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Samsung 910MP & 730B


Date
: 05/24/05 – 06:21:43 PM

Author
:

Category
: Monitors

Page 1 : Introduction

Manufacturer
: Samsung

It has been two months since we last looked at a display product, and that was on the Samsungs 711t. As many of us know, Samsung is one of the world leaders when it comes to display technology. They have consistently produced quality products that have gained them award after award. The technology behind LCDs has gradually improved with the manufacturing process, getting better everyday. The end result is that the picture is getting better and the prices are getting lower; the perfect combination for end users like you and I who go out and buy them.

Never before has Overclockers Online attempted to compare two monitors in a single article, and as a matter of fact, this one article doubles the number of previous LCDs we've looked at! However, as we strive to bring you the absolute best in reviews, it is only natural for us to cover a broader range of products. So without any further ado, I present our first take on the Samsung 910MP and Samsung 730B!

Page 2 : 910MP Packaging

The 910MP arrived directly from Samsung Canada and its packaging was obviously much larger than the 730B. The local UPS driver dropped off all my packages and delivered them with great care. There were only minor facial damages to the box; by minor I mean there was a slight indentation.

The box is sealed with clear tape with the Samsung logo printed all over it. On the flaps are a picture of the monitor and some of the specifications. The lower right corner indicates that this monitor doubles as an LCD TV monitor. If you recall Jordan Inselberg's debut article at O², this feature was part of the Samsung 192MP, and so the 910MP is pretty much a newer version of what Jordan looked at. We'll see later on what the 910MP has that makes it different from the 192MP and other LCD monitors on the market.

Looking back at the packaging, the box comes fitted with a nice carrying handle.

A sticker on that face gives you some basic information about the model. Clearly noted is the 3 year warranty Samsung offers.

On another side of the box, we get another taste of the specifications.

Opening up the box, we see Samsung has made good use of the packaging. They tucked away all the accessories between the Styrofoam and made sure the LCD screen was isolated.

As we start to pull everything out, we see the package includes a brief setup guide, a package containing the driver, manual and warranty information, a remote control, 3.5mm audio cable, a power cord and a D-Sub connector. Nothing fancy, just the necessities.

Here's a closer shot of some of the things included:

Inside the power cord packaging is a tiny connector that you can install on the back of the monitor. As we get into more details later on, I'll explain to you what this little gadget does – or maybe you already know.

Since this monitor doubles as a TV, it is only proper that a remote control be provided.

For those wondering, batteries are provided as well.

Now that we've removed all the accessories from the box, we are able to remove the Styrofoam padding and pull out the LCD. This monitor is wrapped in a padded plastic bag to prevent anything from scratching the screen.

I'll keep you in a bit of suspense as I'm going to jump to the 730B packaging and I'll show you the rest of the monitor and how it works in a few pages.

Page 3 : 730B Packaging

Much like the 930MP, the 730B arrived in a very similar box; only smaller.

The same type of information is printed on the sides. The top of the box sports a picture of the monitor and some specs.

It has the same kind of handle and the sticker displays very similar information.

Once you've seen one Samsung package, other than the written details, they all look the same.

What this translates to is, if you're at your local retailer, be sure you inspect the box prior to checking out…even if the box is located in a shelf below a display model.

Once we cut open the box and open the flaps, we see a number of things packaged on top.

Going with the idea of isolating the screen, the top of the box has a D-Sub connector (no DVI connector is provided despite the monitors support for it), a power cord and a package with the manual, driver and warranty info.

The last item on top of all the Styrofoam is the base of the monitor.

Samsung even takes the time to wrap the base in foam to prevent any scratches.

We'll pull out the monitor and lay it on the table for you to see. Again, the same padding is provided to prevent any scratches on the screen.

We'll now skip over to the features and specifications of each monitor. You'll have to wait a little longer before you see how everything is put together and how it all looks.

Page 4 : 910MP Specifications and Features

Here are the specifications of the 910MP taken from Samsung's website:

Here's what Samsung lists as the special features for this monitor:

Page 5 : 730B Specifications and Features

Here are the specifications and features of the 730B:

Page 6 : 910MP Assembly

Monitor assembly is of no challenge. The 910MP is essentially complete, all the end user is required to do is connect a few cables and flip the stand up 90 degrees so it can be set on the table.

The back of the monitor can be mounted to the wall, as it is VESA 100mm compatible. Unfortunately, the tools required for this are not bundled with the 910MP.

If we lean back a tiny bit, it becomes clear where we must plug in all the cables.

