If there’s one thing that you’ve got to hand it to the people at Samsung is that they know what it takes to make a seriously stylish product. We’re talking dollar sign bling action here! The company has been working hard to create a very distinctive style to the entirety of their product line and it’s really starting to show. Taking a look at their cell phones, you will inevitably find that the majority of those handsets have a piano black finish and a remarkably slim profile.
Hopping over to the television department, you’ll discover the same glossy black finish and the same slender physique. Even when you look at some of the Samsung printers, they’ve got piano black finishes there too. This is why I was taken aback upon opening the box for the Samsung SyncMaster T220 LCD monitor.
Unlike the rest of the company’s product line, this computer monitor is not piano black. Instead, they’ve opted for a fantastically attractive deep red translucent color. You could say that it’s burgundy. As you can probably imagine, there aren’t very many consumer electronics with this kind of color scheme. At the same time, the styling is still distinctly Samsung with its undeniable visual impact.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I’m beholding some beauty. If you’re looking for an LCD monitor that’s a little different than all the black and silver wonders on the market, the Samsung SyncMaster T220 might be for you. Read on to uncover both the good and bad about this LCD monitor.
Features and Specifications
Strangely, I couldn’t find the spec sheet on the official Samsung website. I guess the SyncMaster T220 is still so new that they haven’t even put it up on their site yet. Thankfully, they do list the basic specs on the box. The box itself isn’t anything to write home about, but the box does hint at the glossy burgundy finish on the T220. Reading down the box, we find the following specs:
- 22″ Wide TFT-LCD Monitor
- Up to 1680 x 1050 (WSXGA+)
- Dynamic Contrast 20000:1
- Fast Response Time: 2ms
- 0.3W Standby Power
- Windows Vista Premium Certification
I always take contrast ratio and response time ratings with a grain of salt, especially since the actual performance of the monitor will depend on other factors (like your graphics card). Even so, in real world use, I was impressed with the reasonably deep blacks and bright whites displayed by the T220. The color reproduction was quite vibrant as well.
What’s In the Box?
Oftentimes, you open up the box to a new monitor only to discover that you have to head back to the store to grab some cables. I’m not sure if only the review unit came bundled with these, but it’s nice to see that there are no cable issues with this monitor.
In the box, I found a VGA cable, a DVI cable, and a power cable, as well as the two components that make up the stand, an installation CD (with no sleeve), a warranty card, a small cleaning cloth (to get rid of those inevitable fingerprints), and a quick setup guide.
Installation and Configuration
Strangely, the setup guide provided with the SyncMaster T220 is a generic one, coming with no specific information about this particular model. For this reason, setting up the stand may be a little troublesome for novice users.
The stand itself is comprised of two pieces: an oval base and a neck. These snap into one another and then you tighten the screw from underneath. From here, you slide the bottom of the LCD monitor into the metal piece that protrudes upwards. Because there were no instructions, it took a little trial and error to discover which way the screen should be oriented. For the novices in the audience, Samsung should have provided a rudimentary set of instructions.
Getting at the appropriate ports took a little bit of extra work. Access to the power, VGA, and DVI ports is blocked by a removable piece of flexible plastic. This creates a somewhat unsightly seam at the back of the monitor. Removing this piece of plastic comes with a little fear of snapping it; again, not good for novices. Upon removing this piece, however, you have quick and easy access to everything that you need.
The positive behind a system like this is that it hides many of the ugly connections usually associated with an LCD monitor. You just feed the cables through the opening near the bottom and there is much less of a mess. It’s not the best design, but they’re moving in the right direction.
Controls and Options
In order to maintain a very clean appearance — Samsung is all about style, after all — the SyncMaster T220 does not have any controls on the front with the exception of a touch-sensitive power “button” near the bottom right.
To access the on-screen menu for adjusting contrast, brightness, and orientation, you’ll need to use the buttons located along the right side of the monitor. It’s a little weird not being able to see the buttons as you change the settings, but that’s the price you pay for style.
Although it might detract from the slick appearance, I think that I would prefer having the controls on the underside of the monitor with the labels on the front side in small font. This is largely a matter of personal preference and the having the labels on the front might take away from the cool chrome edging too. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Samsung has used this sort of design for a while now in their HDTV line so if you own a Samsung LCD HDTV, you’ll probably already be used to this.
Performance and Aesthetics
There’s no denying that Samsung knows what they’re doing when it comes to making aesthetically pleasing products. Their LCDs are just great to look at and the SyncMaster T220 is no exception. I’m digging the deep red finish and the chrome accents that run around around the perimeter just add to the appeal.
In terms of performance, I was perfectly satisfied with what the SyncMaster T220 has to offer. The 22-inch widescreen is a great size for most applications and, as I mentioned before, the color reproduction and contrast is very good. Watching videos and surfing the web is an absolute joy. No complaints on this end. Thanks to a 2 ms response time, playing games was also quite the experience, offering ghost free play. Frag away my friends.
Samsung also claims that the SyncMaster T220 is very energy efficient, having a standby power draw of just 0.3W. Did the real world live up to these claims? Well, a power meter told me that the SyncMaster T220 — when off — was drawing 2 watts of power. This might just be too low to measure, so it’s still possible that it only uses 0.3W. When on and under regular office use, the T220 had a 36 watt draw. When there was no input (scanning for input), the power draw balloons up to 49 watts. This could be because it is trying to read both the VGA and DVI inputs, effectively increasing the need for power. It would shut off the unused input once it figures out which one is in use.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
The Samsung SyncMaster T220 LCD monitor doesn’t really bring anything fresh or exciting to the market in terms of technical features. Yes, they may boast about the 2ms response time and the 20000:1 contrast ratio, but the average set of eyes won’t be able to tell much of a difference from other monitors with slightly less impressive specs and a much lower price point. The more discerning amongst us may appreciate the improved specs though and gamers will likely appreciate the fast response time. However, what the Samsung SyncMaster T220 does bring is a new level of style.
The deep red finish is visually stunning and even though I’m not usually a fan of touch sensitive controls, the power “button” on the front works very well. There’s even a faint red glow beneath it to indicate that the monitor is on. Some touch controls don’t give you any feedback. Setting up and configuring the T220 was a breeze and I required very little in terms of tweaking to get the picture to a satisfactory level. The T220 is very easy on the eyes, both in terms of the physical design and the image displayed on the screen.
What I do wish that the T220 had was more in terms of both horizontal and vertical adjustment, and it would have been nice if the controls for the on-screen menu were a little more accessible. Having them on the right side and unmarked (from the front) does take a bit of getting used to. All this said, there’s not very much to complain about on this monitor… unless you don’t like red shiny pieces of electronics that gives you the same feelings that a shiny new high end sports car would. I guess you could call this “Monitor Bling” because all this can be yours for a premium over the competition. If you’ve got the cash, splurge. You’ll like it.
Pros
- Simply stunning aesthetics
- Sturdy base provides peace of mind
- Brilliant performance
- Low power consumption, especially on standby
Cons
- Access to VGA, DVI, and power connectors is cumbersome
- Controls for on-screen menu aren’t conveniently located
- Not everyone likes the deep red look
- Price is not a selling point (MSRP of about $350)
Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10.0
Samsung SyncMaster T220 Widescreen 22 Inch LCD Monitor Photo Gallery
