Samsung SyncMaster 710MP is a TFT-LCD monitor that takes the concept of multi-tasking to an entirely new level. This 17-inch flat-panel display functions as a computer monitor, a TV and a video monitor - all in one. And all this versatility comes with the clearest pictures, sharpest images and most vivid colors you can imagine. The 710MP delivers next-generation TV functionality with its built-in TV tuner. The 710MP features a 450:1 contrast ratio, 270 cd/m2 brightness, 1280 x 1024 resolution, 0.264 pixel pitch and a viewing angle of 150/120 degrees. It also includes a remote control, RCA video & audio, S-Video and a built-in antenna connector to accommodate RGB analog input and NTSC. And thanks to the 710MP's slim, sleek design - plus its wall mount capability - you can enjoy an uncluttered desktop instead of one that's overrun by multimedia equipment.
Consolidate your electronic viewing system into a single frame, with the Samsung SyncMaster 710MP. This flat panel LCD includes a built-in TV tuner along with inputs for analog data transfer and S-video, so you'll be able to keep up with news from every possible source.
Sharp 1,280 x 1,024 native resolution combines with a 450:1 contrast ratio, 0.264 mm dot pitch, and 270 nits of brightness to present outstandingly clear graphics on the 17-inch viewable image surface. 150-degree viewing angles and an anti-reflective coating work together to give you a clear view from a variety of positions, even in brightly lit rooms. Samsung includes a three-year warranty covering parts, labor, and backlight.
What's in the Box
710MP with built-in TV tuner, stand, power cable, signal cable, audio cable, quick setup guide, driver disc, remote control, two AAA batteries, warranty information
1 No Picture-in-Picture
I'd be curious to know how the other reviewer got picture-in-picture to work on the 710MP. I am told there is no such feature.
2 Great LCD Computer monitor with Picture-in-Picture TV
I've used this monitor as my primary office desktop monitor for almost two years. It's a great LCD with analog VGA connections to a PC. (Some but not all newer LCDs have all digital DVI connections for PCs and other digital inputs.)
Some reviewers note that TV pictures are not as sharp as computer images. This is true, but maybe unfair as the problem is more related to the resolution of the incoming TV signal than the performance of the monitor. At 1280x1024 pixels native resolution, the 710MP has far more pixels to fill than the 480 scan lines provided by a standard TV signal. The result when displaying standard TV on a higher resolution monitor is some fuzziness up close. Higher end digital TVs (like some of Samsung's own) cure this problem with an internal up converter that fills in added pixels with complex algorythims performed by dedicated video processors. The 710MP does not have any internal video processor to perform such image magic (nor should it be expected at this price point). This explains why the picture-in-picture (using only part of the LCD screen for TV) display is sharper than the full screen mode. Using an HDTV, DVD or other higher resolution signal cures the fuzziness by using the full available resolution of the 710MP screen.
For primary use as a monitor, I've been extremely satisfied. The built-in speakers are clean sounding and more than adquate, if you don't demand driving bass or surround sound for gaming.
If your PC video card supports digital DVI out to a monitor, you might prefer a model with DVI inputs. Most people's computer are still analog out to the monitor and the 710MP or it's 19" cousin the 910MP are good choices to allow you to work and monitor television (or other video signals) at the same time.
My experience is that the picture is better using the tuner in the Samsung monitor than using a PC based tuner and video-card to provide picture-in-picture capability in a pure monitor without its own tuner.
On another computer with a high quality 19" Dell LCD monitor and an ATI 9600 All-in-Wonder video card, artifacts resulting from video processing and low television signal resolution are worse than on the Samsung monitor with a built-in television receiver. The downside? The ATI card can record television (in this case through Windows Media Edition). The Samsung can only display television (not record it).
This monitor was my first Samsung product, but its quality construction and performance has me looking at Samsung as a preferred supplier as I consider larger LCD or DLP televisions.
If you understand the limits of technology you are buying, the Samsung 710MP is a great choice. It is first a computer monitor and secondarily offers television viewing, both picture-in-picture and full screen. It can display both standard television (with the included tuner) or HDTV (with an external tuner). HDTV is crystal sharp.
I highly recommend Samsung monitors and LCD televisions after my experience with the 710MP.
3 Excellent Monitor, Average TV
I find this monitor excellent. Its very sharp and works great.
As a TV, when I sit at my computer its pretty bleh quality, but if I sit a few feet away (like laying on my bed) it looks fine. I don't need a high definition TV on my desk, I can go into the next room for that.
4 I agree with Steve G, the 710MP is a very poor TV
I gave this three stars only because it is a good computer monitor at a good price (with the current $100 rebate). But as "Steve G" mentioned, the Samsung 710MP does NOT work very well as a TV, regardless of the video source. I tried all three connections (video, S-video and RF antennae conn.) extensively, but the 710MP is deficient as a TV. The TV tuner section must be weak or noisy, because when using the RF connection with an antennae or analog cable TV, the 710MP has a LOT more static than a basic $100 TV set. Connecting a DVD player via S-video isn't noisy like the RF connection, and gives decent image detail, but the color rendition (quality) is worse than a basic $100 TV set, and also tends to be posterized, causing highlights and subtle colors to wash out, shadows to be too dark and strong colors to be oversaturated (all at the same time, no matter how you adjust it). In any TV mode, the 710MP has odd non-linear color rendition: some subtle colors that should be neutral have a pronounced orange or green color cast that cannot be corrected no matter how you adjust it, while other colors are washed out. But if you mainly need a computer monitor, and need stand-alone TV functionality (i.e.: with the computer turned off) in the same package, this might be worthwhile choice. I'd recommend test viewing other possible alternatives first to see if their TV sections work better.
5 Not really a TV
You can't beat the price for this LCD, but there is a reason why. This is definitely a Computer Monitor first and a TV last...way last. The TV picture is either too dark, too bright, too red or too green. I have tried every single adjustment to no avail: if one channel looks OK, the others look bad. The remote is a tiny little "bubble" button that is hard to use. The inputs on the back are only Coax and VGA, so if you want to use S Video or RCA, you are stuck using connectors on the side. If you want a monitor that you can occasionally watch TV or watch a DVD, this is a good choice, but if you want a TV that you can also plug your computer into...don't get it!
