SAMSUNG SyncMaster 712N-Black 17 inch LCD monitor

Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: After battling with a CRT for years, I am thrilled to finally have an LCD monitor.

Installing the monitor was very easy. The monitor auto-adjustments make the images fit perfectly onto the screen, and the picture is great under default settings. Both clarity and brightness are remarkably better than the CRT I owned previously. I've also carefully scanned the monitor for dead pixels (apparently this is a common problem with LCDs), but mine appears to be quite flawless.

Although other reviewers have complained about the fact that it only rotates vertically, but I can't really understand why that's a problem. Typical use of a monitor does not require frequent adjustments, and the monitor is light enough that twisting the entire thing from side to side is quite easy.

I also like the buttons that several other reviewers complained about. I think that they enhance the sleek design of the monitor, and I don't think that they're hard to read/see when there is adequate lighting.

I cannot really reply to the complaints about customer service, since everything with the monitor has gone so smoothly.

Rating:
Summary: 712n Delivers in all aspects
Review: Despite the other negative reviews here I have seen, I'm quite happy with this product. I was in the market for a new monitor, and since I LAN often, lugging a 21 incher around was no picnic. I did my resarch and opted for the Samsung 712n.

Firstly, It was a good buy. I had gotten it for $350 at BestBuy, which was $60 cheaper than the 21 inch CRT I had my eyes on.

Secondly, I am big on two things... Graphic Design and Gaming. For graphic design, this monitor is very, very bright, and rich in colors. This was definatley a treat, as my older monitor was quite broken, and odd-colored.

As for gaming, the 12ms response time is fantastic. I never notice any ghosting, and all games seem to run fine. The only downfall, is that running a game at the native resolution can be a strain on a graphics card, but, being a gamer, I already have a fast card.

My only complaints with this monitor, is that it has three dead pixels, all stuck at green. I cannot notice the first one unless I turn my screen 100% black, its in the upper right. I cant even find it right now. The other two are side by side, so its easy to see, but its all the way on the right edge of the monitor, so it isnt seen unless I shift my view and look right at it.

My second complaint is that it has no DVI.

And as for dvd / other video playback, it looks crisp and I have no complaints.

Summed up, Im very happy with my purchase. I can see myself getting a newer larger monitor in the future, but for now this does just fine. Yes, Id like a larger screen, with a smaller resolution (I've been used to 1600x1200), but for the price, the 712n cant be beat.

Rating:
Summary: Buy Samsung at your own RISK
Review: I bought a Samsung flat-panel television in March, and it the panel went dead in April. I brought it to a one of Samsung's certified dealers for repair, and waited and waited. Finally in May, I was told that the the television panel was indeed defective and couldn't be fixed, so the manufacturer was obligated to replace it under the warranty. It's now September, and guess what, I'm still waiting for the replacement. Buy from Samsung at your own risk. From my own experience, they don't stand by their products.

Rating:
Summary: Poor image
Review: I bought this product 2 days ago from Circuit City. I thought everything was fine until the error message/screen saver came: "Recommended Mode : 1280x1024 60hz" I called the samsung customer support and got it fixed. Then i realized that it was way too small for a 17". I'm not used to read everything small and it literally gives me a headache. I would have to put my head closer to the monitor. When I lowered the screen resolution with 70 hertz (with 60hertz, you can see lines running across), everything got bigger but it wasnt the way i wanted. Then I lowered the screen resolution to the lowest, it was way too big.So overall i would say this is a poor product. Dont be stupid like me and spend your time testing and etc, asking alot of questions. Before i bought this product, i didnt test it because the cable wasnt plugged in and i was lazy to ask.

Rating:
Summary: I am happy I spent a few dollars extra for this one.
Review: I must say, I am pleasantly pleased. i plugged it right in and now have a bigger desk. This replaces my 19 Sony trinitron which bugged me with the line across. 2 in fact. This one is perfect. I turned the brightness down a bit since I work in a dim environment. It is easier on the eyes than the CRT. Graphics are good on this. sharp. SInce I just got it, I cant comment on reliability. I wonder if I should buy the 3 year performance warranty. Do pixels burn out on these displays easily? or should I just stay put and save my money?

Rating:
Summary: First LCD
Review: I shopped around and almost went with another, a small 14' model, I'm glad I didn't. I only have previous CRTs to compare this with, but from this newbie, I can tell you the picture is outstanding. I do school/work things, some development I highly recommend. Cnet gives it a good review also.

