Samsung Touch of Color T260HD 26-Inch LCD HDTV Monitor Reviews

• An Unusual Combination of Good & Bad Features

  
  By AJVFQ2P0FLFUS on 2008-07-12
  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.
  
  

• Best monitor I have ever owned

  
  By A31DRSO8FGKDTT on 2008-07-23
  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.
  
  

• GREAT TV / MONITOR COMBO

  
  By A37FQ5XKHI8TYC on 2008-09-12
  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.
  
  
  

• If you could only have one monitor/tv combination...

  
  By AM5LOY3O1X6GD on 2008-09-02
  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.
  
  

• Very nice monitor with a couple of quirks

  
  By A6MZC8W7K3XLC on 2008-09-24
  The quality of the picture produced by this monitor is stunning. It is competitively priced and easy to hook up. The only quirks I have found with it are that it doesn't have VESA mounting holes, the cables stick straight out of the back (instead down along the back of the monitor) and the frame is somewhat curved with a lip that makes it difficult to attach peripherals like cameras or Wii sensor bars. A good deal.
  
  
• The HD version can't be used on a desk where you see the back
  By A1TJ0KWG5UFIU8 on 2008-08-11
  I am extremely disappointed with this monitor. I chose it partly because of features, but also because the case was styled well and I thought would look good on a desk that is seen by anyone who enters our home. Unfortunately nothing seems to note that in the HD versions of the T260 and the T240, there is no cover for the cables in the back. And worse yet, they stick straight out the back, not down like just about every other monitor.
  
  It seems that other than Apple's monitors which haven't been refreshed in years, no one even tries to make something that looks good 360 degrees around!
  
  Actually quality of the picture is so for me. Very washed out and not that sharp. Was expecting to be wowed when I looked at it, but unfortunately I'm not. Debating whether to return it at this point and eat the shipping.
  
  
• Samsung't 25.5 in LCD HDTV / MONITOR
  By A3L1V09GLOVFLT on 2008-10-19
  These are my thoughts on this Samsung HDTV / Monitor (25.5 in not 26 as Amazon states) . I read literally dozens of reviews and spent many hours checking stats etc on one type and brand vs another. I chose this monitor based on several factors. I don't have a dedicated media room, so I wanted a tv that would fit in my entertainment center in the front room. I would have liked to have the 32 in model but it wouldn't fit. This was the largest that would fit of the major brands. It is also the only one that was 1080p not 720p. This is important to me for playing Blu Ray discs. We went to the local Sam's, Best Buy etc and checked out many tvs and agreed that the samsungs just looked stellar. Now on to address the strong points and the bad.
  
  
  
  The good-----
  
  
  
  1. I really like the look of the tv. It is very slick without being garish. I think some of the Sony's can be over the top with the big clear bezel around the tv. This just looks good.
  
  
  
  2. I think the contrast is very good. I have no problem seeing it in a sunlight filled room.
  
  
  
  3. I like that it doesn't have glare on the screen, I was worried about this, but shouldn't have been. It doesn't have any of that trouble as the old Magnavox crt it replaces does.
  
  
  
  4. I think the picture is very good on Standard definition, Excellent on High def.
  
  
  
  I want to preface the next section with a little background. It seems many buy this for the bedroom or kitchen, they already have a bigger one as the main tv of the house. I bought this for the main tv of our house, it used to be a 29 in screen was a "big" tv. Times change. I have seen High def and sd on a 46 in Mitsubishi Diamond and an 50in Sony xbr 5 For many hours at friends houses, this is what got me in the market, the Mitsu does Stellar on standard deff, better than the Sony. They both blow you away on high def. Football is amazing!! So I guess I am saying that although This is my first lcd I have a fair amount of experience with them.
  
  
  
  
  
  The bad----
  
  
  
  1. I am amazed at the flaws of lcd in general. People have been going on about these tvs for a long time and I just can't help but list what my 12 year old crt does better that this tv and even the much bigger and better mitsu and sony referenced above.
  
  
  
  2. The bleeding through of the back light during dark scenes, or when you change channels. The blacks of the crt are much much better. The Sony and Mitsu are better in this area than the Samsung.
  
