Wrap your desktop in curves for less cash with Samsung's SD590C
Samsung is betting big on curved screens this year. Initially speculated to be a gadget, displayed curves have started to develop on users. Relegated to TV monitors or premium office until now, Samsung is trying their curves on a smaller screen (and the budget) with the "SD590C 27. And while the curve is more pronounced on larger screens, PC gamers - which often serve only a few meters from their screen - could be a perfect fit for the new offering from Samsung.
The SD590C is a little more expensive than his brothers, similar in size to flat panels, but with a recommended 399 MSRP? $?, This is the cheapest offering even curved screen. Could this be the answer for players of the research budget for a more immersive experience, or is the SD590C just a novelty?
Sleek, but fragile
Out of the box, cut the SD590C a bright, minimalist silhouette. The glossy finish is a bit flashy, but thin, half-inch bezel keeps the look from being too hard on the eyes. All panel lines lights well and the installation of the office holder is as easy as securing a seat belt.
Unfortunately, SD590C suffers limited range of motion. The display can be tilted a few degrees forward, even if there is plenty of room to the rear edge, a little adjustment would have been nice, especially given the tendency of the screen for you approach.
The SD590C also lacks the ability to rotate on its stand. Not a huge problem meant something to immerse one spectator, but combined with the lack of failover options, SD590C does not offer much to help users feel comfortable.
We have not found very sold stand, either. Each time you move the desk, the screen wobbles dangerously. Even an occasional bump can send the display failover. It's a shame, because the screen itself is solid and surprisingly light a hair over 12 pounds. Between the T-stand and ergonomic misfortunes, a swivel wall bracket serve the SD590C much better than Samsung included desktop solution. Fortunately this is possible thanks to the VESA included.
One each harbor
The SD590C is extremely light in the department of connectivity. He just HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA connector. Two ports of 3.5 mm for audio input / output, are also included on the back. The display also comes with a HDMI and includes a 3.5mm audio cable.
Samsung monitor inputs Curved SD590C
Bill Roberson / Digital Trends
There is no USB and DVI, which is not a big deal, but even so, users looking to connect multiple devices may want to look elsewhere. Both Acer and Samsung Series K272HUL 7 We examined offers more connectivity options at a similar price.
Joystick controls
One, clickable joystick is used to navigate the display settings of SD590C. It took a little getting used to, but eventually turned out to be a big step forward from the discrete buttons are provided for most monitors. Navigating the menu was a breeze and we never had to guess which button to press when we adjust the display settings.
The menu system itself is simple and intuitive. Here are the usual options, including brightness, contrast, and RGB channel manager. Unfortunately, there is no fine tuning gamma or color temperature, which limits users to a few preset modes each.
Samsung offers two additional features in his quiver agree. The first, "shining Magic," he helped to fight against the problems thinking that the monitor had during the day apparently increasing brightness. "Top Magic" range that enhances low-resolution video, did not make a significant visual difference. We had a similar experience with the function on other Samsung monitors.
Samsung SD590C curved rear corner of the monitor
Samsung SD590C control the rear of the curved screen
There is also a game mode, which is said to automatically adjust contrast and color depending on the scene. While it has certainly been more dynamic picture, there was too grainy oversaturated.
The five-watt integrated speakers offer solid enough to fill a room, but the audio quality leaves something to be desired. action scenes and gunfire sounded muddy and lacking in bass. Most owners will want headphones or external speakers to complete curved display from Samsung.
Quality pre-calibration
The SD590C 27 inches has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a ratio of 16: 9. The panel, which uses the Vertical Alignment technology (similar to IPS) provides excellent horizontal and vertical viewing angles, both with pointing 178 degrees before color change becomes an important issue. The display is also incredibly light, generating 367 lux at fault.
Gaming on SD590C is beautiful, and the curve certainly seems like more than a gimmick. Its concave shape is subtle and can be hardly noticed at a distance, but up close the monitor keeps its promises of a more immersive cinematic experience.
That said, the punch of the curve is attenuated when the screen is used in a room with lots of light, and the viewer is a few feet from the screen. And while using SD590C for navigation and writing emails is very well, users who deal with Photoshop or other graphic software will probably be extinct by the subtle geometric distortions that creates curved display.
Establishment of SD590C was easy, and produces an excellent image of the box. We noticed no tearing or ghosting in the initial game sessions, and the color looked sharp and vibrant. The only real issue is that the shadows seemed washed during dark scenes in movies and games.
Pre-calibration, our testing equipment found the range of SD590C to cover 97 percent of sRGB and 74 percent percent of AdobeRGB. The gamma curve was 2.1, with a planned target of 2.2.
Color looks great on the screen, and there is no light bleed we observed. A more pleasant, we have noticed is that the curved screen really seemed to reduce glare. We noticed almost zero reflections when the games during the day, even in bright sunlight the SD590C performed well.
Post-quality calibration
After our initial image tests, we calibrated the SD590C Spyder4Elite using Datacolor. SRGB gamut returned to 96 percent and the AdobeRGB gamut recorded at 75 percent. The gamma curve and contrast remained stubborn, changing only 2.1 and 970: 1, respectively.
Although the calibration equipment has not unlock surprises, the SD590C still has a strong image that the results are excellent considering the price tag $ 399. More expensive XB280HK Acer calibrated to an average color difference 1.55 with a perfect gamma curve, but a slightly narrower range of colors.
Samsung SD590C curved screen bezel
Samsung SD590C curved screen macro position
Samsung SD590C curved monitor settings
Samsung curved screen SD590C offset 1
The only monitors we reviewed with better color accuracy are the Acer K272HUL, the Samsung Series 7 and the Samsung Series 9, which are much more expensive.
Warranty
The warranty covers one year parts and labor. Not bad, but considering the original design and wobbly ride - it would have been nice to have something a little more complete.
Conclusion
Judge the SD590C is a difficult task. On one hand, this is the first budget curved display size, and offers a unique television experience closely. Game with the screen was huge, and is definitely becoming a popular use.
This Samsung product a strong image to the price, and while its 1080p resolution is disappointing, this curved display is cheaper than 4K monitors we examined, and offers another level last avenue for people seeking to leave an old HD panel behind. If you are a player looking to jump to a three-panel configuration, SD590C is a cheaper alternative with a small desktop footprint and modest resolution will reduce the demand on your video card.
However, the monitor is hampered by a lack of connections, bad posture, and high price tag compared to other 27-inch, 1080p screens. The display of the curve is catchy, but if it's worth spending more to get it is questionable, particularly in light of the poor position of the screen and lackluster connectivity.
Highs
Curved screen is really immersive game for office
Excellent interface controls
Unique design for 27-inch monitor
Lows
Stand is fragile
Not many display connections
Limited ergonomic adjustments