Rating:
Summary: Make sure of your knowledge and needs before buying
Review: I'll echo the other comment. Educate yourself about the benefits and drawbacks of an LCD before opening trap. LCDs have one major limitation, and that is the image quality at anything other than native resolution. More on this in a sec.

This is my second Samsung LCD. Overall Samsung makes some excellent monitors. If you want gaming and multiple resolutions, maybe a big CRT is the way to go. Cheaper too. But I wanted one monitor for everything and I wanted the desk space back. This Samsung has 12ms response and does well at most games, but it is a different experience overall than a CRT. It is very sharp (at its native rez) and that is also a drawback. My video card is a bit lacking so its failure to render everything nicely is more noticeable at this sharpness. Blur is not a big issue. Contrast is 600:1 and superior to most of the cheaper options. Overall these specs for the price are superior to most any of the cheaper LCD monitors in the 17" category.

Now for my unhappiness. As mentioned,to achieve the max performance, you need to run at native. In this case its 1280X1024. I now believe that I should have stepped up (bigger bucks) to a 19" with 1280X1024 resolution. The same info over more real estate would have been a better fit for my aging eyes. In my opinion, the overall image is too small on a 17" screen. I now plan on getting a 19" for general use and running these as duals and using the 17" for the gaming (fast response time). This is not Samsung's fault, just mine for not spending more time in the store thinking about it.

Couple other things of note. LCDs are bright (one of the reasons I like them) but they can be too bright in different settings. This one is a very high 300 cd/m2. Nice for daytime but at night, make sure you turn it down or you'll fatigue your eyes fast, maybe even damage them. Which brings up a quirk. The buttons are small and black. In lower light, they are hard to see and get right. I do it by feel, but a contrasting color would have been nice.

FInally, this monitor only adjusts angle vertically. No pivot, no height, no side to side. I like this as I didn't have to spend lots of money for what I wasn't going to use. But factor that in if you need it. I have ordered a VESA arm that will allow me much more flexibility, including portrait mode. Along with my nVidia driver (allowing portrait mode), I'll have all I could want (except size).

In summary, go to the store and make sure you 1.) like the native resolution on the screen size you are looking at 2.) make sure the brightness spec, response time and contrast are what you need 3.) don't underestimate ergonomics such as stand features, menus and buttons. After you do your comparison, the Samsung will defiinitely please most people who needs its performance specs. If you don't care about that, then look at the cheapest thing you can find at Costco or WalMart. Just be aware that buyer's remorse sucks....

Rating:
Summary: Nice construction poor color reproduction
Review: The monitor is ultra bright - thats good.
The monitor I received had odd color reproduction.
Photos of grass were WAY too green. Blue jeans were TOO BRIGHT blue - no matter how much I fiddled with it I could not get accurate color reproduction.

If you want very BRIGHT color - this is the monitor for you.

My prior LCD monitor was a viewsonic which had excellent color reproduction... but needed repair 3 times!

I am returning this monitor and will try a Dell and NEC to see of they are any better.

The search goes on.

Rating:
Summary: So far so good
Review: This thing is amazing. I have previously been the owner of 15, 17, and 21 inch Sony CRT's, and going to this is certainly a treat. It's very close to what a CRT puts out in my opinion. However, as LCD's tend to be, it has its rescrictions. Resolution is native at 1280x1024. This means that if you have trouble reading small print, or are a gamer with a weak graphics card (oxymoron!) then you should probably look either for a bigger screen, or stick with CRT's. For me this is perfect. Saves desk space and looks fantastic. Very smooth and gaming is excellent, provided your computer can handle 1280x1024.

Rating:
Summary: High quality monitor!
Review: Wow. I just bought a new eMachine computer and decided to treat myself to a new monitor as well. Several LCD and CRT monitors were on display, and the Samsung jumped out from the rest. The resolution was amazing, and the brightness was outstanding (more on this later.) A rebate was available as well, so that sealed the deal.
After taking this home and setting it up...a plug and play situation that didn't require the install CD or reading the manual...I discovered how bright this screen is. On 1-100 scale, I have the brightness turned down to 35, and it still outshines the CRT on my old computer.
Drawbacks: the stand has limited adjustability...the monitor can only tilt, not raise or lower in height. You WILL need to read the instructions to insure the monitor stand is stable and assembled correctly. Also, the black trim and black monitor buttons mean you can't read them. Again, a small point.
Recommendation: if you can handle the purchase price, this is one outstanding monitor.