Samsung BW Series 206BW Widescreen LCD Monitor
Samsung 206BW 20" WideScreen LCD Display 800:1 (DCR 3000:1), 2ms, DVI - Black

I don't have a digital output on my graphics card yet so I can't speak to that capability. However, even with just analog VGA this monitor has really blown me away. My old CRT produced a picture that was a bit dark, but I can fully adjust the brightness and contrast so that I don't have any problems seeing things in games or video now. I have played both games and edited video on this monitor and it has been nothing short of amazing to me. There is plenty of real estate to have two windows open side by side when working on something where that ability is necessary. Buy.com of course had super fast shipping. Oh, by the way I've had this monitor for over a year now, and my only regret is that I didn't get it sooner.
 
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I read many reviews before purchasing this monitor. Have used it for three weeks and been extremely satisfied. Auto color works fine, but each individual preference may differ. It was a little bright for me, so I have it on my custom setting. May take you a few minutes to adjust, but overall, what doesn't? I game, photo edit and use spread sheets. The performance on each is excellent. --- Buy com delivered on all: price, shipping and their site for ease of use. --- Personally, I feel you won't go wrong on the Samsung 206BW or Buy com.
 
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this was my 1st experience buying from the site. It won't be my last. The monitor lives up to my expectations and the 3 year warranty is the topper. It has a great picture.
 
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I have used a number of different flat panels but have found the samsungs to deliver one of the better pictures. Was a big fan of the high-end Dell's but Samsung is producing some great screens. There are better professional reviews out there, but as a qualitative opinion, I wouldn't expect anyone to be disappointed with this screen. One complaint I read about before purchasing was the lack of tilt and height adjustments, but it hasn't bothered me. Could depend on your setup and if you normally have to tilt your monitor you might be annoyed by that. The other thing that is a little annoying is that the blue light flashes while on standby and it's surprisingly bright in a dark room. Personally I have become used to never touching the power button on my computer monitor, but this one I find myself turning off to get the blinking to stop.
 
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Prices on monitors keep coming down so there's cheaper options out there ... but this is a nice monitor so i ain't compaining ...
 
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Excellent monitor for the price. Speedy delivery. Use it for 2D Design/CAD work.
 
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thank you buy.com/ your price,service.delivery and staff are excellent.I orderd my samung206bw 20" monitor which is outsanding,it arrived in 3 days with conformation in my email.i was so pleased with everything i ordered one more for my wife.will buy from your company again.thank you again bob.
 
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We purchased two monitors, and they are both just fantastic!!! My husband was so amazed by the quality of the screen, he just really flipped over it. He told me I had to write someone and tell them just how wonderful this monitor is!!! Easy connection, simple plug and play! WOW!!!!!
 
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Outstanding monitor. With it's 2ns refresh rate and 3000:1 contrast ratio, maybe the highest performance product on the market. Deep, sharp, clear, and crisp colors. Easy setup and dual drivers for VGA or HDMI. Samsung is one of the few who provide the HDMI cable (and VGA) in the box. Outstanding value for well under $300 from Buy.com.
 
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I chose the SyncMaster 206BW over the 226BW since it has the same number of pixels but on smaller surface area, giving a more detailed image, which I prefer. PROS: Pixel refresh speed and input lag are among the fastest in its class. Bright, lots of settings, dual inputs. Still the best value for a 20" widescreen in my opinion, unless Samsung fixes the rumored slowness of the 206CW (expanded color gamut sibling of the 206BW) CONS: (1) Samsung's flavor of overdrive technology to improve pixel responsiveness is called RTA (response time acceleration) and is far from perfect. This monitor's color depth is 6-bit-per-color-channel and it creates 8-bit gradations through a dithering scheme (blinking pixels on and off in checkerboard-like patterns, real fast.) This dithering interferes with the RTA and *always* creates ugly banding in smooth, moving color gradations. However when working with text or even in most 3D games, you probably won't notice this banding too much. With RTA turned off, it is estimated that the true response time of the monitor is closer to 5ms than the advertised 2ms. (2) The matte coating on the screen prevents glare but introduces subtle noise, like all such coatings do. However other screens like the old 17-inch SyncMaster 760V-TFT had a matte coating which introduced far less noise, giving the image a cleaner look. Now that I'm starting to notice this, I think I might prefer a glossy screen for my future LCD upgrades. (3) The Dynamic Contrast feature seems useless as it appears to lock you into a color preset where everything gray becomes blue so all colors are off. The "Custom" or "Movie" brightness settings are really the only useful options. (4) There is a successor out, the 2032BW. While it has the same tech specs (and an uglier, non-rectangular shape) rumor has it that the 2032BW is more consistent in containing true Samsung brand LCD panels, whereas the 206BW still suffers from the 'panel lottery' phenomenon where the manufacturer may use slightly different LCD technology sold as the same screen.
 