To stand the monitor upright, Samsung suggests you place it such that the circular base is at the end of a table. Placing one hand on the backside of the monitor, hold the unit down as you use your free hand to rotate the base 90 degrees. The hinge is fairly stiff, a good thing since you wouldn't want the unit to collapse as you watched your favourite show.

Now that we've got the monitor upright, we can take a look at the body and see what we have.

On the top right corner, we see a few of the features that this monitor supports.

We can see that this monitor doubles as a LCD TV. In addition, it has the lastest MagicSpeed (version 2), an 8ms response time (great for gamers), Magic Tuner (built in TV tuner to live up to the name of being multi-purpose), PIP (picture in picture…now I can do my homework and watch TV on the same screen…..or is that watch TV and do my homework in PIP? :D), Dolby Digital surround sound and last but not least, integrated speakers that create Virtual Dolby and BBE.

In the far left corner, we see the model name.

We'll now devote our attention to the bottom end of this monitor and we'll leave the screen for the very end.

Just below the screen is the classic Samsung logo embedded in the middle.

To the far left we see the logo for Virtual Dolby Digital Surround and BBE Digital.

The bottom two inches or so of the monitor are dedicated to the speakers. These are rated for 3 watts – not all that much, but not bad for built in. We'll see how these little tweeters perform in a bit.

Below the speakers are a set of buttons. Your options include changing the source, enabling PIP, activating the menu, channel up, channel down, volume up, volume down, "enter" and power. The transparent tab is not a button; it merely shows you whether or not the unit is powered on.

Here are some close-ups of the buttons:

The very base of the LCD TV Monitor isn't all that special, just a stamped in logo.

Here's the screen….

Using my trusty ruler, the dimensions of the display area are 15" wide and 12" high.

Once the monitor is setup, the only motion you are allowed is tilting the monitor back by a maximum of 20 degrees.

The circular base allows you to swivel the monitor in any angle you want while maintaining full stability. It is recommended that more than 50% of the base remains on the table to ensure proper support.

With this section over, let's move onto the 730B.

Page 7 : 730B Assembly

We left off in the packaging section by taking everything out and carefully setting it aside. To start the assembly, we removed the protective covering from the base that reveals the setup instructions.

The instruction leaflet tells you to place the base over the two latches of the screen and lock it in place by tightening a screw.

Here is what it looks like when the base and the monitor are connected and secured:

With the two pieces connected, we can down tilt the monitor upright and stand it on the base. But first, we're going to backtrack a bit and show you all the connectors. Samsung actually suggests you plug in all the connectors before attaching the base to the monitor.

The backside of the monitor is partially removable. You can pull a plastic covering that reveals all the inputs.

The left input is simply the power. Just to mention it again, Samsung has a built-in power converter to eliminate any need for a power brick.

The right input is for your D-Sub and DVI. It's unfortunate that Samsung does not package a DVI cable for you.

Here's how it looks with the power cord plugged in and a D-Sub connector secured.

Once we put the plastic cover back on, you wouldn't even know the connectors were there were it not for the dangling cables.

The very back of the monitor also supports VESA 75mm. There is no equipment provided to take advantage of this feature.

Once we flip the monitor over we get a good view of all the buttons.

Unlike some of the other Samsung models, these buttons are more on the underside and are an easy push. They also make a slight clicking sound when you press them.

A closer look at the buttons and the Samsung logo…

Now that we have all that out of the way, we'll jump to the top edge of the monitor before taking a look at the screen.

On the upper left corner are the model name and number.

The other corner has a little sticker showing the emissions standard.

Just below the sticker and going across the cover is a label showing some of the features. It's very similar to the one attached to the 910MP, though this one differs a tiny bit since it is not a LCD TV monitor.

With everything covered, we can step back and marvel at the beauty of the monitor as a whole.

There she is….so simple and so sleek.

The 730B has a hinged section allowing for tilting of the screen.

This monitor has about the same degree of freedom as the 910MP.

Page 8 : 910 MP – Additional Features

One of the key selling features in the 910MP is the built-in TV Tuner. Simply connect your standard coaxial cable for TV to the converter and plug it into the Antenna jack.

Once that's complete, you're essentially 99% done and all that's left is turning on your monitor. If the computer is off, the 910MP will automatically switch to an LCD TV. You may need to select the proper signal to ensure you receive all your channels.

The display wasn't too terrible, it was somewhat pixilated, but when I moved back it was no longer noticeable. TBS was airing The Matrix, so I took some screen shots using my camera. I had disabled the flash in order to show the entire picture and not just a white spot on the screen.

