Samsung LD220G review

Unreal Tournament 3 and World of Warcraft both looked decent at a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution and showed no signs of ghosting; however, its video performance when displaying via USB was extremely sluggish and choppy. While playing Unreal, there was apparent input lag, which wasn't a problem when going through VGA.

The optimal viewing angle for a monitor is usually directly in front, about a quarter of the screen's distance down from the top. At this angle, you're viewing the colors and gamma correction as they were intended. Most monitors are made to be viewed only at that angle. Depending on its panel type, picture quality at nonoptimal angles varies. The LD220G has a TN panel that usually shows dramatic color shifts with angle changes. Not surprisingly, the LD220G's screen gets noticeably dark when viewing from below and too light when viewing from above. From the sides, text becomes illegible at about 45 degrees from the middle. Viewing images on this display from any angle other than the optimal one is not recommended.

Juice box
Samsung LD220G	Average watts per hour
On (default luminance)	30.3
On (max luminance)	43.6
On (min luminance)	17.9
Sleep	1.9
Calibrated (200 cd/m2)	33.8
Annual power consumption cost	$10.36
Score	Fair

In the power consumption tests, the Samsung LD220G drew 30.3 watts in its Default/On mode--more than the AOC V22 Verfino's 27.31 watts and much less than the Asus VH236H's 39.58 watts. Based on our formula, the LD220G would cost $10.36 per year to run--compared with the Asus' $13.68 per year and the AOC's $8.77 per year.

Find out more about how we test LCD monitors.

Service and support
Samsung backs the LD220G with a three-year parts-and-labor warranty that covers the backlight. It also offers support through a 24-7 toll-free number, as well as 24- to 48-hour turnaround e-mail and Web chat support. Samsung's documentation and support software for the LD220G was easily accessed via its Web site.