You deliver video to the 173mw via coaxial, composite, S-Video, or component inputs. Using the included remote control or the on-screen display, you can toggle between a full-screen computer desktop, HDTV or standard TV programming, and a DVD player or video game.
On my shipping unit, the high resolution of HDTV looked pretty darn good, and text was crisp and sharp. The field of vision--150 degrees horizontal and 120 degrees vertical--makes this display fine for a single person but less than optimal for a group. It's easy to rotate the 173mw on its heavy circular base, but you must use both hands to adjust the viewing angle.
You could use this monitor to watch a high-definition ballgame in the picture-in-picture window while working on a spreadsheet in your home office. A financial trader could use the conventional and high-def TV inputs to keep CNBC and CNNfn running in the background, toggling back and forth between the computer desktop and TV feeds. And the SyncMaster 173mw would be a great display choice for a PC running Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition.
Note that the unit does not have its own HDTV tuner; you must supply the HD source, which could mean lots of wires on your desk. But that is a minor drawback in an otherwise well-engineered unit.
The 173mw is worth its premium price if you would like to view various media and to control them all from the monitor itself.
Handsome but expensive HDTV-capable wide-screen LCD monitor; HDTV tuner not included.
Street: $750
Current Price (if available)
