To the AVSIM readership, this is my usage review of the Samsung 226BW 22 inch 16:10 wide view format.Members, I have decided to not go into the mechanical and software details of this monitor, as you only have to GOOGLE a search for it, and will get all the details you could desire. Instead, I want to focus this review on the usage of this monitor to display Microsoft

Got me sold, Mitch! Thanks! Btw, my X1950Pro shipped yesterday. Need to start working up the courage to install it! My next purchase will be a wide screen LCD. Really leaning toward the Dell 24" or maybe the 27". I would guess that a response time of up to 8ms should be fast enough for FSX. Don't you think?Bruce

My concern with a widescreen is the possible distortion of gauges (being "oval" instead of "round"). Does FS compensate? How does that work?RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

Bruce, I have just reached SIMULATOR HEAVEN.That's it. Nothing more to say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I am the humble owner of a MASSIVE 24 inch SyncMaster 245BW and this single purchase has totally rejuvenated my use and love for flight simming.MY GAWD!......................I am now running with 1920x1200 resolution...and no words can describe the world of FS9 at this super-high resolution and being shown on real estate as massive as this monitor is.Either this beast, or the 22 inch 226BW will give you the same adrenaline rush...I know. I have viewed FS9 through both of them, side by side. Neither has the advantage of the other, other than higher resolution on the 24 inch. I wanted the high-end output of my vid card, and that is why I upgraded again.My ATI 1950 Pro 256MB card is handling it as well as if I still had my 19 inch! This card is beyond belief. I now have true HD 1080p viewing ability. 1920x1200 gives you that. The 1950 Pro is equiped with the AVIVO HD engine for that format. So...I just picked up a HD definition 'TV' and movie viewer along with using this monitor for computing usage. My card will no longer have to scale down the display to 720i or pNow with FS9 running...Just to give you something to compare with. When taking off with my 19 inch (1280x1050) from, Detroit, and if I look out my left window, I would only see the Detroit River.When having used the 22 inch (1680x1050), that same scenario would show me out in the distance, about out to Firme 2 (spelling?) nuclear plant.Now, when I take off from Detroit, I can see almost half-way down the south shore of Lake Erie. In other words, what I see now is verbatim as to the real world. I'm cranking along nicely at a locked 30 FPS at this high rez.What this does for the gut...is toe-curling....I now realize...that I have now once again moved forward in my flight simulation hobby, and not stagnant in pleasure or performance from my system since FSX was launched. My review is still totally valid. The 234BW is the Big Brother of the 226BW. Same performance and all. I was worried that the 245BW's 5ms screen speed would impact clarity and all.No such thing! In fact...there is no DIFFERECNE at all. It is merely marketing hype. 5ms is totally suitable for fast action game play. I know...I just came off of three test bed games.I'd NEVER go back to a non-wide monitor now. ####...I couldn't. I'd give up computing...For those that do not have a large, 16:10 monitor. SAVE UP! SAVE UP. Did I mention to SAVE UP? It will be the BEST monetary investment you could spend to bring you to the next level of flight simulation pleasure. I know. I did it.BTW, the border into Canada was stopped dead. I spent 45 minutes trying to get in. For those wondering why I bother with that..is that for the very reason that I could take back my 226BW, and suffer no monetary loss...is the reason for the trip over. Plus, I get another 5 percent off when I exchange the greenback. That pays for the tolls and gas, I guess, lol. I also was stationed there for over two years and Canadians are Ace! Very friendly people, Eh? :)Thumb's up to them.Cheers!Mitch

Rhett, because each LCD screen is designed to work with its native resolution, NOTHING is distorted. Nothing...just about life-like in size within the cockpit. I upgraded this morning to the Big Daddy. The gauges are now verbatim at 1920x1200 rez on a 24 inch'er.You will love it (any wide-view). It will be like you just received FS9, the first day it came out.I know look past engines so real-looking...and out to a landscape/airscape that is EXACTLY what I see when flying my usual seat just behind the wings in real life.Spend as much as you can afford for a monitor, and it will pay you back 500 percent as soon as you throw in the drivers. The best money I have spent on my hobby since about 2 years. The return on pleasure is off the scale.Trust me on that one. Have faith. :)Cheers!Mitch

