Product Reviews

Most of the large-format monitors we see - including our favourite Samsung SyncMaster 245B - make use of TN panels. Good for fast response times and cheap manufacturing, they struggle to produce the colour gamut and wide viewing angles of more expensive technologies.

Those requiring something a little more high-end need look instead to S-PVA panels, one of which you'll find installed in Samsung's latest screen.

The SyncMaster 245T is Samsung's professional alternative to the 245B, with a price tag double that of its mainstream sibling. It can display a 97% colour gamut, has near 180 degree viewing angles and reproduces photos and videos with a punch that will have enthusiasts drooling.

We hooked it up to a test rig via the HDMI port, and fired up DisplayMate. As expected, the 245T sailed through every technical test with ease: gradients were perfectly smooth, there was no sign of unnatural colour tinting and, although the 300cd/m² brightness is pretty standard at this size, it makes for absolutely stunning whites.

The impressive black level belies the basic 1,000:1 contrast specification, and minor variations in greys were visible in our detailed tests.

We

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must point out that the Samsung achieves its wonderful vibrancy with a liberal dose of over-saturation - the greens and blues of Crysis have a real punch to them that cheaper TFTs can't match, but this may be counterproductive if you need totally accurate colours for image editing.

It shares the same design as the 245B, with a fully adjustable stand that lifts 10cm, swivels, tilts and pivots to portrait mode. The OSD is one of the clearest we've used, with control buttons sensibly positioned on the front, and we were intrigued by a new button labelled 'MPA'.

This enables Samsung Motion Picture Acceleration, a feature intended to improve the 6ms response time - perhaps the 245T's only minor weakness.

It works by flickering the backlight on and off at 60Hz to artificially create a CRT effect. It did make for a slight improvement in our tests, but at close range the flickering effect was noticeable - and a little irritating - so we preferred to leave it switched off.

There are no built-in speakers but there is room for a soundbar if you really need it. You do get four USB ports for hooking up peripherals, though, and the added choice of component, composite and S-Video ports to suit all devices. Picture-in-picture is also supported.

But, while we're in no doubt that this is a truly magnificent monitor, that price tag is simply too big a barrier. The A-Listed 245B is nearing the £250 mark, and offers an excellent experience in its own right.

Does the 245T really justify an extra £350 outlay? For professionals and enthusiasts, maybe; for everyone else, we're afraid not.