[Starry Night]

Originally posted by G-mac:
I ultimately went with the Samsung 172T because I thought it was a tad sharper and brighter than the NEC - I've got it hooked up using DVI. It arrived without any dead pixels and looks great running OS X. It's actually so bright, I have the brightness set at 60/100 (was getting a headache). Plus, it matches my room better.

BTW, that Amazon refund policy is really good - most places charge a 15% restocking fee or something outrageous like that. Do they do that with other products as well?

With regards to the 172W and the 12" PB, I would think you could run it widescreen. Any way this can be tested at the store or by another MacNNer?

Amazon is, quite simply, the best when it comes to return policies. You can even buy a powerbook (or any laptop or desktop) and have 30 days to return it if you are disatisfied with its performance. No restokcing fee, you just have to pay return shipping. Of course the drawback is that amazon is just a big huge giant company, they can't offer the one on one advice that your local reseller can.

The Samsung is a great display, enjoy!

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by Starry Night:
Of course, it could vary depending on what computer it's being used on. However, Tom's Hardware says that current VGA set-ups are virtually identical to DVI and suggests saving the money and going VGA should that provide a price break. I think DVI used to make more of a difference than it does now. At least on the PM, there was no difference DVI vs. VGA, at least to the naked eye...

Every review I have ever seen has always put DVI ahead of VGA on any setup, for obvious reasons. However, these are reviewers specifically looking for slight differences in video quality.

Put the average joe in the reviewers seat and that would be the great equalizer. I have one friend that uses a setup (Dell with unknown brand nVidia Ti4200 and cheap LCD screen) that makes me want to poke my eyes out - it's that bad. But he doesn't seem to care. It was so bad that at first I thought he was just using the wrong resolution, but nope, it was the right one.

But I agree, the best VGA is VERY good. Too bad the TiBook's or iBook's VGA doesn't fall into the "best VGA" category. I cannot comment on the Power Mac because I don't have one.

[AlfaMunky]

So, I went and got a 17" Samsung. I went with the 172W (widescreen) ordered from Amazon, plus I got the 50 toward my next purchase. The 17" iMac had really wanting that format for my next display. No need for me to drop the bucks on a 20" Apple display so the Samsung will be paired with my PC. Atleast until I step up to the G5 come Aug/Sept.

Silver 17" widescreen Samsung paired w/ G5 goodness... can't wait. Thanks for the informative discussion & pix.

[jessejlt]

If you guys are able to wait until September, Samsung is releasing the 172X, which features a response time of 16ms, 500:1 contrast ratio, 270 nits brightness, Samsung made screen, DVI, And a much cleaner, streamlined look. It's all around a better monitor.
The 172T for example, has a 25ms response, and has an AU made screen :-o
The 172X is definitely worth the wait.
jesse ;-)

[GK]

Originally posted by jessejlt:
If you guys are able to wait until September, Samsung is releasing the 172X, which features a response time of 16ms, 500:1 contrast ratio, 270 nits brightness, Samsung made screen, DVI, And a much cleaner, streamlined look. It's all around a better monitor.
The 172T for example, has a 25ms response, and has an AU made screen :-o
The 172X is definitely worth the wait.
jesse ;-)

This is an image of the new 172X:

172X

[Starry Night]

Hi Eug,

Oh, I freely admit, I'm an "average joe" with no professional video experience. I do have very good eye sight though.

Here is Tom's Hardware's thoughts (www.tomshardware.com), a professional review site, on DVI vs. VGA:

"Technique: Some Info and Reminders
VGA or DVI?

Theoretically, it's best to plug a monitor into the DVI of the video card if it has one. This means the card does not have to convert the signal to analog, an operation always likely to cause loss. But actually, these days, converters are excellent and there is no noticeable difference between the interfaces. So make the choice that fits your wallet. There is usually a price difference of about $100 between a DVI and a D-Sub monitor, so you will most likely find it better to settle for analog."

Who knows, maybe Tom has glasses as thick as coke bottles , but that's at least one review place who doesn't insist it's DVI or the highway

Most importantly, folks should get what looks best to "their" eyes.

Won't ship the Samsung until Monday, thus have experimented with it more vs. the NEC. To my joe average eyes, the differences are very subtle in terms of clarity, tipping to the Samsung, yet I find the color on the NEC to be a full notch better, imho.

But of course, that's entirely based upon subjective and personal criteria! Your mileage may vary.

As for the new Samsung, unfortunately I don't have a monitor to carry me over until September, thus it will be the NEC for a couple of years. But I'm pleased.......

[Eug Wanker]

Hmmm... Well, I'm not a graphics pro either, but once I got DVI I finally learned what clarity on a desktop monitor meant. It is the gold standard.

Tom's right in that the best VGA is very good and almost indistinguishable, but at least on the PC side often (and with my TiBook), the VGA quality leaves something to be desired.

It's essentially impossible to have bad DVI quality, because of the nature of the technology. OTOH, VGA output quality is all over the map.

Fortunately, I'm told that most Power Macs have excellent VGA quality. Apple's clientele demands it. The same cannot be said of whitebox PCs, esp. with certain brands of nVidia based cards. (I had an Asus video card and the VGA was unbearable.)

[cube4all]

Blankmac, how come your screen looks so wide for a 17". the cnet pictures in comparison look very different.