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I wouldn't have switched from my old CRT if it hadn't "turned red". As a graphic designer, I was concerned about color accuracy. Although this LCD is too bright out of the box, after calibrating it's gorgeous. The monitor controls are a bit awkward to navigate but that's really my only complaint. I love it!
 
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For the price and quality of this monitor THIS IS A STEAL! There aren't that many monitors around with such high contrast ratios and response time. I use this monitor for gaming purposes and it produces extremely clear graphics. Also, i chose the cheapest shipping and it got here it 2 days, great job buy.com. I would highly recommend this if you play games or just want an outstanding monitor!
 
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I am very happy with this purchase I should have bought it sooner. Great value for $231.00 after rebate.
 
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Excellent product.
 
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After much debate about this screen and the product code at the end(A,C..etc) I ended up with the AOC screen. At first I was mad, but then I read a review on the screens. The review tested the screens and all the screens met Samsungs listed specifications. So I moved on realizing it was not the end of the world. Now that I have had the screen for about a month I love it. My only regret is that I didn't get the 22" model. The picture is sharp and crisp with all applications I use. I have not tried gaming with this unit yet, but I am not a big gamer so it doesn't matter. It gives you plenty of real estate to place spread sheets and other apps side by side. I did have some problems with the screen buzzing on lower contrast level modes, but I just change modes and go back to the original mode and the buzzing would stop. Now I don't have a problem with the buzzing at all. I would recommend this to anyone upgrading from there old massive CRT. I can say that I would have liked the 22", but know it would have been to massive on my desk.
 
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This is one beautiful monitor. Have it connected DVI to an 8800 GTS . I don't mind the lack of height adjustment and have not had the buzzing issue as others have mentioned. I would recommend this to anyone.
 
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Just got my display today. Unpacked it and set it up within minutes. Have it hooked up to my ATI Radeon 9800XT via DVI. Quality and brightness is excellent, very sharp picture. Didn't experience the buzzing noise mentioned by other reviewers (after lowering brightness). Height wasn't bothersome to me, and may not be to others who also moved from a non-height-adjustable display as I had (Samsung SyncMaster 710N). Overall, a great product.
 
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Got this monitor very fast from buy.com. Very easy to set up - no dead pixels. The monitor looks great, the colors are vibrant - after using a 10-year-old 21" CRT. Video is not as great as it could be (some ghosting). Wish the height was adjustable. Overall though, I am very happy that I made this purchase.
 
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If you are looking to buy a 20" WS monitor, then this is the one to get. Sharp colors and brightness, beautiful build quality, and a reasonable price. Coming from a 17" full screen, this is a HUGE upgrade. DVI included is a nice bonus as well.
 
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Remarkable clear, crisp images with great color balance out of the box. Large screen allows working on multiple images or editing multiple documents a breeze. Set up was truly easy -- so easy and tool-free that even I, an avowed technophobe, could handle it without a moment of frustration. Buy.com price was better than any competitor's price and their delivery was lighting fast. I appreciate Buy.com making rebate forms and information easily accessible instead of hidden in the bowels of a Web site (e.g., Circuit City).
 
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I am very happy with the Samsung 206bw 20" screen. Great color and awesome clarity. Thank you
 
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THIS IS A VERY GOOD MONITOR, WORKS GREAT. HOWEVER YOU GET SCR--ON REBATE. I IMMEDIATELY SENT THE PROPER INFO FOR MY REBATES. THEY REFUSED TO SEND REBATE, SOMETHING ABOUT DID I GET UPDATE.MY BEST ADVISE IS PREPARE TO PAY LISTED AMOUNT BECAUSE I DOUBT THAT YOU WILL GET REBATE. IT JUST COST THIS COMPANY A NEW BUT GOOD CUSTOMER
 
