Samsung 2494SW 24" Black LCD Monitor
Samsung 2494SW 24" Black LCD Monitor see short title
Product Rating:
This stunning, seamless motion imaging presents movies, games, and internet streamed content with precision and without the motion judder, blurring, and ghosting that can occur on a slower monitor, allowing you to enjoy a completely immersive viewing experience.
This stunning, seamless motion imaging presents movies, games, and internet streamed content with precision and without the motion judder, blurring, and ghosting that can occur on a slower monitor, allowing you to enjoy a completely immersive viewing experience. « short desciption
User Reviews
-
Review Date: 2009-11-08
This is a good value for a large LCD, with a fast response time, somewhat weak backlight, the typical limitations of a TN-style panel, and also some minor quirks.
The backlight is notably less bright than the one in my previous Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22-inch LCD Monitor, meaning I run the LCD closer to 100% brightness much of the time. On my old Samsung, that would have been blinding, but here it's necessary. Backlight bleed-through is visible as typical for a TN, but less than most similar LCDS: only noticeable in the very top center-third of the screen when the display is set to solid black.
Color reproduction seems reasonable-- next to my more expensive PVA-type Dell 2408WFP UltraSharp 24-inch Widescreen + High Definition Flat Panel Monitor, the Samsung's colors are washed out and drab, but normal for a TN. I found I had to use the preset LCD menu options for "dynamic contrast" or "Game" mode for my preferred warm/bright colors, "text" and "internet" modes result in a drab, cool-colored display.
The monitor does not have HDMI or onboard-audio, which makes it less useful for non-PC multimedia apps, but even so, its native resolution is limited to 1080p (eg 1920x1080) rather than the higher 1920x1200 that is more common in premium 24" screens marketed for computing. I missed the extra vertical 120px this screen should have.
The unit has the typical glossy Samsung bevel surrounding the screen, and the previously huge blue power LED has been shrunken, but still blinks steadily while the LCD is in standby. I'd prefer a skinnier bevel (the bottom part is nearly 2" wide), and a non-blinking LED. The controls are now smooth, touch-sensitive pads. This is nice for appearance, but with no tactile feedback at all, it takes a moment to find the correct spot for the button you intended to press.
Like many entry level LCDs, the stand on this model is tilt-only (it tilts back). No telescoping, swivel or rotation. Unless you intend to swap the stand (possible since it's a standard VESA mount), you will have to tilt the screen back to use it at normal desktop height; like most TN panels, the viewing angles are limited, and the angle "from above" is quite unusable. The stand also did give me some initial trouble, with the bracket refusing to slide into the slot on the back of the LCD until I applied what seemed like excessive force (and I'm a robust adult male). A brief google search turned up that Samsung stands are often "tight" fits and need a bit of extra effort to join up the bracket and monitor.
Twisted Nematic (TN) panels have very fast response times at the price of color accuracy/intensity and viewing angle, but they are cheap to manufacture, and well suited for high frames-per-second applications like gaming. My go-to game recently has been Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year, and playing it, I didn't notice any blurring with this panel's 5ms response time. The LCD also scaled down to lower non-native resolutions (such as 1280x900, 1280x1024, etc) without any visible scaling issues.
Samsung continues to offer ever-cheaper LCD panels of solid quality (not a single dead pixel!), and this is no exception. The limitations of this panel are largely inherent to TN displays. However, Samsung could have done better with the stand design, the tactile feedback from the controls, and the brightness of the backlight.
While I prefer PVA or IPS LCDs, it's hard to beat the budget price on this 24" model. Recommended, for PC-centric usage.
User: Omar Siddique
Rating:
Summary: TN monitor offers good value, muted brightness, some quirks
Helpful Votes: 5
Total Votes: 5
-
Review Date: 2009-11-04
I purchased this monitor after using a pair of Dell Ultrasharp 20" monitors for several years. Overall I'm happy with the purchase. The 2494 is a very good value and has a nice, sharp picture with more than enough brightness to spare (I had to dial mine down some).
There are a couple of notable drawbacks though.
- The included stand is far too short with no height adjustment. Unless you want to be looking down at your monitor all the time you'll either need a VESA mount or some type of riser.
- The screen itself is matte (bravo!) but the bezel is a super glossy black. This means that if you have much light behind your viewing position you'll be getting some reflection and glare from the bezel. It's not quite a dealbreaker for me considering the monitor's overall value but it's very annoying to have glare coming from the monitor bezel. I don't get this obsession that monitor manufacturers seem to have lately with glossy "piano black" cases. They're not practical.
- The cables are recessed in the back of the monitor and are very hard to get to. Not a big deal if you only set it up once, but if you move your monitors around from time to time you may find this to be a nuisance.
I will probably purchase a second one of these when I need another large monitor, but I sure wish they hadn't made the bezel so glossy.
User: Nom de Plume
Rating:
Summary: Good value with a few drawbacks
Helpful Votes: 1
Total Votes: 1
-
Review Date: 2009-10-09
I rated this 5 stars for the quality of these monitors. After using the Dell 2007WFP and Samsung 204B for many years it was time for me to upgrade to a better monitor. I've done a lot of research on different monitors and the quality of these monitors are outstanding. I use it primarily for photo editing and gaming. After using color correction tools and comparing the photo from the printouts and digital photos on the monitor, the colors are very accurate.
I bought two of these monitors and I am very pleased to own them.
The good:
-Large 24" screen.
-Full 1080p with rich and vibrant colors.
-Good response time.
-High contrast ratio.
-Fully customizable controls to accurately color correct your monitor or needs.
The bad:
-Ports in the back of the monitor are hard to view once the stand is assembled in the monitor.
-Blinking blue light when monitor is on standby can be a bit annoying.
-Stand is a bit flimsy and sensitive to the slightest touch.
-Wish this monitor had a bit more features (hdmi, etc...)
Other:
-This is not explained very well in the manual. There are two power buttons to be aware of, one is a switch next to the power plug and the other in the front near the menu. First plug it in and flip the switch, then place your finger gently over the power symbol and it should power on.
-The monitor has only 1-DVI and 1-VGA port.
-The screen has a matte finish and not glossy.
User: D. Park
Rating:
Summary: Excellent all-purpose monitor
Helpful Votes: 15
Total Votes: 16
Product Details
- MagicBright, MagicColor, Color Effect, Off Timer, AV mode, MagicTune, Customized Key, Image Size, DVI with HDCP, Windows Vista Premium Certified
Amazon Results
| Price | Store | Rating | Availability | |
| Check Price | Amazon.com | Usually ships in 24 hours |  |