The Chomedey News - Laval News

C O M P U T E R Z O N E
REVIEW: Samsung SyncMaster 172MP
Who says home theater is only for the living
room? True, giant-screen TVs and surround-sound
speaker systems may be
unwieldy in a home office, but Samsung's
newest LCD monitor puts PC/entertainment
convergence right on your desktop: The 17inch
SyncMaster 172MP is not only a topquality
computer display, but a stylish TV
set -- an HDTV-ready set, too -- or DVD
viewer.
It's not a new idea; in fact, the SyncMaster
172MP is a relatively minor upgrade from
its 171MP predecessor. But the concept
remains way cool: Once you clear the bulky
CRT monitor and separate speakers off your
desk (the Samsung has built-in stereo
speakers), set up the glamorously svelte
SyncMaster, and fire up a picture-in-picture
window to keep one eye on CNN or the
ballgame while devoting most of your
screen to e-mail or office applications,
you'll be hooked.
Also, the 172MP's price is closer to mainstream
than mere dream: $789 US, including
the TV tuner that was an option on previous
models. To be sure, that's a hefty premium
over the $400 to $600 US you'll pay
for a 17-inch flat panel without a TV tuner
or multiple video inputs -- especially since
the Samsung has neither portrait/landscape
pivot capability nor digital PC input (just
the familiar analog VGA port). But it's hundreds
less than Samsung's previous
LCD/TVs. The SyncMaster 172MP is still
ORANGE COMPUTER
Summer fest!
725
AMD XP 2200+ (1.8GHZ) (266 Mhz)
Gigabyte 7VT600-L
on board Sound AC97, Lan
ATX Mid Tower with 300W p/s
Geforce 4 MX440 64 DDR TV out
256 Meg DDR 333 Mhz
Samsung 40GB UDMA 7200 RPM
Floppy drive
52X CDROM
56K V.92 Modem with voice
Altec Lansing AVS-300W Speakers
Internet Keyboard
PS2 Scroll Mouse
Two year warranty
$ 725
All prices are for cash & carry. Prices may change without notice.
Valid till September 4, 2003
1350, Atlantic, Laval
Tel:(514) 702-8990 • Fax:(450) 681-2064
18 • THE CHOMEDEY NEWS • September 6, 2003 • www.chomedeynews.ca
an indulgence, but it's an awfully tempting
one.
Plugs Into Almost Anything
The 172MP is a 16.3-inch-square, 2.3-inchthick
slab with a fold-out carrying handle
that serves as its base, letting you tilt the
display back from vertical (to swivel it, you
move the whole apparatus). The 11-pound
monitor is accompanied by a notebookstyle,
external AC adapter (it draws a relatively
thrifty 58 watts when not in standby
mode); it's also VESA wall-mount compatible.
The Samsung's rear panel positively bristles
with video connectors (excepting, as mentioned,
a DVI port for the latest PC graphics
cards). At the left are video, S-Video, and
left and right audio jacks for hooking up a
VCR, DVD player, or camcorder.
Mounted horizontally along the middle are
two sets of connectors -- the 15-pin VGA
and audio jack for your PC (along with the
AC adapter socket), and Y/Pb/Pr component
video and left and right audio jacks for
a DVD/DTV set-top box; the 172MP supports
480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i video
modes. The VGA and audio cables are the
only ones bundled with the display.
Next to those ports is a recess with a VGAstyle
connector into which the supplied TV
tuner with coaxial jack -- technically
dubbed the "antenna" feed -- plugs, then
thumbscrews into place. Finally, in addition
to the stereo speakers below the screen,
there's a headphone jack on the left edge
(viewed from the front).
f you want to watch TV on your PC screen,
the alternative to a tuner-equipped display
like the Samsung is a TV tuner card in your
PC. We were a little disappointed that the
Samsung tuner received only the VHF channels
(2 through 13) when connected directly
to our home cable feed, i.e., without benefit
of our cable box; by contrast, the last ATI
All-in-Wonder card we tested offered all our
basic cable channels (though not premium
channels) when connected north of the box,
so to speak. But connected south of the box,
the TV tuner is a 125-channel, both NTSCand
PAL-compatible performer.
the SyncMaster 172MP scores as both a
PC monitor and a TV or other-video-source
display, and scores highest when playing
both roles at once with its picture-in-picture
or TV-audio-in-background capability. It's a
bit pricey -- if you're content with your current
monitor, you can get TV functionality
plus personal video recording for less
money with an ATI All-in-Wonder card -but
it's versatile, practical, and a status symbol
even as LCD monitors become more
commonplace.
REVIEW:
NFL Fever 2004
PC
With football franchises like EA Sports
Madden and Sega’s newly named ESPN
NFL Football putting out high quality titles
year after year, breaking into this arena can
be more difficult then trying to get around a
300 pound lineman. Even more challenging
would be pushing that lineman back and
sacking the quarterback, which Microsoft is
far from achieving. They have however,
patched up a number of problems associated
with previous gameplay and delivered a
solid game that can compete against the bigger
titles, but unfortunately, doesn’t have
the polish needed to overtake them.
When Microsoft released their NFL Fever
series three years ago, they needed to distinguish
themselves from the titles that have
spent years refining their gameplay and
working out bugs. Unfortunately, Fever had
a number of bugs of it’s own to work out
and was only able to stand out with the
online capabilities introduced last year. This
year however, the gameplay issues/annoyances
have been reduced significantly and
make it a more appealing option especially
for those who use Live! online features.
The main complaints for NFL Fever 2004’s
gameplay have been reduced to nitpicking
with few noticeable problems. Even play
selection has been improved with recommended
plays from the coach offered in
addition to the other numerous plays
offered. Other more standard options are
also included, like the ability to see the play
overtop of the actual field before the play
Learning curve 4
Control 4
Graphics 4
Audio 3
Fun 4
Originality 4
Replay value 4
Multiplayer 5
S C O R E 4.00
Pros:
-A super-sharp LCD monitor with TV tuner
and picture-in-picture capability
-Ample video, S-Video, and component
inputs; above-average internal speakers
Cons:
-Costly, and not the brightest, compared to
TV-free flat panels
-No digital PC input or portrait-mode pivoting
G A M I M G
Z O N E
starts, solid control over the players, and an
AI that actually attempts to run the play
selected.
In addition, the graphics have been
improved with added animations that give a
more realistic experience. Although not
quite the quality of Madden 2004 or ESPN
NFL Football, there will be few complaints,
as the players look great and fluid on the
field. The audio also performs well with
hard-hitting effects, creating a rounded
football experience.
Where NFL Fever 2004 overtakes the competition
is with its online capability. XBox
Live! clearly gives Microsoft a huge benefit
for those who enjoy online gaming and
takes full advantage of it here. As expected,
the multiplayer online games play almost
seamlessly with minimal lagging. Games
are easily created and joined with plenty of
players already online to always have a
variety of opponents to choose from. In
addition, tracking of stats and tournament
scores can be followed using the PC, so
players can have constant access.
Although behind the more established football
games as far as gameplay and even
graphics, NFL Fever 2004 does close the
gap this year. What puts it into contention is
the online capabilities that adds a step up
over anything else available. If you aren’t
going to take advantage of the online functions,
Madden 2004 or ESPN NFL Football
will offer more solid games but NFL Fever
2004 is the hands-down winner if you plan
to play online.