Customer Reviews

Samsung Touch Of Color T260HD 25.5-Inch LCD HDTV Monitor

5 star:		(142)
4 star:		(67)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

The Samsung T260HD is the best monitor I've ever owned. I was using dual 19 inchers (Samsung 940BX and Samsung 971P) and this blows both of them away. I'm an amateur photographer and my photos look amazing on this monitor -- big screen, high resolution, clear bright colors. The images are very sharp and detailed. There is so much detail in the images, it's almost like being there. Photos have more detail in both the highlights and shadows than any other monitor I have used. I love this monitor.

With the default settings, the monitor was a little too bright, so I turned the brightness down to 50 and then profiled the monitor with my Monico Optix XR color puck. Now the monitor produces less bright and more natural colors. The photos show more detail in both highlight and shadow areas than any previous monitor. The built-in 1080P HDTV works great too. It automatically found all of my DTV stations without a cable box -- in fact it found even more than my cable box shows. Standard DVDs look very good on it too. The monitor was easy to setup and use both as a monitor and as a TV. The remote is just the right size, with all the essential buttons and enough space between them for even my large fingers. The remote lets you switch between TV mode and monitor mode with a single button push.

Initially I couldn't play Blu-ray movies on this monitor and the Cyberlink Blu-ray advisor reported a digital connection that didn't support HDCP. The problem turned out to be lack on HDCP support in the GeForce 7600GT video card. I upgraded the video card to a GeForce 9800GT and now Blu-ray movies play just fine. Blu-ray movies have a little more detail, but standard DVDs look great too.

The screen seems to have an anti-glare feature -- light coming in my window that used to cause glare on my other monitors, is not a problem on this monitor. I haven't verified this in the specs, but it just seems to have less of a glare problem than other monitors.

Now that I have this large widescreen monitor, I've started watching DVDs and instant Netflix movies on it. Both look great. With a high speed connection, the instant view movies look almost as good as DVDs.

I still have a 19inch monitor to the side of this one for games that don't display well at this resolution. It also adds as an overflow monitor when I get lots of stuff running.

This monitor is a little slow to wake up after being asleep (Windows power management). I discovered that it wakes up better when detecting a mouse click than just moving the mouse.

I tried using the monitor from both the HDMI and DVI connectors and found no noticeable difference in display quality.

The sound quality from the built-in speakers is okay for watching standard TV, but I normally use my Logitech THX-certified Z-2300 speakers which are much better. When using the T260HD as a TV I let the sound come out of its own speakers, but when using it as a monitor, the sound routes through the Logitech Z-2300 speakers. They have excellent sound for both movies and gaming and are only $83 on Amazon.

If you are thinking of getting one of these monitors, just do it. You will love it.

I have a Samsung LN52A750 LCD television which is an awesome set for use either as an HDTV or as a computer monitor. I really like the style it has with the TOC (touch of color) and the crystalline bezel design. When the T260HD was announced it seemed like a great idea to upgrade my 22" monitor with this 26" and gain HDTV functions while matching the style of the larger set.

What a disappointment! When used as a PC monitor the text could not be sharper, but the colors are all washed out and blacks are a hazy shade of gray. This performance isn't nearly as good as the cheap 22" ACER it replaces! Since the 52" Samsung performs flawlessly as a monitor I figured this 26" just needed calibration. After adjusting the configuration of the video card AND using the supplied Samsung "Natural Color Pro" software, only very slight improvement could be made.

I then replaced the HDMI cable with a DVI cable to see if that was causing the poor performance... no luck. The images were identical. The DVI cable and video card were the same ones that worked fine with the Acer, so those components could be ruled out as causes.

I even used the menu to rename the port to "PC" in the hopes that would automatically modify the port configuration as it does with the 52", but that didn't help either.

Now here's the really strange part: When used as an HDTV (plugged into Comcast cable) the images simply cannot be better. Even without any adjustments the black levels and color saturation is as perfect as anything I have ever seen. When used as an HDTV this set will not disappoint anyone - no matter how "picky" they are. At least this performance shows there may be some hope in someday finding some hidden method to improve its performance when used as a monitor.

