Entered CNET Catalog: 07/06/2005
SKU: 0729507708225
Manufacturer: Samsung
Manufacturer description
The SyncMaster 997MB is a renovated design product with the OSD control buttons dramatically moved to the right panel. It is utilizing HighLight Zone III and MagicBright 2 functions, allowing support up to 500 cd/m2. MagicTune allows the user's environment can be precisely controlled by mouse. Proven to be the best environment friendly monitor, the slim and ergonomic design of the 997MB will increase your perception.User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 2 user reviews
poor quality, substandard
Pros: colours in still images look OK
Cons: text, especially black on white text, is poorly displayed
Review: A mediocre sub-standard monitor.
Still images seem to display OK for the most part, the colours appear to be right, but, text is displayed poorly. Black text on a white background displays very poorly.
The following are the specific problems I experienced with the particular monitor I had in my possession:
1) Dim
And turning up the brightness (either the usual way or using "MagicBright") causes problems: brightness varies with screen content, black on white characters are fuzzier, white on dark characters "bloom".
2) Fuzzy
Especially black on white characters. Appears out of focus. Black on white characters have a dirty look to them especially in the central darker portion of the screen as well as looking fuzzier on the left and right sides of the screen where the fine striations are stronger.
Corners more out of focus than the rest of the screen.
3) non-uniform illumination
Darker on left than on right. Central area (actually up from the middle and a little to the left) is darker with a purple cast. Area around it is brighter with a yellowish cast and corners are darker.
4) two moire type artifacts
The obvious moire pattern can be tuned out using the "lower" moire adjustment. But there are horizontal bands of short fine striations that can't be tuned out at the same time. They are stronger on the left and right sides of the screen, less so in the middle. The "upper" moire adjustment doesn't do anything useful.
5) black areas adjacent to white areas are lit up
If the black area is on the right side of the screen then 1/2" into its right side will be lit up. If it's on the left side then 1/2" into its left side will be lit up. The other sides of the black area will also be lit up but not quite as brightly.
6) convergence is off in the bottom right corner
Actually it's off all along the bottom but it's normally visible only in the bottom right corner.
7) "MagicBright" doesn't work
The setting is lost every time the monitor is put into standby or powered off.
The difference between the web browsing setting and the movie setting exists only when the monitor is first turned on. It goes away shortly and the movie setting actually seems dimmer than the browsing setting after the monitor has been on for some time.
8) Anti-reflection is poor
Two sets of reflections and both brighter than one would like.
9) horizontal lines brighter than vertical lines in characters
that are white on a dark background. This is usually indicative of poor higher frequency response in the video driver circuitry.
10) contact bounce in push-button adjustment switches
11) display is curved, not flat
I don't care if the tube has to be curved on its inside as long as externally it looks flat. In the case of this monitor what I see is curved. It looks like a curved tube with a flat anti-reflection screen tacked on.
Still images seem to display OK for the most part, the colours appear to be right, but, text is displayed poorly. Black text on a white background displays very poorly.
The following are the specific problems I experienced with the particular monitor I had in my possession:
1) Dim
And turning up the brightness (either the usual way or using "MagicBright") causes problems: brightness varies with screen content, black on white characters are fuzzier, white on dark characters "bloom".
2) Fuzzy
Especially black on white characters. Appears out of focus. Black on white characters have a dirty look to them especially in the central darker portion of the screen as well as looking fuzzier on the left and right sides of the screen where the fine striations are stronger.
Corners more out of focus than the rest of the screen.
3) non-uniform illumination
Darker on left than on right. Central area (actually up from the middle and a little to the left) is darker with a purple cast. Area around it is brighter with a yellowish cast and corners are darker.
4) two moire type artifacts
The obvious moire pattern can be tuned out using the "lower" moire adjustment. But there are horizontal bands of short fine striations that can't be tuned out at the same time. They are stronger on the left and right sides of the screen, less so in the middle. The "upper" moire adjustment doesn't do anything useful.
5) black areas adjacent to white areas are lit up
If the black area is on the right side of the screen then 1/2" into its right side will be lit up. If it's on the left side then 1/2" into its left side will be lit up. The other sides of the black area will also be lit up but not quite as brightly.
6) convergence is off in the bottom right corner
Actually it's off all along the bottom but it's normally visible only in the bottom right corner.
7) "MagicBright" doesn't work
The setting is lost every time the monitor is put into standby or powered off.
The difference between the web browsing setting and the movie setting exists only when the monitor is first turned on. It goes away shortly and the movie setting actually seems dimmer than the browsing setting after the monitor has been on for some time.
8) Anti-reflection is poor
Two sets of reflections and both brighter than one would like.
9) horizontal lines brighter than vertical lines in characters
that are white on a dark background. This is usually indicative of poor higher frequency response in the video driver circuitry.
10) contact bounce in push-button adjustment switches
11) display is curved, not flat
I don't care if the tube has to be curved on its inside as long as externally it looks flat. In the case of this monitor what I see is curved. It looks like a curved tube with a flat anti-reflection screen tacked on.
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 2 user reviews
Pro line ? Dark corners and distorsion !!!
Pros: Excellent colors
Cons: shadows in corners and on distorted surface
Review: I just received a pair and let's say that I am less than pleased. I thought I was getting excellent CRTs to replace a two NEC MultiSync FP912SB because one of them started showing the center-thin-line-display syndrome. What a mistake! They don't come close to the quality I was expecting.
