Samsung Syncmaster B2030 Monitor

It’s been a while since we reviewed a monitor and that’s making me a bit edgy now. Blame it on the junkie that the job creates. Today's product is Samsung's brand new series model, the B2030. It’s a 20-inch LCD monitor for today’s’ intensive PC usage, so let's get to it.

Design and features
Rounded edges with slightly pendulous, bulgy panels are what the bezel comprises of. The finish is glossy black across the board. The bottom edge is arced, and has a plastic strip accenting it, for the sole purpose of adding some aesthetic condiments to the model, and this it does successfully. The stand too is similar in looks. It is oval and attaches quite snugly to the frame, but due to this height cannot be adjusted, plus there is no swivel or tilt.

The available inputs are VGA and DVI-D( HDCP compliant). There are a lot of features thrown in software wise, but no multimedia or webcam options, thus making this a core visual display with no extra candy. Internally it has Magic bright, that controls and optimizes the screens’ brightness and contrast by single click. Other stuff includes customizable Keys, Magic Angle etc.

Specs
Screen Size                       20" wide
Resolution                        1600 x 900
Brightness                        250 cd/㎡
Contrast Ratio                  50000:1 (DC)
Response time                  5ms
Viewing Angle                    170˚/160˚ (CR>10)  
Multimedia Speakers         No
Special Features               MagicBright3, MagicEco, MagicAngle, MagicReturnOff, Magic
                                         timer                        
Product Dimension
with stand, (WxHxD)       492 x 396 x 178 mm
Shipment Weight             5.5Kg

Performance
First thing to encounter in any monitor is its UI, and probably the most important part as it is here where we will be setting up stuff. Samsung’s UI is quite well made here. It pops up near the touch sensitive buttons itself and not the center, plus it's simply laid out and clear to look at. For setting options we have the proprietary stuff like Magic bright which is nothing but a bunch of presets.

Turning Dynamic contrast on yields the best image in this case, with a very bright and vibrant image. The backlight was really bright plus we were positively surprised by the contrast too. On a qualitative basis I can say that the brightness and contrast was way above average, but then one issue arises, in Dynamic contrast mode there is a lag in the automatic brightness adjustment, when one turns to a darker scene or image. It works well for browsing and typing on a word processor, but for a movie or game, one can manually adjust the brightness and keep it at an optimal level, which would be about 55 for us, and the contrast high up at 90. Due to the healthy contrast, tThe black depth is also very good.

As for colors, the monitor has some saturation issues with blue, but that can be dialed down in the menu. Motion performance is again great; we had no serious issues of motion blur.

Conclusion
At a price of Rs. 8700, this Samsung monitor is a very nice piece. It’s simple and straight up in design, with very bright backlight and good contrast. Colors have good accuracy too. The dynamic contrast though slow in adjustment the monitor is recommended.