New monitor time...

Whoey · **on:** September 14, 2012, 07:28:55 PM

So about 5 years ago I bought my Samsung SyncMaster 226BW (22inch widescreen) and it's been serving me loyally up until about a week ago, it started flickering when I powered it on after it had been off for a long period (it doesn't do this when it's a short period) and some quick googling turned up a known issue with 3 of the capacitors in the power supply board. It's a very straightforward repair to me even with my limited electronics gear (oh to be back at my old job at an electronics manufacturer with all sorts of nice toys at my disposal!) and I should be able to order the parts for under 10euros delivered. While I plan to try and repair my monitor, I am thinking perhaps now is a good time to order myself a newer larger monitor, so I'm looking at a Samsung SyncMaster S24A350H (24inch LED widescreen) as I've seen an offer for ~160eur...

The plan would be to replace mine, then attempt the fix, if it works my wife inherits it to replace her Samsung SyncMaster 940NW (19inch widescreen) which then becomes my second screen! You get the feeling I really like Samsung... yet our TV is a Panasonic!

New_World · **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2012, 07:35:12 PM

I've got a yamakasi catleap 27" IPS pannel
(pannel is made by LG and its the same panel used in the apple thunderbold display... which apple sells for $1000..yikes!)

Love my monitor.

Whoey · **Reply #2 on:** September 14, 2012, 07:39:28 PM

I think 27 is out of my price range... and it would be obscenely large at this distance...

dks · **Reply #3 on:** September 14, 2012, 07:41:53 PM

Wise words, from me..

: The bigger the screen the further away you need to sit from it to see all of it.

Do not go too big.

Whoey · **Reply #4 on:** September 14, 2012, 07:46:43 PM

I'm not unhappy with my 22, but little more screen space would be nice, also the full HD 1920x1080 vs my current 1680x1050 resolution sounds tasty... oh and the 24 is marked down from 200 to 160eur...

Whoey · **Reply #5 on:** September 14, 2012, 09:17:30 PM

and now I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger on this when I first saw it... the monitor has VGA and HDMI connectors but no DVI... and my video card is DVI only... yes, I know there are VGA adapters but the image quality really isn't the same as DVI (this monitor has both DVI and VGA and I have tried them both) back to drawing board...

Steinar · **Reply #6 on:** September 14, 2012, 10:08:01 PM

I thought I wouldn't notice any difference in the picture quality between DVI and VGA before I tested it. Now I never use VGA if I can avoid it at all....

GNandGS · **Reply #7 on:** September 15, 2012, 04:35:53 AM

Im using TWO of the S24A350H units. One on HDMI the other on DisplayPort (DP) via adaptor to VGA. Yes, VGA.

Side by side there is a difference in default color settings but since you would be doing a calibration anyway this is not an issue. Both look great, no real diff.

Grabbed the VGA cable while typing and moved it from the DP/VGA port on laptop and moved it to the dedicated VGA port and it <drumroll> looks the same quality. Minor diff in color/contrast but no calibration done so this is expected.

I'm using a laptop that has 3 video out ports if the above doesn't make sense.

In summary, there is no issue. Or shouldn't be. Do the CALIBRATION! It makes a diff. Most windows versions have calibration utility and Win7 being about the easiest. No need for 3rd party unless doing graphic design etc... but if that were the case you wouldn't be asking in this forum

Xtra note: S24A350H has limited vertical tilt but DOES have a cool video angle feature that keeps color distortion down. Handy if you find yourself sitting/standing and different angles during the day or have folks looking over your shoulder.

New_World · **Reply #8 on:** September 15, 2012, 06:22:07 AM

Quote from: Whoey on September 14, 2012, 07:39:28 PM

I think 27 is out of my price range... and it would be obscenely large at this distance...

I thought it was big at 1st....now I think all monitors are too small.

plus its got a sweet speaker system with it and a couple remotes.
an awesome HTPC!

Whoey · **Reply #9 on:** September 15, 2012, 10:48:27 AM

Quote from: GNandGS on September 15, 2012, 04:35:53 AM

Im using TWO of the S24A350H units. One on HDMI the other on DisplayPort (DP) via adaptor to VGA. Yes, VGA.

Side by side there is a difference in default color settings but since you would be doing a calibration anyway this is not an issue. Both look great, no real diff.