There were four other disappointments prospective purchasers should be aware of:

1) I had already downloaded and read the User Guide from the Samsung website a couple of weeks before anyone began selling this model. Upon unpacking the set I noticed the remote control did not match what was listed in the manual - it was a completely different shape and was missing 7 buttons. This seemed strange because some of those missing functions were very useful. I borrowed the remote from my 52" Samsung which was equipped with those buttons (and many more as well). That remote was able to control everything, including the functions that were missing on the supplied remote! I called Samsung support and found that they have recently updated their online user guide and downgraded the supplied remote to the one I received. While you can still access the missing functions by navigating through their menu system, it makes using the remote a frustrating experience. This is a relatively minor complaint since I can use my other remote or buy an expensive third-party remote to get those functions back.

2) Perhaps a bigger disappointment with this unit is its total lack of VESA wall mounting holes. There is no way to wall mount this set unless you use one of those old fashioned shelves they've used for years for CRT sets. This is a pity because the 1080p performance of this set is unequalled by any other HDTV in its' size or cost range. Even if you don't need it as a PC monitor at all, it can be completely justified for purchase solely for its HDTV performance.... but this function almost REQUIRES a capability to be wall mounted, which cannot easily be done wth this set.

3) The speakers on this monitor are average for a typical HDTV - in other words - pretty poor. My first inclination was to connect a simple set of 2.1 computer speakers because even the inexpensive ones provide a huge audio improvement. It is difficult to justify a full-blown receiver and 5.1 or 7.1 sound system for a TV this small. Unfortunately, the only audio out connection on the back is an optical Toslink connector which no computer speaker system I know of is equipped with. I can't even find an adapter to convert the Toslink to any analog type of connector.

I was successful in connecting to the audio-in jack on my computer's sound card via the earphone plug located on the side of the monitor, but it looks pretty cheap to have the wire stick out like that. That appearance is not compatible with one of my main reasons for selecting this item: it's beautiful appearance. Even with a right-angle jack adapter the cable remains visible and the monitor's side door covering the connections must remain open.

EDIT: 7-28-08
Just installed a Logitech Z-5500 5.1 speaker system. It solved the problem, but at a steep $250 cost. At least it handles optical inputs, as well as digital coaxial and 5.1 channel analog. It now provides the sound system for this TV as well as the computer and an upconverting DVD player. This is a pretty good sound system that has significantly improved my viewing and computing experience. It is not as good as the sound system in use with my 52" TV, but it is a vast improvement over the 2.1 computer speaker system that I previously thought was quite good.

4) The biggest disappointment is the lack of "picture-in-picture" (PIP) capability. What could be a more natural use for this set than to be able to use it as a computer monitor while having the nightly news running in a window? The remote shown in the original manual has a button for PIP, even though the manual stated PIP is not available. The remote actually provided does not have a PIP button. I've used my other remote (which does have a PIP button) to confirm, and the set just states "function not available". I feel this is a major design flaw for a set of this type.

Now for the good news:

I really like the crystalline (clear plastic) bezel design and the TOC which matches my 52" Samsung. Just as with the larger TV, the red TOC is actually so subtle that it appears black unless directly illuminated by bright sunlight, when it still appears more of a very dark reddish-brown. The 52" set has a design feature which allows subtle screen illuminations to be reflected off the outer edges of the bezel (dubbed as the "halo effect"). I like that feature and am a bit dissapointed this set has not yet exhibited this effect. (If it does, it must be even more subtle than on its bigger brother).

The on/off button on the bezel is not really a button at all. It's an invisible sensor that activates when you touch a certain spot - just as it does with the 52". Unlike its' larger brother the other contol functions for channel and volume are physical buttons hidden behind the right edge of the bezel. The power indicator light is very cool - instead of a small point of light, it is a faint red glow of a sizeable portion of the corner of the frame - perhaps a 2" crescent region.

