Product review Sony Bravia KDL52XBR4 52 in LCD TV

Introduction There's no denying that you have a lot of options when it comes to selecting an LCD monitor to accompany your computer. Some of these monitors are designed to attract your attention with their exceptional refresh rates, contrast ratios, or viewing angles, whereas others attempt to grab their segment of the market by tossing a mediocre panel into the most attractive-looking package possible. The Samsung SyncMaster 940UX is a 19-inch standard ratio LCD that boasts a feature you probably won't find on most other monitors: it can connect to your computer using USB. This option is in addition to its standard analog (VGA/RGB) and digital (DVI) connection options. This is easily its biggest selling feature and I feel that it is a valuable feature for someone, for example, who owns a laptop without a DVI output. Typically, these consumer-level laptops will only provide an analog (VGA) output and the result of this is usually less than spectacular. Analog signals have gone the way of the dinosaur, after all. Before we get down into the nitty-gritty of the Samsung SyncMaster 940UX, let's have a look at the official spec sheet: - Viewable area: 19" - Pixel Pitch (mm): 0.294 - Brightness (cd/m2): 300 - Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (DC 2000:1) - Viewing angle: 160 degrees vertical and horizontal - Response time: 5ms - Maximum Resolution: 1280x1024 - Color Support: 16.7 million - Input Connectors: 15pin D-sub, DVI-D, USB - Power Consumption: 42 Watts Max (on mode), <> Packaging The box that the SyncMaster 940UX ships in is pretty standard. There's no glossy exterior or fancy packaging to accompany this otherwise nondescript LCD monitor. It's plain brown with a few faint blue highlights. On the box, they give you some basic information about the monitor and a grainy image of what the monitor looks like. Like so many other boxes before it, there is a plastic handle that protrudes out the top to help with transport. The LCD is snugly held in place with a pair of styrofoam inserts. In addition to the monitor itself, I also found a VGA, DVI, USB, and power cable in the box, though it's unclear whether all of these cables are included in the retail package. There is also a CD with the software, user manual, and drivers that you'll need to run this monitor properly. Nothing out of the ordinary here.