The bad: Unlike most other recent Samsung screens, the S23A450H is pretty plain-looking. It's also missing some eco-friendly options available on other Samsungs, and the lack of a DVI connection can be a good annoyance.
The bottom line: While the Samsung SyncMaster S23A350H can't match the actual Samsung PX2370 in raw performance, it bests the S23A550H in both overall performance and price.
Review:
I expected the Samsung SyncMaster S23A550H to be a worthy successor towards the Samsung PX2370. I was wrong, and while the S23A550H wasn't a poor monitor, it failed to live up to the performance and smart design of the greatest TN monitor to date. It stands to reason then that I went to the SyncMaster S23A350H's review with low expectations.
Does the S23A350H benefit from the truth that I didn't expect much from it, or is it just another S23A550H?
Style and features
The 23-inch Samsung SyncMaster S23A350H (SA350H line) is one associated with several new LED-based monitor... Expand full review
I expected the Samsung SyncMaster S23A550H to become a worthy successor to the Samsung PX2370. I was wrong, and while the S23A550H wasn't a poor monitor, it failed to live up to the performance and smart design of the greatest TN monitor to date. It stands to reason then that I went to the SyncMaster S23A350H's review with low expectations.
Does the S23A350H benefit from the truth that I didn't expect much from it, or is it just another S23A550H?
Style and features
The 23-inch Samsung SyncMaster S23A350H (SA350H line) is one of several new LED-based monitor lines released by Samsung this season. A few months ago we reviewed the S23A550H. The S23A350H has an identical design, but looks more like a traditional Samsung monitor.
Other S23A350H measurements are more or less on par with the prior models, with a 0. 9-inch bezel, 22-inch panel width, and 3. 3-inch distance in the bottom of the bezel to the desktop. VESA support is not included and also the monitor's frame is tinged with maroon, a detail it shares with the actual S23A550H. Unique to the S23A350H however is its washboardlike grooved back.
The S23A350H includes a typical-looking footstand, measuring 10. 1 inches in diameter; however, the back from the stand includes a hook that acts as a cable router, which, unlike the cumbersome cable router about the S23A550H, works smoothly. The slightly oval footstand is also stable enough to maintain the monitor from toppling if knocked around a bit, although it doesn't prevent wobbling in any way.
As with the S23A550H, Samsung made the decision to do away with DVI about the S23A350H, and gives it only HDMI and VGA as options. We realize that people use their monitors for more than just connecting to their computer systems, but since the display comes only with VGA cables and doesn't include cables for HDMI or perhaps a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, most people will need to invest in at least 1 additional cable. The Dell S2330MX offers only HDMI and VGA as nicely, but Dell smartly included an HDMI-to-DVI adapter, something we wish Samsung might have done at least.
The OSD includes all the typical Samsung features like Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness, RGB colour controls, six different color temperature options, and five presets for Custom, Regular, Game, Cinema, and Dynamic Contrast. Magic Angle attempts to mimic wide-viewing-angle shows by adjusting the brightness, contrast, black level, and gamma to make the screen about the S23A350H clearer from certain angles.
The S23A350H is missing the really well-implemented Eco feature seen about the S23A550H. Instead, the S23A350H's Eco feature is limited to brightness control just.
In terms of build quality, the S23A350H feels slightly sturdier than the actual S23A550H, which was plagued with a brittle neck casing. Overall the S23A350H is extremely solid for a TN monitor.
Performance
We tested the Samsung SyncMaster S23A350H via its HDMI input, connected to a Windows Vista PC, using our personal HDMI cable. The display posted a composite score of 93 in CNET Labs' DisplayMate-based overall performance tests.
The merits of an anti-glare (AG) screen coating are much debated nowadays. Some people prefer the coating not be applied at all, while others favor merely a limited amount. A third set of viewers are completely indifferent. AG coating doesn't adversely affect quality and it is merits or lack thereof are strictly a question of preference.
That stated, there is heavy AG coating on the S23A350H's screen, reducing potential insights, but diminishing glossiness severely. A glossy display can increase the perceived contrast of a monitor screen--which some people prefer--but it is also difficult to see in direct sunlight.
DisplayMate: The S23A350H displayed light gray as much as level 253. Every level between 1 and 255 (considered white) is the variation of gray. Once calibrated, the monitor could not distinguish between 254 as well as 255, thereby performing better than the S23A550H, which topped out at 251 and beaten up colors during real-world use. The S23A350H's performance here indicates the display will not be prone to washing out light colors. As for dark gray, the S23A350H displayed right down to level 2, pointing to a low black level.
The monitor performed excellently within our Color Tracking test, which looks for evidence of tint and hue difficulties. In our Dark Screen test, light struggled to break through the veil from the monitor's black panel, making the entire screen look very dark gray rather than true black. Additionally, slight backlight bleeding was noticeable in the lower and upper edges from the screen.
Text: Black text on white looked clear, without any obvious colour tint problems. Fonts were clearly visible down to a 6. 8 dimension.
