Buying a monitor in the “old days” was a simple matter, find the size screen you require and match a good price to it.  Those days are gone!

Currently, things are a lot more complicated.  Now you have more options: screen size, curved or straight, bezel size and resolution just to name a few.

For die-hard Apple fans, the best monitor out there is their Apple Studio Display, a 5K unit that sells for $1599.  For someone on a budget, they need to look at other quality displays at a lower price.

There are many good 4K resolution displays in the $400-600 range.

Samsung M8

One competitor, Samsung has introduced their M8, a 32” monitor that combines your Mac/PC display with a true 4K Smart TV with streaming capabilities for just $700.

For someone in a small apartment, this M8 would be ideal in that it doesn’t take up the space of a separate monitor plus a TV.  It comes with a remote and if you are done with your computer work and want to watch a show on Netflix, just press the button on the remote and you’re there!

Negatives

After working with the Samsung M8 for a few days, I returned it for a number of reasons.

Most of the better TVs use IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology.  This produces better viewing angles and more accurate colors.  The M8 instead uses VA (Vertical Alignment) technology for a more narrow viewing angle.

Although the colors on the TV looked good, the computer produced a more overly-sharpened image.  I noticed that the text was not pure black, but instead looked like light grey.  If you are concerned about good color images with photography, the M8 would disappoint.  You need an IPS display!

With most monitors, the installation is quite simple: plug in your cable between the TV and monitor and the power cable.  It was the same with Samsung M8.  But setting up the Smart TV functions took too much time.  The setup required you to indicate your modem/router and the model number, for example.

Conclusion

The Samsung M8 is a unique product that would work for some, but since I have dedicated Smart TVs at home, the Samsung M8 proved to be overkill.If you can use a combo monitor/Smart TV, the Samsung would be a workable option.  But be aware of its shortcomings.