Samsung has always done a good job with designing aesthetically pleasing products, largely using a glossy piano black finish as their signature. The company’s range of portable electronics, like cell phones and digital cameras, typically take on a slim profile as well. It seems that Samsung has decided to combine these two approaches with the Samsung SyncMaster P2370 LCD Monitor. It’s glossy, it’s slim, and it’s mighty fine-looking.

Both form and function are important in today’s technology world, so how does the 23-inch SyncMaster P2370 LCD stack up against the competition? Why would you choose this particular monitor model over another? Let’s crack open that box and have a look.

Features and Specifications

Since so many of us use our LCD monitors not only for computing purposes, but also for multimedia enjoyment, there is a push in the market toward 16:9 wide aspect LCD panels. Like the Asus VH242H LCD, the Samsung SyncMaster P2370 also takes on a 16:9 aspect ratio, making it a great option for full-screen HDTV movie watching.

Looking down the rest of the provided specifications, you’ll find the following:

• Screen size: 23-inch wide-aspect
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Brightness: 250 cd/m2
• Contrast ratio: DC 50,000:1 (1000:1 typ)
• Response time: 2ms (GTG)
• Viewing angle: 170 degrees horizontal, 160 degrees vertical
• Video signal input: analog RGB / DVI
• Connector: DVI-I
• Power consumption: 30W typ, 0.5W standby typ
• Multimedia speakers: No
• Special features: MagicBright, off timer, MagicWizard, MagicTune, safe mode
• Product weight: 9 lbs.
• Shipment weight: 13 lbs.
• Ultra-slim design: 30mm profile

Whereas most conventional LCD monitors of this size measure between 50mm and 60mm in thickness, the Samsung SyncMaster P2370 is just 30mm thick. You can tell that Samsung had style in mind. This monitor also has the company’s “Touch of Color” (ToC) design cue with the clear frame wrapping around the main black bezel. This is very similar to the first “ToC” design monitor we reviewed, the Samsung SyncMaster T220.

What’s in the Box?

If you’ve purchased a Samsung LCD monitor in the recent past, you probably know what to expect when you open up the box of the SyncMaster P2370. You get the same brown cardboard box with splashes of black and red outlining some of the features and highlights. Opening up the box, you’ll find everything neatly packaged between two Styrofoam inserts.

The LCD monitor comes on its own, carefully protected in a sleeve and some plastic wrap. The glossy black base is separate from the clear “stem” for the monitor stand, but the three pieces fit together quite easily. You also get the supporting documentation, DVI cable, VGA-to-DVI cable, power brick, power cable, and a cleaning cloth.

From what I can fathom, not all retail SKUs will include the VGA-to-DVI cable, but they should all include the standard DVI cable.