Samsung S27B750V

If you're looking for a big-screen monitor that stands out from the rest of the pack, consider the Samsung S27B750V ($549.99 list). With its offset stand assembly and curvy lines, this 27-inch monitor not only oozes style, it also offers bright, bold colors and a sharp HD picture. Its dual HDMI port array makes it easy to stay connected to multiple devices but it still comes up short in terms of features given its exorbitant price. What's more, its TN panel has trouble with light shades of gray and can't match the viewing angle performance of the latest crop of less expensive IPS-based monitors.

Design and Features
Design-wise, the S27B750V is similar to its hybrid sibling, the Samsung T27A950, in that they both use a futuristic-looking offset stand to support the screen. The similarities end there though. Whereas the T27A950 sports brushed metal accents, the S27B750V is done up in glossy black plastic from top to bottom. The arched base, which sports a layer of Samsung's Touch of Color clear trim, is 22 inches wide and takes up a good deal of room on the desktop. The panel is attached to the base via a curved hinge assembly that sits off to the far right of the base. The hinge provides plenty of support and allows you to tilt the panel forward and backward, but you can't adjust panel height or swivel the stand. As with the Samsung T27A950, you'll need both hands to tilt the panel as the hinge is very rigid.

The S27B750V's full HD (1,920-by-1,080) panel is framed by thin half-inch bezels on the top and sides. A slightly wider bottom bezel accommodates a Samsung logo, six touch buttons, and an LED power indicator. At the rear of the cabinet are two HDMI ports, a VGA input, an audio input, and an audio output. I love that the S27B750V is equipped with two HDMI ports but I expected a more robust feature from a monitor is this price range; a couple of USB ports, a card reader, or even a webcam would help justify the hefty price tag.

On the plus side, the S27B750V supports MHL (Mobile High Definition Link), which uses a special cable (included) to connect smartphones and tablets to the monitor for viewing video and photo in high definition. The monitor will also charge your devices while connected via MHL. The built-in 5-watt speakers are loud and clean sounding but light on bass response.

Picture settings include brightness, contrast, sharpness, HDMI black level, and five MagicBright picture presets (standard, game, cinema, dynamic contrast, custom). This model also offers Samsung's MagicAngle option that can help brighten up the picture when viewed from a side angle or when leaning back in your chair, but none of these settings give you as good a picture as when you're sitting in front of the screen.

The Color settings menu offers red, green, and blue sliders, six color tone (temperature) settings, and three gamma settings. Other settings include an on/off timer and three Eco Saving modes.

Performance
The S27B750V's TN (twisted nematic) panel delivered very good color quality. Swatches from the DisplayMate Colors Scales test showed smooth gradation across the scale and there were no apparent color tracking or tinting errors. Viewing angle performance was typical for a TN panel; color shifting occurred at around 45 degrees from center and the picture darkened when viewed from the top and bottom. You'll want to position this monitor at eye level for the best possible picture.

The panel was able to correctly display the darkest shades of the 64-Step Grayscale test but had trouble at the light end of the scale. The two lightest shades were indistinguishable from each other while third lightest shade appeared washed out.

With a 2-millisecond pixel response (gray-to-gray) the S27B750V had no trouble displaying fast moving images from Burnout Paradise on the Sony PS3 console. Gaming action was smooth with no blurring or other motion artifacts. The Pirates of the Caribbean on Blu-ray also played smoothly and looked fantastic on the big screen.

LED backlit monitors are known for their low power characteristics and the S27B750V is no different. It used 19-watts of power during testing with Eco Saving turned off. You can trim that down to 14-watts by setting Eco Savings to 50-percent but the picture won't be as brilliant. The Viewsonic VX2770Smh-LED used 30 watts, as did the AOC i2757fh. That kind of energy efficiency earns the S27B750V our Greentech stamp of approval.

The Samsung S27B750V will appeal to consumers seeking a big screen monitor that will add a splash of contemporary style to their home office workspace. The 27-inch panel delivers strong colors and a bright picture without required much power, and its dual HDMI port array makes it easy to stay connected to multiple devices. Its grayscale performance could be better, however, and its way too expensive for a monitor with such a skimpy feature set. Our Editors' Choice, the AOC i2757fh, offers style and superior performance for around $250 less.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Samsung S27B750V with several other monitors side by side.

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