  
  
  3. The loss of detail in the dark areas of a movie, I watched "Iron Man" in Blu Ray (Check the cave sequence) on the Sony and "Signs" ( Check the basement sequence) in sd on the Samsung. Both of them lost almost all detail in the shadows. Again the 12 year old crt beats them all by a large margin.
  
  
  
  4. The slight smearing of the Samsung during fast action on the Wii. not noticeable on regular tv viewing.
  
  
  
  5. This is specific to this Samsung. The speakers are not up to par with any other tv I have ever seen or heard. I read the other reviews panning the sound and thought, I am used to a twelve year old Magnavox this is bound to have better sound than that.
  
  The 46 in Mitsu was panned for its sound also and it really isn't that bad, so I thought this wouldn't be an issue with this either. I was wrong. I think the speakers firing straight down has a lot to do with it. This brings me to another problem.
  
  
  
  The only audio outs are Optical, or a headphone jack on the side. I thought well they sell thousands of these, there has to be some cheap speakers that will plug right into the optical just to add some more sound. Wrong. You could just use the mini jack on the side but as another review noted it sticks out and is not a long term solution. I found a couple of speakers (German made Studio Monitors to be exact) That would take the optical feed but they were too big for my needs. I ended up finding an optical to mini jack adapter, right here on Amazon. I am hoping this Creative Labs Speaker I-Trigue 3000 2.1
  and the adapter will fit the bill. They seem to match the finish somewhat.
  
  
  
  I realize that you could also buy a cheap RCA receiver from wally world that would take the optical but I am not trying to build a full fledged Media room/ theater just replace an old CRT in the front room. I am sure that plenty of folks are looking for the same thing with this size of screen, and I think Samsung should have put another plug on the back.
  
  
  
  6. Viewing angle, once again the twelve year old crt blows away the new HDTV lcd. The viewing angle on the Mitsu and Sony are great. I know this is in large part to the much bigger size. The viewing angle on this Samsung is OK side to side no problem. The angle down is much worse. If you sit more than 10 -15 degrees below straight on to it, it shifts darker very noticeably. If you were to hang this up on a wall I think it would be a real problem. My screen sit about 24 in up from the floor in its cabinet.
  
  
  
  7. Color, The color on the Sony and Mitsu were much better than on this Particular Samsung. The color on the twelve year old Magnavox is better than all of them.
  
  
  
  
  
  Final thoughts----
  
  
  
  You might think after reading all of this that I don't like the Samsung. I do like it. It isn't really fair to compare this $500 dollar 25.5 in Samsung to the $3000 plus 46 and 50 in Mitsu and Sony. I was speaking more to the differences of CRT and LCD. I think this tv is what a lot of people who have old crt's will be looking at and wanted to highlight what they are getting if comparison to what they have. The big advantage LCD has on CRT is resolution. That is what killed the CRT in my opinion.
  
  
  
  I think compared to the Tv's in the same size range and price range you can't get a better lcd tv on any count with the exception of the speakers. This tv is very strong when compared apples to apples. This tv look amazing on high def, when viewed next to the competition (even the Sony's) in this size it is the best in my opinion. That is why I bought it. I can't wait for Dish to come out and hook me up this week.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Amazing TV as well as Monitor
  By A1ZCAUFPID61G4 on 2008-10-04
  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!
  
  
• Amazing price and product
  By A1EZ5SI2EQSRF2 on 2008-09-26
  I have been tracking this product and t220hd, t240hd for a while. The $30 Samsung rebate has been around for a while before Amazon reduce price for T260hd. But consider tax (8.25% for us in texas) in local stores (plus $520-$540 product price), or $25 shipping charged by the only potential candidate seller newegg, Amazon is still the first choice I would make. And then comes the price drop, which is amazing to me because i list the three models in my wishlist for easy comparison of their prices, and i find out t240hd and t260hd are both listed for the same price.
  
  So I bite the deal and add 3.99 for one day shipping, it just came this morning. The product simply blow my mind off, especially when i hook up with my xbox 360. I play the two demos fifa 09 and need for speed most wanted, the graphics are out of this word gaming quality. Then I connect my wii, and it's such great improvement compared with my previous monitor (gateway hd2200 which also has hdmi and component input). I have always thought wii gaming graphics is just so so, but now i realize the monitor really makes significant difference. well, I don't have too much to say about movie, and TV. My cable tv quality is quite good, but since I only have very low end used tv before, I got nothing to compare.
  
