A colleague
recently parted ways with a trusty 19" CRT monitor he'd been using for
years, and went in search of a new 17" LCD display. He's notoriously dirt
cheap when it comes to computer gear, which is good because LCD displays
have never been more affordable, and CRTs never more
scarce!
The Samsung Syncmaster 743B LCD/TFT monitor PCSTATS is
checking out in this review is clearly oriented towards individuals on
a budget who aren't willing to skimp on picture quality. The Syncmaster 743B retails for
about $260 CDN ($260USD / £130 GBP), which is a
little high compared to the 19"
Syncmaster 943B from this family, and comes with nothing
that isn't necessary. There are a lot of no-name 17" LCDs out there at rock
bottom prices, but unlike CRT monitors there's more to comparing flat screen
display's than screen size alone. The devils are in the specs, as
they say.
The Samsung
Syncmaster 743B offers users a 17" screen with a native resolution of 1280x1024
pixels. The screen has an anti-reflective non-glossy coating, 5ms G-to-G pixel
refresh time, and nominal pixel pitch of 0.264mm. Cold Cathode Florescent Light
(CCFL) back lights maintain a brightness rating of 300 cd/m2, and a contrast
ratio of 1000:1 scales with software to a dynamic contrast ratio of 7000:1 in
certain situations. Samsung's 743B monitor boasts pretty average viewing
angles of 170° horizontal / 160° vertical.
For the
mainstream market the Samsung 743B falls into this is good, if you ever see a
display with viewing angles in the 140/150 degree range, just keep walking.Viewing angles are one of
those key criteria I always look for when checking out LCD displays,
and the best you can hope for is 178/178 degrees horizontal/vertical.
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Samsung Syncmaster 743B 17" LCD Display |
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SPECIFICATIONS:
Screen
size: 17"
Brightness: 300
cd/m2
Contrast Ratio:
1000:1
(Dynamic Contrast Ratio:
7000:1)
Viewing Angle:
170°/160°
Interface: DVI-I,
Analog
Resolution:
1280x1024
Pixel Pitch:
0.264mm
Response Time: 5ms
(G-to-G)
Power Draw:
30W
Dimensions: 14.5x12.1x2.6"
VESA Mount:
75x75mm |
VIDEO/MEDIA:
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
HDCP: No
Video:
No
Audio:
No
USB2.0 Ports: No
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Includes:
Quick start guide, DVI and Analog video cable, AC
power cable, driver/manual CD.
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Of all the specs, the 1000:1
contrast ratio and 300cd/m2 brightness are code for velvety black backgrounds and suitably vibrant
colours. For a desktop LCD display, that's exactly what you want.
This 17" Syncmaster 743B draws a moderate 30W power when
on, and less than 1W in standby mode. The
monitor has no USB ports, but comes with a manual on the CD, DVI and Analog video cables,
and power cord. Samsung's 743B monitor is Microsoft Vista and Apple Mac compatible. To
curb potential theft the Syncmaster 743B incorporates a Kensington lock receptacle.
Encased in a black chassis with narrow bezels,
the Syncmaster 743B offers 80mm of vertical height adjustment, 30° of panel tilt, 360° of swivel
and a LCD panel that rotates 90° for quick landscape-to-portrait viewing. It's support
stand is removeable, facilitating 75mm VESA arm mounting as desired.
Buttonless Control Panel
Like most analog/DVI monitors, the Samsung
743B has a manual control panel where users can select video source,
configure the screen, and adjust brightness and contrast values. The
control panel is unlike any we've seen because it's buttonless.
It features a touch sensitive panel that takes a little getting used to,
and in darker environments it can be a little frustrating for OSD menu navigation. The icons are embossed
in a dark gray paint, and we continually pressed the wrong button, or
strayed too far over to one side and activated the next button.
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There are six control buttons on the face of the
Syncmaster 743B display. Adjacent to the power button is a blue
LED to
indicate panel status. The
buttons are touch sensitive, yet unfortunately there are no haptic indicators to guide your finger
to the correct spot. |
We should also mention that the
control panel only responds to a fingers' touch. If you're disabled and use an
artificial arm prosthetic, the "buttons" will not respond to that object.
The all-black bezel is 13mm wide,
and user controls consist of six keys. A broad array of user adjustments is possible
through the OSD.
A blue LED at the far right of
the
screen indicates power status, but the power button itself is located a half-inch to the left! Now
that we've covered the basic specs, let's go in for a closer look at this
17" LCD display...
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