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In the Sea of LCD monitors, I think that this one stands out as far as features and performance compared to price. When you compare this monitor to the Dell's and BenQ? and WarrenG's(I know they do not make a monitor, but you know what I mean), Samsung with its history, and a 3 year warranty, you cannot go wrong. I knew that I loved their Cell phones, so their LCD's couldn't be too far from it. Anyhow, I digress. Lets talk about the monitor. Right from the bat, I loved the look of it. No dead pixels, and this actually gave me an excuse to use the DVI port on my computer for the First time ever. Now, one of the downsides to using that DVI cable is that nifty neat "Auto Adjust" that the monitor does when you turn it on for the first time, Well, that feature is only available for the VGA input. Also, please keep in mind that this 20" Widescreen was replacing 2 - 17" CRT monitors, so I had desktop space that I was used to, and I knew that I was going to loose some space, but not as much as I originally thought. The only real "problem" that I have with the monitor is trying to figure out what setting that I want it set at to get the right colors. It has a pretty neat feature called "MagicBright" that allows MANY different aspects of the monitor to be set on the fly by hitting either the Brightness button, which instantly takes you to a "MagicBright" screen that allows you to select Custom, Text, Internet, Game, Sports and others.. which change the brightness and even color adjustments. I don't know if I have it set correctly, in other words, I don't know if the colors are set right(which is why I have to hook up my VGA cable to play with) but when I take a look at images on this new screen, I can see things that I couldn't see before, the Contrast of this monitor are AMAZING!! It makes me want to get a new Digitial Camera because my old photos looked great on my old CRT's, but on this new LCD, the images look.. OK. =( Gotta love Technology! So, bottom line, for the price, I would totally recommend it. My only regret is that I didn't have the money to buy the 22" widescreen.
 
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I could not be happier with this monitor. The color is vibrant and the refresh rate is perfect for counter strike or any other gaming purposes. Buy.com also had the cheapest price and it was delivered before I expected it to be. I will definitely use Buy.com again.
 
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I like it in most every way. I use 2 monitors and it is the best one I have. No issues setting up or operating it. Works great.
 
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This thing impresses everyone. The piano black finish looks like my 42" LCD HDTV. Very clear and vivid. I love it. You can't go wrong at this price.
 
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I have had this monitror for two weeks and I am super pleased. It is fantastic looking, the quality is superb. Great Job buy.com. I was a little concerned with shipping, but the Box came in clean and everything seems fine. Feel like I couldnt of bought a better widescreen monitor.
 
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I've had this monitor for a couple of weeks now. I couldn't be happier with this monitor. It works like a dream, looks darn sexy, and seems to be very good quality. The only thing I would change is for it to have height adjustment, but that's not important for everyone. Also, when you shut down the computer, the light around the monitor power button blinks off and on. But it takes like 0.2 seconds to hit the power button, so only a lazy person would really be annoyed by this. I chose this monitor because I wanted a high quality monitor, and cause it just looks sweet. I don't regret my purchase one bit.
 
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This monitor is fantastic! I got this monitor for work and every person passing by my cube gives me a compliment. The sleek "piano" glossy black with silver trim is typical from samsung and the blue LED behind the power button makes it look that much better. The installation is simple with all of the required cables and plugs (I'm using DVI) included. The menu to adjust brightness and contrast is intuitive and simple. If you are looking for a monitor that in a few years you will look back and say "Yep it was worth the money" this is the monitor for you. I looked around at Sceptre and Acer monitors which cost less and were larger (however they were running the same resolution as this 20"), and I came to realize while you are paying maybe $40 (or 15-20% more) for the name, the quality you receive makes it completely worthwhile. As a final comment i challenge the reader/buyer to this: Once you buy this monitor and see it on your desk, there is NO WAY you will want to/be able to return it! (go ahead and try ;)
 
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received in two days. No dead pixels. Super fast. very slick in appearance. text is extremely clean and clear. Would recommend this monitor in a sec. buy it.
 
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Super sharp picture and vivid colors for both gaming and reading, plus the price is right. Zero dead pixels made me very happy. I can see some very slight backlight bleeding along the top on a black picture when the brightness is turned up high and the lights in the room are off, but not to any degree that it bothers me. I don't see or hear any of the other problems that some have reported. Only problem with this monitor is that it makes my other LCDs look bad ;) Make sure you got a video card that is fast enough to handle 1680x1050 without bogging down if your going to game with it. Unlike other LCD's I used that would interpolate 70Hz or 72Hz back to 60Hz, it only does 60Hz (or 59Hz) so be sure you set your games to 60Hz before you hook up this monitor or your games won't start.
 
