Samsung SyncMaster 173T Black 17'' LCD Monitor

I never expected a product this good. The color is ...

Strengths: Dual inputs, pivot screen, clarity, brightness, contrast perfect geometry, color accuracy and convergence.

Weaknesses: The menu controls are confusing, and there is no manual in the box. Lacks some control functions in digital mode.

Summary: I never expected a product this good. The color is accurate; the monitor itself is stylish. The picture is rock solid and as close to perfect as I can imagine. I especially like the very narrow bezel (1/2 inch) which almost disappears from view. I do a lot of digital photography, and I find that this monitor displays photographs very close in hue and saturation to what my Canon i960 prints - requiring almost no color correction in the printer driver. These two make a wonderful pair for my photography.

I would have liked to control the color temperature of the digital input for calibration with my printer, but all the controls work with analog input, and there is almost no visible difference between the two - they are both perfect. The menu controls require a bit of fiddling, complicated by the fact that there is NO manual at all with the monitor. It would have been nice to know that all of the controls are functional in analog, but not in digital mode without having to call Samsung Tech support. (But I got through by phone in less than a minute, and got the info immediately.)

But these little complaints are piddly when stacked against this wonderful machine! Buy this this monitor. You can't go wrong at just over $500 for this superb quality.

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This is my 2nd Samsung LCD. I was happy with the f ...

Strengths: Outstanding clarity when using digital input

Weaknesses: Minor complaint: base could be more sturdy

Summary: This is my 2nd Samsung LCD. I was happy with the first, but it didn't have digital input. When I bought a card with digital output I bought this monitor. Even though I really liked the other monitor, this one took the image to the next level. Using this with Windows XP's cleartype mode produces outstanding crisp text. Even italics look terrific. I have also been very happy with the color quality.

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I purchased this monitor on the strength of numero ...

Strengths: Small

Weaknesses: Washed-out color, fuzzy text, no manual included

Summary: I purchased this monitor on the strength of numerous reviews, and also from a desire to increase my desk space. I realize that LCDs are all the rage, and I do appreciate their small size. However, this Samsung monitor has an inferior picture compared with two other 17" LCDs I have used: a Dell E172FP and a Sony Stylepro. Colors on the Samsung were washed-out, and I was unable to adjust them to anything acceptable. In addition, text was fuzzy and tiny at the native resolution, and running the screen at the lower resolution resulted in a wavering image. I realize that NO consumer-level LCD will run satisfactorally at anything other than native resolution, and this is a fact that everyone must accept. However, Samsung missed the mark on this monitor in terms of basic quality issues.

I was able to return my monitor, less a $75.00 restocking fee... a $75.00 lesson, as I will NEVER AGAIN buy an LCD monitor sight unseen. Hopefully, the quality of LCD monitors will continue to improve to the point that they will actually rival that of CRTs. Until then, I will stick with my old Sony Triniton.

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When I bought this in Nov. 2003 they had a higher ...

Strengths: sleek design, pivotol screen, analog or dvi inputs

Weaknesses: blacks turned to blue after 6 mos

Summary: When I bought this in Nov. 2003 they had a higher contrast ratio than the ones they made after Jan. 2004. That didn't seem to bother me until the blacks turned to blues and I had to return it to Samsung for a free replacement. When the replacement arrived, it WAS NOT an exact replacement. I noticed the blacks weren't as dark as the origianal. I contacted Samsung and they told me they gave me a REBUILT replacement. I was under the impression I was getting a BRAND NEW one. The rep told me they would replace my defective monitor with an equal one OR BETTER. I don't consider a REBUILT monitor with a LOWER contrast ratio to be EQUAL or BETTER!!! Because of this I would never buy another Samsung monitor. There is no reason Samsung couldn't have given me a BRAND NEW model to replace a defective one that lasted only 6 months. I paid over $500 for this model at the time and bought it based on the reviews I read on all these tech sites. The problem with reviews are they don't do a follow-up and ask consumers how the product is performing 12 months later. Something that I would think is VERY important to consider.

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I am 100% satisfied with this monitor. Its slim a ...

Strengths: Clarity, footprint, connections

Weaknesses: I don't have any gripes with this monitor.

Summary: I am 100% satisfied with this monitor. Its slim and elegant design looks great on my desk, its Dvi connections allows for a pure digital media/gaming experience, no dead spots, clarity is excellent. One of the finest monitors I've owned...

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