Samsung SyncMaster 172W

With the arrival of widescreen notebooks, it was only a matter of time before wide-aspect LCDs began emerging for our desktops too. Enter the SyncMaster 172W.

While 17in is the screen's diagonal, it's more like using a wide 14in display and, although the shape initially feels strange, you'll soon begin to appreciate the benefits.

The extra width over a standard 1,024 x 768 display allows you to keep a sidebar open while working. But the real benefits come when using audio or graphics applications, where the proportions allow a more comfortable overview.

For DVDs, the 172W gives the equivalent screen area of a 19in 4:3 monitor with widescreen movies. They look fantastic too, with practically no visible artefacts in our tests, and the bright backlighting makes for an uncommonly televisual experience. Games also benefit, though some will suffer from the non-standard resolution and average 25ms response time.

Quality-wise, both the D-SUB and DVI-D inputs give excellent results. In fact, the only real fly in the ointment is the poor horizontal viewing angle, with intensity dropping off sharply past 45 degrees.

Video and power cables attach at the bottom rear of the base rather than into the panel, the base itself offering excellent vertical and horizontal adjustability. It folds up flush with the back of the panel too, and there's even a wall mount included. The design means the cables are easy to keep out of sight in either configuration, and the silver bezel, while obviously plastic when you get up close, looks attractively metallic from a distance.

Desktop widescreens are still a fairly new phenomenon, so economies of scale haven't kicked in: at £339, you're paying a premium given the 172W's overall size. All the same, if you're looking for a great entertainment screen with bijou wow factor, the SyncMaster is certainly worth a look.

Author: Ross Burridge