I was greatly surprised (and pleased) to discover that after allowing the set to automatically locate and program cable channels that it found perhaps several hundred of them. It picked up lots of HDTV stations without the need for a set-top-box. The best surprise is that it shows standard definition (SD) broadcasts nearly as clearly as the HDTV broadcasts. I have to hit the "Info" key to verify the resolution of many channels because they all look so good. The SD display even surpasses the very good performance from its' 52" big brother! SD stations that are of nearly unwatchable quality on my other HDTVs look great on the T260HD, perhaps even better than they did on my old SD televisions (which I no longer have for comparisons).

Performance on HD material is quite good, but not quite as good as that of the larger Samsung.

SUMMARY:
I cannot recommend this unit for use as a computer monitor. If I ever discover a solution for its washed out appearance I'll edit that info into this review later.

The display performance as an HDTV is much better than it's performance as a computer monitor with deep blacks and saturated colors.

No PIP functionality greatly reduces this set's usefulness.

I just want to address a few things. For viewing television, the picture is amazingly good. Playstation 3 looks awesome... literally the best that I've seen.
When used as a monitor... The color profile for any PC monitor is always controlled by the graphics card, so you have to go into the settings of your graphics card and tweak everything to make it look right... once you take the time to do that, it looks great.

The 'auto tune' feature for adding channels takes a long time and doesn't work that great, but any channel that you punch in will automatically be saved, so it's not a big deal. Analog signals take a couple seconds to tune in, but digital signals are quicker. Sometimes analog signals won't tune in on the first try, but not often.

There are no standard A/V inputs (RCA yellow,red,white). The verticle viewing angle could be better. There is really no way to mount it (although it has an Ex-Link port for hooking up to a motorized mount...???).
Another reviewer said there is only an optical audio output, but there is a standard 3.5mm audio output on the side, it's just not on the back.
The built in speakers would be considered good for a monitor but not great for a TV
Aspect ratio choices are: full wide 16:10, wide 16:9, 4:3, wide zoom 1, and wide zoom 2.
Buy it.

I actually purchased this monitor back in November '08 and I returned it out of utter disgust, cause it looked absolutely terrible as a monitor. The washed out colors, blacks looked greyish-blue, etc. If you read many of the other reviews on here, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. However, I loved the TV portion. For some reason, the colors would change dramatically as soon as you switched over to the tuner. I sat for hours trying to figure out how to fix the colors for the PC, cause obviously it had the capability.

Well, I gave up and like I mentioned, I ended up returning it mainly because the price didn't justify the performance. However.... a nice lil sale came around and I ended up buying this monitor one more time, cause I couldn't pass up a great deal. After a few hours of tinkering I figured it out!!!!

If you have this monitor and are experiencing the greyish-blue looking blacks when using it for the PC, do these adjustments and it should fix the problem:

With the remote, press "menu," then go into "Picture Options" and change the color tone to "warm." This should immediately give u subtle warmer-cleaner looking whites, but still give u that annoying blueish tinge in your blacks.

Now with the provided "natural color" software in the provided drivers cd, install the software and run the monitor calibration software.

When you reach the portion that asks what type of lighting environment you are in, choose the following: House -> Incandescent -> Low Lighting.

This should fix any greyish or blueish blacks. Although u won't ever get that perfect black cause TN panels aren't capable of it, you'll have the next best thing and have similar blacks to the ones that are built into the tuner!

Anyway, hope that's of help. This monitor is a sweat deal if you could live with TN panels.

SHORT VERSION:
Especially with its low price, the T260HD is easily one of the best multi-purpose, high-resolution LCD monitor/HDTV displays on the market. That's "full" (1080p) HDTV, by the way. Start with the complete "television" features and performance, add the excellent computer-monitor capabilities and connectivity, and this product is a winner.

