Verdict: One of the finest TFTs we've had the pleasure of using, but the price is beyond most wallets.
In as stark a contrast as we could imagine, this 24in beauty sits at the opposite end of the price scale to the ultra-cheap Iiyama ProLite E2403WS-B1. Usually, £700 would buy you a much larger screen, but Samsung has packed every last piece of technological wizardry into this unit in order to make it one of the most glorious screens we've seen.
It looks almost identical to the previously reviewed Samsung SyncMaster 245B, but there are subtle improvements that make a world of difference. The first is the use of an excellent S-PVA panel. This costs a little more than the PVA technology of the SyncMaster 245B, but it improves both the colour reproduction (the new SyncMaster 245T displays a 97 per cent colour gamut) and the viewing angles. A minor side effect of the S-PVA panel technology is the 6ms response time, which is slower than the 2ms we increasingly see in large TFTs. However, in our tests, we saw only minor evidence of blurring during fast motion.
The SyncMaster 245T also has one of the finest OSD menus we've had the pleasure of using, with various advanced image tweaks on offer. Most interesting of these is the MPA button, which enables Samsung's 'Motion Picture Acceleration' technology. This is intended to improve response times, and flickers the backlight on and off at 60Hz to artificially create a CRT effect. However, while it resulted in blur-free motion in games and videos, it can be irritating; it may suit some eyes but we preferred to leave it off.
The SyncMaster 245T requires little initial setup; we simply hooked our PC up to the HDMI port and admired the perfectly neutral colours. You can split the colour settings between six individual sliders in the OSD menu, and alter the hue and saturation, neither of which is particularly common in TFT setup menus. There are various Movie and Game modes, and the MagicBright colour modes are useful, unlike most pre-set modes of other TFTs.
We fired up DisplayMate to find out if there were any weaknesses with the display, but could detect none. Colour reproduction was spot-on at every level of colour saturation and luminance, with the 1,500:1 dynamic contrast making minute variations in colour distinguishable at both extremes of the colour scale. The 300cd/m2 brightness appeared brighter than we expected, and the backlight was amazingly even. All this should mean that images displayed on the SyncMaster 245T will be richly detailed, even in shadowy or brightly lit areas, and so vibrant and full of impact that you'll find the real world dull.
Games looked as good as we could ever expect. The jungles of Crysis came alive on the SyncMaster 245T, with the greens and blues giving the whole island a sense of realism and warmth - at least until the ice arrived, when the screen became as frosty as a Siberian skinny-dipping party. The screen also showed off the vibrant neon lights in Need for Speed: Carbon. The fact that the SyncMaster 245T made this game interesting and enjoyable is testament to its incredible quality. The slight blur from the 6ms pixel response time was occasionally evident, but it didn't detract from the fun.
As the DisplayMate tests suggest, our movies showed a tremendous amount of detail, particularly in the dark shadowy scenes of the Shelob's Lair chapter of 'Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King'. We also watched a variety of other HD clips, with animated films in particular showing off the gorgeous colours and sharply defined edges. The SyncMaster 245T even managed to make us watch a good chunk of the tedious 'S.W.A.T.' on HD-DVD, which is pretty incredible.
This obviously means the SyncMaster 945T is HDCP-compatible, via either the HDMI or DVI ports. There are also D-SUB, S-Video and composite video connections at the rear, with component inputs on the left edge of the bezel.
The screen can run picture-by-picture mode, and you can hook up your mouse and keyboard to the four-port USB hub. The 3.5mm mini-jack and power connector are for use with the optional soundbar speaker.
Part of the high price is also accounted for by the stand; like most TFT stands, it tilts and swivels, but also adds a 90-degree pivot mode for long documents or portrait images. It also lifts through 100mm to suit any viewing level, and we love the inclusion of a small locking key to prevent it shifting from your chosen viewing height whenever you touch or nudge it.
Conclusion
We rarely see such high-quality screens as the Samsung SyncMaster 245T. The combination of accurate colours, pleasing design, and a raft of inputs and features makes it superb for any activity.
However, with such a high price tag, it will only appeal to visual purists. The 24in Dell 2407WFP-HC, for example, has very good image quality for its relatively modest £450 price. However, after using the SyncMaster 245T for a week or so, we're sorely tempted to cut back on the non-essentials of life (including food too, if necessary) so that we can afford one.
