Samsung SM-215TW vs NEC LCD20WGX2?

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argh Firefox just crashed and I lost my post, so i'll have to post a shorter version!

Basically I had a Dell 2005fpw and gave it to my sis as her HP lcd died. So i'm deciding between the NEC LCD20WGX2 20.1" and the Samsung SM-215TW 21".

Oh and I'm sorry if this has been discussed previously, i've done a quick search but am in the middle of major exams so can't spend as long as I want researching it :( And I kind of need a monitor asap!

Pros for samsung:
- better true contrast ratio (1000:1, whereas 800:1 for NEC, the 1600:1 with advanced DVM quote i'm ignoring as guess this is just automatic brightness/contrast tweaks by the software).
- slighly larger screen (21" compared with 20.1")
- highly adjustable in all ways, whereas i dont think the NEC does height adjustment?

Pros for nec:
- 6ms compared with 8ms on samsung (will this realistically make any difference?)
- 470 cd/m2 brightness compared with 300 on samsung

Any ideas if they both do HDCP?

Anyone with any experience of these monitors? Which should i go for?! :confused:

Thanks for any replies :)
 
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Like you, I am also reading up on a new monitor to replace an 8 year old 21" CRT which went pop last week. And from what I read so far, the NEC doesn't do HDCP. (Info from igor's huge review on this site)

As to Firefox crashing, there is a simple fix - www.opera.com - not seen a crash since v3.xx in the 90's. :)
 
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aleco said:
- better true contrast ratio (1000:1, whereas 800:1 for NEC, the 1600:1 with advanced DVM quote i'm ignoring as guess this is just automatic brightness/contrast tweaks by the software).

yes, but it does a very good job of providing a better contrast ratio, helping deepen blacks and highlight whites. The S-PVA panel of the 215TW is also very good though, hard to say which is better in terms of contrast really, both are very good.

- 6ms compared with 8ms on samsung (will this realistically make any difference?)

The NEC is said to be arguably one of the fastest, if not THE fastest panels in the whole market right now, offering some very very good responsiveness, even compared with the fastest 2ms rated TN Film models (like the Viewsonic VX922 and Samsung 940BF for example). Samsung have done a good job with the overdrive application on their PVA and S-PVA panels, but their 8ms generation tend to be a little behind their 6ms generation which really showed some marked improvements in this area (eg Samsung 970P, and their 6ms G2G S-PVA panel in the Acer AL2416W and Dell 2407WFP). Anyway, the NEC should offer the edge here, but the 215TW should be adequate for gaming anyway for many users. Depends what kind of games you play and how susceptable you are to ghosting / blurring on LCD technology.


Any ideas if they both do HDCP?

The NEC UK/Europe stock doesn't support HDCP, but the US stock is reported to. I dont think the SAMSUNG 215TW has HDCP support either, it's not listed on the official spec pages.
 
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As far as ghosting goes, I play everything from EQ2 to GRAW to Hitman to NFS to Silent Hunter. There is no ghosting or blurring whatsoever.

I typically game in 1680 x 1050 (The Samsung's Native Resolution). I have yet to see a problem with this monitor. I was going to buy the NEC but on the day I ordered my upgrade, OcUK didnt have any stock. The Samsung had just come into stock. I did some research online (couldn't find much as it was so new) but I did see some reviews and they were all positive. I took a chance and I have to say I am very happy.

I have seen quite a few TFTs in my time and I have to say I have waited a long time to embrace the technology, especially after seeing a Dell 2405 in action and being thouroughly unimpressed. I dont want to take anything away from the NEC as it is supposed to be excellent but I can offer you a shining endorsement of the 215TW.

S
 
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Thanks for the replies :)

I've gone for the Samsung in the end!

My old Dell 2005fpw could swivel in just about any way, and i did like to use the portrait mode from time to time, seeing as the NEC doesn't even height adjust this gave the sammy the lead.
Plus I didn't realise the NEC had one of those annoying reflective glossy screens - some may like it, but when I was searching for laptops last year I really didn't like the way the lights and even your own face were reflected off it, even though it did appear to give a better image quality.

