Samsung/ViewSonic

Samsung

Samsung’s big announcement was the 172X, a 17” LCD boasting a 12ms response time, potentially making it the ultimate gaming LCD display. The 172X also offers a very high 270cd/m2 brightness rate, 500:1 contrast ratio, and .264mm pixel pitch. Maximum resolution is 1280x1024.

The 172X also features a slimmer bezel design, the panel itself is just one inch, with a weight of just 8.3 pounds, making it perfect for those of you with limited desk space. The monitor’s dimensions are 14.2”W x 14.3”H x 7.6” D.

The Samsung 172X

For controlling the 172X, Samsung offers its MagicTune software and a new hands-free interface. All screen adjustments, applications, and utilities can be made without touching the LCD’s controls (which are still present). Individual settings and preferences can be saved to the end user’s hard drive, so you can personalize the display settings for each person who uses the PC.

The 172X will begin shipping in the late December/early January time frame and will be priced at $649, although the press release mentions a street price of $599.

In other LCD news, Samsung also announced its 193P, although this 19” monitor doesn’t boast the fast response times needing for gaming and at $900 is a bit more expensive than the 172X.

Finally, Samsung announced three new lines of TFT-TV displays that will encompass their MP monitor line. The 19” SyncMaster 192MP is the flagship, while the 17” SyncMaster 710MP represents the mid-range. Finally, the 15” SyncMaster 510MP is Samsung’s value offering.

Samsung 510MP

These multifunction LCD monitors have integrated TV tuners, making them ideal for those of you in dorms or small apartments who have a limited amount of space. The 192MP can act as an LCD monitor with an analog or digital interface and is HDTV ready. All three models have S-Video and component inputs (with composite only on the 192MP) for attaching the display to a DVD player or VCR and all come with remote control units.

The 510MP and 710MP are currently shipping with list prices of $499 and $699. The 192MP will begin shipping this month and is priced at $899.

ViewSonic

ViewSonic had a wide range of displays, projectors, Tablet PCs, and Media Center PCs, but I’ll be honest and admit that I dropped the ball and didn’t get good photos of any of them. Of the LCDs on display, the only flat panel with specs a gamer or hardware enthusiast would appreciate is the VG710, which is offered in silver or black. It’s a 17” monitor with a 450:1 contrast ratio, brightness rate of 250cd/m2, and a 16ms response time. It’s shipping this month with an estimated street price of $529.

ViewSonic’s CRT lineup remains unchanged, while they also demonstrated a new GeForce FX 5600-powered Media Center PC utilizing Windows Media Center 2004, and launched their first convertible Tablet PC, the V1250. This Tablet PC is based on Intel’s Centrino mobile technology, features a 12” screen, and weights less than four pounds.

Shuttle

Due to a scheduling snafu, I wasn’t able to drop by Shuttle’s suite during the show, but I did get the full rundown from Shuttle’s Cameron Rogers later that day. Shuttle had its XPCs on display front and center. In particular were their SN85G4 for the Athlon 64 platform and the RADEON 9100 IGP-based ST61G4 and ST26K. These are the same small form factor boxes we reported on in Part 2 of our Computex 2003 show report, so head on over there (or Shuttle’s website) for pictures.