The widescreen 940BW helps flesh out Samsung's SyncMaster computer monitor line. More and more manufacturers are offering 19-inch widescreen models, as this size has proven to be a popular choice in terms of both size and cost. The SyncMaster B monitors have always been known for a focus on consumers and small business users, with an emphasis on value. The 940BW fits into this niche nicely, providing a number of excellent features at a moderate price.

With a native resolution of 1,440X900, the 940BW isn't quite up to the 1,080p demands of HD video, but it does a very good job of handling the more common 720p format used in many HD broadcasts. Video inputs are limited to a D-sub (VGA) and a DVI. The DVI input is HDCP-compatible, which future-proofs the 940BW against copy-protected HD content. There are no USB ports, but you may be willing to give up that non-essential option in exchange for a good-performing, budget-friendly display.

The 940WB is very bright, and we had to turn the brightness down a notch during the initial setup. The 940WB is also one of the fastest displays available, with a 4-millisecond gray-to-gray response time that is more than adequate for all but the most demanding high-speed motion. The contrast ratio is only average, which may cause problems with details in the blackest blacks and the whitest whites. This shouldn't affect home and business use, but it won't meet the demands of color professionals.

The stand includes a tilt adjustment, but no height, swivel or pivot options. Once assembled, the stand and display are very stable.

We are happy to see that even with a uniformly thin bezel, Samsung manages to incorporate all function buttons onto the front panel. The buttons control or provide access to the OSD (onscreen display), power, brightness settings, source and MagicBright function. An Auto button automatically reconfigures all settings.

In addition to using the OSD to configure the 940BW, you can use the included MagicTune software to adjust the display using your keyboard and mouse. The package includes two additional applications, MagicBright and MagicColor. MagicBright offers five predefined settings for specific applications (Text, Internet, Games, Sports and Movies), as well as a user-customizable option. MagicColor optimizes color by boosting saturation, hue, brightness and sharpness. You can also apply MagicColor to a specific region of the display, such as a video playback window, without affecting the rest of the display.

The Samsung SyncMaster 940WB is a versatile 19-inch widescreen monitor that provides great value by concentrating on important features and omitting the whiz-bang extras.


Pros:  Good image quality, fast response time, HDCP-compatible DVI input
Cons:  Limited video inputs, no USB ports, few adjustment options

Warranty
3 years