The pictures actually show a slightly darker image than what appeared on screen.

One of the beauties with this monitor is Picture-in-Picture. Next time you have your report to type up and your favourite TV show is on, you can thank PIP for allowing you to focus on your work while keeping up with your show.

PIP can be displayed in eight different ways. There are two variations on size and 4 different screen locations.

The larger version of PIP takes up less than a quarter of your screen.

The small version of PIP is about two-thirds the size of the larger one.

Picture in Picture provided a much clearer picture than what full screen provided. The reason behind this is that the image does not have to be stretched.

A quick note on the speakers: they're decent and not too terrible for your show. With 3 watt speakers, it's a bit better than some competitors that use crappy 1 watt-ers. If you have a full set of speakers, you're probably better off using those ones through the provided 3.5mm audio cable.

This section sums up the one feature that the 730B does not have. We'll now take a look at the two monitors and compare head to head.

Page 9 : Evaluation

Here's a quick rundown of what my machine is composed of:

The monitors we'll be looking at:

One of the primary selling features of both monitors is the 8ms response time, and this section we'll be focusing in out how well the monitors perform when watching videos, playing games and viewing text. We'll also do a quick search for dead pixels at the end of this.

Before we begin, we'll take a quick little peak at the OSD (On Screen Display). This menu controls the properties of the monitor.

OSD

910MP

The OSD for the 910MP has a few more features than the 730B, this is due to the addition of the TV Tuner.

You'll probably spend most of your time at the menu below as you fine tune your preferences.

If you're an avid TV viewer, don't neglect this section as you may need to change some of the settings for your TV signal.

730B OSD

As I said before, the OSD is pretty common so we'll just whip through this section so we can get to the good stuff.

The first six pictures are the standard options.

These last two pictures show the quick menu for switching between different display modes.

Now with that over, we'll focus in on how well the monitors perform. We'll start this by playing some movie trailers.

Video Tests

To test out the video output of the monitors (set on entertain mode), I went to the iTunes website and got 2 different trailers: Cars, by Pixar, and Batman Begins, by Warner Brothers. These two trailers come in full size display and are essentially the opposite of each other. Cars has a variety of colors and very clear distinctions between them as well as intentional streaking effects when the race cars zip by on the track. Batman Begins is a darker movie with the primary colors of black, white and the occasional mix of red and orange for explosions. It's very fast paced and has a number of fine details. In short, both of the monitors played the trailers without any issues. I've taken several hundred pictures with my camera and tripod and selected a few of them below.

Cars on the Samsung 910MP

This Pixar movie played without any problems; the colors were clear and distinct. There were no problems with the transitions between scenes and no ghosting when cars streaked by.

The texture of the cars appeared clearly and had a natural feel. The body of cars shone as you would expect when exposed to sunlight and the texture of the car tires were smooth as they should be for racing wheels.

All in all, no complaints with this video.

Cars on the Samsung 730B

Jumping to the 710B, there are no problems with this video either…these two monitors do have very similar specifications.

Nothing special to really report, the slight blurring is a result of the camera trying to focus on the monitor and not to do with the display. I assure you that the quality of display on both of these monitors have been outstanding.

Batman Begins on the Samsung 910MP

Batman is to be released soon, and after seeing this trailer, I'll probably be watching it shortly after its release. This fast paced movie was a breeze for both of the monitors. Ghosting was not a problem as we see Batman come crashing down from the ceiling.

Looking at pictures of combat, we can pick up the slightest details on the monitor, such as the tiny hairs on ones arm sticking up.

Even during scene transitions, which I was able to capture with my camera, things are picture perfect as we see Katie Holmes sitting in the train in which the next scene captures the train zipping by in Gotham.

The most shocking thing has nothing to do with the monitor but what I think is the new Batmobile.

It looks like a military tank ready to take on the desert. While this puppy is in motion, it's simply a juggernaut. This action packed movie looked lovely on the 910MP and all the special effects came out very nicely without any pixilation or blurring.

Batman Begins on the Samsung 730B

With the 910MP setting the stakes so high, the 730 does not disappoint. Like the performance of the 910MP, Batman can still make a thundering entrance that pleases the audience.

The same picture of Katie Holmes, but split seconds before the scene transitions to a train. The picture is slightly blurry as I accidentally moved the camera.

Here's the same picture of the Batmobile as before.

As it takes off into the night sky, we'll depart from this section of the review and move onto what many do on their computer – play video games.

