That is a long time for a laptop that gets regularly abused. When flat-panel televisions exploded on the market back in 2005/2006, the Samsung 42" Plasma EDTV was both affordable and one of the nicest panels money could buy and that tradition was expanded into their HDTV lines as well as their monitors. When Samsung announced the U28UD590 4K ultra high definition monitor, which is available for around $590, I let out a bit of a squeal and jumped at the opportunity to review the panel. Here was gorgeous 4K monitor from one of the most trusted brands in electronics and in a world where 4K monitors are still quite expensive, coming in at more than $100 less than quality competitors. After spending some time with the panel, here are my impressions.
Samsung builds some of the most aesthetically pleasing equipment money can buy. Their televisions and monitors are designed to be clean with a minimalist appearance, reducing all of the extra 'fluff' that the case of the panel tends to add to a display device. With a border that is non-existent, the 28" D590 is all screen and is, simply put, stunning. There is a certain beauty in Samsung's 'less-is-more' design mentality as the monitor, when you unbox it is three simple pieces; a stunning brushed-nickel base that is slightly wider than an inch, a 2" wide neck that attaches to the base, and the panel itself. Now one would think that with such narrow base and neck that the stability of the monitor would be on the poor side but not with the D590 as the base and neck are metal and weigh a bit more than the panel itself. This helps keep the center of gravity low and the monitor stable so accidentally bumping the desk will not cause the monitor bounce or teeter. The monitor, when fully assembled is a towering masterpiece of the highest quality and with a 3840x2160 resolution, the D590 is truly a work of art.
Appearances can be deceiving though as I have had some quality looking ASUS monitors that were absolutely horrendous (or take Sony's television lines; they look great on the outside, but the image just is not up to snuff when compared to their older SXRD or first generation Bravia models). This is definitely not the case with Samsung as they poured every ounce of panel technology into this display; from their "Gaming Mode" features which have been around for years and I personally use it on my Samsung televisions at home that help with fast motion, brightness/contrast, and clarity, to their ability to essentially use Picture in Picture. The fact that I can plug in both my desktop and my laptop and have both sources on screen at the same time is truly wonderful, especially with all of the real estate that a 4K monitor provides. A neat feature that I have used a number of times to write reviews while gaming at the same time using two different computers on the same panel.
The feature is a great one for heavy multi-taskers like myself and I can think of a number of different uses for the capability. Along with the impressive pile of image-enhancing features (like Gaming Mode and 4K upscaling) the response time on the monitor is wonderful at 1MS. Normally I am a stickler for response times and refresh rates as I have worked extensively with televisions in particular. With poor response times and refresh rates, monitors and televisions will show what is known as 'ghosting' where the physical LCD cannot refresh fast enough so there is a slightly after-image.
I find it annoying and an incredibly displeasing effect which is why my Samsung DLP (which, sadly, is on its last legs after 10+ years of loyal service) has been one of the nicest televisions that money could buy; you see, there is no ghosting effect on a DLP and the same can be said about plasma televisions (rest in peace you wonderful technology). As panels evolve into displays like this, ghosting is becoming far less of a problem as evidenced by the fact that it simply does not happen on the U28UD590D. Whether I am playing a fast-paced shooter (Battlefield 3), a blazing fast racing simulation (Grid 2), or a graphically-busy game (like World of Warcraft or Lords of the Fallen) there was not a single point in time where I witnessed the uncomfortable and disorienting afterimage that is so common to monitors.
As I have mentioned a few times, the Samsung U28UD590D 4K monitor is a work of art; there is no better way to describe this monitor. Offering a gorgeous image whether you are playing games, browsing websites, editing images, or using standard office applications (or doing them all at once due to the sheer amount of space you have to work with on a 4K monitor), the D590 is without a doubt the best panel I have ever seen. Fast response times, deep blacks and rich colors assist in the upscaling that happens which leaves you with a stunning representation of whatever you are doing on screen at the time. Even though the display shows a stunning image or video, when it is not in use it is a wonderful looking display.
Given its minimalist appearance, the monitor sits on the desk looking more like a beautiful sculpture and the effect is duplicated when you turn it on. Simply put, the monitor is most definitely the nicest looking monitor available to date; from the 4k resolution to the brushed-nickel appearance, the Samsung U28UD590D 4K Ultra High Definition Monitor is a must-have for gamers and computer users alike that are willing to pony-up the pennies for the best 4K monitor on the market to date.
Review by Robert
