The Samsung ViewFinity S9 is one of the few 27-inch 5K displays on the market, going head-to-head with the Apple Studio Display in offering ideal pixel density for full Retina quality.
The ViewFinity S9 is priced at $1,599.99, essentially the same as the Apple Studio Display, although Samsung includes a tilt- and height-adjustable stand while Apple charges $400 for that upgrade. The ViewFinity S9 can also be pivoted to a portrait orientation using the included stand.
The ViewFinity S9 features a Thunderbolt 4 port, three USB-C ports, and a Mini DisplayPort, and it includes 90 watts of power for machines connected through the Thunderbolt 4 port. A removable 4K SlimFit webcam supports tilt adjustments, as well as Auto Framing of subjects in the shot, similar to Apple's Center Stage feature. Built-in speakers with an Adaptive Sound+ option to automatically adjust noise levels are also included.
Built-in Smart TV apps and a remote control allow the display to function as a TV without being connected to a computer, with support for popular streaming apps and the Samsung Gaming Hub for playing cloud-based games from Xbox, NVIDIA, and more.
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I don’t see why any Mac user would buy this over the excellent Apple Studio Display.
My ASD has been superb, but for some reason it attracts a lot of negative comments in this forum. It works perfectly with my Mac, it integrates beautifully with MacOS, it sounds good, it’s more HDR than some HDR displays I’ve tested, it’s 600 nits, and its webcam is adequate for work meetings. Oh and it’s perfectly color calibrated to my MacBook right out of the box. Yet, people who don’t have one tells me it sucks!!
My only reservation with it was that it was expensive, however, the release of Samsungs display, seems to show that quality 5K displays are not cheap to make or sell.
[S]And, please no more complaints that it’s only 60hz not 120hz or 144hz. Existing cables cannot carry 120hz at 5K. The tech doesn’t exist!![/S]
Corrected statement. The current tech on MacBooks can't even drive 5K at higher than 60hz. (I only have [I]TB4 and HDMI 2.0 on my current MacBook Pro (14" 2021 M1 Pro). At the time the ASD came out, I don't think there were many Macs that could use a 5K panel beyond 60hz.[/I]
***
EDIT
Since the thread has gotten so long, and I keep getting quoted on this, I see that no-one sees the later post where I corrected what I meant to say! I have lined through my original poorly worded statement. And have restated what I meant to say in italics. It's not that the tech doesn't exist, it's that it doesn't exist on MacBooks.
Why would anyone pay the same price for a plastic build monitor, am I missing something?
Street price will likely go down significantly, different from Apple. It is matte, which means you don’t have to pay the nano-texture premium if you don’t like glossy. It supports HDR which the ASD doesn’t. It supports AirPlay which the ASD doesn’t. And you can switch between stand and VESA mount out-of-the-box.
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Top Rated Comments
My ASD has been superb, but for some reason it attracts a lot of negative comments in this forum. It works perfectly with my Mac, it integrates beautifully with MacOS, it sounds good, it’s more HDR than some HDR displays I’ve tested, it’s 600 nits, and its webcam is adequate for work meetings. Oh and it’s perfectly color calibrated to my MacBook right out of the box. Yet, people who don’t have one tells me it sucks!!
My only reservation with it was that it was expensive, however, the release of Samsungs display, seems to show that quality 5K displays are not cheap to make or sell.
[S]And, please no more complaints that it’s only 60hz not 120hz or 144hz. Existing cables cannot carry 120hz at 5K. The tech doesn’t exist!![/S]
Corrected statement. The current tech on MacBooks can't even drive 5K at higher than 60hz. (I only have [I]TB4 and HDMI 2.0 on my current MacBook Pro (14" 2021 M1 Pro). At the time the ASD came out, I don't think there were many Macs that could use a 5K panel beyond 60hz.[/I]
***
EDIT
Since the thread has gotten so long, and I keep getting quoted on this, I see that no-one sees the later post where I corrected what I meant to say! I have lined through my original poorly worded statement. And have restated what I meant to say in italics. It's not that the tech doesn't exist, it's that it doesn't exist on MacBooks.