Non-Techie Review: Samsung P2370 23" Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HD Monitor

I spend a lot of time in front of my computer, both at work and at home. I am starting to work on my dissertation and had been considering moving up from my 17" monitor to something bigger for several reasons. I wanted a wider screen to broaden out the page and increase font sizes, sharp lines and graphics to make reading easier, and a flat, non-glare surface. My desk sits opposite a window in my office and the sun is to my back. It is impossible to work in the afternoons because the sun totally washed out the screen. Reflection from behind caused me to shift my viewing angle, too.

I do a lot of research in the online university library, and journal articles are mostly text. Lots of cramped words on the page makes it hard to read and follow across the lines. When I scan or speed-read a document, my eyes group the lines so articles with shorter lines of text take more scrolling. I just hate mouse scrolling, especially when I am trying to take notes with the same hand. I like to change the brightness and contrast to reduce eyestrain based on what I am working on. I recently noticed that I had been hunching over my desk in an effort to get closer to the monitor even after I had increased fonts in Internet Explorer (IE) and on the page. I definitely wanted a monitor 22" or up, and it had to fit in the space on my desk, which had a vertical clearance of 20". Quality, performance, value, and economy were my non-negotiables.

I had read a number of online monitor reviews and had a certain model in mind. I live near a large city and had been faithfully watching the Sunday newspaper ads for sales. My budget was $250, which is admittedly pretty low for a widescreen monitor. There are lots of fantastic models available with huge price tags, way out of my financial reach. I did not need a top-of-the-line model or something with a zillion bells and whistles; I just wanted a monitor that would deliver good service and meet my needs.

The Best Buy ad had two models $215-250 that had the features I needed. I went to the store fully intending on simply doing a visual comparison of the refresh rates and sharpness - and did not plan to bring home a monitor. John the clerk spotted me looking and comparing and asked if he could help. Show me the ones on sale, I said. We chatted about what I was looking for and he pointed out the Samsung P2370 23" Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HD Monitor for $279.99. Too expensive, I said. John disagreed and promised the P2370 would be my best value and deliver the performance I needed. You won't be sorry, he said.

I am not a techie but had done my homework. The Samsung P2370 has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, response time of 2ms, dynamic contrast of 50,000:1, and Starlight Touch Buttons. The resolution rate of 1920 x 1080 is high and allows for a sharp, clear picture. Response time indicates how fast the pixels can change colors; slow response time leads to blurring and ghosting. This was pretty important to the gamer in my family, who ended up being very happy with the P2370. A response time of 2ms is considered pretty fast for a budget-priced monitor. The contrast ration of 50,000:1 is the maximum on this model, with a minimum of 1,000:1. High dynamic contrast ratios allow for lots of shades between black and white. The eye is tricked into seeing a clearer picture when the contrast ratio is significant because it allows for accurate color reproduction.

Some monitors require you to be right in the front and middle to see a good, clear screen. With viewing angles from 170^o horizontal and 160^o vertical, the P2370 provides an excellent view from most angles. The base allows pivoting the screen both up and down. I always have books, articles, and papers spread all over the desk so I am lean back and forth changing my viewing angle as I write. I also admit to being a foot sitter; I often fold my leg up underneath me and sit on my foot. No problem with this monitor; I can see at any angle. The P2370 includes DVI and analog RGB inputs but I have not tried those out. The monitor panel is less than 2" wide and can be wall-mounted, but I have it sitting on the desk. Vertical height is 17", which is just the same as my other monitor so it fits in the space just perfect. Of course it is wider at 22.5" and the oval base footprint is bigger at 7.5" x 11".

The bezel around the screen is black, with Starlight Touch Buttons in the lower left. There are no raised buttons on the monitor; they are more like lights than buttons. The bezel senses touch as you drag your fingers across it and the Starlight Touch Buttons light up. Touching this area shows words and icons (which are the buttons). The buttons are very sensitive and I have to train myself not to touch the lower left corner when moving the monitor angle or I turn it off in error. The power button stays lit when the monitor is on but the others fade out. The P2370 is also Energy Star rated indicating that it is has a degree of energy efficiency.

Setting up the monitor was pretty simple. The box has a handle on top and wasn't very heavy, so I easily carried it out of Best Buy and lifted it into the trunk of the Camry. Inside was everything I needed to replace my older unit: manual, user's guide and drivers on CD, DVI-A to D-Sub cable, DVI cable, power cord, DC adapter, stand arm, stand base, and a cleaning cloth. The monitor was snug inside a soft plastic bag and Styrofoam. The first step was to snap the stand arm into the base, then the base into the monitor. I unplugged the old monitor and removed those cables from the back of the PC, and plugged in the new DVI-A to D-Sub. I did not use the DVI cable. The DVI-A to D-Sub cable has two different ends and match the monitor and outlet in the back of the PC. After connecting the power cord to my APC unit, I turned on the computer and monitor. A box popped up on the monitor advising me of the optimal resolution. I wrote this down and changed the resolution in Control Panel > Display > Settings. The monitor is Plug-and-Play so it worked immediately, but I put in the CD and made sure the driver was updated. I read the CD manual, changed some of the settings such as contrast and brightness, and opened up IE.

Wow. Immediately, I was blown away by the graphics and clarity with the P2370. The widescreen is definitely better for viewing web pages without scrolling down or across as I did in with the old monitor (remember my aversion to mousing!). I clicked through some heavily-imaged pages and every one was bright and clear. I pulled up some video and saw absolutely no ghosting or dragging. Now for the real test by an academic...I opened a paper I had just written and changed the zoom to a whopping 185% ("text width" in MS Word). The letters are crisp and BIG...no fuzziness with Times New Roman 12pt, and no squinting at all. My eyes easily focused on the page with no glare or distortion.

By now, I am asking myself why I waited so long to make this change! The gamer in the family also asked what took me so long; he is very pleased with how his game visuals are clear and sharp. I suppose it was my frugal nature; I was waiting for a good price on a decent model. I am very pleased with the performance and features of the P2370 and would purchase another if I needed it. I consider this model to be a good value and an investment in a good quality product. I found it to be reasonably priced at $279.99, easy to set up, attractive with its black bezel frame, space-smart and energy efficient. If you are considering a widescreen monitor, look at the Samsung P2370 23" Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HD Monitor.