VCs scale properly and do not distort. 2D panels most definitely distort (which you've got to expect going from 4:3 to 16:10), although it is only minor and I am quite used to it now. If it really bugs you, just undock the panel and resize it until the round gauges are once again ... well ... round!Gary

Hi Gary, since I run only with VC, then I'll check it out at my native rez..and see if my 2D gauges are not round, but oval as you report. The drivers are created for the 16:10 format.I don't remember seeing them distorted as I went to VC.Mitch

In my reply, I had typed an error (234BW) ...that should have read 245BW. Sorry for the typo.Mitch

Got me sold, Mitch! Thanks! Btw, my X1950Pro shipped yesterday. Need to start working up the courage to install it! My next purchase will be a wide screen LCD. Really leaning toward the Dell 24" or maybe the 27". I would guess that a response time of up to 8ms should be fast enough for FSX. Don't you think? -------------------------------------------------------------Bruce, where YOUR money is involved...I don't 'guess' where I don't know. I do know in now having upgraded to the SyncMaster 245BW (5ms) today, that there is/was no difference in the displays between it and the great 226BW, which is 2ms as far as visual game play. No blurries on the AFG B300 turbo-props. Good stuff!About 8ms? Dunno.I can highly recommend the 245BW though. It fills my desktop from one end to the other, lol.The panel is made by Samsung themselves so is color calibrated right out of the box. It shows 'S' on the back. I don't think these whip out the door as per the price, so they have a good supply at the factory of their own screens and not their sub-contractors. Just my guess on that one. I will tell you, the screen is just fantastic, brightness, color...and real-estate.Good luck with your Pro. It is running 1920x1200 on my monitor, no sweat. Same FPS's as was it running my 19 inch. Your card is one powerful beast and will scale up with you on your next monitor.CongratsMitch

In a ROUNDabout way you have answered my question, thanks!RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

Hey Mitch,Have you tried setting WideViewAspect=True in in FSX.CFG? It makes the perspective look right for widescreen displays.Gary

Mitch -Glad to hear the 24" monitor works well with the X1950PRO! Looks like I'll get the 24" too! My X1950PRO card just showed up at the front door about an hour ago! Now what do I do!!?? Hah -I'm afraid to open the box!Bruce

Nice read of comments here. I though can do all the above monitors one better. I splurged and got Viewsonic's latest offering.....the 28" widescreen LCD with a 5ms response time. Can you say..drool! Wow, as good as FS9 looks on 22 or 24"..adding another 4" is just unreal. Couple that with the VC view and Track IR 4 and it really feels like your sitting in the seat. I had to relearn how to hand fly my heavies again as I was not used to this aspect. I now am ordering the X1950Pro 512MB card to crank up the eye candy over my X850XT card..cant wait!For those with the X1950Pro card..what version of CAT drivers are most stable with it?

I can just imagine what your 28 inch world is showing you! What a difference it made going from 22 to 24 and the greater rez for myself.What rez are you running at?You'll LOVE your new card. It kicks in the hind-quarters!You can run with CAT 7.1 from the ATI/AMD site. Look at the past releases, and you will find it. Use their order of applying the files and drivers. Make sure you also load the full AVIVO suite. That is just near about the bottom of the page. Don't mix different suites elements. If you decide to go with Cat. 7.1 (very stable, very fast...XP tuned) make sure you only download elements of the suite from that page.Enjoy!Mitch

Mitch, I just read that other thread about the 7.1's and such (and posted in it as well). I am going to get the 7.1's and use them for sure. I use ATT so no need for the CCC for me. Dont know if I mentioned but I am going for the 512mb version.Question for you Mitch. See the card I want: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814161082It has a 6 pin power adapter on the back of it. My PSU has the 4 pin adapter but I see the above ships with a 6 pin to a dual 4 pin adapter. I assume I just need to use one of the 4 pin adapters and it will plug into the end of my current 4 pin end?