Samsung's 27-Inch ViewFinity S9 5K Display Gets Massive $555 Discount on Amazon

[Doc69]

I bought a Dell UltraSharp U2723QE 27" 4K on Black Friday for my M2 MBP and I'm very happy with it. I went with a matte screen as I have a pretty bright room, and it has been great. Sharp text and no reflections. It also has a build in KVM switch so you can hook up two computers with PIP, plus USB-C/DP 1.4, ethernet port, 90W charging and USB 3.2 Gen2. Highly recommended. Only $489 today on Amazon.

 

[Student of Life]

Studio Display is probably in my top 3 Apple products of all time. Extremely over hated. It’s beautiful and all the details are great. True Tone, OS-level brightness control, and instant wake are extremely underrated features. The webcam is meh but the speakers are awesome.

The Studio Display is probably one of the most polarizing items Apple has made in a long time. It is basically the 5k iMac minus the iMac computer. For reference the 5k iMac came out almost a decade ago in 2014. Again some people love it, others hate it.

 

[theorist9]

I also needed "only a monitor" and originally got the Viewfinity S9 at a steep discount, but I quickly realized I severely underestimated the impact of the matte finish. At such a high DPI the image would be extremely sharp, but it gets severely affected by the matte finish and I could not really get used to it.

I returned the S9 and got a Studio Display with standard glass paying about $500 more and since I don't have bright light sources behind me it's a far superior display in terms of image quality. After having tried both, I don't regret returning the S9 and getting the Studio Display instead, even at a significant higher price.

Said that, how much the matte finish might affect a viewer depends: some users might not be bothered by it as much or might be bothered more by a glossy monitor if they cannot control bright light sources behind them.

I got a chance to view the ASD in both matte (nano) and glossy at my local Apple Store, and noticed exactly the same thing as you with the matte when viewing text. Plus there's the sparkly snowfield effect from the white background, which I really dislike.

After over a year using a glossy 27" Retina iMac, I don't want to give that up. In addition, the glossy does have an antireflective coating on it which works well enough for me.

Though the nano is perfect for video, since it toally kills reflections, and you don't notice the blurring. I think that's what its mostly designed for.

 

[theorist9]

B&H has both the ASD and LG Ultrafine 5K discounted by $150 right now, so base ASD is $1450 but LG is $950 so $500 less. Wondering if it'd be worth it to get the LG instead, that's a significant (almost 35%) savings! If all I want is a monitor (don't care about speakers or webcam, only plan on using it with Macs) what would be the advantages of the ASD that make it worth spending $500 more?

The LG has a history of QC issues, including non-uniform color across the display. But I don't know what the actual percentages are -- it's possible most are fine with theirs. B&H is reputable and wlll certainly accept returns if you encounter problems from the start, but shipping a large display back to them will be a PITA.

Personally, if my budget were limited to $1,000, I'd try to find a used ASD locally (e.g., on Craig's List) that was in pristine condition and still had AC+, rather than getting a new LG Ultrafine. Indeed, I've seen such advertised for <$900.

 

[zach-coleman]

The Studio Display is probably one of the most polarizing items Apple has made in a long time. It is basically the 5k iMac minus the iMac computer. For reference the 5k iMac came out almost a decade ago in 2014. Again some people love it, others hate it.

Inflation + no advancement in panels above 4K resolution will do that unfortunately. I wish it was cheaper for sure but I can’t argue with the results. The competition trying very hard to undercut it which is making me nervous.

 

[Backtothemac]

I’m trying to decide whether to go with the Mac Studio Display or this Samsung S9. The fact that I’m not instantly jumping on this sale is probably telling.

I have the studio display, and I can say 100% that it is worth it. I love the integration with the OS. Exact color match to my MBP, the speakers are unreal. I just love the design, and quality, and everything about it.

 

[Biro]

I love the integration with the OS.

That’s exactly what I’m thinking.

 

[mushy peas]

9:30 both displays took so long to wake, do macbook users actually have to deal with such slow display wakes?

My M2 Max Studio wakes my S9 in about 1.5-2s. And my one-day old work 14” M3 Max wakes it in about the same time.

I consider that more than adequate, and a lot faster than my 2019 iMac 5K would wake.

I never understood the premium prices of monitors the last few years

5K and 6K panels just aren’t made in any kind of volume, whereas 4K panels are much cheaper and easier to make.

I think 8K panels will quickly replace 4K as the premium option and eventually become cheaper and easier to make than 5K and 6K panels, which I think will disappear.

 

[drrich2]

I think 8K panels will quickly replace 4K as the premium option and eventually become cheaper and easier to make than 5K and 6K panels, which I think will disappear.

