Samsung 27" ViewFinity S9 Series 5K Computer Monitor, Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, Matte Display, 4K Slimfit-Camera, Slim Metal Design, AirPlay, Smart-TV Apps, Gaming Hub, LS27C900PANXZA

I got this monitor to bolster my home office setup. I am running a MacBook Pro with a Sonnet Echo 20 docking station. I wanted a monitor that would support daisy chaining in the future however, so that meant thunderbolt compatibility or USB connectivity. I found this monitor with Thunderbolt 4 support and 5k resolution instead of "just" 4k. I've always had good experiences with Samsung displays, TV's and monitors. Anyway, the closest competition I could find really were the Apple displays themselves, which, while VERY nice are just hugely more expensive. I didn't want to spend that kind of $$ right now. The monitor arrived and literally took 5 minutes to fully assemble. I set it up and it went thru an initial configuration process that was easy and step by step. The included remote feels nice and not cheap as well. Bottome line, this display is fantastic. Everything is easy on the eyes and the picture is so sharp and detailed. I was also impressed with and surprised by the built in speakers the monitor has. I feed my computer audit through some Apple HomePod speakers so won't be using the built in speakers but during the initial setup, audit played thru those speakers and was nice and clear, with surprising range and bass for "built in" speakers on a monitor. Overall, I'm very happy with this monitor and if I do add the second monitor soon, I'm pretty much certain I'll be getting another of these to link up!

Overall, the monitor worked poorly with Mac. I had an M3 MacBook Pro, and M1 Mac mini that I connected it to. Neither of them worked well with the connections. It would wake up randomly and go to a count down screen for one minute that was very bright. Also, there is an issue with connecting devices with the USB-C in the back and I had to send it back for warranty. I should’ve just returned it. The warranty takes Forever with Samsung. I don’t think I’ll buy a Samsung again for any product line if I can help it. The money saved was not worth it. They’ve had it for a month, finally said they couldn’t fix it, and they were gonna procure a new one, and then after a few weeks they said they didn’t have one. I will never use Samsung warranty again. I did like how the monitor looked while I was actively using it so I thought I would try and go through the warranty. Big mistake. If you’re buying a 5K monitor, this one is really not worth the money that you save. It’s also filled with Samsung‘s bloatware that their smart TVs are filled with, so it makes no sense to the user that they would install that junk on a work oriented monitor. Switching inputs is difficult as well if you have multiple devices connected. Sometimes the other devices inputs disappear from the UI. So you have to completely power off and power on the monitor to switch devices sometimes. Overall, a big mistake ordering this, if you’re looking to save some money from the Apple studio monitor I would look at some of the other alternative such as Ben Q now has a 5K, or Asus has one as well.

I have an Apple Studio Display but wanted to use it from my Windows/Linux PC. My PC Video cards do not support thunderbolt out (do any?) so I had to use a separate monitor for them. I was excited about this monitor because it was similar to the Apple Studio Display in specs and also supported display port in which would allow me to use it with my PC. The Pros: * Displays seems comparable to the ASD in terms of brightness, contrast and pixel clarity * Display port allows me to easily share it between my PC and Mac (ASD cannot) * Can pivot to portrait mode (ASD cannot) * Cheaper if you want matte finish and height adjustable features (both $ upgrades on ASD) * Can be mounted on stand or with VESA mount (ASD only does one of those at a time and requires Apple to change the hardware costing $$) * Can display a remote screen over the network via AirPlay - this is an awesome feature! Cons: * The included camera does not handle changes in light as well as the ASD Camera. I have to close my blinds when using this camera, not with ASDs camera. Unclear if this can be fixed with a software update or not * The included camera is much wider than the ASD camera - too wide for my liking. * The built in speakers are poor compared to the ASD speakers * My MBP has kernel paniced 3 three times over the past 2 days. I think this is related to the latop going to sleep or being hot unplugged from the monitor. There is a CalDigit TS3 between laptop and monitor so not sure where the issue is, but probably in the monitor. I am hoping they can fix this via a software update in the future * Cannot adjust brightness or volume using apple keyboard. They include a remote to do this, but the experience is not as good as the ASD Conclusion: There is a lot to like about this monitor over the ASD. I am on my mac all day doing conference calls so the cons are very noticeable vs the ASD. I am likely going to return this monitor because of those which is too bad as I really wanted to love this monitor

The Samsung Viewfinity S9 Monitor 5K combines a Smart TV with a 5K monitor, showcasing an innovative design. However, my experience has been disappointing. Pros: Innovative Design: The idea of combining a Smart TV with a 5K monitor is forward-thinking and speaks to the potential of future tech integration. Cons: Overheating, overheating, and overheating. Overheating Issues: The monitor overheats, making it unreliable for prolonged use. Quality Control Problems: Reports of dead pixels indicate poor quality control. Compatibility with Samsung Devices: Ironically, it struggles with Samsung's own devices like the Galaxy Tab S8 but works well with Apple macbook and Ipad... Customer Service: Samsung’s customer service and ecosystem are subpar compared to Apple. Conclusion: Despite its promising concept, the Viewfinity S9's overheating and quality issues make it a risky investment. Samsung needs to improve these aspects for it to be a worthwhile purchase.

