Samsung could not attend this year's CeBIT without showcasing its newest display offerings: two models of crystal design monitors to top its SyncMaster series. The company has had quite a strong presence at the CeBIT expo this year, and I have already mentioned the Q1 Ultra series of ultra-mobile computers.

Samsung's newest monitors are impressive from the first glance. Both the SyncMaster T240 and SyncMaster T260HD models come with a built-in DTV tuner and maximize the natural color effects of materials through product design rather than using artificial colors. The crystal monitors morph their color depending on the viewing angle and time.

All the Crystal-series monitors are environmentally-friendly and require less energy than Samsung's previous models. For instance, the SyncMaster T240 boasts the lowest standby power energy level, namely 0.3 Watts. On the other side, the SyncMaster T260HD has an average power draw of up to 30 Watts less than the already existing models on the market.

The SyncMaster T240 is a 24-inch LCD monitor that aims directly at movie enthusiasts. With an unbelievable dynamic contrast ratio of 20,000:1 and a response time of 5-millisecond, the device merely lacks competition on the market. The highest-contrast monitor currently available has been released a few days ago by LG, but it would only reach half of T240's contrast ratio. The device connects to other video output sources either via HDMI or via USB 2.0.

The second release is the SyncMaster T260HD, a 25.5-inch full HD monitor, that comes with an embedded DTV tuner. The new addition allows users to watch digital HD broadcasts using the monitor alone. The T260HD can connect to other output sources through a plethora of input terminals. More than that, the device can use all the connected sources at the same time. The multimedia experience also got a sound boost thanks to the addition of the SRS TruSurround XT technology, that provides optimal sound conditions for all the types of multimedia content.

There is no word on pricing yet, but the Crystal monitors will start shipping later this month.

Live report by Bogdan Popa and Alex Vochin from CeBIT 2008 Hanover, Germany.