Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus Review
The other day I went to Future Shop and around the area where there were demo units on LCD displays, and there were many people looking at them. TFT LCD Flat panels have come a long way and now is quickly becoming the standard. Everyone knows about them! Everyone has a basic idea of the improvements and benefits of having one. Well not all LCD monitors are created equal. Samsung has a wide array of LCD monitors and we are looking today at the Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus.
The Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus arrived in good condition the second time around because the first unit got pounded via UPS creating problems. Anyhow, the design of the box is as before when we reviewed the 172W. It’s slim and has a handle to carry it around with ease. The box was a bit heavy weighing in at 19 pounds. The monitor itself weighs in at a bit less than that. When you unpack the Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus, it is very unique. The stand can be folded out and you notice that the stand can swivel around.
Specifications
- Size: 19.0 inch diagonal
- Display area: 376.32mm (H) x 301.056mm (V)
- Pixel Pitch: 0.294mm (H) x 0.294mm (V)
- Pixel Response Time: 25ms
- Contrast Ratio: ~700:1
- Brightness: 250cd/m2
- Type: a-si TFT active matrix
- Viewing Angle: 170°(H) / 170°(V)
- Display Color:16,194,277
- Resolution: Optimum resolution 1280 x 1024@60Hz, Maximum resolution 1280 x 1024@75Hz
- Input Signal, Terminated: RGB Analog , DVI Compliant Digital RGB.
- Maximum Pixel Clock: 140 MHz
- Power Supply: AC 90 ~ 264 VAC rms, 60/50 Hz ± 3Hz
- Signal Cable: 15pin-to-15pin D-sub cable, detachable, DVI-D to DVI-D connector, detachable
- Power Consumption: Less than 42W
- Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight: 416.3 x 207.0 x 411.7 mm / 6.15kg, 416.3 x 57.9 x 342.0 mm (Without Stand)
- VESA Mounting Interface: 100mm x 100mm (for use with Specialty (Arm) Mounting hardware.)
As you can see, the maximum resolution the Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus can handle is 1280x1024 @ 75Hz and that the monitor has a dot pitch of .29 which is moderate but is a bit high for a TFT and for my liking. One thing to note is the response time of 25ms and the pixel clock speed of 140MHz. The pixel clock speed determines how fast the video frequency can go at and sometimes the lower it is, the more you can see the monitor is holding back.
The stand is retractable and allows the Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus to osculate up and down. Underneath the stand is the swivel base, which allows you to turn the monitor, left of right. The stand is of high quality and is very stable.
You notice that the Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus has the VGA outputs of the 15-pin analog and digital signal pre-connected so you can save time and use the monitor right away. Another unique feature is that the monitor can tilt and you can view it in the wide screen format or vertically. This is very cool and useful.
The
Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus comes with the monitor itself, Pivot Pro
Software, the manual, and a power cable.
Software – The Pivot Pro software that the Samsung SyncMaster
191T Plus comes with is the program that you use to rotate the screen
so you can view the screen properly when on wide screen or vertically.
It is easy to use and has instructions on how to do so.
Using it
Powering up the Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus takes about four seconds as it switches to see which signal you are using. The Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus basically features all the features of the 172W such as Magic Bright, Auto Mode and much more. The options menu is easy to move around and adds some new functions that enhance the look of the screen to your liking.
Performance
The Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus is good at viewing text and regular business related things. Text and color was spot on and easy to read and view. DVD viewing was good but exhibited ghosting in fast scenes and it could get really annoying.
The Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus suffers from a major problem. You guessed it…Ghosting. Throughout playing games like NFS, the ghosting is clearly present and distracts me from the game. This is partially due to the 25ms response time and slow pixel clock speed frequency. Playing games shows that the Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus falters out of control in some cases. When I started playing Max Payne 2, I got dizzy quickly and just didn’t use the monitor anymore. It even shows if you scroll quickly on text related websites. However, regular typing and reading are fine to do on this monitor.
Conclusion
The Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus is an average monitor which suffers from ghosting. However since this is my opinion (everyone has different eyes), I suggest taking a look to see if it fits you before purchasing. It is good for office or business type things but the ghosting prevents it from being a gaming and sometimes entertainment-viewing monitor. The performance to price ratio isn’t there either. I cannot recommend it based on my experience.
I rate the Samsung SyncMaster 191T Plus a…
7.5/10!
Pros and Cons
+
Stand is strong
+ Two viewing styles
+ Nice features
- Ghosting
- Ghosting is distracting
- Price to performance ratio