  The size of t260hd is excellent for dorm or apartment room like where I live. It's very stylish with the rose black color and looks rather high quality.
  
  After the amazon reduce price, i notice this product jumped its sale rank in the whole LCD category from around 20 to 8 (by now). I hope you all enjoy your product, and believe me, you didn't make the wrong choice.
  
  
• Perfect Combination
  By A2BWJ63T4CQH4W on 2008-10-05
  I was looking for a monitor 24" or bigger and I also figured I would be handing a TV on the wall about 32" to watch when I work out (I have an office/gym in one of my rooms of my house). When I saw this combination I thought it would be perfect for my setup. I was not disappointed at all! The HD over coax looks great, much better than I expected. The monitor is the perfect size and resolution is amazing. The sound isn't great, but it works for my use (I can hear it over my Elliptical machine no problem when watching TV). It takes a little while to pick up all of the channels, but after that it remembers them for you. Only things that would make it better is PiP and a stand that allows swivelling and/or tilting, but other than that it's the perfect TV/Monitor.
  
  
• Great monitor, not so good TV for HD
  By A1OS5EW4JSKKL9 on 2008-09-22
  I found the monitor wonderful, very sharp and I was so excited when I looked at the monitor the first time I hooked it up to my computer - I actually clapped my hands and shouted outloud.
  The I started to try to adjust the color, contrast, etc. on the TV. After 4 hours I gave up. I put the TV aside for several days and tonight tried again to sharpen the picture and adjust the color. Finally I gave up... The picture was never as clear as the RCA 26 HDTV I have, no matter what I did. The picture on this Samsung was not clearly defined - and when I increased the contract or the brightness or even the color - there were blotches of color smears on the forehead and cheeks of the people on the TV shows. So when I reduced the contrast, brightness and/or color - then the lack of definition came back. I tried this HDTV against my 2 other TV's and found it a bit better than the analog but not as good as the other HDTV I have.
  I am very disappointed as I thought this monitor/HDTV was just what I wanted. I realize it is a monitor first, but many of the other reviewers indicate they have great TV pictures so I hoped I would also. It did pick up a couple more over the air HD channels that my other HD TV does.
  I am returning it tomorrow.
  
  
• I love this monitor
  By A34CH3ZDOSF2DF on 2008-10-05
  I have had this product for two weeks. I use it as my only computer monitor and only TV. If I had paid $1000 for it I would think it was a good deal. At $500 it is a steal.
  
  
• Terrible Samsung TV/Monitor
  By A3HTONYW316HT6 on 2008-10-14
  Bought the T260HD LCD HDTV for my son in September....it worked for about a week, then stopped. Monitor went dark and now flashes white every minute or so....only way to turn it off is to pull out the plug. Have been spending the last few weeks with Samsung trying to get a refund....very frustrating!
  
  
• Outstanding.
  By ANOUFDQ8OSE3S on 2008-10-23
  I am a very satisfied customer. I purchased the Samsung t260HD on Thursday of last week and had it delivered the next day with next day shipping. I must say that i'm not very easily impressed and i expect quality (functionality and style). For $500 i was expecting to have something that is worth the price and will do exactly what it is suppose to do.
  
  Upon receiving this product i was blown away by the beauty of it when i opened the box and finished unwrapping everything. The entire monitor/tv is beautifully made and the face is absolutely astounding. The bezel is made out of glass and the touch of color is blended in perfectly. I am a college student. The monitor function is perfect. 1920 x 1200 looks great. For those wondering about the use with apple computers, you have nothing to worry about. I have a 15.5" macbook pro and setting up the monitor was easy. It is plug and play, as stated. The drivers automatically install and you can use the full features. When plugged in to my DVI connection i see no bad quality or nothing that would disappoint me. Did i mention how big the screen actually is? Yes, the screen is ample size. It provides more than enough room for you to work with. It will constantly impress you with its beauty and size. Personally, i enjoy the many functions that the monitor has such as the preset equalizer settings for watching movies and listening to music etc.. and also the preset brightness adjustments for entertainment and internet.
  The HDTV function is also great. Like i said, i'm a college student and this tv is perfect for dorm usage. It made me realize that the university has a cable hdtv package (well, the tv picks it up). It automatically finds the channels and asks you to auto program when you use it for the first time.
  I would like to write more but this review is getting a bit lengthy..
  
