Samsung 2333HD review – Monitor-HDTV hybrid
Pros:
- Plenty of connection options along with 2 HDMI ports
- Built in speakers
- Bright screen
- Good game performance
Cons:
- Sparse ergonomic options
- Movie performance is below par
- OSD is difficult to navigate
Bottom Line:
We will recommend you this panel if you are looking for a computer monitor which works as an HDTV too.c
Manufacturer’s specifications:
Samsung 2333HD review says that the monitor is 22 inches wide, 8.7 inches deep, 16.3 inches high, and weighs around 13.4 lbs. The panel has 16:9 aspect ratio and has a brightness of 300 cd/m2. Dynamic contrast ratio is 1000:1. Viewing angle (horizontal/vertical) is 160. The resolution 1,920×1,080 pixels/60 Hz. It supports 16.7 million and has a video bandwidth of 138.5 MHz. Response time is 5 ms. Adjustments/Controls include color temperature, color balance, H/V position, brightness, sharpness, contrast and clock. OSD language options include Spanish, English and French.
Signal input options include VGA, DVI-D and 2 HDMI ports. Features include MagicBright 3, MagicTune and HDCP. The panel has three watt speakers. Interfaces include Headphones – Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Audio line-in – RCA X 2, Component video input – RCA X 3, Audio line-in – Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 2 x HDMI – 19 pin HDMI Type A , 1 x – TOSLINK, DVI-D – 24 pin digital DVI, VGA – 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15). Bundled along with the monitor, you get a DVI, VGA cable and remote control.
Design:
This panels design is quite similar to Samsung SyncMaster 2233 SW which we had in our labs some time ago. This panel doesn’t have many ergonomic options like height adjustment or screen rotation. All you get is fifteen degree backward tilt. The panel is 2.6 inches away from the desk and the panel is 0.75 inches wide. The oval footstand is 12 inches wide and 8.75 inches deep. The display did wobble a lot when we knocked it from the sides but it doesn’t topple over due to the wide span. On the middle of the bottom bezel, there is a light gray Samsung logo.
Inside Dope:
Samsung 2333HD is a 23 inch monitor which can also be used as an HDTV thanks to the variety of options for connectivity, and the low price tag. Performance in games is as good as Samsung PX2370 but movies looked a bit drab. We also saw a bit of green tint to the display and on the dark screens, there is plenty of backlight bleeding. But with the price that it is offered for, it is easy to ignore the flaws of the panel.
This Samsung 2333HD review says that the monitor is 1.8 inches thick and along with the connection options, backlight and ventilation system, the thickness increases by 0.9 inch. Samsung 2333HD is 22.1 inches wide which is average for 23 inch panel. On the display’s bottom, there is a ‘lip’ made of fiber glass and it is about half inch tall. When you switch on the monitor, you get a blue LED which shines from the bezel and also reflects on the lip. This creates a aesthetically pleasing effect. Most monitors use a glossy panel but this Samsung chose matte for this display. On the back, there are four holes to mount the display VESA style on the wall.
The Samsung 2333HD has coaxial connection for cable or antenna, component port, DVI port, VGA port and 2 HDMI ports. There is also digital audio and normal audio out. The ports are located on the back in the lower right side. It is easy to access these ports. On the monitor’s left, you have a small door which conceals a headphone jack and the second HDMI port.
Samsung 2333HD’s OSD array is located on the right and it is made up of Minus/Plus buttons, Up/Down buttons, Source and Menu button. We were frustrated while using the display OSD array. The buttons are not forward facing and there is no onscreen menu to show up the buttons and so we had to dance around a lot looking for the keys. On the bright side, there is a remote control which makes adjusting the OSD easier. The options here a typical of what you get on an HDTV. Picture options give you controls for contrast, brightness, color temperature and sharpness. Audio options contain presets for Movie, Speech and Music. There is also an integrated audio equalizer.
Samsung 2333HD has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and gives a full HD resolution of 1,920×1,080 pixels. We tested the panel on its DVI port. The performance was on par with that of LG Flatron but Samsung SyncMaster P2370HD fared a tad better. This panel could not distinguish low gray from the color of true black which means the screen’s dark details will be lost easily. In our color accuracy tests, we saw some errors of color tracking, there was a bit of green tint. If you are expecting superb color from this display, you will be disappointed. There was also a noticeable backlight bleed through and it was more than the Samsung SyncMaster PX2370.
Samsung 2333HD scored 245 cd/m2 in our brightness score tests and this is less than 344 cd/m2 of XL2370. For movie tests, we played Kill Bill Vol. 1 and this display didn’t have panels full and deep colors which we saw on PX2370. The colors didn’t have that ‘pop’. For game tests, we played Unreal Tournament 3 and World of Warcraft. We didn’t see any signs of ghosting, streaking or input lag while doing the Samsung 2333HD review. Both the games were played in ‘Entertainment’ preset. Movie performance is below par but the color quality in games is good. The built in speakers didn’t distort when we pushed the volume limit to the highest. The panel has three years warranty for labor and parts and it covers the backlight too. You can also use the 24-7 toll free number for quick troubleshooting.
