A Screen for All Occasions (Samsung Syncmaster 940MW)

Member Name: hackersuprciao

Product:	Samsung Syncmaster 940MW
Date:	06/02/08 (350 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tons of inputs, good price.

Disadvantages: Not as nice looking as newer glossy models.

The Samsung Syncmaster 940MW is a great multifunction monitor with multiple inputs, a built in TV tuner. The screen is also HD ready supporting up to 1080i through component and VGA.

Unboxing:
The box was rather big and had a handy carry handle to help you easily transport this monitor anywhere. Inside the box you get, the monitor itself (in plenty of packaging to prevent damage), the monitor base, the remote control which comes with 2 AAA batteries, an Audio cable, a VGA cable (I was slightly disappointed that they didn't include a DVI cable as you will want one of these for best possible picture quality.) A manual is not included however you do get a CD including full PDF manual and digital and analogue drivers for optimal picture quality depending on the input you are using.

Looks:
The monitor is reasonable stylish, the front is finished in a matt silver, the rest of the casing is a dark blue. The base is dark blue with a circular silver band around it matching the monitor perfectly. The speakers don't go out as far as the monitor so what they have done with the buttons is hide them just above the speaker on the bit that juts out. The monitor is quite thin and will fit into quite a small space and is perfect for a bedroom/office or kitchen. It's a pretty nice looking monitor but compared to the newer glossy models it looks rather bland and ordinary.

The Remote:
The remote is taken straight from Samsungs high end HDTVs and is a very stylish silver and black. It features all the usual buttons you would expect from a good remote control, such as mute, teletext. Along with some you wouldn't expect such as the Magic Channel button (unfortunately this feature is only available in Korea) and PiP (Picture in picture). Top marks for this.

Features:
This monitor is a true multifunctional device, one of my favourite features is the TV tuner which can be used to watch analogue TV channels (1 through 5) this is easily set up using the very easy to use OSD (on screen display) accessible with the remote control or front buttons. The Picture in Picture feature is also a very useful feature and allows you to view TV or AV devices in a smaller window when you are working on your PC, the window can be positioned in all four corners as to not get in your way and can also be resized to take up half of the screen. The monitor also features tons of different inputs, for your PC you have a choice of DVI D and VGA. For other devices such as DVD players and games consoles you have a Scart connection, S Video, component and composite available. This monitor as you know is HD ready and for devices that support it, the component input can be used to display up to 1080i.

Picture:
The picture you get from the monitor over DVI, VGA and Component is very crisp and detailed as is the TV when viewed with the PiP function. The picture is customizable to your own needs featuring three pre-sets for the PC inputs Entertain, Internet and Text and three for the AV inputs Standard, Dynamic, Movie. You can also get a preset to customize for yourself choosing your own contrast, brightness colour tone and colour control. I find Entertain and Dynamic the best modes as it makes the screen brighter and makes things appear more natural and sharp. When using the PC inputs you can select resolutions of up to 1440x900 as long as your PC supports it. The picture quality through TV and other AV inputs is far less good looking when you view in full screen. This is mainly because the screen is HD ready and has to stretch the standard resolution image to fit.

Sound:
The monitor has a stereo speaker built in delivering up to 3 watts each. This may sound rather puny but if you're into having the best possible sound you'll no doubt have a surround sound system and won't use the speakers at all. If you are using the speakers you get two sound filters to improve the sound for you. Firstly Virtual Dolby Surround, this is used to create a fake surround sound, it works well a few metres back. The only disadvantage is you have to sit directly in front of the monitor or it will sound strange. BBE Digital is the second option available, it makes things sound clearer and sharper, this is my personal preference as you can sit where ever you like and it still sounds great.

Problems:
This monitor is great but does have a few flaws. You can only access the Picture in Picture when you are using the VGA or DVI inputs which can be annoying say if you are watching a DVD and want to check on something you are installing on your PC. There is only one audio connector on the back for your PC so if you want to hook up multiple PCs or hook your Xbox 360 to the VGA port you will have to change the sound each time you use a different device you'll be pleased to know that this is easily remedied with an earphone splitter.

Price:
I purchased this monitor for £200 in PC World during the summer of last year. It was a great deal as you get an awful lot of functionality for your money. Now the price has come down even more and you can pick this screen up for only £160 at PC World, it is also available from many online retailers so you may get an even better deal if you shop around. You can get an updated model with a glossy case for about £200 but if you're not fussed with the looks and want to save £40 this monitor is perfect for you. Overall this is a great purchase if you're looking for a great PC monitor and want to experience some High Definition content on the side. 4/5

Summary: A great PC monitor also perfect for viewing High Definition content.

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