Interesting. I've wondered at what resolution practical considerations like customer satisfaction, sales and the sheer data load of transmitting the signal will lead to a plateau deemed good enough.

It seems 8k t.v.s now are premium, 'fringe' products, but there's some interest. I don't see 5k t.v.s (not that I've looked). My question is will a growing market segment of 8k t.v.s lead to greater economy-of-scale opportunities to make 8k computer monitors.

The question then becomes will most of us be able to tell a significant difference, and at what screen size does that become noticeable?

 

[svish]

Seems like a decent display for a good price

 

[morphisto]

I’m trying to decide whether to go with the Mac Studio Display or this Samsung S9. The fact that I’m not instantly jumping on this sale is probably telling.

I I tried it with the Samsung M8 - the webcam constantly had issues, brightness control through the keyboard didn't work, there was a power-on delay - in the end, I sold it and am now happy with the Studio Display.

 

[mushy peas]

I’m trying to decide whether to go with the Mac Studio Display or this Samsung S9. The fact that I’m not instantly jumping on this sale is probably telling.

Let me share my thinking process. (All currencies are Australian dollars.)

The S9 was $1400, the ASD was $2400. I knew whichever monitor I bought would only be on my desk for a year or two, because both monitors use ancient edge lit LED technology and mini-LED 8K displays will be hitting the market soon - and that's what I really want.

Both S9 and ASD have identical image quality - I compared the S9 on my desk to my 2019 5K iMac (which uses the same panel as the ASD) and its a wash with calibration. As edge lit LED monitors, both are decidedly average if you've seen a mini-LED or OLED panel.

The ASD had better build quality (which is meaningless to me) and better speakers (which I would never use because I have a pair of B&W bookshelfs anyway). The webcam is irrelevant on both because I use Continuity Camera. Changing brightness on the Samsung is a pain - that is a real demerit.

So, to me, what it worth paying an extra ~70% over the S9 for easier brightness control and a suite of features I didn't value to save a second on wakeup and an Apple logo? The answer was no.

My question is will a growing market segment of 8k t.v.s lead to greater economy-of-scale opportunities to make 8k computer monitors.

There are a lot of 8K panels in development and a few have made their way to market in China. There are very few 5K and 6K panels in development, let alone manufacturers to make them. They're a dead end. The last hope was probably good sales for the S9 ironically.

I don't see 5k t.v.s

There aren't any.

The question then becomes will most of us be able to tell a significant difference, and at what screen size does that become noticeable?

The attraction for me personally isn't image quality - I think we're pretty much there already for my purposes, but usable resolution. 8K on a 32" panel is pixel doubled 4K, which gives the user a lot more room than 6K at the same image quality. Plenty of folks are running their Pro Display XDRs at scaled resolutions to get more usable space, and I've done it with 5K myself when I'm just doing non-creative work. Top notch quality and more usable space is a big win.

 

[ignatius345]

The problem is, they keeping selling Macs, iPads, iPhones and accessories. Sure, there's grumbling - including from me. But Apple doesn't pay attention to grumbling. They pay attention to sales.

And it's been this way for decades. Go back however many years you like on forums like this and you'll find people comparing Apple products to the competition and declaring they're too expensive.

 

[ignatius345]

Changing brightness on the Samsung is a pain - that is a real demerit.

Been using this on my work computer and it's pretty great. I think someone on this forum recommended it.

Lunar - The defacto app for controlling monitor brightness

Control monitor brightness, adapt using the ambient light sensor, adjust volume, switch inputs and turn off displays without fiddling with clunky buttons.

lunar.fyi

It takes over the external display and lets you use your Mac's keyboard to control the brightness and volume. The free version gives you basic control (all I've found I need), and the paid one adds a bunch of more granular controls and presets and things.

 

[Student of Life]

Inflation + no advancement in panels above 4K resolution will do that unfortunately. I wish it was cheaper for sure but I can’t argue with the results. The competition trying very hard to undercut it which is making me nervous.

Not to derail but and go down the rabbit hole.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-complete-list-of-27-5k-displays.2390249/page-8

It's a great thread with 5k monitors. Looks like the 5k iMac/studio display clones are coming out with prices that will drop jaws to some and anger some.

 

[zach-coleman]

Not to derail but and go down the rabbit hole.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-complete-list-of-27-5k-displays.2390249/page-8

It's a great thread with 5k monitors. Looks like the 5k iMac/studio display clones are coming out with prices that will drop jaws to some and anger some.

I'm extremely skeptical of the quality of these, but for all of us I hope they're mostly real. I'd love a $999 Studio Display vs the current price! If even a couple of these are decent quality, the competition could set us on that path eventually.

