Samsung 245T

It’s no secret that the expensive Samsung 245T hosts an S-PVA panel beneath its slim black exterior. But this display’s performance is certainly worth the price. The 245T offers a stunning picture for its class, trumping our longtime favorite 24-inch panel, Dell’s 2407WFP, and even its latest rev, the 2408WFP.

This isn't a perfect display, but it wins the fight.

This 1920x1200 display boasts a 97-percent color gamut and the effect is clear. The 245T dishes out notably vibrant blues, reds, and greens, and its color saturation remains strong at even very light levels. To us, the display’s colors feel just right: crisp and bold without any hint of oversaturation. But even if you disagree, the monitor comes with a number of preset options for tweaking the coloration to your exact preferences. We found success using the Mild preset, as Normal made images appear drab and Brilliant made our images look like a supernova.

We were equally impressed by the 245T’s range of grayscales. The display is able to reproduce more details as its darker grayscales turn to black than any other monitor we’ve ever tested. Its light grayscales are similarly expansive. The 245T’s healthy grayscale range translates into superior detail on high-definition images and movies.

Our criticisms of this monitor are few, but strong: We dislike the 245T’s optional dynamic contrast feature, as it treated us to a healthy dose of image fades whenever our movie of choice, V for Vendetta, switched between scenes of varying brightness. Nor did we like the 245T’s lack of single-button contrast adjustments. You can adjust the monitor’s brightness, but not the contrast, without having to traverse a number of OCD screens.

The 245T supports just about any input connection you might use, including VGA, DVI, component, and HDMI. You can swivel, tilt, and raise the monitor at your leisure, and even flip the whole panel to portrait mode. Five included USB ports sweeten the deal, but we don’t need any more convincing. With features as strong as its picture, the Samsung 245T is the monitor to beat in its size class.

Samsung 245T

Samson

Impressive array of inputs; 97% color gamut; crisp and bold colors, and sharp grayscales. An excellent monitor.

Son of Sam

We don't like the dynamic contrast feature; no single-button contrast adjustment buttons.

www.samsung.com

Specifications

	Samsung 245T
Viewable Area	24"
Native Resolution	1920x1200
Inputs	VGA, DVI, HDMI, S-Video, Component
Panel Type	S-PVA