I bought this monitor five months ago, because I thought it would be better for my eyesight than my previous 2k monitor. I got it at a discounted price, but even so I think I should have bought a 4k monitor from LG or another brand. (1) You can access settings from a button in the back, but the menus are not good, LG for instance do better. (2) This monitor works with the Samsung TV software. It doesn't have a TV receiver but you can connect to the internet and watch Netflix, Prime, Tubi, ..., by entering your credentials, or watch Samsung free channels. I have little interest in that, but I still have to use the Samsung on-screen software (using the remote) to make the monitor connect to my computer. It is not possible to do otherwise, and it's a pain to have to navigate the menus. 3. I connect this monitor either to a desktop computer running Linux, or to a MacBook Air M1. In either case the sleep mode does not work correctly with the monitor. To put the Mac to sleep it seems I have to disconnect the monitor from the computer, otherwise the Mac does not go to sleep (it just locks the screen). Maybe there is a combination of settings on the Mac and monitor that would make this work, but after five months I have not found it. No other monitor I have used has that problem. On Linux the monitor sometimes does not wake up from sleep, and I have to unplug and then replug the power cord from the back of the monitor to make it show what the computer is sending; sometimes I have to go into the Samsung TV settings as well. (3) Colours look great, but for ordinary text/spreadsheet/internet browsing my eyes cannot tell that this monitor is any better than my 4k LG, that cost quite a bit less money. Moreover, the Samsung 5k has an approx one inch wide grayish area along the vertical bezel on each side, that you see even if staring perpendicularly to the screen. On the internet I read that this is common on this type of monitors (IPS). But on the Samsung it is quite evident, and the grayish area widens as you move away from the sides (changing the viewing angle from left ot right or vice versa). In order to minimize the gray I have to be at least three feet from the monitor (too far for office work). I try not to think about it, but it is very noticeable every time the background is pale and uniform, for instance when using spreadsheets, text docs, ... My LG has the same but to a much lesser degree, I think I had never noticed it before buying the Samsung. I needed a third monitor for another desk, so (foolishly you will say) I got the Samsung 4k LS27CM801UNXZA, which is a VA panel (the 5k is an IPS). The price was heavily discounted, so I am not complaining too much, though it does have the same Samsung TV interface. The 4k has a lot less gray on the edges, and in the end for office work it is just as good as the 5k. It is well known that VA panels have worse viewing angles, this is true here but it never affects my work, it just means that video content has to be viewed more or less directly facing the monitor. Many claim that IPS panels have better colour reproduction than VA panels. For what I use the monitors for, office work and occasional TV/video watching, I see little difference. Linux struggles more with the 5k than with the 4k monitors, at least with the kernel I am using (6.1). I have noticed that the remotes provided with the Samsungs (which you MUST use with them) actually work with either Samsung monitor. So if I press something on one remote it will affect both monitors, unless I move away form one and very close to the other. On the plus side, all three (Samsung 5k, Samsung 4k VA, LG 4k) have matte displays, and my eyes feel better using them than my previous 2k monitors. The 'slimfit' camera is useful, since I did not have one before, but it is not the best. Same for speakers, useful but not very good. Brightness and contrast ratios are great. I went to the Apple store the other day and had a look at the outrageously expensive Mac Studio. Some very light grayish patches were visible but not near the edges (on a pure white background), I would say the viewing angles were better on the Mac, but not sure that colours are better than on the Samsung. Would I buy the Samsung 5k again? Definitely not. I seriously considered sending it back. Maybe the 4k VA at the price I bought it (CAD 500, about USD 360). Have a look at the LGs.

I purchased the Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K 27 inch monitor in October 2023. When it works, it is genuinely stunning. The 5K resolution is incredibly sharp, text clarity is excellent, and it pairs beautifully with macOS. The design looks premium and modern, and the built in smart features such as YouTube and streaming apps are a nice bonus. However, after about 2 years and 4 months of normal home office use, the lower portion of the screen developed horizontal flickering lines. There was no physical damage, no impact, and no misuse. The issue appears even when using the built in smart apps with no external devices connected, which strongly suggests a panel or internal hardware problem rather than a cable or computer issue. For a premium 5K monitor in this price range, I expected much better durability. This is positioned as a high end productivity monitor. Experiencing what appears to be panel failure just outside the standard warranty period is frustrating and disappointing. Pros Stunning 5K resolution and sharp text Excellent color reproduction Premium design Smart TV features built in Cons Expensive Reliability concerns after two years If you are considering this monitor, I strongly recommend purchasing extended warranty coverage. When it works, it is excellent. However, longevity is now a concern for me.

I was thinking this monitor can be used as an alternative to Apple's 5k monitor. Everything was working fine in the beginning except that it has too many "smart functions", like TV, apps etc, when I only needed a simple monitor. It's fine that I can skip them. However, I already started to spot one dead pixel at the center of monitor while I was still paying instalment. I called Samsung hotline, but no one ever returned my call after. I had two LG 4K monitors before, and never had any dead pixel issues after years of using them. What a disappointment.

I wanted to like this monitor, I really did. I don't care about the speakers or the webcam, I just wanted a 5k display that is crisp and has good colors. The good: When it works, the screen looks great. On sale, this was a steal compared to Apple Studio Display. BUT! This monitor is frustrating to say the least. First, you have to connect it to the Internet just to accept the license agreement, otherwise it won't work at all. OK, whatever, one time annoyance. Some of the defaults were annoying, like the screen being in "eco" mode with dull colors. Again, a one time thing. What is entirely unforgivable is the monitor not waking up from sleep. This comes in 2 flavors: About 1 in 10 times the computer wakes up, the monitor doesn't, and you can use the remote control to turn the monitor on. This is very frustrating but I think I would have kept the monitor if this was the extent of it. However, I've had this monitor for just 2 weeks and already twice I experienced it not being recognized by the computer even after using it on manually with the remote. The monitor turns on, but nothing happens. The display doesn't connect. The other version of this problem has the monitor showing up as "Generic Monitor" with a 640x480 resolution. Again, no amount of turning off and on helps. You have to go into Device Manager, delete the monitor, hit Refresh and let the monitor get re-recognized. I could only do this because I still have my old monitor connected. Samsung could easily fix these problems with a software update. It's shocking they still haven't.