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This monitor was an upgrade from a 17" CRT. It is a massive improvement. Upon setup, there was one stuck (green) pixel. However, this pixel came back after touching it with a soft cloth and it has not failed again. The picture is great and the monitor looks sharp and well assembled. I am using the the VGA cable for now, but plan on upgrading to a PC with DVI before too long. Make sure your video card can run the monitor at its native resolution (1680X1050) as it looks much sharper. The Buy.com service and price was great. I ordered on a Friday and the monitor arrived on Monday (amazing speed for free delivery). The box was in perfect shape.
 
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This monitor has a beautiful, sharp, detailed picture. Settings are manual or automatic, and I think automatic works very well. DVI or VGA is nice, and comes with both cables!. Sleek, glossy look with vivid colors. Mine arrived with 1 dead pixel, though, which is annoying but not worth bothering about. Samsung makes excellent LCD panels, better than many other companies. Note: I am not sure about that 2ms response time...I think that is Grey to Grey which always seems faster. 5ms is more accurate.
 
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Great monitor with terrific contrast and brightness. I am very happy with the purchase and believe it is one of the best deals for the money. Buy.com is also an exceptional seller with very fast shipping.
 
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I am also having the same exact problem. When the brightness is lowered to anything below 95% -- a high pitched buzzing noise starts to come out of the top back of the monitor. As soon, as you jack up the brightness to 100% -- it goes away. I submitted an RMA -- I'm hoping I just got one from a bad batch.
 
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I was unsure about Buy.com, due to some reviews of problems and word of mouth scares. In the end I am pleased. This monitor is outstanding value for the size and performance. I would have liked the 22 inch but I am on a budget. Colors just pop out at you. Other people have stated the controls are a bit confusing but nothing you can't handle after about 2 mins of trial. Delivery was in 3 business days. Great Job Buy.com. All a company has to do is be consistant on performance and the reviews will be positive.
 
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I have been using this unit for 2 weeks now and have no complaint so far. Unit was delivered very fast in mint condition with no dead pixel. Movies look great and text is excellent. The 20'' widescreen makes a huge difference when working with spreadsheets.
 
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I recieved this monitor yesterday and hooked it up to my macbook. At first everything was great with no problems. But the factory brightness setting was a bit too high for me so turned it down. This is when the problem started. At brightness settings below about 95%, the monitor started to make a constant buzzing sound. If I turn the brightness setting back up to 100% the buzzing sound stops. I contacted Samsung to find out what the problem was and they couldn't figure it out. I am in the process of returning mine.
 
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Works very well with my Vista business. Very sharp picture. No problems. Nice Product!
 
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I have only had this up and running for 4 days, but it looks like a keeper. No dead pixels that I can see (didn't use an App to check however). Shiny black surround and glowing blue light on power button doesn't bother me. No light/image problems around the edge of the screen. Using this with a Mac G5. One important note: DON'T pay attention to the set-up instruction sheet if you have a Mac. You do NOT need an adapter for the cable like it says in the instructions. Just plug it into your digital monitor jack and you should be good to go. It is a 5 minute set-up and no driver installation, software monkey business etc. Just attach the base, plug in and use it. Font smoothing is built into my Mac. I wasted time by reading the instructions first, then trying to find an adapter on line before I tried plugging it in. Big mistake, wasn't necessary. Also, with my Mac, I can't find the User's Guide that comes on the CD, even thought ther is a folder called User's Guide, it was full of component files that were worthlessC. Just go to Samsung and download the PDF file. Lot's of shining reviews of this monitor on Newegg.com, but Buy.com was cheaper. So far, so good. Highly recommended. Caution about the current rebate, it is not valid with purchases from all stores, however Buy.com is included.
 
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I use this Samsung mostly for gaming, and it shines. Unlike lesser-priced LCDs, there is no visible ghosting. The high 1680x1050 resolution lets you view two full web pages side-by-side or spot a guy peeking out a window hundreds yards away in your favorite FPS. Color reproduction out of the box is just a touch off (probably due to just how bright this monitor is), IMHO, but two minutes of tweaking fixed that perfectly. The buttons for changing the settings are hard to see and use, and on a completely black screen, there is a small amount of blacklight bleed at the top and bottom. Delivered with only one dead pixel, didn't notice till I checked it with Dead Pixel Buddy. Considerations--Make sure your video card is capable of displaying at 1680x1050, and remember you'll have to turn down your settings slightly (trust me, I had to turn mine down, and the game still looked better). Also, don't bother if you don't have a DVI output (a white video output, if you're wondering; it's like HDTV for computers and allows for much faster transmission of data).
 
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