Samsung 305T: Back in the House (again)

Long-time readers will know that I’ve had my ups and downs with the Samsung 305T. It’s a great monitor – when it works. Two weeks ago, after troubling video artifacts, I sent mine off for warranty repair. This afternoon, my replacement arrived.

Witness “Exhibit A” – the box. The first thing I noticed after opening the door to receive the replacement display was that the box had a hole in it. Can’t see it?

Here’s a better view:

It looks like someone drop kicked the box. Unfortunately, the UPS delivery gal was long gone so I couldn’t refuse shipment. Concerned, I placed a call to Samsung. The customer service rep suggested I call UPS, who in turn, told me to open the box to check for damage. Talk about passing the buck!

Thankfully, the new monitor works. I tested the display with my Macbook Pro.

The color and video checked out okay, so upstairs it went to my office studio.

A few things I noticed with the new monitor. First, the security harness hole, which is used to keep the display’s height fixed, has a paper clip wedged in it that I can’t seem to remove. Rather than risk breakage, I’ve decided to leave it be. The result: my monitor (for now) is at a fixed height. Secondly, plugging in cables (DVI video, power, and USB) were a pain in the butt because the connections plug in vertically (under the display). I was able to place the monitor on its back to plug the DVI video and power cables. Plugging in the USB cable was another story.

The sheer upside to this whole event is that I now have a functioning 30″ display. It’s still under warranty until the beginning of the year, but I’m nervous. Being without a display for 2 weeks was tough enough as it is. At this point, I can only hope that the 4th monitor I have lasts me a long time.

-Krishna

Krishna September 22, 2010 samsung 305T