Samsung SyncMaster 206BW 20” LCD Review

You may have read my post about shopping for a new LCD monitor and all the information that I learned in the process.  Well, here is the monitor that I ended up getting.

If you’re in the market for a new LCD monitor around 20” in size, then you may want to consider the Samsung SyncMaster 206BW.  This monitor is an excellent choice for the average PC user and even hardcore gamer.  Let’s take a look at the Specs.

• 20” Wide LCD at 1680×1050 resolution.
• 2ms (Grey-to-Grey) pixel response time.
• 3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.
• 300 cd/m2 Brightness.
• 160°(H) / 160°(V) Viewing Angle.
• 0.258mm Pixel Pitch.
• Analog and DVI port with HDCP.
• Swivel & Tilt stand adjustment.

Overall, the specs are great by the book, but here is my experience with this monitor.  I bought mine from Circuit City for $280 before a $30 mail-in rebate.  After setting it up and using it for a couple weeks I have had no complaints.  The panel is very nice and modern looking.  The bezel is a glossy black finish.  The real-world performance definitely lives up to the specs.  I also received mine with no dead pixels which was a plus, though Samsung does have a zero dead pixel guarantee.  Overall I was very satisfied.  Here are the main Pros and Cons.

Pros:

• Nice modern looking panel.
• Color reproduction that you would expect from a standard TN panel.
• No noticeable ghosting in any fast-paced games.
• Comes with DVI and VGA cables.
• No backlight bleeding.

Cons:

• No height adjustment.
• Average viewing angles (TN panel).
• Almost too bright (needs to be turned down to about 30% brightness).

Overall, it is a great performing LCD monitor for its price and size and I definitely recommend it if you are in the market.

One last issue that should be noted is that this panel has been part of a panel lottery in the fact that Samsung has had three different manufactures producing this panel due to high demand.  The panels used to be labeled as S, A, and C, corresponding to each manufacturer.  Many users have noted that the C panel has had some serious quality control problems, the A panel has had mixed results, and the S panel, which is Samsungs own panel is near flawless.  As of October 2007, Samsung has removed all markings that were used to identify which panels were made by which manufacturers, this included my own panel.  I can say myself that whatever panel I may have gotten, I am still very impressed by it.  I am telling you this because it may change your mind about buying this panel if you can’t buy it from a store that will let you return or exchange opened panels if you are unsatisfied.