LONG VERSION:
The people who whine about the Samsung T260HD's color-rendition, or viewing angle, or suitability in general as a computer monitor are: (A) wrong; (B) wrong; and (C) using the wrong computer "platform" (or at least a low-quality video-card). If your cable-TV shows look great on this display but your computer output looks blah, maybe you have a blah computer? And keep in mind that this is an LCD ("liquid crystal diode") monitor; attempting "perfect" color-rendition on an LCD screen (even a gem like the Apple Cinema Display) is like.... Oh, never mind.

We use Macintosh G5, G4, and G3 computers. I was reluctantly replacing an old SONY 22" CRT (cathode-ray tube) multisync Trinitron monitor which for too many years delivered professional-quality, calibrated colors. If I were still designing for both PRINT as well the Web, I would have simply gotten another Trinitron CRT. Photo-editing and color-matching for print publication require the best computer display you can afford. But for Web or video design, a top-quality fast LCD or LED display is fine, assuming that you calibrate the monitor and then compare your images displayed on a wide variety of PCs, Macs, LCDs (especially cheap laptops), and CRT monitors. In print or photo-output, you should aim for "perfect" color; but on the Web, with MILLIONS of different video-cards. browsers, displays, screen settings. etc, you're shooting for "mainstream." Remember, most computer users barely know how to tweak brightness and contrast, but certainly not gamma, white point, luminance, and so on. So what you see is rarely what they get.

If you buy this HDTV/monitor, familiarize yourself thoroughly with its adjustable onscreen display settings (via the remote control's "MENU" button). There's a lot to learn, but you can get excellent color and resolution from your computer if you master its own display controls (Mac OS X: System Preferences > Displays > Display & Color/Calibrate) and also the T260HD's onscreen controls. Here's what I learned....

-- The T260HD actually has more contrast and brightness available than you might need. I dispensed with Apple's generic instruction to run the monitor at highest possible contrast, because AFTER calibration the darkest screen images were simply too dark. I also reduced slightly the monitor's RED "gain" (Picture Options) for better color balance at all times; your display MIGHT need similar tweaks.

-- This display does show very slight variation in color-saturation and brightness as your eyes traverse the vertical viewing angle (bob your head up and down). Read other reviews here to find out why. I just tilt the T260HD screen until it "looks good," which it certainly does at all normal angles. But if this level of fuss might matter to you, go to a big TV/monitor showroom, ask to see LCD screens with wide and then narrow vertical/horizontal viewing-angles. Note the prices, then decide.

-- The T260HD has Sharpness control, which can significantly affect the quality of computer-interface elements. After everything has been color-calibrated, check the text on the computer's main/top menu; if text characters are too jaggy or have too much white halo, reduce the sharpness a little. Conversely, raising sharpness slightly acts exactly like Photoshop's filters, but across your entire screen. Cool.

-- I run the T260HD at 1280x800 pixels (not native 1920x1200 max resolution), which still produces a very sharp, undistorted wide-landscape desktop image -- with an expanded, zoomed-in look (60-dpi not WYSIWYG 72-dpi) that old eyes really appreciate. Before calibrating color, test the T260HD's many display-resolution settings; some obviously distort/stretch the computer output, and others produce jagged-edged text and interface elements. The T260HD's native 1920x1200 resolution is very sharp, lets you display many windows simultaneously etc, but at that resolution (almost 90-dpi) may force you to place your forehead on the screen to read small text.

Cosmetics....
-- The TV-style, glossy black cabinet with clear/red "Touch of Color" acrylic bezel is nice, especially if you, like me, enjoy that mysterious aquarium look. It's a sexy way to make your computer setup look Hollywood instead of ho-hum. However, the clear thin bezel provides a sharp perimeter edge and corners which can be dented easily.
-- This is a smallish TV display for wall-mounting, but if you really must.... Wall Mount Bracket 24-25.5"

I've had this monitor for a couple of months now and wanted to share my thoughts. Overall, I like it. It's a beautiful addition to my desk, with the "touch of color" frame and piano-gloss-black base. Very pretty. I love having a high resolution widescreen 1080p-sized screen. The colors are vibrant, and the brightness and contrast are great. I LOVE the amount of inputs this has. The fact that it has a built in HDTV tuner is pretty cool, too. Also, I thought it was a great price for this size and quality of monitor.

