn't notice any significant ghosting or blurring of images. Usually a gamer would want a LCD with a 16ms or less response time. We also enjoyed the brightness features discussed below. This helped improve the brightness when watching movies or playing games where there are dark images or backgrounds that LCDs typically have a hard time rendering.

We really like the fact that the 193P ships with both analog and digital cables. Also included is CD-based documentation. We found the both the included documentation and the support information available on Samsung's site are very well done. Any use who needs information or help can find what they need.

Click on picture to enlarge image

The 193P uses Samsung’s progressive MagicTune software and Display Data Channel Command Interface (DDC-CI) and features a single on/off button. All other applications, set up utilities, and screen adjustments are executed via the mouse through the video cable. MagicTune’s default screen, known as the Wizard, guides users through a comprehensive step-by-step setup procedure than ensures customized optimum on-screen performance. Individual preferences are unlimited and saved to the computer’s hard drive, enabling each user who operates the monitor to personalize the display to their specific screen preference.

The 193P also features three separate “brightness modes” designed specifically for PC, Internet and entertainment applications. The first brightness mode, PC-Text, is ideal for traditional text-based computing featuring a brightness level equivalent to what users are accustomed to on traditional LCD displays. The Internet Mode offers increased luminescence that is specifically designed for viewing streaming video or video from the Internet. The third -- and brightest -- mode parallels the TV viewing experience and features the highest luminescence level. This mode is designed for entertainment applications such as PC-Internet gaming, multimedia content editing, and watching TV if your PC has a TV tuner.

Specifications

Model	193P-Silver
Display Type	a-si TFT/PVA
Pixel Pitch	0.294mm
Max Color	16.7 Million
Display Size	19"
Viewing Angle	Horizontal: 178° , Vertical: 178°
Resolutions Supported	1280 x 1024 1024 x 768 800 x 600 640 x 480
Recommended Resolution	1280 x 1024
Response Time	20ms
Contrast Ratio	800:1
Brightness	250 cd/m2
Panel Surface	Not Specified
User Controls	Not Specified
Input Video Signal	Analog RGB, DVI Digital Link
Signal Cable	15pin D-Sub, DVDI-D
Frequency	Horizontal: 30-81KHz(Analog), 30-63KHz(Digital) Vertical: 56 to 75Hz
Operating Humidity Range	10% ~ 80%, non-condensing
Operating Temperature	50°F ~ 104°F(10°C ~ 40°C)
Power Management	EPA/ENERGY 2000
Power Supply	AC 90 ~ 264 VAC rms, 60/50 Hz ± 3Hz
Regulatory Approvals	UL 1950, CSA, TUV, NEMKO, EK, CCIB, PSB, GOST, SIQ, PCBC, NOM, IRAM, SASO, FCC, CE, MPR II, VCCI, MIC, BSMI, C-TICK, TUV GS, TCO '03
Cabinet Color	Silver
Dimensions	16.7 x 16.2 x 9.3in (WxHxD)

Adding It All Up

The Samsung SyncMaster 193P Silver LCD is one of the most exciting pieces of hardware I have looked at in a long time. It's stylish looks and quality finish will look good on the desk of a high class business person or even be right at home on the desk of a gamer. Although this LCD is a bit expensive considering other 19" LCDs can be found for as low as $350, you definitely get what you pay for here. The extra cost is well worth the investment as you will be able to use this LCD for many years.

If you are looking to upgrade from a CRT or even an entry level LCD to something that will last you a long time, the Samsung SyncMaster 193P Silver LCD is what you should purchase!!

Because of the great quality and features and its good rating, we are awarding the Samsung SyncMaster 193P Silver LCD the UpgradAdvisor.com Recommended Upgrade seal of approval!!!

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