Samsung SyncMaster S27B750V 27" Mobile High-Definition Link LED Monitor Review @ ModSynergy.com
By: Michael Phrakaysone

There have been many monitor and HDTV reviews on ModSynergy, and the majority have been based on LCD technology.  LCD technology has been on the market for many years and is a tried and proven technology.  It will continue to dominate the future because there's just a wide variety of uses for these panels to be used not only for monitors, but for instrument panels on aircraft, cell phones, clocks, and every day  items. 

As with any type of technology, there comes the positives and negatives, and there comes a time when manufacturers aim to improve and push forward the innovation of the technology.  These improvements have been made to LCD technology in just a short amount of time.

The short description is that LCDs require a light source to illuminate the liquid crystals in order for an image to be displayed on the screen.  This used to be in the form of a bulky fluorescent bulb, however, this has been proved not to be as efficient.  So what LCD makers have done to improve this is to use small high power LEDs as the light source instead of a fluorescent bulb.  This has introduced not only better efficiency (only around 42 watts energy consumption) and a brighter screen, it opens up a huge opportunity to lower the footprint of the screen dramatically, meaning a thinner screen and more space on your desk table.   

Today we look at a brand new series of LED based monitors from the Samsung 2012 lineup that is reminiscent of how their HDTV line is called.  We take a look at the Samsung 7 Series LED monitor in the form of the 27-inch S27B750V, which Samsung claims has Stunning curves to match your style and home. And to top it off it supports a new feature dubbed MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) which allows the user to connect their Samsung smartphone and have its image projected on screen. 

Read on to see if this premium higher end Samsung monitor is worth your hard earned money.

About Samsung

“For over 70 years, SAMSUNG has been dedicated to making a better world through diverse businesses that today span advanced technology, semiconductors, skyscraper and plant construction, petrochemicals, fashion, medicine, finance, hotels and more.  Our flagship company, SAMSUNG Electronics, leads the global market in high-tech electronics manufacturing and digital media.

Through innovative, reliable products and services; talented people; a responsible approach to business and global citizenship; and collaboration with our partners and customers, SAMSUNG is taking the world in imaginative new directions.”

Samsung S27B750V Product Overview

Experience modern design that stands out and feels natural. The Series 7 LED monitor’s stunning curves and premium look are warm as well as edgy. With Mobile High-Definition Link, built-in stereo speakers and Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio you’ll enjoy optimised multimedia from mobiles or PCs. Inputs like 2HDMI deliver all your content, and Eco Saving lowers costs. The LED Monitor Series 7 brings harmonyto your viewing and environment.

Samsung S27B750V Product Features

Captivate the senses with stunning curves: Choose a monitor with a premium aesthetic that will brighten up any surroundings. Elegant curvilinear design and a harmonious blend of black and white offer an organic look that appears warmer and more natural than other monitors. This combination of straight lines and gentle contours was developed to be more appealing. So, blend minimalism with stylish curves and discover the future of monitor design.

Enhance viewing from mobile to monitor: With Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL), experience entertainment with full-size monitor luxury and higher-quality HD viewing. MHL lets you watch video and other content on the move, then easily connect the mobile device to a monitor with the included cable. You can finish viewing in stunning HD anywhere you want, and charge devices while connected, too. Combine portability with home comfort for an optimised view.

The total audio-video solution with built-in speakers: With a built-in Samsung Stereo Speaker, a 5 Watt, 2 channels speaker delivers high-quality stereo sound and a richer multimedia experience. You’ll enjoy enhanced movies and music, as if you were in a theatre or concert, thanks to Samsung’s outstanding audio. Experience total convenience and make the most of home or office space with cost-efficient built-in speakers.

Upgrade to the next level with Mega Dynamic Contrast: Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio delivers new levels of colour and picture quality to your viewing experience with images that are real-to-life. A breathtaking 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio shows blacks at their absolute darkest and pristine whites and other colours at their brightest. You will notice the crystal clear picture clarity. It is like explosions of colours that make other screens seem dull in comparison. Enjoy your multimedia content with the professionalism it deserves.

See it your way with wider viewing angles: Samsung’s Magic Angle makes sure that the movie always takes centre stage and that you’re always comfortable. Thanks to the 5-mode angle management, from whatever angle you watch your Samsung monitor, you will enjoy a full visual experience with amazing picture clarity. So, start watching your favourite movies and other multimedia in total comfort and without limitations thanks to Magic Angle.

Expand your experience with various inputs: Why not bring more than just your favourite films to life? Samsung LED Monitor Series 7 2HDMI with its wide range of inputs ensures that everything from gaming to chatting with friends online is easily achieved. The various inputs such as DP, HDMI and DVI, ensure that your monitor is more compatible and ready to handle all of your content.

