Samsung Unveils LCDs, Printers
SyncMaster 172X monitor is crafted for multimedia with faster response time.Eric Butterfield, PCWorld.com
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LAS VEGAS-- Samsung is showcasing a fleet of new monitors, including one with a fast response time well-suited to multimedia, as well as several new printers at Comdex here.
Its entries are among a handful of new, affordably priced large LCD monitors being shown at Comdex.
Flat Options
The 17-inch SyncMaster 172X LCD has a response time of 12 milliseconds, according to Samsung representatives, who target it for multimedia applications. Many gamers continue to eschew LCDs in favor of CRTs for their speed. The 172X is scheduled to ship in January with an estimated street price of $649. The top and bottom bezels are a half-inch wide; the sides are 0.4 inches thick.
The 172X comes with MagicTune, Samsung's control software that made its debut with the 173P two months ago. The software allows users to change color and brightness settings using their mouse and keyboard, and to save individual preferences.
In the case of Samsung's new 19-inch SyncMaster 193P, also announced here, MagicTune's capabilities are particularly important because the monitor has no buttons on its bottom bezel for making adjustments. The 193P will ship in December, priced at $899. The LCD comes with Picture-in-Picture and a digital video interface. It can rotate 360 degrees, and tilt 90 degrees. All ports are in the base, which can be folded up for wall mounting.
Other LCD Offerings
Also new is the 32-inch SyncMaster 323T, which Samsung aims at people looking for a large-screen LCD who want something smaller (or at least with a smaller price tag) than a 40-inch display.
The 323T, which is scheduled to ship in December, costs $3999. Picture-in-Picture can be used to watch PC and video content simultaneously. A power transformer is built in, so you don't need a power brick. The display weighs less than 38 pounds and includes interfaces for video, S-video, component video for DVD and HDTV, and RGB analog and digital inputs for the PC.
The display has a 500:1 contrast ratio, and a response time under 22 milliseconds. Maximum digital resolution is 1280 by 768. The LCD offers variable aspect ratios in addition to 4:3 for PC applications.
Samsung has also introduced three new multifunction monitors that incorporate a TV tuner and feature Picture-in-Picture.
The 19-inch SyncMaster 192MP is priced at $899; the 17-inch SyncMaster 710MP, at $699; and the 15-inch SyncMaster 510MP, at $499. All three TFT-TV LCDs have preset modes for viewing text, Internet content, and multimedia. The 192MP is the only one that is HDTV-ready.
New Printers, MFDs
Three new monochrome laser printers introduced here are rated to print up to 25 pages per minute, and come with an auto duplexer.
The stand-alone ML-2550 costs $599; the network-ready ML-2551N costs $699. Both printers are currently shipping.
The ML-2552W will be available in first quarter 2004. This model offers wireless printing, and costs $749.
The ML-2550 Series printers come standard with 32MB of memory, expandable to 160MB, and have a 266-MHz processor. One 500-sheet paper cassette and a 100-sheet multipurpose feeder come standard. A second 500-sheet paper cassette is optional. PostScript3 is included. Maximum resolution is 1200 dpi. The rated monthly duty cycle is 100,000 pages. Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Sun Solaris, HP-UX, and SCO Unix are supported.