Monitor Buying: Should I Buy This?

[Limited]

Howdy.

So payday arrived and I am itching to purchase a new monitor, I've been having a browse of monitors on sale and I must say I really like the Samsung ones, good make, sturdy and well made.

So I'm thinking of buying this Samsung SyncMaster P2450H (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/174584), its 24 inchs, I don't really want any thing bigger/smaller, it has HDMI which is a must for me (for xbox usage)

I really don't know too much about monitors, alot are very similar, it doesn't have speakers however I'm not worried about that too much.

So, thoughts? Also please don't provide me with newegg links, I'll be purchasing the screen from Ebuyer.com :)

By the way, I use a 23 inch Samsung SyncMaster 2333SW I think at work, but it has no HDMI ports and is 23 inch, but its a real nice monitor.

Edit 2: I will be using it as my primary screen, and using my current, NEC 17inch MultiSync LCD 1760VM screen as a secondary, if that helps.

[Warsaw]

It's missing 120 vertical lines. Fine for Xbox usage. Not as fine for PC.

[Amit]

Jesus, that item is overpriced but over $100. Cnet has an interesting review of that specific monitor as well, and they seem to think you'd be better off getting a better monitor for more money...however, since ebuyer.com is trying to gyp you, you'll find a better monitor for less money. Personally, I'd still buy it, but not for that price. Those are all comparisons to North America, though. I guess you're pretty much screwed when ordering in the UK.

Overclockers UK has the same monitor for £189.99: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-124-SA

[Patrickssj6]

It's missing 120 vertical lines. Fine for Xbox usage. Not as fine for PC.
This.

Personal preference though but I do prefer 16:10 as well.


Personally, I'd still buy it, but not for that price. Those are all comparisons to North America, though. I guess you're pretty much screwed when ordering in the UK.

They currently have the strongest currency, they are always fucked (unless directly importing).

[Bodzilla]

Personal preference though but I do prefer 16:10 as well.

Gods True Aspect ratio.

[Patrickssj6]

Well I am a god so...yeah.

Not 1337, I am 1,6180

[Amit]

Gods True Aspect ratio.

+REP

[Cortexian]

+1 for 16:10... 16:9 is fine for laptops and televisions but not main monitors imo.

[Warsaw]

I wouldn't even call it fine for laptops. I want my laptop to be just as productive as my desktop.

[Cortexian]

1920x1080 res is a TON of real-estate for a laptop IMO. With the more limited hardware capabilities its not like you're going to be running dual-monitor video editing software off a laptop.

[Siliconmaster]

I had a 16:10 monitor, but I got fed up with being unable to play blu ray movies at full resolution. Upgraded to a 2048x1152 (2K) 16:19 23". The added resolution makes up for the reduced vertical space.

The price is horrible though.

[Amit]

I had a 16:10 monitor, but I got fed up with being unable to play blu ray movies at full resolution.

Well, Blu-Ray isn't designed to be played on an aspect ratio that isn't 16:9, so what do you expect? You're not really missing much while watching on a 16:10 screen.

[Siliconmaster]

The aspect ratio itself isn't an issue. It's the resolution. At this point in time, it's extremely common to find 16:10 WSXGA+ displays (1680x1050). If you were to find a WUXGA display, then you would have a 16:10 display with full 1920x1200 display capabilities. However, I looked far and wide, and couldn't find any reasonably priced displays in that category. From what I found most of them dried up a year or two ago, when many manufacturers started moving toward 23" and 24" 16:9 displays. I would have loved to get one of that resolution, but instead I settled for the next best thing, the 2K 16:9 monitor.

[Limited]

Gah now I'm doubting my choice! I havent ordered it, but I have under 4 hours and it will be here tmw, Friday and Monday arent a good delivery day for me.

My current monitor is 4:3, so going from 1280 x 1024 to 1920 x 1080 16:9 is a big leap, I don't really think I need to go all the way to 16:10 1920 x 1280.

The price was on sale at £189 like a week ago, it went back up, plus we just had an increase in VAT so that added a bit.

Personally I'm not looking for the perfect monitor, more just an upgrade that seems worth while and a way to buy something nice for myself.

[Amit]

Gah now I'm doubting my choice! I havent ordered it, but I have under 4 hours and it will be here tmw, Friday and Monday arent a good delivery day for me.

My current monitor is 4:3, so going from 1280 x 1024 to 1920 x 1080 16:9 is a big leap, I don't really think I need to go all the way to 16:10 1920 x 1280.

The price was on sale at £189 like a week ago, it went back up, plus we just had an increase in VAT so that added a bit.

