The Samsung T260HD is the best monitor I've ever owned. I was using dual 19 inchers (Samsung 940BX and Samsung 971P) and this blows both of them away.I'm an amateur photographer and my photos look amazing on this monitor -- big screen, high resolution, clear bright colors. The images are very sharp and detailed. There is so much detail in the images, it's almost like being there.Photos have more detail in both the highlights and shadows than any other monitor I have used.I love this monitor.
With the default settings, the monitor was a little too bright, so I turned the brightness down to 50 and then profiled the monitor with my Monico Optix XR color puck. Now the monitor produces less bright and more natural colors.The photos show more detail in both highlight and shadow areas than any previous monitor. The built-in 1080P HDTV works great too.It automatically found all of my DTV stations without a cable box -- in fact it found even more than my cable box shows.Standard DVDs look very good on it too.The monitor was easy to setup and use both as a monitor and as a TV.The remote is just the right size, with all the essential buttons and enough space between them for even my large fingers.The remote lets you switch between TV mode and monitor mode with a single button push.
Initially I couldn't play Blu-ray movies on this monitor and the Cyberlink Blu-ray advisor reported a digital connection that didn't support HDCP.The problem turned out to be lack on HDCP support in the GeForce 7600GT video card.I upgraded the video card to a GeForce 9800GT and now Blu-ray movies play just fine.Blu-ray movies have a little more detail, but standard DVDs look great too.
The screen seems to have an anti-glare feature -- light coming in my window that used to cause glare on my other monitors, is not a problem on this monitor.I haven't verified this in the specs, but it just seems to have less of a glare problem than other monitors.
Now that I have this large widescreen monitor, I've started watching DVDs and instant Netflix movies on it. Both look great.With a high speed connection, the instant view movies look almost as good as DVDs.
I still have a 19inch monitor to the side of this one for games that don't display well at this resolution.It also adds as an overflow monitor when I get lots of stuff running.
This monitor is a little slow to wake up after being asleep (Windows power management).I discovered that it wakes up better when detecting a mouse click than just moving the mouse.
I tried using the monitor from both the HDMI and DVI connectors and found no noticeable difference in display quality.
The sound quality from the built-in speakers is okay for watching standard TV, but I normally use my Logitech THX-certified Z-2300 speakers which are much better.When using the T260HD as a TV I let the sound come out of its own speakers, but when using it as a monitor, the sound routes through the Logitech Z-2300 speakers.They have excellent sound for both movies and gaming and are only $83 on Amazon.
If you are thinking of getting one of these monitors, just do it.You will love it.
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Samsung Touch Of Color T260HD 25.5 Inch LCD HDTV MonitorProduct Description: Beautiful inside and out, the Samsung Touch Of Color T260HD LCD monitor is a great way to get the most out of your PC--as well as watch your favorite 1080p HDTV broadcasts. It features an embedded DTV tuner that enables you to watch digital HD broadcasts without a special receiving set. And with six image input terminals, you can connect several pieces of digital equipment to the T260HD and use them simultaneously. Two HDMI connections make your monitor a multimedia centerpiece. Additionally, SRS TruSurround XT is embedded to improve audio performance.
The contrast between light and dark colors on the screen is what makes images stand out. The bigger the difference between light and dark images, the more vibrant images will appear. With an amazing dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 you'll enjoy sharper image quality that's sure to catch your eye. You'll also make a style statement with Samsung's new Touch of Color design, which features a hint of color naturally blended into the traditional piano black frame.
The T260HD is designed to be extremely efficient and uses up to a third less power than other monitors in its class. The unique SoftPower off function lets you put the monitor in standby mode right away, using just 0.3 W of power. It comes with a monitor stand that can tilt up to 20 degrees for optimal viewing and a full-feature remote control. The monitor's speakers reside underneath the screen and provide a total of 6 watts of audio power (3 watts per channel).
The Samsung T260HD includes two HDMI connectors (one on the side) in addition to DVI, VGA, component video, and RF antenna inputs. Specifications
Screen size: 26 inches
Resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels
Brightness: 300 cd/m² (candela per square meter
Response time: 5 milliseconds (ms)
Viewing angle: 170 degrees horizontal, 150 degrees vertical
HDMI audio/video input: 2 (1 on back, 1 on side)
DVI video input: 1
VGA video input: 1
Component video input: 1 set
Antenna input: 1 RF
Audio input: 1 left/right analog
Audio output: 1 SPDIF digital audio
What's in the Box Samsung T260HD monitor, monitor stand, power cord, D-sub (VGA) cable, remote control (with batteries), cleaning cloth, cable holding ring, quick start guide
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Display quality is not quite as nice as more expensive monitors I own.The contrast/brightness is not as good.There is a little color blowout and not quite as sharp looking.Having said that, it is still a good display and certainly seems like good quality for the low price.