Grabbed the VGA cable while typing and moved it from the DP/VGA port on laptop and moved it to the dedicated VGA port and it <drumroll> looks the same quality. Minor diff in color/contrast but no calibration done so this is expected.

I'm using a laptop that has 3 video out ports if the above doesn't make sense.

In summary, there is no issue. Or shouldn't be. Do the CALIBRATION! It makes a diff. Most windows versions have calibration utility and Win7 being about the easiest. No need for 3rd party unless doing graphic design etc... but if that were the case you wouldn't be asking in this forum

Xtra note: S24A350H has limited vertical tilt but DOES have a cool video angle feature that keeps color distortion down. Handy if you find yourself sitting/standing and different angles during the day or have folks looking over your shoulder.

Interesting, however I don't run windows.

I see there are HDMI to DVI cables out there, so I guess not all is lost... and I could run with the dvi-vga adapter at least temporarily... I have since seen an ASUS VE247H (23.6inch) for 136eur and Iiyama ProLite E2409HDS-B1 for 148eur

I haven't changed the tilt on my 226bw since I got it, so tilt is not really a big issue...

On a side note, ordered the replacement capacitors for my 226bw.

Whoey · **Reply #10 on:** September 15, 2012, 02:24:24 PM

I've also just noticed that there's a 2 Euro difference between the Samsung S24A350H and S24B350H apart from the case being different the rest of the specs seem identical.

Millhouse · **Reply #11 on:** September 15, 2012, 02:43:09 PM

I got an LG 23in IPS monitor a few months back to replace a dead Samsung. Really happy with it, colour reproduction and viewing angles are much improved. It has VGA, DVI and HDMI inputs.

GNandGS · **Reply #12 on:** September 16, 2012, 01:01:56 AM

That leaves likely Linux or Macinapple.

Either way unless you have some physical issue the output quality at the supported resolutions should be dang close or impossible to tell apart.

On the linux side I would assume Nvidia based and just like Windows drivers/settings can make a lot of difference. Cool thing is I think there are all sorts of command line stuff for settings not easily done in Windows (assuming you would need to).

All that said, the only downside to the panels I have and many others is resolution. Sometimes on a larger screen you can really make use of more.

Whoey · **Reply #13 on:** September 16, 2012, 06:45:24 PM

Ubuntu as my primary OS atm... looking for a change as I don't like the direction with Unity

I was nearly tempted to go for a Samsung S24B300 series, but noticed it's 5ms vs the others with 2ms, however it does have DVI & VGA...

As for the s24a350 and s24b350 I've noticed that the s24a350 is new/used and the other is new.

Whoey · **Reply #14 on:** September 16, 2012, 07:40:58 PM

Finally decided to pull the trigger on a Samsung S24B350H, and also ordered a 3metre DVI-D - HDMI cable, and a D-Link DNS-320 NAS with no drives.

That's me broke for a while...

Whoey · **Reply #15 on:** September 21, 2012, 11:26:07 AM

so I ordered three items, expecting them to ship together, the nas came first, then the following day(yesterday) the cable, and today looks like the monitor will not arrive until Monday... why is it when you order stuff the things you want most come last?

dks · **Reply #16 on:** September 21, 2012, 12:30:58 PM

Quote from: Whoey on September 21, 2012, 11:26:07 AM

so I ordered three items, expecting them to ship together, the nas came first, then the following day(yesterday) the cable, and today looks like the monitor will not arrive until Monday... why is it when you order stuff the things you want most come last?

Reminds me of when I ordered a camera and accessories and the camera bag arrived in 4 days the card in a week and the actual camera in a month...

Whoey · **Reply #17 on:** September 21, 2012, 12:48:28 PM

well, I'm now 3 for 3, 3 days, 3 separate deliveries... just got the monitor, but no time to unbox before work

At least it's here for the weekend!

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #18 on:** September 21, 2012, 02:47:20 PM

The only thing more frustrating than having the monitor arrive last is having it arrive first and have no way to plug it in or use it! Then it's just taking up space and teasing you....

Def

Whoey · **Reply #19 on:** September 22, 2012, 11:11:55 AM

Today was like Christmas as I finally had a chance to open and setup the new screen, not a whole lot of difference from my old one... liking it so far. It's far lighter (weight) than my old screen, and probably a lot more energy efficient as it's LED backlighting and the old one wasn't. One thing the old one did have is the power unit internal, so it used the standard PC power supply cable only, no brick, and this one has a brick, albeit a very small one...