Games

We'll be checking out the performance of this monitor by playing Sierra's SWAT 4.

SWAT 4 on the Samsung 910MP

In a game where tactics and accuracies are crucial, a monitor that can keep up with the action is imperative. You don't want to be shooting at a ghost, nor do you want to shoot at a hostage because everything was too dark. By using the 910MP, there were no problems in scouting out even the darkest corners of a room.

The details, controlled by your system specifications, appeared quite nicely on my monitor. Even though I was running the game at the non-native resolution, I was operating at 1024*768, and it didn't look very distorted. If I was armed with an X850XT or a pair of 6600s then the 1280*1024 would have looked lifelike!

SWAT 4 on the Samsung 730B

With the 17" monitor, everything seems a tad clearer.

If the splash screen is an indication of how the rest of the game will play, we can expect top notch quality from Samsung.

Samsung does not disappoint! I found the quality a tiny bit better since the resolution isn't spaced another 2".

Similar to the 910MP, there were no signs of ghosting. At 8ms, you'd have to have a very trained eye to point out ghosting effects.

Text

To display text, there are two factory settings you can use: Text and Internet. The primary difference between these two settings are the brightness and contrast. I personally favoured the Text setting as it was slightly darker and the 300cd/m² was fairly bright when staring at a blank screen, especially something like an empty document in MS Word.

Text on the Samsung 910MP

Taking a very close up picture of Overclockers Online's Featured Article, we are able to distinctly see the pixels.

There were no deviations and we can see the slightest details between the letters…

Text on the Samsung 730B

It's almost impossible to see the difference between the two monitors up close. I changed the setting on the 730B to Internet and you can see the picture turned out to be a tad brighter.

The same high level of detail is apparent on the screen.

So far both monitors are performing amazingly and have yet to disappoint me, but with two topics left to cover, let's see if these monitors will end on a high note.

Viewing Angle

Much to my disappointment, both of these monitors are only rated for 160/160 degrees. I was hoping that the 17" would be 178/178 as seen in some of Samsung's other products. Regardless, both monitors perform quite well when it comes to viewing the display from an angle.

910MP

As we approach closer and closer to being on the same plane as the monitor, the 910MP puts up a good fight in being completely readable.

From this angle, the colors begin to blend and it's much harder (impossible) to read anything. Since there's no real reason why you'd be in such a bizarre angle staring at the monitor, it's safe to say that we won't have to worry about this very much.

730B

As I mentioned earlier, both of these monitors have the same specifications when it comes to the viewing angle.

Indeed its true, both of these monitors exhibit the same blending of colors as we exceed 160 degrees, 80 degrees from perpendicular.

Dead Pixels

The last topic to cover are dead pixels. This is a huge concern for buyers as a stuck pixel in the middle of your screen would be extremely annoying. With technology advancing and the method of manufacturing improving, LCDs are being made with fewer dead pixels. While I spent some time staring at the monitors, I couldn't find anything. Some great work on the behalf of Samsung.

Page 10 : Conclusion

After a countless number of pictures, we've finally reached the end. If there's anything to reflect upon, it's that dual display is simply amazing. It has made my work a hell of a lot easier! With one monitor setup for work and the other one for TV, I've turned my desk into a complete entertainment complex!

Given that most people won't have 2 LCDs dedicated for one computer, we'll dedicate our attention to each monitor on its own. The 730B was a great monitor. I found the smaller screen more favourable when I was playing SWAT 4, but your preferences may be different. This doesn't mean I didn't like the 910MP for gaming as it will give CRTs a good run for their money. Given the size advantage these LCDs have over CRTs and the advancing of various display technologies, the CRT days are numbered.

With both monitors having VESA mounting capabilities, it'll be really nice if you're the kind of person that wants to mount the monitors on the wall and use them as a display or computerized art. The DVI input was also a very nice touch and a shame that the 910MP doesn't come with it. Switching in between DVI and D-Sub, I wasn't able to pinpoint any difference. In addition, the 910MP compensates for the lack of DVI by featuring a few extras, primarily the built in TV-Tuner and speakers. With this extra bundle and its quality performance, the 910MP has earned itself my approval –
Overclockers Online Editor's Choice
.

910MP

Advantages

19" of goodness
Fast response time
TV-Tuner Setup

Disadvantages

No HDTV
No DVI

730B

Advantages

Fast response time
Superior picture for games
DVI Supported

Disadvantages

Not many additional features other than being a monitor
19" (930B) screen size is superior for work

Overclockers Online would like to thank Samsung Canada for making this review possible.