Ben's Bargains

[Ben]

Product: Samsung Touch of Color T260HD 26" Widescreen LCD HDTV/Monitor
Manufacturer: Samsung
MSRP: $400.00
Lowest Historical Price: $330 [History]

Introduction
LCD monitor prices seem to be on a downward trend right now, with some 28" monitors reaching as low as the $200 range. Combine that with the fact that many monitors are starting to include HDCP compatibility and you’ve got a reason to go shopping for a new monitor. Ultimately, what I ended up with was the Samsung Touch of Color T260HD 25.5" Widescreen LCD Monitor. While not quite as big as the giant 28" or 30" monitors recently posted, the Samsung T260HD offers much more connectivity options than most other panels out there. Read on for the juicy details.

Specs
Screen Size: 25.5"
Response Time: 5 ms
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Resolution: 1920x1200@60Hz (DVI-D), 1920x1080@60Hz (HDMI)
Contrast Radio: 1000:1 (10,000:1 dynamic)
Video Signal: Analog RGB, DVI, HDMI, Component
Viewing Angle (Horizontal/Vertical): 170/150
Speakers: 2x 3 Watt

Setup
Setup for this monitor can range from simple to amazingly complex depending on how you want to use it. Behind the monitor, you’ll find connections for: Analog VGA In, DVI-D In, HDMI In, Coaxial In, Component In, 3.5mm Stereo In, and TOS-Link Optical Out. On the left side of the monitor, there is another HDMI input and also a 3.5mm Stereo output for headphones. I ended up using the DVI-D connection for PC, 1x HDMI for a Playstation 3, the Component In for a Playstation 2, and the Coaxial In with a rooftop antenna. Upon turning on the display,

[Radukk]

Yes! TN!

[ontheweb]

This is an excellent computer monitor, and a fairly decent TV.

However, if its for your computer, you are better off getting just a nice computer monitor and then add a TV tuner card to the PC so you can watch TV while using the computer. Otherwise, its a pain to only be able to do one or the other.

[deskjob]

Ben is this a parody...?

"One thing that first puzzled me though, was how it could be a 16:10 display and still purport to be fully 1080p."

Come on... you can't be serious. Good one man!

[gatzj]

sounds like someone got a free sample

[biggin]

ben's a hack

[ontheweb]

Because it can do 1920 x 1200, which is higher than 1080P.

More like 1080P plus.

[dlskr]

When reviewing freebie please read and obey the new guidelines!
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

[TexasFury]

Post deleted by Ben out of spite.

[N2hyc]

I've been on this site for years, MANY years, and I'm sorry to say what started out as a service to the community is now a mouth piece for anyone with a big check book. Look at the "Deals" each day and you see the weekly ads from a hundred retailers. It's not who is the cheapest, it's who is paying the most to get placed.

[skoldpadda]

This is a great monitor imo. Using it as I type this.

[dubucl]

Would it be a good idea to get this in oppose to a hdtv? I want a HDTV/Monitor combo for my computer. Just want to hear some suggestions. HDTVs prices are falling, for a few more bucks I can get a actual tv instead of a monitor.

[5DMK027]

it's a good monitor, however i am more looking forward to the LED one.
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-19167_1-10137941-100.html

[ace080479]

for the price i rather get a 32" LCD TV and hook it up to my computer

[dd]

Of course it has black bars top and bottom when displaying 1920x1080. That's exactly what you want.

The monitor's basic resolution is 1900x1200, and if it scaled the TV images to full screen, not only would circles not be round (and everyone would appear taller and thinner), but the built-in scaling would seriously screw up image quality.

When possible you always want native resolution displayed natively, no scaling.

Don't be one of those morons who complains that "I paid good money for this set, and by god, I want the image filling the screen." Those morons are responsible for downconverted 4:3 center-cut images when 16:9 letterbox would look SO much better.