Control power consumption, conserve energy: Eco Saving makes saving energy easy. It adjusts the brightness of your Samsung monitor based on the amount of energy you want to save. Choose from three energy saving modes (50%, 25% and Power Saving off) to tailor your monitor use. By consuming 50% less, you can really make a positive impact on your eco footprint. Take the effort out of saving energy and take control with Eco Saving.

Samsung S27B750V Product Specifications

Display

• 27" (16:9) Screen Size
• LED Type TN Panel
• 300 cd/m² Brightness
• Mega ∞ DCR (Static 1000:1) Contrast Ratio
• 1920 x 1080 Resolution
• 2 ms (GTG) Response Time
• 170° / 160° Viewing Angle (Horizontal / Vertical)
• 16.7 M Color Support

Design

• Black High Glossy
• Simple (ToC) Stand Type
• Tilt Stand Function

Weight

• 6.3 kg Set Weight with Stand
• 4.1 kg Set Weight without Stand
• 8.9 kg Package Weight

Interface

• 1 x D-Sub
• 2 x HDMI
• 1 Audio In/Out
• Built-in Speaker (5 W x 2 ch)

Power

• 100 - 240 V (50 / 60 Hz) Power Supply
• Typ. 42 W Power Consumption
• 0.5 W Power Consumption (DPMS)
• 0.5 W Power Consumption (Stand-by)
• External Adaptor Type

Accessories

• D-sub Cable, MHL Cable, Stereo Cable included
• E-manual, Install CD, Quick Setup Guide included

General Features

• Eco Saving, Samsung MagicAngle, Samsung MagicBright, Samsung MagicColor, Off Timer, MagicTune, Image Size supported
• All OS
• Windows Certification
• Energy Star 5.0 Energy/Environment Mark
• Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) supported

Dimension

• 636 x 474 x 204 mm Set Dimension with Stand (W x H x D)
• 636 x 380 x 31 mm Set Dimension without Stand (W x H x D)
• 712 x 551 x 248 mm Package Dimension (W x H x D)

Editors Note: Being an HDMI capable monitor, you would think manufacturers would start offering a HDMI cable as part of the package but that is not the case here.

First Impressions and Design Overview

Basic monitors usually come in brown corrugated boxes but the Samsung S27B750V is not your ordinary monitor.  As Samsung does with their HDTV boxes, the S27B750V packaging is upscale and high class with full fledged design, colors, graphics, and features on the box.  Opening up the box surrounded by bodies of foam protection to prevent any damage and flex during delivery and no problems were had when delivered.  Located on top is a handle that you grab onto when transporting. 

Purchasing the Samsung S27B750V, you will find these items located in the box…

• Samsung 27-inch S27B750V LED Monitor
• 14v AC Power Adapter with right angle cord
• D-SUB VGA monitor cable
• 3.5mm to 3.5mm Stereo audio cable
• MHL cable
• Quick setup guide
• Software CD and warranty information and e-manual
• Microfiber cloth
• Plastic cable holder piece

Samsung provides a fair amount of stuff with your purchase, however, misses out on key pieces.  Being an HDMI capable monitor, you would think manufacturers would start offering an HDMI cable as part of the package, but that is not the case here.  Instead they bundle the MHL cable which connects to the HDMI port and the other end to your Samsung (and other MHL capable smartphones) mobile phone. 
The monitor is capable of using an HDMI to DVI dongle adapter, however, they don't include one in the box, nor do they include a DVI cable, if they had included the dongle.

They do though offer the old analog VGA cable along with an audio cable.  Keep in mind that this monitor sells for $400 Canadian dollars before tax, that's pretty expensive and I would expect every possible dongle and cable combination possible to be included. Who wants to spend an extra $30 or more on top of $400CAD on a dongle and cable combination?

Out of the box, the Samsung S27B750V is fully assembled from the factory and there is no need to mount the base or things as such saving time and energy.  Just take it out of the box, connect the wires, and you're ready to go in a few minutes.

The Samsung S27B750V looks amazing at first glance.  The design language is much different than before while continuing on with hints of the previous Touch of Color red series but now with the high gloss black look.  The first thing you notice is the lack of traditional neck and base.  With the S27B750V, the design is bold.  It looks so unusual and different other displays on the market without a doubt. 

The neck and base is connected on the right side and not at the center, that gives it an elegant flowing curvy look.  The frame looks like crystal with the frame being injected with a black color. The disadvantage I see with this design is that there is no height or swivel adjustment.  The monitor sits low to begin with so you may need to put something underneath the base to make the monitor taller if needed. The good thing is that you can tilt the monitor at different angles if you like.

Some monitors have the problem of wobbling if you do something to shake the table, and the Samsung S27B750V is one of those monitors as well, even with the different neck and base design.  It wobbles just a tad so it's not a huge problem.

