Viewsonic lashes out at Samsung fibs

Viewsonic is furious at Samsung for telling porkies over a new monitor, which it describes as the "world's first 27 Full HD display with a 1ms response time."

Viewsonic says this is "factually incorrect" and in fact it had launched a monitor a 1ms response time back in May.

Samsung said in a statement yesterday that its new SyncMaster P2770FH has a response time of just one millisecond. It is 27 inches and able to operate at a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. However, Viewsonic pointed us to its VX2739wm, which was released in May and described then as "the world’s first 27” Full HD monitor with a 1ms response time." 

At the time of launch, Sean Gunduz, senior product manager for ViewSonic, said: “We are proud to announce that our new VX2739wm is the world’s first and only 27” 1080p entertainment monitor to offer a 1ms response time. This is truly an industry-leading display experience.”

Viewsonic tried to undermine its rival by telling us: "ViewSonic also holds several advantages over Samsung’s model. Beyond a more competitive price point and energy savings of up to 35 percent over standard 27” monitor solutions with its Eco mode."

We spoke to a few analysts to try and settle the score - and they told us it's hard to say if either should come out on top.

An analyst, who asked to remain anonymous, told TechEye: "Companies make these claims because the monitor market is so saturated. However, claiming "world firsts" don't help when you get cases like this. The best thing to do to stop this tattle telling is to introduce a standard test, which all monitors have to undergo in order to prove that they are the "world's first" at something."

Azharh Mod-Hashim, a monitor analyst at Meko piped up: "There's not an easy way for us to determine which company is telling the truth because each one tests their new monitors in different conditions."

He said if either or both claims were based on the Moving Picture Response Time (MPRT) measurement, he and Meko would be "very impressed."

MPRT is designed to represent and quantify the visual perception of moving images across an AM-LCD screen for PC monitor and TV applications. It takes into account three basic LCD panel characteristics: the capacitive-hold-type brightness variations, brightness level dependent transition times and a liquid crystal response time including gray scales transition.

"We're not sure if either company has used this measurement or what conditions they are actually basing their findings on so we can't say which one is right," he added.

"There should be one main test all companies should have to do to stop problems like this."

Have a look at the specs, here:

*Update What an unseemly row! Samsung has never said, in as many words, that it had the "World's First" 1ms response time monitor. In fact, a spokesperson said that Samsung is "very aware" that Viewsonic launched the first monitor of its kind back in May. If they weren't before, they are now.

The issue here is the word "unprecedented," which Samsung did use in its press release.

Dictionary.com defines unprecedented:

"un·prec·e·dent·ed

without previous instance; never before known or experienced;unexampled or unparalleled: an unprecedented event."

We apologise for reporting that Samsung said "world's first" - it didn't.