Not everyone needs an LCD monitor is that is chocked full of additional features. You may not need to have a set of integrated speakers. Maybe you don’t want to have a USB hub or a wide range of input/output options. You just want something that looks slick and does its job well. If that’s the case, then the Samsung P2370 just might be the ticket.
This is quite possibly the slimmest LCD as part of Samsung’s lineup, if not among the slimmest LCDs on the market today. The SyncMaster P2370 is a 23-inch widescreen monitor and the display portion measures just 30mm in thickness. That’s pretty darn thin.
Features and Specs
In line with the current trend toward multimedia-minded products, the Samsung P2370 features a 16:9 aspect ratio (like an HDTV) rather than the 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio that we’ve come to expect from computer monitors. Going through the rest of the feature list, we discover the following:
* Screen Size: 23-inch wide (16:9)
* Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
* Brightness: 250 cd/m²
* Contrast Ratio: DC 50000:1 (1000:1 Typ)
* Viewing Angle(Horizontal/Vertical): 170° / 160° (CR>10)
* Dimensions (with Stand): 571.0 x 423.0 x 190.0 mm
* Special Features: MagicBright3, Off timer, Image Size Colour Effect, Customised key, MagicWizard & MagicTune with AssetManagement, Windows Vista Premium, Safe Mode (DownScaling in UXGA)
Inside the brown cardboard box, you’ll find the P2370 itself, as well as the glossy piano black stand, DVI cable, VGA-to-DVI cable, power supply and cable, a cleaning cloth, and instruction manual. This is all pretty standard fare, for the most part, though it is interesting that this monitor has an external power supply rather than one that is built into the unit itself. This aids in maintaining its slim and lightweight nature, I suppose, but it means that you’ll have another power brick on your desk or on the floor.
When you take the rote of producing one of the thinnest LCDs on the market, you have to expect that certain sacrifices will have to be made. As I mentioned earlier, the Samsung P2370 doesn’t have the same bells and whistles that you may expect from other monitors. There are no built-in speakers, USB hubs, or any of that jazz. You get a thin monitor and that’s about it.
The slim pickings, so to speak, extend to the back of the monitor as well. You’ll notice that Samsung has decided on DVI as the only input method. You probably won’t be using a VGA connection, but it would have been nice to see HDMI support perhaps. This is meant to be a 16:9 multimedia monitor, after all.
You see, the goal is that the P2370 can take up as little space as possible, fitting on the smallest of desks without taking up too much room. That’s priority number one for this product. At least you get a true HD picture.
Say Hello to Starlight Touch
One thing that you have to hand to Samsung is that they know how to produce some rather stylish-looking products. The glossy piano black finish of their monitors (and HDTVs) has become quite the signature look, as well as the “Touch of Color” approach for a dual-layered finish.
Further to this sense of style and fashion is the inclusion of Starlight Touch. Rather than using physical buttons to adjust the contrast and navigate through the sleek on-screen menu interface, you are provided with a series of touch-sensitive controls that are embedded in the glossy bezel. These light up as needed, disappearing behind the bezel when no longer in use.
The responsiveness of these controls isn’t quite as good as physical buttons, but this is all about having a sense of style, right? They work — don’t get me wrong — but I may have been more partial to physical buttons along the side edge. But that’s just me.
So, how does the Samsung P2370 LCD stack up in terms of performance? Compared to other widescreen LCD monitors, I’d say that it’s somewhere in the middle of the road. It’s nowhere near being among the top-tier monitors on the market, but it’s a definite step up from the bargain basement screens you may find too.
Color reproduction is solid, but some of the contrast can appear to be washed out at times. With some time fumbling around in the options and setting just the right configuration may be able to overcome these concerns. You’ll have to adjust the settings to best suit your particular environment.
The text is crisp and, if you want to dial it up, the highest brightness setting will have no trouble dealing with direct sunlight and other sources of light that may compete with your usability. In watching a handful of videos and playing a couple of games, I didn’t notice anything notable in terms of motion blurring or dropped frames, though hardcore PC gamers may see otherwise.
Conclusion
The Samsung SyncMaster P2370 23-inch widescreen LCD monitor approaches a very specific segment of the market. If you’re a part of the demographic that wants a high-performing monitor with all sorts of extra features, this is not the monitor for you. If you want more than one connection option, you should look elsewhere since this will only do DVI (without additional adapters).
If you find that you have limited desktop space and you want a super slim monitor that’ll still offer a more than adequate viewing experience, however, the P2370 could be just the ticket. The 16:9 aspect ratio makes it great for movie-watching and the performance is perfectly acceptable for most users.
Oh, and it’s slim. So slim.
The Good
* Super stylish monitor with Touch of Color
* Very slim profile fits on most desks
* Starlight Touch controls look great
* 16:9 aspect ratio
The Bad
* Only DVI input accepted (without adapters)
* External power supply makes for yet another power brick
* Vertical viewing angles could be improved
* No extra features like speakers or USB ports
Taken from TheTechZone.com
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