Samsung Syncmaster 730MP

With the price of 17in LCD monitors dropping to an affordable level, more of us are looking to invest in a bigger screen. Samsung's Syncmaster 730MP is certain to draw attention, offering TV and FM radio facilities, a 5-in-1 card reader and a USB hub for £399.

While its stereo speakers stick out like a pair of silver ears, overall the 730MP is attractive. Its large stand allows for a reasonable degree of tilt and the controls for the on-screen menus are very straightforward. The monitor also comes with a remote control.

Sadly, the USB hub port is located on the left-hand side so the connection lead sticks out. We would have preferred this to be hidden.

Setting up the TV side is as easy as selecting your region and hitting the auto store option to scan for channels. Picture quality depends greatly on the source, and manually adjusting areas such as sharpness gave much better results than the automatic picture modes. The same was true when tuning the FM radio, although reception was notably poor with the supplied indoor aerial.

PC images were clear and crisp at the native 1,280 x 1,024 resolution, but looking closely revealed noticeable scan lines on large areas of flat colour. You're unlikely to see them at normal viewing distances, but it doesn't stop them from being annoying.

Popping a digital camera memory card into the reader allows for photo slide-shows and playback of mp3 and video files. Audio is impressive given the size of the speakers, and the screen supports Virtual Dolby Surround. It's better than stereo, but no substitute for the real thing.

With excellent connections, plenty of features and a good price, the Syncmaster 730MP is likely to win many fans.

Contact: Samsung 01932 455 000
www.samsung.co.uk

Specifications:

• 1,280 x 1,024 pixels
• Analogue TV tuner
• FM radio
• VGA, DVI, RGB Scart, S-video, composite and component video inputs
• 5-in-1 memory card reader
• Virtual Dolby Surround
• 2-port USB hub
• 400cd/m2 brightness, 450:1 contrast, 140/140 deg viewing angle
• 5w stereo speakers
• 496 x 378 x 170mm (w x h x d)
• 5.7kg