  Oh yea, Amazon's shipping time was impressive. They handled it with care and had it here in the morning on the next day.
  
  I am a happy customer and would definitely recommend this item.
  
  
• Don't buy this TV unless you intend to use a separate sound system.
  By A3SOHT170Z64HG on 2008-10-26
  I bought this TV a few days ago on AMAZON. Amazon offered a great price and a very fast delivery. The TV looks great and delivers a wonderful picture. The sound is the worst of any TV I owned. The speakers point downward and sound as though they were pulled off a $10 clock radio. I am disappointed enough with the lacking sound quality that I wil return the TV to AMAZON.
  
  
• Rare Quadruple Greatness
  By A1UEL5C1N6E5SE on 2008-11-11
  It's a FullHD TV display (720p and 1080i). It's a high res computer monitor (1920x1200). It's a complete over-the-air tuner; digital (ATSC (720p and 1080i)) and analog (obsolete NTSC). It's a cable settop box eliminator (but see below). All this while delivering a gorgeous image.
  
  Be aware of these limitations though. If you are using it as a computer monitor, best quality requires output of it's native resolution of 1920x1200. As a cable settop box, it can tune in any analog channels but only unencrypted digital channels (clear QAM). Your cable provider may or may not have a satisfying selection of clear QAM channels. Each cable provider is different and their lineup often changes. To get encrypted digital channels you'll need a settop box. The sound quality is passable. Has a narrow vertical viewing angle so it's best viewed near eyeball height otherwise the display shows blotchy artifacts. Horizontal viewing angle is excellent.
  
  
• Aesthetically and technically pleasing...
  By A3T60VLBZ6KH69 on 2008-07-26
  This monitor is very pretty...primarily the reason I decided to buy it. Technically (contrast, brightness, etc.), its okay...only slightly above average. I found the dynamic contrast feature to be useless and the channel management for the TV function to be clumsy.
  
  I originally bought the 22", but decided that I must get the 1080p and a swiveling base.
  
  My biggest gripe is that the monitor does not have a VESA mount. I would have much preferred to attach it to a desktop mount.
  
  
• Excellent Monitor/TV
  By A1QJ7JA3SCFQST on 2008-09-05
  I have very few complaints about this product. When used as a monitor the color and text are awesome- very bright and perfect. I see no problems that a previous reviewer had noted.
  
  There are only a couple of issues regarding the TV- the sound is very poor and only has a digital optical TOSLink output for connection to speakers. I had to buy a converter to analog RCA (made by Gefen) to hook it up to my stereo.
  
  On the remote control you can only go in one direction when scanning your favorites- this is extremely inconvenient. If you have cable this of course isn't an issue, but I'm using an antenna.
  
  Othewise I think the case looks great, the colors/screen is very bright and I highly recommend it if you want a dual TV/Monitor!
  
  
• Awesome
  By A3RYBQYGN6Q1DF on 2008-10-13
  I got this to replace my old e machine 17 inch monitor and my god I should have done this sooner this thing is sweet all around lots of inputs I have 2 computers connected my xbox360 and PS2.......need i say more... heh the games on this thing look great and at 1900x1200 its jaw dropping. This thing also picked up 5 digital channels and 10 regular channels with rabbit ears better than my damn converter box....Get this if you have a lot of systems or need a TV and monitor.
  
  
• Nice Large Monitor with digital tuner, a few issues
  By A1ZLQ2D6V2S8LF on 2008-10-17
  I evaluate technology, including monitors and lately I've been using either 19" CRT, dual 19" LCD or a high end 24" Sun LCD, with a variety of cards and onboard video.
  
  I wanted something nice for home and after looking around this sounded great for the price and features. IMO, 1080P is about all you really need unless you do engineering or CAD work. I produce digital photography, video and documents and this is fantastic for those jobs, having a photo or videoconference window side by side with a text document window all in large size makes my work a lot easier.
  
