Subjective Evaluation
As usual, we spent some time using the display both before and after calibration. Many users don't have access to color calibration tools, while for imaging professionals some form of hardware calibration is standard procedure. We will start with our subjective evaluation before getting to the actual quantitative results.
After our last review, we actually heard from a reader who said he was a big fan of glossy LCDs. We actually preferred non-reflective finishes on our LCD panels, so we prefer displays like the Samsung 245T to glossy options like the HP w2408 -- and that's before we take into account other performance aspects. Hopefully, we've made it clear that we are not fans of TN LCDs, and switching from the HP w2408 to the Samsung 245T once again reinforces that opinion. With the two LCDs sitting next to each other, besides the better viewing angles on the 245T we also felt that it had better overall color quality and vibrancy. Some might prefer the industrial design of the HP display, but in all other areas we would rate the Samsung 245T higher.
Comparing the 245T to other LCDs that we've reviewed, the differences are not as dramatic. The Gateway FPD2485W and Dell 2407WFB are both quite similar in features and functionality, and to the naked eye we would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between any of these three LCDs. That should come as no surprise, however, since all three LCDs appear to use Samsung S-PVA panels. Pricing is also similar on all three offerings, although the FPD2485W has been discontinued and the 2407WFP is due for replacement in the near future. (Yes, we will be reviewing the replacement as soon as the NDA expires.) The major difference would be the inclusion of an HDMI port on the Samsung, or the flash media ports on the Dell LCD.
We did test out the other extra features that the Samsung 245T advertises, specifically the MPA (Motion Picture Acceleration) and the dynamic contrast setting. The difference between enabling and disabling MPA is quite small, but to our eyes the display did look a bit better with the function enabled. Except where otherwise noted, we left MPA on for the rest of our testing. The dynamic contrast did not make as good of an impression; as we will see in a moment, contrast ratios are indeed higher, but it comes primarily from increased maximum brightness and lower color fidelity. When you enable Dynamic CR, you also lose control over the color levels, contrast, and brightness -- all of these apparently get set to "automatic". So score one for faster response times, but forget about dynamic contrast ratios.
One other question that has come up is whether there is any sort of internal image lag - i.e. processing that can add a frame or two delay to the output. This is something that exists to varying degrees on all LCDs, but for the most part it's not an issue. There may be a 0.02s lag, but the vast majority of users won't notice it. During testing, we didn't feel that the 245T was any different than other LCDs we've used, but then we've never complained about input lag on any LCD we've tested. Considering double-buffering and SLI/CrossFire also add a couple frames of delay, and no one appears concerned about that, we're not too worried about LCD input lag. If we do notice it on future reviews, though, we will be sure to make a note of it.
Unless otherwise noted, we ran the remaining tests after calibrating the displays using Monaco Optix XR, both the professional version of the software as well as an XR (DTP-94) colorimeter. In some of the tests, calibration can have a dramatic impact on the result, but viewing angles and response times remain largely unchanged. We also performed testing with ColorEyes Display Pro, although the overall results were better using Monaco Optix XR.
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nubie - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
In most proper drivers you can select a mode that has 1:1. In the nVidia classic panel (I only use the classic panel, google sedonadisable if you can't find yours.)Use DVI or HDMI, and go to device adjustments, there is a setting called "centered output", use this to send black pixels to fill the digital signal until the pixel ratio is 1:1.
I ran into a problem that wouldn't allow me to run custom resolutions, this is the fix:
http://wikitechia.org/wiki/The_custom_resolution_c...">http://wikitechia.org/wiki/The_custom_resolution_c...
I agree that scaling technology needs serious work, 16:10 is not 16:9, and 1388x768 is not 720p. Add to that the fact that even if you can get the native res of some panels to be sent by the PC, the display still stretches and overscans it, that is bad.
Doesn't the Xbox360 have support for native panel resolutions such as 1280x1024 as part of the VGA output? Doesn't this extend to the HDMI output? I would really like to know what support there is for native panel resolutions on consoles.
Every PS3 and Xbox360 I have ever seen has had mediocre picture quality, and I sincerely hope that it is a problem on the display side (in-store displays only).
JarredWalton - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
I don't think consoles support PC resolutions. They are usually HDTV/TV resolutions, so you get 640x480 on the old stuff, and 720p or 1080i (or maybe 1080p?) on new stuff. Of course, some titles use a lower resolution like 1024x576 or something and stretch that to 720p/1080p for performance reasons.The 245T will accept other resolutions; the problem is that your only options are "fill the whole screen (and aspect ratio be damned)" or "fill a 4:3 area (again, forget about the actual AR)". With PC connections, you're fine if you use the driver to adjust the stretch options.
Unless I'm severely mistaken, you don't get that functionality with consoles. Or DVD/Blu-ray/HD-DVD players.
nubie - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
WRONG!!! Information available as of 2005:http://hardware.teamxbox.com/reviews/xbox-360/40/X...">http://hardware.teamxbox.com/reviews/xbox-360/40/X...
1024x768
1280x720
1280x768
1280x1024
1360x768
I was simply curious as to whether recent updates to the Xbox360 firmware had made it MORE compatible.
JarredWalton - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
Interesting - didn't know consoles supported other output resolutions... though it seems like it would be game dependent, right? (I'm pretty much a PC-only gamer, so I haven't owned a console since the N64.)If you can output 1360x768, you should be able to get a 16:10 AR that will fit with this display properly. That's what I would go for, anyway.
JarredWalton - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
Playing DVDs, you can usually control this with your player software, and in fact you can control this with NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards (though I'd give the edge to NVIDIA here) under Windows. The problem is what happens when you hook up something like a game console, or some other device that doesn't do internal scaling. Then you're stuck with what the LCD firmware provides, and in this case it falls short.I'd think Samsung could release updated firmware to address this issue. Will they, and if so can you apply it to the initial models? Probably not, but they may prove me wrong.
SilthDraeth - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
Click on about above the Forums link, then on the next page, click on intellitext and then choose the option to turn it off.Problem solved.
Welshtrog - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
I have tried about 10 times and the B***** thing will NOT turn offGTMan - Friday, February 8, 2008 - link
You probably have to enable cookies.Or get a good hosts (google "hosts") file to block lots of ads. There is also a little program called Homer which will replace the blanked ads with a color gradation.
Welshtrog - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
I have tried about 10 times ant the B***** thing will NOT turn offAmishElvis - Thursday, February 7, 2008 - link
Those drop down ads are a deal breaker for me. Get rid of them or I will find another tech review site.