With the Samsung S27B750V, it maintains a beautiful look with the flush mounted front-panel controls that features commands such as power on/off, auto adjustment, source selection, volume up/down, MHL button, and the menu button.  These buttons do light up and illuminate with a white LED.  There is no built in USB hub or card reader of any kind.

The first time I lay my eyes on the Samsung S27B750V, I was blown away by just how thin it is!  The screen is absolutely pinky finger thin.  This has to be one of their thinnest monitor yet.  The bezel is equally as thin so it doesn't get in the way of the operating experience measuring in at less than an inch at 0.75".  The screen is super thin but this is further contrasted by the very large base.  I can't help it think that such a large base wasn't needed and that it was done with more looks in mind than function, even if it does look good.  The base adds to the curvy design language because it has a arching look.   The base also adds to the weight of the monitor and helps to in theory prevent the screen from wobbling.  The Samsung S27B750V weighs in under 14lbs with the base.

Notice how glossy everything is.  The whole design exudes sexiness.  Glossy looks fantastic but there are drawbacks as compared to having a matte finish.  For example, dust becomes a problem and you can pick up smudges easily.  

There are no buttons located anywhere at the front of the monitor or even a conventional push power button.  Touch sensitive buttons are recessed at the side of the monitor. I’ve used touch sensitive power buttons in past Samsung monitor reviews and I’ve had little issue. The problem with this one is that it’s not sensitive enough and needs the user to push harder.  Sometimes it doesn't register correctly and you need to re-do the push.  And you’ll have some problems locating the power button at night unless you turn on the light, and sometimes you don’t want to do that.

The negative of having pressure sensitive buttons with no backlight is that you have to remember what each button does. This makes changing options awkward since you may have to go back and forth.  Implementing a backlight would have solved this issue, but the touch functionality could be improved upon.

So have viewing angles been improved with LED technology?  Make no mistake, this is still LCD technology and this is still a TN panel that suffers from this problem.  But Samsung has implemented a band-aid solution in the form of their Magic Angle feature which are preset profiles that adjust contrast and brightness under certain situations such as lean back mode, side mode, etc.  Some of the profiles I did notice the difference it makes while others didn't offer much effect.  You still end up with instances where you move away from the front axis of the screen and the color begins to shift and loses its color and picture integrity, although I feel the S27B750V handles viewing angles better than other TN panel monitors. 

Another disadvantage to LCD technology is the problem of clouding.  Some panels will feature more or less clouding than others.   I don’t think I’ve ever seen an LCD screen that has never had clouding issues so it’s pretty common.  The thing is that you want the least amount of clouding as possible.

Thankfully with the S27B750V I am reviewing, there was only little spots of clouding and they weren't too visible once I cranked down the brightness/contrast.  The LED backlight is very bright and most likely you would want to tone these values down.  The issue of clouding still exists in LED LCD technology.  I don’t think LCD will ever be free from this issue.

I had one issue with this review unit and that there was a defective pixel almost dead center, so I could always see a spot on the monitor that is different from the rest.    

Coming towards the rear of the monitor, in terms of inputs, while you don't have all the connections possible (no DisplayPort, no DVI, lacking 3rd HDMI), you still have a fair amount of options to work with in the back.   From left to right you have the DC 14V adapter jack, HDMI IN 1 (DVI), HDMI IN 2/MHL, PC VGA D-Sub, and audio IN/OUT jacks. 

At the rear there is also an Anti-Theft lock eyelet where you can purchase a Kensington lock to prevent the monitor from getting stolen.  I suppose this would be useful in a business use situation.

Gloss covers the whole rear of the monitor except the portion that holds all the connectors.  A Samsung logo sits in the middle and unfortunately with the S27B750V there is zero possibility of wall mounting as it does not contain the standard VESA mounts.

The Samsung S27B750V includes two integrated speakers giving you stereo sound.  Typically on monitors, some of them come with cheap 2-watt speakers, but these are more powerful at 5-watts a piece, totaling 10-watts.  But as an audiophile, I would suggest skipping these and obtaining external units.  But I'll see if these are any good.

Performance – Usage

I think the most exciting feature on this Samsung S27B750V is the Mobile High-Definition Link support.  I just happened to have the Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone in my hands and outputting  to the 27" screen was wonderful.  While nowhere near as vibrant, sharp and colorful as the smaller AMOLED display on the GALAXY Note, the S27B750V still managed to output at a high resolution and sharpness.  The MHL support is very useful and allows you to play games, movies, and browse the Internet on the 27" screen.  The image you see on the smartphone is imaged onto the monitor.  It allows you to share photos, videos better with friends and family instead of having everyone looking at a small screen.  Pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, you can basically use your smartphone as your computer if you wanted too.  Think along the lines of the Android 4.0 USB stick that is floating around the internet.

