ColorVision Spyder

Before running DisplayMate and our subjective analysis of the LCD, we ran ColorVision's Spyder and OptiCal software. Not only does this calibrate the monitor accurately on the DVI and analog interface, but it also gives us specific luminescence information not obtainable through subjective analysis. Special thanks to our friends at Color Vision for providing us with both a ColorVision Spyder and their OptiCal software.

Our test bed uses a Radeon 9800 XT video card. We use the factory included DVI cable for this portion of the benchmark. Resolutions are on the native 1280x1024.

Just like our last ColorVision benchmark, we have a few expectations:
  1. Other Samsung LCDs typically have a slightly more powerful red curve. This may or may not be the case with this LCD, since it does not use a typical PVA mode.
  2. Colors appear very good, but wash out relatively easily when the monitor is adjusted too bright.
And here is what our Spyder and OptiCal software have to say:



It seems as though Samsung uses the same technology to calibrate all of its LCDs, even the TN based models. Our results were very similar to other Samsung displays reviewed in the past. Brightness was noted as brighter than the other Samsung LCDs, which claim to have a 250 nit specification.

Using the OptiCal software, we were able to calibrate the SyncMaster 172X for the rest of the analysis.

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  • Crosster - Monday, June 21, 2004 - link

    Just another test :

    http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/sam...
  • Crosster - Monday, June 21, 2004 - link

  • nourdmrolNMT1 - Sunday, June 13, 2004 - link

    question: what is the difference in this LCD screen, and the MUCH cheaper 12ms response 710N or 710T (t just has the DVI input)?

    MIKE
  • MadAd - Saturday, June 12, 2004 - link

    Ho well, just another 6 bit panel, big whoop.

    When o when are we going to start seeing competition at the 19" 32bit 1280x1024 16ms $550 (£300) level?

    When I bought this 17" Iiyama e431s i thought it was only going to be a season or 2 and ill be able to upgrade to something bigger, faster, stronger but now whats all this 6 bit retrograde stuff? Man they are dragging their heels here.
  • skunkbuster - Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - link

    as soon as they make an lcd with true 32bit coloring(and not that dithering crap) with 16ms times or lower, i'll get one.
    i dont like the fact that they have to sacrifice color reproduction for low response time. grrr
  • TheAudit - Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - link

    #11 – What about if you are space constrained and don’t want a 50 lb behemoth with a two foot long neck on your desk?

    #13 – You are correct. CRT technology hasn’t moved in years.
  • JGF - Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - link

    11, I wouldnt call the move to LCDs a 'fad'. Its the sound of inevitability. :) CRT's are dead. It pains me to say it since LCDs dont best meet my needs but CRT manufacturers are drastically cutting their lines back or dropping them all together and refocusing on lcd monitors.
  • Crosster - Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - link

    I own one of this baby since 3 weeks, i'm very pleased with it. Display is very reactive (I play RTCW) and the only negative point I see is some dither in black colors, especially in video or DVD viewing.
    If you buy this screen, you should be aware of dead pixels (i had to test 5 different screens to get a clean one (a lot of them where red lit)

    Otherwhise, I know it's not relevant but i just want to see the result, is it possible to get the Color profile you created for this article?

    PS : Can we get too the date of manufacturing and the origin of the screen? Thanks
  • IkeEisenhower - Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - link

    This (and I really hate to have to use this term) corporate-hyped fixation on LCD and plasma displays is what turned me off of Tom's initially. I realize the site is all about chronicling the 'latest' technology, but Anandtech has always strived more to achieve end-user quality over faddish toys like these things. Unless you literally have money to burn or can't afford a decent desk or pay four bucks extra on your power bill, there is ablsolutely no advantage to using either an LCD or plasma display in favour of good 'ol perfected-technology CRTs. Sure, you can get a plasma to look decent at 1024x768 at forty diagonal inches, but unless you have a forty-inch-diameter head, it's useless. You can get the absolute best commercially-available 21-inch CRTs for easily half the price of a 22" LCD with decent tech in it. But althogh you can carry your new LCD in one hand, your colours suck, ghosting is inevitable, contrast levels fluctuate from bad to worse, AND YOU'RE SPENDING MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS for something that merely looks cool. I know that the top CRTs out there have been done to death review-wise by innumerable other sites, but it would be great to see Anandtech buck the trend and show you spec-for-spec how 'good' these new LCDs are compared to CRTs that do everything so well they don't really have any room for improvement (the infamous Sony quip), and bottom-line the price.

    My two cents, for what it's worth.
  • ElFenix - Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - link

    yet another low resolution desktop LCD. I seriously do not understand why laptop LCDs have significantly higher DPI. mine runs at 142 DPI. in contrast a 17" 1280x1024 resolution monitor such as this runs at about 97 DPI. a 17" version of a typical notebook screen would run something about 1900 pixels across the screen, so obviously manufacturers don't have a problem with the DPI of making a 1600x1200 17" LCD, and yet they don't. i guess i just don't get it. why wouldn't people want 50% more desktop area?

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