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Samsung 192MP


Date
: 06/22/04 – 04:45:44 AM

Author
:

Category
: Monitors

Page 1 : Introduction

With every review of a Samsung product, I always wonder to myself how they will outdo themselves for the next review. With the release of the 192MP, Samsung has once again raised the bar and set new a standard for TFT monitors. The 192MP is a multi-function 19 LCD that doubles as a standalone TV. It also features inputs for your DVD player, Xbox, DSS, or anything else that outputs to S-video or RCA. All these features make the 192MP the most versatile LCD monitor in its class. Today we will be taking a look at this innovative product and see how it stacks up when put to the test.

Page 2 : Package

I took pictures of when the box first arrived, but unfortunately, I lost them in a hard drive crash. Youll just have to take my word that this LCD was packaged very nicely with molded foam on all sides. Each piece (drivers, cables, etc) came in their own plastic baggie packaged neatly under the monitor. Like all previous LCD monitors that I have received from Samsung, this one came without any cosmetic blemishes.

Whats included in the box:
- 19" Samsung 192MP LCD TFT Monitor
- Remote Control
- 1/8" Audio Patch Cable
- Analog Video Cable
- AC Power Cable
- AC-DC Power Brick
- Warranty Card
- Quick Setup Guide
- Software CD (including Drivers)

You may notice that a DVI cable was not included in that list and it is because Samsung does not ship one in their retail package. There was also no VESA plate for wall mounting included in this package.

Page 3 : Specifications

Model
:
Part Number: 192 MP Silver

Panel

Type: a-si TFT/PVA
Size: 19
Pixel Pitch (mm): 0.294
Brightness: 260cd/m^2
Contrast Ratio: 700:1
Viewing Angle: 170/170
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Response Time (ms): 25
Interface: Analog / Digital

Frequency

Horizontal Rate – (Analog): 31-81
Horizontal Rate – (Digital): N/A
Vertical Rate: 56-75
Bandwidth: 135

Resolution
:
Maximum: 1280×1024
Native: 1280×1024

Color
:
Maximum: 16.7M

Signal Input

Input Video Signal: Analog RGB, DVI Digital Link, CVBS, S-Video, Component, TV (antenna/cable)
Video Level: Analog: Analog:0.7VP-P
Video Level: Digital: TMDS TM
Sync Type: Separate H/V, Composite H/V
Input Connectors: 15pin D-sub, DVI-D, S-Video, Component, TV (antenna/cable)

Plug & Play
:
DDC: DDC 1/2B

Power
:
On / Working: 62 Watts (max)

Wall Mout
:
VESA®: VESA 100mm

Regulations
:
Emission Standard: TCO 99

Cabinet Color
:
Bezel Color: Silver

Dimensions
:
Physical (WxHxD): 17.0" x 17.2" x 7.8"
Packaging (WxHxD): 20.9" x 21.8" x 6.5"

Weight
:
Net (physical): 13.0 lbs.
Gross (packaging): 19.6 lbs.

Special Features
:
External TV tuner
S-Video
HDTV ready
PIP function
MagicBright

Multimedia Speakers
:
Attachable speakers (5 watts)

Included Items
:
Remote Controller
TV Tuner

Warranty

Parts / Labor / Backlight: 3/3/3

Compatible Computer Systems
:
PC / Windows
Macintosh
Sun Microsystems

Page 4 : Preliminary Evaluation

Right out of the box, the first thing I noticed was how much real estate this monitor has. I have been accustomed to using 15 and 17 LCDs all day long (which are larger than their CRT counterparts), but this is one of the first times I have seen a 19 LCD up close in person. That 19 will come in handy when you are watching it on TV mode from far away. The 1 silver bezel accented the screens appearance.

In the center is the power button, which emits a nice green glow when turned on. The power button will blink during power saving mode. To the left and right are the Volume Down and Volume Up buttons, respectively. To the top and bottom are the Channel Up and Channel Down buttons, respectively. The small white circle below it is the IR receiver for the remote. The 5 watt speakers are built in to either side and produce adequate volume output.

The black back of this monitor completes the two-tone appearance. Samsung has placed vents at the top so the monitor can breathe. I will mention right now that the monitor did get slightly toasty towards the top after several hours of non-stop use.

Pushing the FOLD button will collapse the support stand and allow you to lay the monitor flat on its back, which is useful during transport. The support stand will also allow several degrees of tilt in either direction.

One of the things this monitor has a lot of is connections. Starting from left to right: DC Power, DVI, VGA, 1/8 Audio in, Component in (Y, Pb, Pr), RCA Audio in (Left, Right), and finally Coax in. Most of these inputs are self explanatory except for the Audio in. You connect the included patch cable to the output of your soundcard and you can use the internal speakers on the monitor for playback.

On the left side of the monitor you will find even more connections. Starting from top to bottom: Headphone out, RCA Audio in (Right, Left), RCA Video in, and finally S-Video in. These inputs are for various devices such as a DVD player, VCR, Xbox, PlayStation 2, DSS receiver, or whatever else suits your fancy. The headphone out is useful if its late at night and you dont want to disturb your roommate by watching a little late-night TV.