It's not all wonderful though. It took a while to get the colors calibrated decently, and I had to buy a color spyder to get the job done. (Once calibrated, though, the colors are better than I had expected.) The real drawback, and what keeps this screen out of the professional display realm, is the use of the cheaper TN type LCD panel. I use a dual monitor system, with my other monitor being an older samsung syncmaster with an S-IPS panel, and the different is remarkable.

Basically, the TN panel makes the color EXTREMELY sensitive to the vertical angle you're viewing. Based on what I've read, the problem, is that on TN panels the R, G, and B pixels are deeper in the panel than on other types of panels. It's like looking at colored poker chips in the bottom of a tin can. When you're looking directly down into the can, you can see all of them. But if you change your angle, the side of the can might be occluding part or even all of one or more chips. On a TN panel, this means that the RGB balance is off.

An easy on-screen example can be tested by filling the screen up with a solid color. On the T260HD, it looks like a gradient! If I fill both screens with solid blue, my older S-IPS screen looks like a solid color, but the TN panel looks like a gradient light blue to dark blue, top to bottom. Even the small difference in vertical angle between the top and bottom of the screen are enough to change the colors. Standing up and crouching down to see the screen at different angles emphasizes the problem. Even my 5 year old son noticed this. He was watching me designing a website and said, "Daddy! When I stand up, it's yellow, but like this [sitting down] it's brown!"

Another disappointing problem is the lack of good tilt adjustment. Some of the reviews I read before buying mentioned complete lack of tilt, and others contradicted that. After getting the screen for myself, I realized the confusion. It only tilts UP, not DOWN! I have trouble envisioning a scenario where the screen would need to be tilted significantly up, but as I keep my monitors on an upper hutch-level of my desk, I really needed to tilt it down! (Especially because of the color issues from viewing the monitor at an vertical angle!) I wound up propping up the back end of the base with a few coasters. It's not a solution I recommend because it reduces the monitor's stability, but it's worked ok for me.

The last issue I've seen is the time it takes for the screen to wake up from power saving mode. If it was just a few seconds, that would be fine and I would consider it worth it for saving on my energy costs. But sometimes it's 10 or 15 seconds (it seems to vary), and that's just too long. It's usually faster to turn the monitor off and then back on. And, by the way, my other monitor comes on quickly so the problem is definitely not my computer's response time.

So to sum up:

PRO: Looks great, great brightness, great contrast, good colors (once adjusted, and when viewed at the proper angle), great range of inputs, good price

CON: TN panel means colors are highly sensitive to vertical angle, can't tilt the screen down, takes a while to "wake up" from power saving mode

I would re-evaluate my options if I were looking at this again as a new purchase, although I would probably buy it again if I were under the same financial constraints, because it is a good value.

I use the Samsung T260HD primarily as a computer monitor. When researching this product, I found many complaints about the quality of the image when used for this purpose. The solution I found was simple and effective. I am using this screen as part of a dual-monitor setup. The graphics card built into the motherboard of my PC was insufficient to power this beautiful display in all its glory. I purchased the NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT (About $65-$70), and boy, what a difference was made! I experienced crisp, bright, natural colors right out of box with the default calibration. My monitor arrived without a single dead pixel. I cannot offer an experienced review of its functions as a TV, since I have only used it in this modality once or twice. However, when I did, the T260HD performed to specs. The Samsung T260HD is a superlative monitor; it simply requires a graphics card powerful enough to handle its gorgeous display.

As a professional photographer, I am constantly looking for the best hardware to develop and enhance my work. I handed down my Gateway 24" LCD to my wife and I upgraded to this T260HD. This monitor is without a doubt one of the best monitors on the market today. And to have the capacity to display HDTV, DVDs/Blu-Rays, games and PC all with astonishing quality is the best value for dollar I have ever spent.

