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
|
|
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.
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
