Samsung Syncmaster 275T

The Samsung SyncMaster 275T satisfies the graphics and multimedia needs of picky users with its outstanding overall performance and its generous offering of premium features, such as picture-in-picture, USB hub, and various video connectors, including composite, component, and S-Video ports. 

The plain design of this 27-inch wide-screen monitor begins with a black bezel, surrounded on the sides by a drab gunmetal gray. The 275T has no unusual curves like those found in other Samsung models (such as the smaller 2232GW). Instead, it's a basic rectangular monitor that sits on top of a round base. The height is adjustable, though the stand lock (which is an insertable clip) can only be used when the monitor is at its minimum height. At any other height, you must store the clip somewhere else, which means it can be lost easily. The panel also tilts back 25 degrees and swivels 90 degrees to the left and right, a respectable angle though some monitors swivel as far as 360 degrees.

Tested for our February 2008 feature "The Wide World of Monitors," the 275T achieved an overall performance rating of Very Good. Solidly consistent results in different text tests make this monitor a great office display. Skin tones on a portrait of a diverse group of people were marvelously natural, while detail and color balance on many other graphics tests were outstanding.

The on-screen display (OSD) buttons, located on the lower right-hand side of the bezel, are clearly labeled and the on-screen menu is easy to use.  The OSD includes many brightness presets for common types of tasks, such as text, games, and movies. A section of the OSD called MagicColor adjusts the contrast and vividness of colors, also via presets. In addition to VGA and DVI ports, Samsung includes component and S-Video. This way, you can connect other devices such as a DVD player and use the monitor's picture-in-picture, or PIP function to watch a movie while you're working, for example. The PIP feature has its own dedicated OSD button, making it easy to turn on.

Movie viewing was satisfactory overall, but in a viewing of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, I found the monitor produced intense colors that were somewhat unnatural in parts; for example, the leaves and bushes in the background had a tinge of neon green. The display offered good detailed textures on red and dark blue velvet robes, while capably rendering fast motion.

You can buy the 27-inch Samsung SyncMaster 275T for about $1000 (as of December 10, 2007), a reasonable price for a monitor that offers the right combination of features and image quality.

--Roy Santos