On the right side of the monitor are various controls. They include an OSD (On Screen Display) menu button, a source selection button (to switch between PC and TV), and a PiP (Picture in Picture) button.

An unpublished feature of the 192MP is the ability to plug in multiple sources, such as your PC via DVI, your laptop via VGA, and a DVD player via S-Video, and then cycle through all of them by hitting the source button. There are numerous applications that this feature can come in handy for.

The sleek two-tone remote complimented the monitor. I found the buttons to be very responsive. All the functions that you find on the right side of the monitor you also find on the remote. One feature that I wasnt expecting was the Still button. Pressing it will freeze the current frame on TV and keep the audio playing through. It comes in handy when you want to catch a second glimpse of something on TV.

Page 5 : Testing

As soon as I made all the connections in the back, I fired this puppy up to see what it could do. The first thing I did was turn on the boob-tube. Much to my frustration, however, I couldnt receive past channel 10. After a quick email to Samsung, a technical support engineer said to try changing the signal mode. The 192MP came shipped with the signal mode set to Air by default, which is meant for receiving off-air signals. In order to decode the signals from my cable company, I had change the receive mode to STD (standard). Theres also HRC (harmonically related carrier) and IRC (incrementally related carrier) signal modes. You can either check with your cable company to see which signal they broadcast in or just try each one out and see which one works best.

This is the Menu option I was talking about above. On this screen you can also set it to auto program, which goes through all the channels automatically and adds the ones it finds to its roster. Also using the OSD you can change brightness and color saturation on the fly.

After getting the TV working, I could finally sit back and enjoy the view. Knowing the technical limitations of the NTSC signal, I wasnt expecting much in terms of TV quality from an LCD. However, from a distance, you can hardly notice the imperfections in the signal. You may wonder why TV looks better on a regular old CRT TV and its because a CRT TV is interpolated and only displays 480 lines of horizontal resolution. When you pump that same NTSC signal into a high definition LCD TV like the 192MP, the imperfections are exacerbated. LCDs are naturally deinterlaced and can display into the thousands of lines in terms of horizontal resolution. This is merely a technical limitation of the NTSC signal.

Nevertheless, there are always a few lucky readers out there who will be avoiding NTSC altogether and going straight to HDTV. In that case, be prepared to be astonished by the picture resolution. I have seen HDTV on an RPTV and I can only imagine that on a TFT like the 192MP it will be even better. The simplest way to receive off-air HDTV signals is to plug in a terrestrial antenna to the YPbPr inputs on the back of the monitor. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, you will immediately begin to receive HDTV signals right off the air from all the major TV networks.

For my next test, it was time to turn on my briefcase computer. I was impressed when my desktop loaded up in full 1280×1024 goodness. The picture was breathtakingly stunning. Text on webpages was crystal clear when using the DVI cable. It was hard to go back to my CRT screen after I was done all my tests.

The next feature came in handy when I didnt want to miss an important show on TV but still wanted to use my computer. Picture-in-Picture can increase your productivity by allowing TV (or any other external source for that matter) to be overlaid on top of your workspace. You also have the option of choosing its position (top, bottom, left, right) and if you want widescreen or standard aspect ratio.

Now for one of the favorite parts of my job playing video games. Here I loaded up a game of Need for Speed: Underground. There was definitely ghosting noticeable, but after awhile, your eye will get use to it and the game is just as enjoyable as it is on a CRT. I talked to Samsung about their thoughts on this and here was their response:

Next it was time to pop in Bad Boys II and see how good the quality was. The first thing I noticed was how dark some parts were (like below the bridge and underneath the trees in the scene above). However, it was nothing that a little MagicBright calibration couldnt fix. MagicBright is a proprietary Samsung technology that offers three separate brightness modes designed specifically for PC, Internet, and entertainment applications. Entertainment mode features the highest luminescence level out of the three, and selecting that in the Menu brought my picture quality back to normal.

Next in my battery of tests was to determine the viewing angle. Samsung states that the 192MP has a viewing angle of 170 degrees, and judging by the picture above, theres no reason to doubt them. I couldnt find a single angle that this screen wasnt viewable from. I attribute this to Samsungs Patterned Vertical Alignment (PVA) technology, which is the latest advancement in liquid crystal cell structure for improved viewing.

My last test (and one that readers look for the most) is the dead pixel test. I am happy to report I only found two dead pixels, one of which I show above on my desktop. I only noticed them when I went looking for them, so during everyday use you wont realize they are there at all.

Page 6 : Conclusion

The 192MP further perpetuates the SyncMaster heritage of excellence, quality, and functionality. Whether it was surfing the Internet or watching TV, the 192MP excelled at every application I threw at it. The ability to accept inputs from virtually anything makes the 192MP a true multimedia powerhouse. I have no apprehensions giving the 192MP our highest accolade, the prestigious
Overclockers Online POWER Award
.

Advantages:

- Aesthetically pleasing appearance
- Powerful OSD
- Stylish remote
- HDTV capable
- Numerous inputs
- Picture-in-Picture capability
- Built-in TV Tuner

Disadvantages:

– Pixel response time could be better
– No VESA mount or DVI cable included in package

Thanks to Michael at Samsung Electronics for making this review possible.