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Introduction
Samsung has been in the monitor industry for quite some time with a wide product range targeted at different markets. One of the newest products is the T220HD, which is a 22" widescreen HDTV monitor. This screen combines both a high-resolution PC display and a TV tuner, permitting this one device to replace two where space is at a premium.
With the advent of HD, the markets for TVs and monitors have merged. Plasma and LCD displays that are sold as TVs can often be used as PC monitors because many come with D-Sub and DVI inputs. The two markets have meshed in such a way that even modern computer video cards will output an HDMI signal that is compatible with HDTVs. The T220HD is simply approaching the market from the other direction, i.e. primarily as a computer monitor, but with the added capability to act as a television.
Features
Let's take a look at the features/specifications offered by the T220HD.
As mentioned previously, the display is a widescreen 22" monitor. The native resolution is 1680 x 1050, which is currently standard for a 22" panel. This monitor is advertised as 1080p compatible, meaning that it can accept a 1080p input. However, since the native resolution of the display is 1680 x 1050, it means that even though it is receiving a 1920 x 1080 progressive image, this will be downscaled to fit and therefore cannot be regarded as delivering the "Full HD" experience. Nevertheless, this level of downscaling would be difficult to spot on a screen of this size.
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The monitor also boasts a 10 000:1 contrast ratio with a 5ms response time. In terms of connectivity options, the monitor features analog RGB D-sub, DVI, 2xHDMI, Component and a coax connector for plugging in an antenna for the built-in ATSC tuner. Interestingly enough, Samsung chose to omit legacy connections such as composite and S-Video, which means some devices such as old camcorders, VCR or DVD players may not plug directly into this monitor. The monitor is supplied with a D-sub cable, but it would have been nice to see an HDMI cable included as well.
The built-in ATSC tuner allows you to watch over the air (OTA) HD digital TV channels. Although not explicitly part of the specifications on the Samsung website, the built-in tuner can also receive analog signals for those areas that have difficulty receiving a digital signal.
There is also an optical output on the TV should you wish to connect it to an audio receiver for better sound output than delivered by the built-in tiny 3W speakers.
Performance
The first thing to say is that the monitor's design is quite elegant in a sleek glossy black and dark red finish. The design of the monitor reminds me more of the look of a Samsung TV rather than other Samsung monitors. The TV is turned on by touching the bottom right corner, which will glow red to indicate that it is on. While this looks much cooler than your regular power button, at times it is difficult to be sure if you've properly touched the panel and switched the unit on or off.
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On the right hand side of the monitor are 6 buttons to control the source input, menu, volume +/-, channel +/-.
The monitor was able to successfully scan a bunch of analog and DTV signals in my region. The ATSC tuner actually worked pretty well with weak channels that other ATSC tuners have struggled with.
The Menu is straightforward with options to adjust picture, sound, channel, setup and input. Within the Pictures panel it is possible to adjust the "MagicBright" options which are presets that adjust brightness, contrast & saturation. These presets include "Entertain", "Internet", "Text", "Dynamic Contrast" or "Custom". The "Entertain" and "Dynamic Contrast" modes delivered the brightest images whereas "Internet" and "Text" delivered a darker image to be easier on the eyes -- although I still preferred the "Dynamic Contrast" even when viewing text.
Another available option in the "Picture" menu is an "Auto Adjustment" setting to adjust the PC frequency and phase. You can also adjust the position of the image if not properly displayed (shift it left or right). The aspect ratio can also be switched between widescreen and 4:3.
Within the "Sound" menu it is possible to select different modes such as "Standard", "Music", "Movie", "Speech" and "Custom". There is also an equalizer. The speakers are hidden within the TV but for watching movies and listening to music I'd opt for using separate speakers. The sound quality is what you would expect from a TV display, i.e. the sound has weak bass response. The best mode was the "Movie" mode, delivering a richer midrange. The other modes sounded tinnier.
Image quality of the monitor was good. The whites were white and the blacks were dark. Viewing angle was fairly good horizontally, but vertically the angle seemed to have a greater effect on image quality. As a monitor this shouldn't have much of an impact because the display will be directly in front of the user. As a TV though, it might have to be carefully oriented to obtain the best results.
In terms of connectors, most are located at the rear of the TV. The extra HDMI port is placed at the left side of the monitor and may be quite noticeable when a cable is plugged in. This is a good location for ease of access, but aesthetically it may have been better to place the second HDMI port at the back as well.
Conclusion
The Samsung T220HD delivers a solid experience as a monitor and HDTV packed in an elegant piano black exterior. Although the connectivity options were abundant, the placement of the second HDMI connector was questionable as well as the lack of legacy composite/S-Video inputs for compatibility with older devices. The sound quality, as expected, was average for small built-in speakers, but image quality was good. For around $399, you get a monitor and HDTV and a slew of features packed into one device. If you are down on space, this display is worthy of consideration.
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