With this 27" LED monitor, the highest resolution supported is 1080p, or 1920x1080.  For such a monitor with the large real estate of 27", and after using it on a daily basis, I feel Samsung did itself an injustice by not offering a higher resolution of 2560x1440, something I enjoyed very much on the 27" Samsung S27A850D I reviewed previously.  My personal opinion is that on a 27" computer monitor, having a (dual-link) 2560x1440 resolution is crucial.  For multimedia purposes you may get away with 1080p resolution, but if you're doing anything productive, a higher resolution is a must to avoid having toolbars and taskbars in the way.  And if you like playing games at higher resolutions to make use of your gaming graphics card, tough luck.

For a TN panel, the Samsung S27B750V does offer surprisingly great image quality.  The colors were particularly rich and vibrant, something not what I was expecting because the screen is not glossy but matte.  It was deep and set up to excel in photos.  I think it was a little over saturated out of the box so I had to turn down just a few notches, while the brightness and contrast were very high and needed to be toned down for my tastes as well.  I didn't even need to use the dynamic contrast function on the monitor, something I never use anyway.  The color cast out of the box was cool, but that was fixed by selecting the warmer color cast in the OSD.

Brightness and contrast on the Samsung S27B750V shouldn't be an issue for people because its overpowering at the highest levels and even out of the box.  As far as performance goes, the blacks on the S27B750V were too black out of the box that shadow performance suffered.  I'm watching movies and the dark scenes, the shadows are almost to the point of being black.  Tweaking the values in the OSD helped the monitor perform better in regards to shadows.

The monitor takes from the push of the power button four seconds to start up, scan for the attached signal, and display an image on the screen.  This is pretty quick, but not faster than the jaw dropping two seconds it took for the Samsung S27A850D to achieve, the fastest I've experienced so far on a display.
Speaking about the OSD, it has a good number of options within and is relatively easy to navigate if you can get the touch sensitive buttons to do what you want them to do the first time around.  There are options pertaining to brightness, contrast, sharpness, Magic Bright, Magic Angle, Coarse (VGA), Fine (VGA), Response Time (rated 2ms Grey to Grey), HDMI Black Level, Magic Color, Tint, Color Tone, Gamma, and much more.

As I stated before, the monitor includes a band-aid solution for the problem TN panels have at viewing angles.  When you move away from the dead center of the screen, you will eventually start to notice that the color begins to shift and loses its color and picture integrity.  Magic Angle feature in the OSD has different sitting position profiles that help to band-aid this issue and restore picture integrity.  I found that some of these profiles did manage to help, while others I couldn't notice much if any difference.  You have profiles labeled as Lean Back Mode 1, Lean Back Mode 2, Standing Mode, Side Mode, Group View, and Custom. 

Detail wise, text is sharp for the most part in regular font size, but I did notice that once text was smaller, it got harder to read text on the screen.  The details were lost and you needed to look closely to see what the words were.

The two internal speakers totaling 10-watts was actually decent and better than some others I've come across.  They were actually loud and good enough for most basic functions.  The bass was lacking but this was to be expected.  I wouldn't use them for movie watching or gaming, but YouTube viewing and operation around Windows should be alright.  I'd invest and hook up external speakers instead.  But they were surprisingly loud and didn't distort to the point of no return.

Ghosting on the Samsung S27B750V is noticeable but it's not overly bad.  It's acceptable to good in this regard.  The response time option in the OSD does help lessen the effect in games and movies.

Conclusion

If you’re on a market for a 27-inch widescreen LED monitor, the Samsung S27B750V is something you should at least consider checking out.  Performance wise it's a good pick.  It's sexy as can be for a multimedia monitor, the performance is generally positive (for a TN panel), and you have the ability of the MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) support which is a useful bonus if you have a smartphone such as a GALAXY Note and always seem to use it.

The downsides is that there is no way of mounting the screen to the wall because there is no VESA mounting points.  Negatives also include a defective pixel on this unit, no ability of swivel, height adjustment, only 1080p resolution (I prefer on a 27" 2560x1440 resolution), some issues as reading smaller text, shadow performance out of the box, and not having all of the possible cable/dongle combinations included in the box considering this is a $400 Canadian dollars monitor.

My biggest concern would be the price.  I cannot see myself spending this much on a TN panel that doesn't come with all the goodies in the box, doesn't have DisplayPort, has only 1080p resolution for a large real estate of 27", no matter how sexy it looks and that it offers MHL support.  MHL support is not enough to sway me at this premium price point.

I say if you can find it on sale for a good chunk off retail price, then that would be more attractive and you can give it a go.