The SAMSUNG SyncMaster P2470LHD monitor is an LCD 24-inch monitor with digital TV tuner. Purchased in Germany where the electrical shops (MediaMarkt and Saturn) seem to split their display areas into TVs and small TVs with the low resolutions 1366×768 etc and then computer monitors that also include some with TV tuners, but running at 1920×1080. The 1920×1200 format seems to have disappeared on the whole.
Having previously purchased the SyncMaster P2370HD (23-inch and ruby colour to surround but otherwise similar – no idea why there is no “L” in the product number) and been very please with it I was surprised that the inclusion of a second HDMI was at the expense of the DVI-D connection (although there is still an analogue 15-pin VGA port). This shouldn’t have been a problem in itself using a DVI-D to HDMI cable. However this design also insists on recessing the HDMI port into the back of the set and the plastic cut-out is to small to allow the plastic moulding on the plug of the HDMI lead to fit into the socket. I tried with several different leads and it appears that other users have had the same problem with Samsung Monitors. I can’t even come up with a reason for the plastic to be there. Some users ended up cutting away at the plastic on the plugs but this seems like a lot of hassle to me.
By using what I would refer to as “excessive force’ it is possible to get the HDMI pins just to make contact. But in such a way that if you slightly touch the monitor it loses the signal. However, with a signal being received I then spent the best part of a day trying to get a working image on the Samsung P2470LHD. The problem was the image quality from my Apple Macbook Pro was frankly rubbish. No matter what settings I was choosing the image appeared to show washed out colours and ghosting and artefacts around text. After changing every setting, convincing myself the the monitor was in some special store display mode and some of the settings had been locked down and searching the internet for answers I finally came across an AVForums.com thread for the Samsung SyncMaster P2470LD about changing the names of the ports on the source list.
This seemingly cosmetic change actually makes all the difference as adding the name “PC” to the HDMI1 and HDMI2 ports changes how the signal is processed. For now however, I am connecting the monitor to my Mac using a VGA to DVI-D. This stops the connection being lost if I move the monitor and Civilisation 4 would launch and change the source from 1980×1080@60Hz(p) to 1980×1080@60Hz(i) and introduce the washed out colours, ghosting text etc. Using the old VGA, in theory worse analogue signal removes all these problems and gives me the best picture quality.
The Samsung website is particularly disappointing as the manual does not cover the problem and there is no help forum, Frequently Asked Questions or anything to help you sort these sorts of problems.