 

[b0fh]

Yeah I'm not sure when glossy became a desirable feature again, reflexions and glares were counted as bads for a good while until things turned around - to each their own I suppose.

HDR I believe.

 

[psymac]

Darn, watched the YouTube videos of the S9 and most were pretty positive. So bought two of these new/sealed on eBay for $800 each and should arrive in a few days. Now reading this really worried made the wrong choice, ugh.

 

[Biro]

Darn, watched the YouTube videos of the S9 and most were pretty positive. So bought two of these new/sealed on eBay for $800 each and should arrive in a few days. Now reading this really worried made the wrong choice, ugh.

Don’t panic. Try the S9’s when they arrive. You may decide they’re just fine..

 

[GalileoSeven]

This is what this display should've *started at*. As it sits, there's no way IMO that it justifies the kind of eye-watering prices Apple charges for its displays.

When I bought my M2 MBA, I ended up pairing it with a 4K Monitor from Dell (the S2721QS). At a normal viewing distance, aside from the obvious differences in color (my 5K iMac was noticeably more vivid/richer), it took a while for my eyes to adapt to the max 3840 x 2160 resolution. I might try messing around with my iMac for comparison, but I suspect at its max 5120 x 2880 resolution that text and such would be too small for my eyes to read and thus, make 5K overkill for my normal, daily-driver type uses.

 

[hajime]

Anybody has it? Is it easy to clean the screen?

 

[theorist9]

Changing brightness on the Samsung is a pain - that is a real demerit.

Been using this on my work computer and it's pretty great. I think someone on this forum recommended it.

Lunar - The defacto app for controlling monitor brightness

Control monitor brightness, adapt using the ambient light sensor, adjust volume, switch inputs and turn off displays without fiddling with clunky buttons.

lunar.fyi

It takes over the external display and lets you use your Mac's keyboard to control the brightness and volume. Been working really well for me. The free version gives you basic control (all I've found I need), and the paid one adds a bunch of more granular controls and presets and things.

Another vote for Lunar. I use it as well. It allows me to synchronously adjust the brightness of all three of my displays (iMac and two Dells) from the keyboard, which is extremely convenient. Though I think you need the paid version for that feature.

 

[BotchQue]

It seems 8k t.v.s now are premium, 'fringe' products, but there's some interest. I don't see 5k t.v.s (not that I've looked). My question is will a growing market segment of 8k t.v.s lead to greater economy-of-scale opportunities to make 8k computer monitors.

The question then becomes will most of us be able to tell a significant difference, and at what screen size does that become noticeable?

That's a couple of key questions.
Can we get 8K material, anywhere, now? Via disk, cable, internet, OTA, HDMI, optical, anywhere? I'm not aware of anything.

Last February I updated my 13-yr-old TV with a 4K, OLED model. Beautiful contrasty picture, but it wasn't 4K. Got fed up with the built-in GoogleTV, so got a 4K Apple TV and signed up to pay about $5 more/month to get a 4K signal over my internet. Most channels were NOT 4K, and the couple of NFL games I saw that were available in 4K looked worse (I think that's my internet connection, only 40 Mbps on a good day; we're getting fiber installed as I write this and I'm signed up; I live in UT and we're normally behind the coasts, tech-wise). I watched a couple 4K shows on my "three-months-free" Apple TV subscription, but I couldn't really see a difference (granted I am in my 60's).

So, I guess my point is, why worry about an 8K display when most of us aren't yet getting the full 4K (or ANY 4K) experience?

I'd pretty much memorized the ASD yay/nay threads here when it was first released (had purchased a new Mac Studio) and I even took delivery of a 34" Asus "ProArt" display, but I never opened the box; was pacing the floor, scouring the internet, knew of the scaling issue wrt text pushing 5K scaling into 4K, and eventually sent the Asus back and bought the ASD. By now I've forgotten the obscene cost, but I know that, if the text was even slightly off, I'd regret it every single morning.
Think I made the right decision, for me. And because of my age, any improvement to screen clarity won't be seen by my slowly-deteriorating eyesight, so I'm probably good for this lifetime. YMMV.

 

[aibloop]

I have been interested in this samsung screen, but after looking into it deeper, alot of mac users are not happy with the experience/quality.

Doesn’t work with intel macs, reports of bugs. etcetc. Dissappointing.

 

[hajime]

I have been interested in this samsung screen, but after looking into it deeper, alot of mac users are not happy with the experience/quality.

Doesn’t work with intel macs, reports of bugs. etcetc. Dissappointing.

What are they not happy about it?