  When I first got it I was amazed at the brightness and screen size, and although I don't watch a lot of TV (stream video from a well known vendor and play DVD's mostly), when I hooked up the TV and let it find channels it turns out I'm getting a lot of 720i and 1080i from my location that is coming in fine when the analog signal off the antenna on the old tv was pretty bad. So that is nice and the picture is amazing if you are used to the old analog TV broadcast (ok, I'm an outlier here, no cable).
  
  In any case, the picture is nice, very bright, and setting it up is easy, turning off the running lights and startup/shutdown sounds was easy and the custom video setting (brightness, contrast) was good for me at night as they seem to want you to run it bright in most settings.
  
  There is an issue for me with viewable angle in the vertical plane that may affect your viewing experience. I do a lot of work in a zero gravity chair with the monitor on a hospital stand (because this monitor has no standard VESA mounting as has been noted before), and because of this I noticed that the viewing angle is such that your eye level should be higher than the unit for best brightness and clarity across the height of the screen. It says so in the manual - "Look at the screen from a slightly higher location than the height of the screen."
  
  I look at the monitor from about even with the bottom of the screen as it is above my knees when the chair is tilted back and this really detracts and darkens the top of the screen a lot. The base will let the screen tilt up but not down so I will need to fabricate something to tilt it down a little (add a VESA mount guys!)
  
  The monitor developed a bright green vertical line along the right side after a few hours of use, across vga-analog/dvi/tv inputs and it only went away for a short time if you power cycled it. It became apparent this was not the left-right or whatever adjustment and the monitor was defective. Amazon was really amazing with a replacement arriving the next day with no hassle and they picked up the broken unit the day after. Great job Amazon, this was my first return and I was really impressed.
  
  The replacement monitor shows even more loss at the same low viewing level, such that watching video is annoying. I was expecting it to be about the same.
  
  This is a great monitor. I'd buy it again.
  
  It would be nice if:
  
  It had a USB port multiplier, I just ordered a separate one.
  
  It needs a VESA mount, I saw a review that said they make a mount for it but if you look closely, it seems to be a VESA mount so I think that is wrong.
  
  The connecting wires could face down instead of out, but that doesn't bother me much.
  
  If the viewing angle was little wider in the vertical plane.
  
  All in all this is great for the price
  
  
• Not Disappointed
  By A2BQFWG01KX5LX on 2008-10-29
  So I got this a week ago and have been using it. Primarily as a computer monitor, secondarily for video games, and then TV/whatever as tertiary uses.
  
  All in all, the picture is fantastic. It's big and bright, and mine came with zero defects.
  
  The built-in speakers are very tinny at low volume. Strangely, when I crank the volume high, there's no distortion, and it sounds a lot better.
  
  It suffers some viewing angle color shifts like most inexpensive LCD monitors, but they're only noticeable on the primary color tests. This site has the tests, and they're basically just pictures with explanations about what you should and shouldn't see.
  http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/
  
  Even with an analog VGA connection to my notebook, using the skinny VGA cable that came in the box, 1920x1200 is sharp-looking down to the pixel. Playing video games on an XBOX 360 at 1080i resolution through the analog connections, I have not noticed any ghosting or other artifacts. 1080i mode is full-screen, not letterboxed, so there is scaling, but you'd have to be picking over the picture with a microscope to make out the difference.
  
  The color controls are TV-like, but most newer video cards have deluxe color controls to tinker with color curves and whatnot until you go cross-eyed, so I don't miss it on the monitor.
  
  I don't have any HDMI/DHCP devices, nor a DVI device to connect to at the moment and evaluate the digital image. The analog performance was honestly the worrying part, and it looks plenty good enough. Way better than my ancient Samsung SyncMaster 240T monitor, which works OK for my dad, now. Technology has progressed, and these cheaper, newer and bigger monitors are better in every way.
  
  
  
• Wall Mount IS available
  By A3SMN4GQEQBCJ5 on 2008-11-08
  Not much to add to other reviews other than there IS a wall mount option for this TV. According to Samsung the WMB2400T "Wall Mount Bracket 24-25.5" will work with this TV/Monitor. It's pretty cheap too.
  
  
• Great picture, unacceptable sound
  By AQU8T1AFR7AWI on 2008-11-22
  Amazon offered a great price and near free delivery. Got the TV in 2 days from order date. Beautiful picture. However, I returned the TV as the sound quality was unacceptable. For $500 I expect quality in both video and audio outputs. The speakers are TINY and point straight down. The sound is similar to what one might expect from a $5 transistor radio (from 1970).
  