I finally found the specs on the Samsung UK site for the 215tw which states it has ".DVI(HDCP)", so that's a slight advantage too once I get a graphics card able to support it! :o

Only games, well, game, I play is Half-Life 2 and occasionally UT, so not a massive gamer.

So i thought, while the NEC may be technically marginally superior, the Samsung has the best of everything :) Fingers crossed I made the right choice and the screen doesn't come covered in dead pixels! :eek: I'll try and post my views on it once it arrives if I get time.

Thanks again for all those who helped :)
 
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i'm tempted with te NEC.

seems to have some reviews and be great value for money.

currently got an old dell 19" crt whose picture i am told is 'cr4p' !

its mainly for games - 90% is WoW. (plus some web browsing and wont be used for any sorta of photo editing / dvd watching)

be interesting to know how you find your samsung Aleco.....
 
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It's just arrived and I've just set it up!

So I'll have to put proper opinions up later, but initial impressions:

oooooh purdy! :cool:

Very nice looking monitor, built in speakers don't actually detract from the design (and sound ok too for what they are). On/off/menu buttons are very easy to press in, just need a light touch unlike on my old Dell where I felt I had to hold the monitor when pressing them to stop the monitor from swivelling around.

Display-wise, the pre-set modes for internet, text, gaming etc are a good idea - I've just put it on the web mode and my eyes don't hurt as much with it :)

Colouring and backlight *seem* to be very even, not run proper tests yet so I'll go into this more later. I've not noticed any glaringly obvious dead/stuck pixels either :D So not sure I want to look too hard now just incase I find one lol.

Nice and sharp looking, good range of motion in terms of monitor positioning.

So I'm very pleased with it so far :) Bad points? The stand isn't as solid (or heavy!!) as my Dell one, so the screen seems to wobble a bit if i'm typing hard or moving the mouse about a lot. My desk isn't that stable tho which only adds to this problem! :o (I've also got the height on the max setting which will no doubt contribute to this). The height doesn't go quite as high as my Dell one did either, but it's still got a good range.

So very pleased here, but will test it out a bit more later
 
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aleco said:
It's just arrived and I've just set it up!

So I'll have to put proper opinions up later, but initial impressions:

oooooh purdy! :cool:

Very nice looking monitor, built in speakers don't actually detract from the design (and sound ok too for what they are). On/off/menu buttons are very easy to press in, just need a light touch unlike on my old Dell where I felt I had to hold the monitor when pressing them to stop the monitor from swivelling around.

Display-wise, the pre-set modes for internet, text, gaming etc are a good idea - I've just put it on the web mode and my eyes don't hurt as much with it :)

Colouring and backlight *seem* to be very even, not run proper tests yet so I'll go into this more later. I've not noticed any glaringly obvious dead/stuck pixels either :D So not sure I want to look too hard now just incase I find one lol.

Nice and sharp looking, good range of motion in terms of monitor positioning.

So I'm very pleased with it so far :) Bad points? The stand isn't as solid (or heavy!!) as my Dell one, so the screen seems to wobble a bit if i'm typing hard or moving the mouse about a lot. My desk isn't that stable tho which only adds to this problem! :o (I've also got the height on the max setting which will no doubt contribute to this). The height doesn't go quite as high as my Dell one did either, but it's still got a good range.

So very pleased here, but will test it out a bit more later

Glad you like it mate. I absolutely love mine.

S
 
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I know im dragging up an old thread but this is exactly the dillema i am in now and i can use the search button! :)

I know these are 'least years' monitors but im the kinda guy who likes to buy things once they have been firmly establiches to be great quality - any buying things later means that their prices generally come down. :)

Im generally leaning towards the Sammy but cant help reading a few people commenting on the input lag. As i game (FPS) a fair bit i am slightly worried about this.

Can anyone reassure me that getting the Sammy is the right thing to do?

Ta.
 
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I have had the Samsung for a while now and find it great for gaming. I cannot notice any input lag and I play FPS games quite a lot.
 
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