Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8 brings wireless casting and game streaming

Samsung is expanding its smart monitor lineup at CES 2022 with the Smart Monitor M8 (M80B), a sleek new 32-inch 4K display with some impressive wireless capabilities and smart TV functionality. Initially, Samsung’s smart displays were marketed as an easy way to wirelessly connect to a compatible Samsung smartphone — like the flagship Galaxy S21 series and the rumored forthcoming S22 models — for a desktop-like DeX user experience. But in the era of remote and hybrid work, these wireless monitors have a different goal: To bring a clutter-free, cable-free setup to desks and home offices. Instead of connecting your laptop to a monitor, for example, with an HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C cable, the Smart Monitor M8 allows you to cast your laptop’s display to the screen without a snaking display cable crawling on your desk. The setup makes desks look tidy and clean. “The versatile new lineup delivers beautiful picture quality and intuitive features that give consumers more choice when selecting a monitor that fits their exact needs,” Samsung proudly proclaimed. And to stay productive, the Smart Monitor M8 is a 32-inch 4K UHD display that supports 99% of the sRGB color space, 400 nits of brightness, and 1.07 billion colors. Samsung is also bundling a number of smart TV and productivity apps directly into the monitor. In addition to supporting wireless casting, Samsung is also bundling a number of smart TV and productivity apps directly into the monitor, making it a one-stop window for smaller environments, like home offices, dorm rooms, and bedrooms. Even without having a streaming set-top box or a PC connected, you will have access to the standard selection of entertainment and productivity apps, which the company claimed is ideal for remote working. It even comes with a moveable magnetic SlimFit cam for video calls, making it a terrific video conferencing hub. One use case is a feature called Workspace, which acts as a hub for your work-related web services, such as Microsoft 365 applications. Another is Game Home, which collects all your game streaming in one place and easily connects to controllers. That’s a lot of functionality for a monitor. And for a wired connection, the built-in USB-C port supports video and power delivery. The company stated that the goal with the M8 is to provide an all-in-one workstation that doesn’t require any additional docking stations. In addition to the Smart Monitor M8, Samsung also launched a Samsung High Resolution S8 (S80PB) at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. This 27-inch panel delivers pro-grade performance that’s targeted at designers and creative professionals. The 4K UHD panel can cover 98% of the wide DCI-P3 color gamut for rich and dynamic color reproduction, DisplayHDR 600 support, and Underwriter Laboratories Glare Free certification. The last bit will help reduce reflection and glares when working under ambient light to help creatives focus on their work without straining their eyes or getting distracted. Both the S8 and M8 monitors support USB-C 90W power delivery to help charge connected laptops and smartphones. The M8 has an ergonomic stand that supports various adjustments as well as compatibility with the VESA mounting standard. Samsung did not provide specifics about availability or pricing on either monitor at the show. Ahead of CES 2025, Samsung has announced its first OLED monitor not explicitly targeted at PC gamers. The Smart Monitor M90SF has an OLED — a first for these devices — bringing the love from the Odyssey gaming line more toward the mainstream demographic. It’s a big deal for those hoping to engage in HDR content, both in terms of creating it and consuming it. It makes sense, too, as the Smart Monitor M9 is built to be an entertainment hub. Like previous models, such as the Smart Monitor M80B, the M9 doesn’t require being connected to a PC to run content on it — like a little television right on your desk. It has Samsung TV Plus, Samsung Game Hub, and pretty much every streaming app you could want — along with a remote for convenient controls. One of the biggest criticisms leveled against OLED monitors, despite being some of the best gaming monitors you can buy, is how dim they are. Although brightness is steadily increasing, it looks like the next crop of OLED gaming monitors will make quite the leap when it comes to HDR performance. Ahead of CES 2025, VESA has revealed a new tier of its DisplayHDR standard that’s focused squarely on the brightness of OLED monitors. The certification is DisplayHDR True Black 1,000. Most OLED gaming monitors, such as the MSI MPG 321URX or Alienware 27 QD-OLED, are certified with DisplayHDR True Black 400. This certification level is reserved for OLED — or extremely high-end mini-LED — displays that achieve nearly perfect black levels. According to VESA’s specifications, the display has to reach 0.0005 nits with a checkboard pattern. Now, VESA is focusing on the other end of the spectrum, adding a more demanding tier that maintains those low black levels while pushing brightness higher.   Samsung Display has an OLED panel in the works that would introduce a new tier of refresh rate and could be especially beneficial for gaming monitors.