  If you plan on spending more $ for a separate sound system, this TV is a viable alternative. If not, STAY AWAY!!! You've been warned.
  
  
• samsung bad warranty
  By AAFY8PJF9T3U8 on 2008-10-12
  samsung if you need warrenty forget it. throw it away and buy something else. I am telling you what I have to do. Never again. Bull
  
  
• Exceeded expectations
  By A3E8V347DZ0ZIZ on 2008-10-18
  I read all the other reviews about this product and that along with the great price persuaded me to try this LCD. I've only had it one day but I can say that the picture quality is incredible. The resolution is beyond belief. I also own a Vizio 32 inch LCD and this Samsung has better picture quality. Documentation is adequate and it more than meets my needs. Samsung has a superior product. I'm glad I decided to purchase this.
  
  
• Poor Color
  By A1JGIED9U30J8Z on 2008-10-20
  This monitor/HDTV has many great features but the available color adjustments are as bad as I have ever seen. LCD screens are never true black and usually are somewhat bluish. The blackest black available on this screen was navy blue. Not acceptable under any conditions. Most colors appear washed out.
  
  
• Great Monitor, very pleased
  By AIQSPH4AD6LLD on 2008-11-03
  To the average user / gamer thinking about ordering this monitor: Do it!
  
  I was VERY hesitant about ordering this monitor because of the negative reviews about "drab color" and such, but I notice no such thing. Granted, I am used to using a 21" CRT and 24" CRT, so I have never owned an LCD monitor before this...but I can say, I'm very pleased that I do.
  
  
  The professional graphics / photo editors would probably want to take some other professional's advice, but so far, i have no regrets about this purchase. $499 for 26" HDTV Monitor....where is the downside?
  
  If you are like me and just like to watch movies, play games, etc. Order, I'd order two of these if they could fit on my desk and i could afford it :)
  
  
• HORRIBLE Picture Quality
  By A31V8LR90WN1WQ on 2008-11-05
  I will admit up front that it is entirely possible I'm missing something and I'm open to any suggestions. Because I read that T260HD would perform well as a television in the kitchen or bedroom, I purchased it with the explicit intent of replacing the smaller 19" set in my bedroom. What a mistake!! I was expecting similar or improved picture quality from the basic Sharp unit I had become used to. What I got was a nice 25.5" TOC case that surrounded a screen which presents absolutely horrible picture quality and marginal sound quality. I halfway expected the minimal sound quality but the real issue is the miserable picture quality. I have it connected to DISH Satellite. All the colors are washed out, I don't think I've even seen a color I keep looking for a protective film that MUST be covering the screen. It looks like I'm watching it in a smoky or cloudy room. I've tried all combinations of adjustment and nothing has worked. Needless to say, I am very disappointed! I have an older 46" Samsung DLP downstairs that performs just fine. I'm not sure what the deal is with this unit. Am I missing something??
  
  
• Bigger, Better
  By A11U59KVW2AGCB on 2008-11-19
  I bought the Samsung 24" monitor about a year ago.........my wife has wanted it...wanted it...wanted it, so I gave it up. The Samsung T260HD is a multi-purpose monitor, and works well in all aspects....yes, it's a tad strange to run 480 comcast tv thru it.....it doesn't look all that well. But as a monitor it is all anyone could ask for. Beautiful colors, easy to use....just like all the other Samsung products. I loved Sony, but they got the 'Big Head' and have overpriced their products. Samsung smokes 'em! Thank you, Amazon! The price was about the same for both Samsungs, and I have the price guarantee!!!
  
  
• Samsung Delivers with T260HD Monitor
  By A236IRYAG1J5DK on 2008-11-23
  This Samsug product meets all my expectations. A widescreen brilliant monitor that also provides 1080i HDTV. I had to change out my office chair with a rocking swivel recliner. Thank God for my wireless keyboard and mouse. A 26" screen is a little close for a desktop, but will be a great HDTV for my RV.
  
  One sour note...
  The documentation is terrible. The product support web site is just as bad. If anyone can find out how to use the remote control, please let me know!
  
  As usual, Amazon delivered the product on time and in good condition at a competitive price.
  
  

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