Lcd Hd Monitors: Better Than Syncmaster 2693Hm?

The Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM is a 25.5-inch LCD monitor with a 1,920x1,200 native resolution. It has a 360-degree rotation, a unique buttonless OSD design, and a good price for its large screen size. However, it has a flimsy stand, poor viewing angles from the bottom, and an overcalibrated Cool temperature setting. The monitor has received mixed reviews, with some praising its performance, particularly for movies, and others criticising its colour accuracy and touch-sensitive controls.

Image quality

The Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM is a 25.5-inch LCD monitor with a native resolution of 1,920x1,200. It has a thin, glossy, black bezel that measures 0.8 inches in thickness on the left, right, and top, and widens to 1.3 inches along the bottom edge. The display's panel extends another 0.5 inches under the bezel and has a silver reflective coating. The bezel also includes a blue LED power light.

The SyncMaster 2693HM features a unique buttonless OSD design. The OSD sits in the lower right-hand corner of the bezel and includes six different preset options that control the brightness and contrast, and three other sets of presets that control everything from colour to image size. However, reviewers have noted that the OSD controls are difficult to see and use, especially in the dark or when the monitor is at high brightness. The monitor also has a 360-degree rotation and 90-degree pivoting capability.

The monitor has a contrast ratio of 939:1, close to the manufacturer's claim of 1000:1, and a pixel response rate of 5ms. It offers good performance, especially for movies, in the warm preset. However, it has an overcalibrated "Cool" colour temperature setting, resulting in a noticeable blue tint when watching movies or displaying certain shades of blue. The monitor also has a flimsy stand and a poor lower viewing angle.

The SyncMaster 2693HM has connection options for DVI, VGA, and HDMI, with DVI and VGA cables included. It also features built-in speakers, which can be turned very loud but sound tinny at high levels and lack bass.

Overall, the Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM offers good image quality for its price, especially for movie playback, but is hampered by issues with its stand, viewing angle, and colour temperature settings.

Performance

The Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM is a 25.5-inch LCD monitor that delivers very good performance, especially for movies. It has a native resolution of 1,920x1,200 and a pixel response rate of 5ms. It scored an 88 in CNET Labs' DisplayMate-based performance test and achieved a contrast ratio of 939:1 in their tests, very close to the manufacturer's claim of 1000:1.

The monitor has a pleasing aesthetic, with a thin, glossy, black bezel and a footstand that includes a swivelling mechanism that allows the screen to rotate 360 degrees. The display is also height-adjustable by about 3 inches, and the panel tilts back 30 degrees and pivots 90 degrees. The stand, however, feels flimsy and cheap, with the plastic feeling hollow and fragile.

The On-Screen Display (OSD) is controlled by touch-sensitive buttons built directly into the bezel, which can be difficult to see and use, especially in low-light conditions. The monitor includes several preset options for controlling brightness, contrast, colour, and image size. It also has a Customized Key feature, which allows you to set one of the OSD buttons as a one-press solution for changing various presets.

The Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM has good connectivity options, including DVI, VGA, and HDMI, with DVI and VGA cables included. The display also has built-in speakers, which can be turned very loud but sound tinny at high levels and lack bass.

Overall, the Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM is an excellent overall performer, particularly for movie playback, and is available at a fair price. However, it is held back by its flimsy stand, poor lower viewing angle, and overcalibrated "Cool" colour-temperature setting.

Size

The Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM is a 25.5-inch monitor, which some customers have described as "big".

The size of the monitor has received mixed reviews. Some customers have praised the size, describing the monitor as "big, bright, and high resolution with a good refresh rate", and "large enough to view from a few feet away".

However, other customers have criticised the size, with one review stating that "bigger is not better" in reference to the monitor's TN panel, which does not maintain solid colour top to bottom or left to right. Another review noted that the monitor is "too big", causing it to "wobble".

The Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM's competitor, the ViewSonic VA2626wm, is 25.5 inches, while another comparable monitor, the V7 D24W33, is 24 inches.

Brightness

The brightness of the SyncMaster 2693HM monitor has been described as "good" and "high", with a brightness of 400cd/m2. Some reviews have praised the monitor for its "big, bright, high-resolution" display, with one review stating that the monitor has a "pleasing amount of matte texture, not too glossy so as to add glare".

However, some reviews have criticised the monitor for its "bad lower viewing angle", with one review stating that "if you're slouching in your seat, the detail in the upper portion of the screen drops considerably". Another review noted that the monitor has a "glossy black finish" which can cause glare and make the display "hard to see".

The monitor has a native resolution of 1,920x1,200 and includes features such as 360-degree rotation and 90-degree pivoting. It has a thin, glossy, black bezel that measures 0.8 inches in thickness on the left, right, and top, and widens to 1.3 inches along the bottom edge. The display's panel extends another 0.5 inches under the bezel and has a silver reflective coating.

Overall, the brightness of the SyncMaster 2693HM monitor has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its high brightness and matte texture, while others have criticised its lower viewing angle and glossy finish.

Ease of use

The Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM has a unique buttonless OSD design, with touch-sensitive menu buttons. However, many customers have complained about the difficulty of using these controls. The touch-sensitive buttons are hard to see in the dark, do not light up, and the icons are barely visible. This makes it difficult to navigate the OSD in low-light conditions.

The touch-sensitive buttons also lack tactile feedback, making it difficult to know if your touch has registered. This, coupled with the lack of familiarity with the button menu, can make it frustrating to use. Some customers have also reported that the buttons don't always respond to touch.

The OSD is also hard to see when the monitor is running at a high brightness level, as the glare impedes the labels from being seen clearly. The labels for each function are written very lightly, making it hard to distinguish them.

The monitor's stand is also criticised for being flimsy and hollow, and the viewing angle from the bottom is poor.

On the other hand, the Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM has a 360-degree rotation and a 90-degree pivot, allowing for flexible viewing angles. It also has a good price for its large screen size.

Overall, while the Samsung SyncMaster 2693HM offers some flexibility in viewing angles and has a competitive price, the difficulty of use associated with its touch-sensitive buttons and poor viewing angle from the bottom may be a significant drawback for potential buyers.

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