Samsung SyncMaster 940BW review

The just-around-the corner if you believe the hype) revolution in home entertainment promised by high definition video is going to make life complicated - and not just for those that still struggle to set the timer on their video.

The HD specification includes built-in copy protection and all Blu-ray and HD-DVD movies, along with most television programmes, will only be watchable in their full HD glory if your equipment has a specific type of connection.

That connection is HDMI, and while it looks like the DVI port found on graphics cards and monitors, there's rather more to it. First, it supports HD Video and audio, and second, it's the only connection to support the copy protection used by HD Video. Try to watch HD content over anything other than HDMI and at best, you'll get an intentionally 'degraded' picture. At worst, you'll get no picture at all.

So, what has this got to do with the Samsung 940BW? Well, it's the first monitor we've seen with an HDMI connection, so while it can be used with a DVI graphics card, it can also be used with graphics cards that have HDMI outputs. If you're thinking "big deal", you're right, since the 940BW will appeal mainly to those planning to watch HD content on their PC, or plug it into a suitable standalone player.

However, with a 1440 x 900 widescreen resolution and a pleasingly low-profile design, the 19in 940BW is also a desirable display in its own right and it's only a couple of quid more than the similar but non-HDMI ViewSonic 1912W that we liked in issue 181 (though its price has come down since then). The 940BW also has a visibly superior image, although the vertical viewing angle is tight and text soon becomes unreadable if you look at the screen much above face-on. The monitor's 900 pixel vertical resolution also means that while it can handle 720p HD content at full resolution, it will 'downscale' 1080i.