One of the first things that can be a bit daunting with a large monitor of the 19" variety is simply getting it out of the box. The easiest way we've found to do this, and something we always suggest is to remove the monitor by tipping the box over first. So long as you have sufficient space to do this, it's a lot safe then trying to yank out the monitor, and there is no chance of dropping it.

As always, the little plastic swivel base is attached next. In the case of the 95P, simply slide it into place until it clicks. The base not only supports the giant screen but allows you to swivel and adjust the orientation of the screen to suite your taste and viewing angles.

Resolution and picture quality with this monitor is first rate. We increased resolution past the max value of 1600x1200 to 1920x1440 and the picture was clear and fairly crisp, but also unstable. With the monitor back down to its maximum listed resolution of 1600x1200 we turned up the brightness and contrast all the way to see what impact this had on picture quality. We've seen some monitors crap-out when the brightness and contrast are maxed out. So much so that the masking behind the glass becomes visible. Obviously the Samtron 95P didn't have these problems. Colour quality and pixel definition remained sharp, and although there are only three pre-set colour temperatures the range is fully adequate. A temperature of about 6500K looked to be the optimal setting as it was not too warm, and not overly cold.

Colour temperature is specified in Kelvins, with 9300K representing the temperature of sunlight. The lower the number, the more blue is displayed.

The Samtron 95P operates at a conservative number of resolution and frequency settings. However there is sufficient selection on the 1000pix plus side. A CRT monitor refreshes the display many times per second. The vertical frequency is the defining value as it refers to the frequency with which the display is refreshed. Hence it is called the 'Refresh Rate' and measured in Herz. Making a comparison for a moment electricity from the wall cycles at 60Hz for most of the world. If a monitor were set to this refresh rate the screen would visibly flicker. Generally a refresh rate of 75Hz or above is used to reduce noticeable flicker. What this equates to is a higher refresh rate is best, and anything around 80Hz is superb.

The horizontal frequency refers to the rate at which a horizontal line can be scanned from its left to right end. The horizontal frequency is the reciprocal of the horizontal cycle and is in measured in KHz. A higher horizontal frequency is naturally required if there is to a higher vertical frequency.

The various resolutions of the 95P are listed below: