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Samsung's SyncMaster 700IFT and 900IFT
Features
The monitor
  • 19-inch screen (18 inches viewable)
  • 0.20-millimeter horizontal dot pitch
  • 1,600 x 1,200 maximum resolution at 76 Hz
  • Onscreen digital display director
  • Plug-and-play compatibility

Samsung USA

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8.5/10

As more and more flat CRT monitors are being produced, shopping for one can become a tad confusing or even annoying. That is why we have decided to present to you a review on two high ends flat CRT monitors: the Samsung SyncMaster 700IFT and 900IFT.

Both have the same features and only differ in size (the 700IFT is a 17” and the 900IFT is a 19”). Therefore, I will only present to you the results of the 700IFT.

First Impressions

The very first thing I noticed when I unpacked the 700IFT was its considerable size. With 16.3" x 17.1" x 16.5" dimensions (W x H x D), it is certainly a short neck monitor (well, forget about saving desk space except if you have an old CRT monitor). It is in fact one of the biggest 17” flat CRT monitor I ever saw. Still, on my relatively average desk, it fitted quite nicely.

Next, I looked at the flatness of the tube. Samsung claims that the 700IFT possesses the flattest tube in the world. They also mention it is a perfectly flat (DynaFlat or also called IFT) tube. They might just be right about the first part, but, as for the second, I have to answer to it. 1) Perfection is not of this world and 2) the 700IFT is no exception to this rule. It is still pretty close to it because it took me two days to actually notice that the four corners of the tube were slightly curved inwards. The curve angle is very little and you really have to look at the corners a lot to see it, but it’s enough to say that perfect flatness was not obtained by the engineers of this product.

Then, at last, I looked at the disposition of the configurations and power buttons. Well, let’s just say that I was quite satisfied. The Power key is at its usual position, the Up, Down, Left, and Right button are centered between the Exit and Menu keys, and the Highlight button stands to the left of the monitor, right next to Exit. It all looks well organized and very neat

Features

The look of a monitor is a very important, but you also have to consider its features before making a choice and purchasing one. Consequently, we will now talk about what the SyncMaster 700IFT has to offer.

Dot pitch

This monitor offers a marvelously fine 0.20 mm horizontal dpi which favors clear and crisp images with great picture definition. The smaller the dpi, the better the image; I have to say that Samsung did a great job in this department.

Resolution:

The 700IFT displays a tremendous maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 @ 60 Hz and of 1600 x 1200 @ 76 Hz flicker-free refresh rate. Samsung recommends using the 1280 x 1024 @ 85 Hz mode for best results. These high resolutions are excellent if you love great image quality.

User controls

The Position, Size, Pincushion, Linearity, Pin Balance, Trapezoid, Parallel, Tilt (Rotation), Moiré, Color Temperature, Color Control, Zoom In/Out, Focus, Recall, and Manual Degauss controls are available. Also, many languages such as English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Italian, Russian, and Korean are supported. I think this is great because many people in North America have a mother tongue which differs from English.

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Highlight feature

This enables a part of the screen to be brightened and have a higher contrast so it could be easier to see (very useful if you have sight problems).

Surface treatment

This anti-static, anti-reflection screen coating (via Smart 3 Treatment) refracts unwanted light away from the user while maintaining the highest quality of the displayed image. This can be quite practical if your computer is placed in a sunny room.

Plug & Play

This monitor can be connected through a 15pin video male connector or USB (optional).

TCO99
This monitor complies with the world's strictest standards of low radiation, safety, ergonomics, recycling, and power management while saving costs through automatic power savings modes.

CRT
This a Invar shadow mask CRT which is a special type alloy that can withstand higher heat levels, therefore extending the picture tube life while displaying sharp, bright pictures. You surely don’t want to purchase a monitor that will die in less then a year or two.
The 700IFT also is PC and Mac compatible and comes with a three years warranty on parts (which include the CRT and labor).

Tests

Well, there aren’t many tests that you can do to check out a monitor. All you can really do compare its image quality on different types of video cards.

Therefore, I tested the 700IFT with a SIS 4mb integrated video card (low end) and an Asus 8200 T5 64mb Geforce3 Pure (high end). As for the low end card, I had no problem with its graphics even at high resolution such as 1280 x 1024. The image was still clear and crisp. For the high end video card, I ran games like Quake 3, Max Payne, and RTCWF with wax effects and was really amazed by the quality of the pictures. As for jpegs, the just looked incredible. My wallpapers (even the brightest ones) also looked superb. The colors were just breath taking on the 700IFT.

Conclusion

The 700IFT and 900IFT are two marvelous monitors. The feature USB connectivity which I think is rather great. They both offer great image quality even in high resolution.

Also, these displays are going at about 220$/330$ USD each which is quite acceptable for 17”/19” monitors. These are products are excellent and I recommend them to anyone who is looking for a high end flat CRT.

David Dorgerville


 





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