Personally I'm not looking for the perfect monitor, more just an upgrade that seems worth while and a way to buy something nice for myself.

Alright, well get it but buy it at OverclockersUK and save $50

[Limited]

Done! Purchased it from Overclockers, what a palarva though, took an hour to order it. Had issues with my bank and the Visa transaction, internet kept cutting out and their website was glitchy.

You can use a standard HDMI (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/193821) cable right, it doesn't need to be one of the over priced MS official ones?

[Patrickssj6]

It's version 1.4 so it supports everything MS does (they don't even occupy 1.4 features).

[Cortexian]

Yea 1.4 is only really needed if you're running 3D hardware, 1.3 would work for a 360.

And a small correction, 16:10 is 1920x1200 not 1920x1280 lol.

[Warsaw]

Fun fact: movies are not made in 16:9, either. They are 21:9. Surprise, surprise! Your 1080p TV/monitor still has the letterbox!

[Cortexian]

Ruh Roh!

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/philips-cinema-21-9-platinum-hdtv-finally-takes-the-leap-into-3/

2560 x 1080 and more real estate than 16:10. Not for North Americans though, sorry.

[Siliconmaster]

Fun fact: movies are not made in 16:9, either. They are 21:9. Surprise, surprise! Your 1080p TV/monitor still has the letterbox!

Depends on the movie. There are many that are shot in 2.85:1, and many others that are shot in 16:9. As long as it's in full HD, I don't really care, cause I'm seeing it in as full a resolution as a blu ray disk can handle at the moment.

[Warsaw]

True. I just want to put rest to the tall tale people spin about buying a 16:9 monitor to get rid of the letterbox. I've never seen a widescreen movie that didn't have a letterbox on my HDTV.

[Bodzilla]

also with glossy black, being... the new black you dont even notice it.
Plus on a 16:10 monitor, your still seeing the exact same amount on screen, it's just that it's more useful for other things such as browsing and reading.

[Siliconmaster]

also with glossy black, being... the new black you dont even notice it.
Plus on a 16:10 monitor, your still seeing the exact same amount on screen, it's just that it's more useful for other things such as browsing and reading.


If you have a screen with a matching horizontal resolution as your 16:9, and a higher vertical resolution. With my old 16:10, it was only 1680x1050, so upgrading to a full HD 1920x1080 or higher 16:9 was a far improvement, regardless of aspect ratio. Sounds like Limited is in the same situation, just with different ratios.

[Cortexian]

2560x1600 plox

[Warsaw]

1280x1024 supremacy. Long live 5:4!

:downs:

[Cortexian]

5760x1200 is the best resolution.

24:5 :)

[TVTyrant]

Ruh Roh!

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/philips-cinema-21-9-platinum-hdtv-finally-takes-the-leap-into-3/

2560 x 1080 and more real estate than 16:10. Not for North Americans though, sorry.

For 5,000 smackers I'll buy a good PC, get a couple guns I've been wanting, go on a charted Bottom fishing trip in the Pacific, visit my friends in Qatar and Bahrain, and then take buy a new salmon pole fo the spring season. Paying that much for a TV is just disgusting.

E:Also donate to Modacity.

[Patrickssj6]

For 5,000 smackers I'll buy a good PC, get a couple guns I've been wanting, go on a charted Bottom fishing trip in the Pacific, visit my friends in Qatar and Bahrain, and then take buy a new salmon pole fo the spring season. Paying that much for a TV is just disgusting.

+the fact that watching normal TV is impossible.

[Limited]

Its here! Arrived today whilst I was at working, was itching to get home to open it. Luckily today is poet's day

Its looking real slick, had to turn down the brightness because it was blinding. HDMI cable arrived today as well so hooked up the Xbox. I sort of forgot that my desk at work is massive so I sit like real far away, whereas my desk here isnt that deep so screen is pretty close.

I'll take a photo later to show how much it engulfes the desk.

[Warsaw]

Ruh Roh!

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/02/philips-cinema-21-9-platinum-hdtv-finally-takes-the-leap-into-3/

2560 x 1080 and more real estate than 16:10. Not for North Americans though, sorry.

There is actually one in that ratio coming to North America from another company.

[Limited]

So I managed to take a photo today, though due to my shoddy photography skills its not that great...By the way planning to get a new keyboard and mouse so don't hate :) Thinking of getting a Microsoft Sidewinder X8 mouse.

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2296/screenkbp.png

Yes that is a Counter Strike Source shortcut hah :D

[Cortexian]

Looks good, welcome to the ranks of the Samsung supremacy!