First off, it is HUGE! It is a piece-of-cake to have several windows/apps open simultaneously. Unless you're a gamer, I don't think you'll miss a dual-monitor setup one bit.

Secondly, the out-of-the-box color is fantastic, contrary to what some reviewers have stated. But DO NOT use the included software to calibrate the color on this monitor, it is really lacking. If you hook it up with the standard PC port, just use the AUTO function and it will be just about perfect, assuming you have a decent graphics card. My main computer is hooked up via the DVI-D port to an nVidia GT295 card and I used a Spyder3 to calibrate the monitor, and again, it is perfect. The high contrast ratio and brightness must be responsible for the output, text is ultra-sharp without being oversharp, colors are true, true and true, brightness and contrast are exceptional.

The rose accent and crystal bezel make this Samsung line stand out amongst the crowd, it is a truly beautiful addition to anyone's workspace or living room. But when you play a DVD through this unit, you know you've got something special. The 5ms response time gives you smooth, fluid rendering without a hitch (again with a proper card). I run the audio through a Denon amp with Klipsch speakers and it's almost a mini-theatre in our office.

I must say something about the viewing angle. If you do enough research, you'll see that this T260HD is a TN panel as opposed to an IPS panel. The main difference is that the viewing angle of a TN monitor is not as broad or wide as an IPS model. So as you move away from the screen going left, right, up or down, the screen darkens. If you multi-task and move around quite a bit, then a TN monitor is probably not for you. However, I don't know a single digital photographer who wanders around while photo-editing, I certainly don't. Photoshop and my digital darkroom have my undivided attention and focus. If your work habits are similar to mine, this monitor will be an absolute DREAM!

OK, I've been as honest as possible here and told you about the poor calibration software and the limitations of the viewing angle. The bottom line is if you have a capable calibration tool (i.e. Spyder3), a decent graphics card and processor, and you are mostly stationary when you're working, I firmly believe you will flip out over this monitor. I will probably buy another one to use in the family room. The picture this monitor puts out is at least equal to all of the high-end Dells, HPs or NECs I have seen. If you are a pro or semi-pro photographer, BUY THIS MONITOR!!!! You will not regret it.

Thanks for your time.
N. R.

I'd get this.

I got this a couple days ago at BestBuy, which allowed me to look at it in person before buying.

One thing many people seem to forget is that first and foremost, it's a computer monitor. I got it because my Dad has poor vision and he needed the 25.5" screen size to see anything. As a monitor, it's fantastic. He's currently using the VGA port in the back to input video and his Intel Integrated Graphics processor is more than up for the task.

I've played PS3 games on it, watched DVDs, used it as a monitor for my laptop and my Dad's desktop, and it's basically perfect. I even did lag tests using a timer that outputted up to 1/1000th of a second (the monitor only refreshes at 60 Hz so it'd only see 1/100th of a second changes). There's no lag. Playing games will not cause lag on this HDTV, unlike many other LCD HDTVs.

The only thing that's not perfect about this is that it doesn't look good from the back (cables stick straight out and there's no cover), and there's no VESA mounts. But as it's going to sit on my desk with the back to the wall, I love it.

I just got it today. I'm so happy with it that I'm writing my very first review at Amazon. First of all, it is a great TV. It found all my channels automatically without the cable box, including the HD channels. The picture quality for HD channel is just stunning, better than my sony 1080p TV---smaller screens typically have better picture for similar resolution. The regular channels are OK as I expected. As a computer monitor, it is a superstar as well. Very sharp and clear image. I specially love the multiple connections it has. I use VGA to connect my laptop, DVI for my destop. HDMI for my Nikon D300, component for my Sony HD camcorder...It becomes my entertainment center for real. And there is one button on the right side to switch connections. By the way, the speakers are not bad at all for TV watching. The price is great even if it is only a TV or monitor at this size and resolution. I'm very pleased with this purchase!