SAMSUNG 43-Inch M7 (M70D) Series 4K UHD Smart Monitor, Speakers, HDR10, USB-C, Multiple Ports, Gaming Hub, SolarCell Remote, Vision Accessibility Tools, LS43DM702UNXGO, 2024, Black

Really nice hybrid PC monitor/smart TV
Wanted to give this display a try after reading some promising reviews; the idea of a “smart monitor” was interesting to me. I’ve purchased and used several Samsung displays throughout the years and have been happy with them. This device seemed like a good fit for a home office where having a larger TV was not an option. The picture quality is great, and the sound is rather clear for a display. Not sure I’ll use much of the streaming content available but having that capability/flexibility is really nice.I would certainly recommend this to anyone who was in the market for a good quality display where space might be limited. It’s priced reasonably well, and is packed full of features. The signature Samsung quality is present in this model and, unlike traditional smart TV’s, this could be used as a remote-less computer monitor for closer viewing angles. It’s a nice idea for those of us who might use HTPC’s, laptops, or other small form factor PC’s in our living rooms or home offices.

A case of getting what you pay for
I gave a Dell UltraSharp 43 4K USB-C Hub Monitor – U4323QE at work, and I was trying to get the same effect at home at half the price by buying the Samsung monitor. It didn’t work out.First, the picture quality was nowhere near as sharp and the color was washed out on the Samsung. Then, a couple weeks after hooking the monitor up, my laptop stopped recognizing it. I chalked it up to all the “smart” tv features on the monitor that I had no use for.All in all a bust. I would not buy this Samsung monitor again. If you want a massive monitor, buy the Dell UltraSharp 43 4K USB-C Hub Monitor – U4323QE. It’s pretty flawless.

A monitor doubling as a smart TV
I originally purchased a gaming monitor, and was shocked when it arrived and didn’t have a USB-C port, a USB-A port or an HDMI port. Rather, it came with a displayport. I could find no way to connect it to my laptop, even though my laptop has an HDMI port, a USB-A port and two USB-C ports. I returned it.First, the ports: This monitor refreshingly comes with a battery of conventional ports, and the ways by which I can connect it to my laptop are endless. HDMI ports are now the de facto preferred means of connecting a laptop to a monitor because of its ability to facilitate the transfer of high resolution video and audio (it used to be VGA). This monitor comes packed with three USB-A ports, one HDMI port and one USB-C port. A USB-C to USB-C cable and an HDMI to HDMI cable are supplied. This means that one can connect peripherals like a mouse or keyboard directly to the monitor.The monitor comes with a slender solar-powered (the first I’ve ever seen) remote control which facilitates switching between the monitor and the “smart TV.” It offers access to all the usual apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. Because these apps are already on my laptop, including them in the monitor is somewhat redundant. But it means that the monitor does not have to be connected to anything to be its own viable source of entertainment. The remote control even has a dedicated Netflix button. The smart TV personality of the monitor also offers a bevy of free shows even without the use of an app. It permits tuning into live TV channels.Any user who is already in the Samsung environment will enjoy a synergy that comes from using other Samsung branded equipment. Connecting the TV to my Samsung account was a breeze; the TV generated a QR code which, once I scanned it with my phone’s QR reader, found my account and logged me in to the TV during setup. Any Samsung phone can be used to control the monitor through the Smart things app. Importantly, the monitor permits the use of the DEX capability which allows Samsung phones to be used as a desktop on a monitor or even TV.The 32 inch screen size is in fact, the largest monitor I have ever used. Most office monitors are no more than 24 inches. My office desk is just big enough to accommodate the 32-inch, which looks a lot bigger than it sounds. I would not want a bigger one.The cons: The graphics on this monitor are not as good as I expected, considering the fact that this monitor is being touted as one that can handle gaming. It is certainly more than good enough for my routine work-related tasks. But the videos are not quite as crisp as expected, given the credentials of this monitor.To conclude: This monitor is best described as a jack of all trades, and master of none. It handles work-related tasks with remarkable ease, and if one has a break at work, provides endless entertainment at the beck and call of the user. The video is not quite as crisp as one would expect of a gaming monitor, but that is not its strength. For the price, this might well be as good as it gets. I would recommend.

Using this monitor mainly as a TV, replacing a 19″ 1080i Insignia TV purchased from Future Shop basically a decade ago. Got this one on sale from Amazon, and must say for the functionality combined with the picture quality it was a great deal. It has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, along with support for various apps (I assume it runs anything a Tizen-based Samsung Smart TV would) such as Prime Video and Spotify.The monitor box includes the monitor, power cord (no external power brick), remote (internal battery with USB-C charging port and a mini solar panel in the back for charging), HDMI cable, and USB-C cable. The monitor has a USB-C port, three USB-A ports, and two HDMI ports (one of them ARC).Important thing to keep in mind for some folks: the building of the monitor’s stand requires you to screw in three Philips screws, and a screwdriver is not included. They are not thumbscrews either.When you set up the TV, it gives you the option to perform the setup using the included remote (which is fairly intuitive except I could see some people might have trouble with the volume/channel rocker switches), using the Samsung SmartThings app as a virtual remote, or by plugging in a USB keyboard/mouse. Using a media keyboard (it was a Microsoft-branded 2.4GHz wireless keyboard with built-in touchpad) also worked for me.The setup also asks you to create a Samsung account (optional), link your Prime Video account (optional), and accept the Samsung Terms and Privacy Policy (not optional, unless you want to use this as a dumb monitor). Important thing: You do not need to click the lower two checkboxes for the Samsung legal agreements. Only the higher two checkboxes for Terms and Privacy Policy which are required. The lower two are only to enable personalized advertising(tracking) on the device.This monitor has an interesting pseudo-“Live TV” feature called “Samsung TV Plus” which has a channel guide with many options to pick from. It seems like the channels are run or sponsored by media publishers and studios. And completely free. Pretty cool to have this considering it’s otherwise designed like a monitor and has no coaxial connector. You could also use an app like Plex or Jellyfin (I think Plex is officially supported on Tizen however you need to sideload Jellyfin) and set up your media server with a tuner card if you wanted to watch OTA channels.Also tested out Samsung DeX on this monitor using a Samsung S20 Ultra and the monitor’s included USB-C cable. After plugging in the phone and an external keyboard/mouse, I selected the “PC” connection option from the home screen. The desktop environment appeared near instantly. I’ve never used DeX before so the seamless experience was appreciated.Picture-wise, I am not very knowledgeable of display technology, and it looks good to me. Even better after completing the “Smart Calibration” which is done by opening the SmartThings app on a compatible phone, and holding it close to the display as it cycles through white, gray, red, blue and green colors. Being 4K resolution, the picture is crisp and holds a lot of detail. The display looks good even viewing from the side, like I tried from a 45 degree angle and it was clear. The display is matte and not very reflective.Audio-wise, the built-in speakers sound just like average TV speakers. Not bad, just lacking in bass. Keep in mind there is no 3.5mm or optical output on this monitor. So it seems your external audio source will need to either support Bluetooth or HDMI ARC.Overall: great deal, big value and I hope it goes on sale again because I’d definitely buy another one.

Using for TV and computer monitor, no issues whatsoever.

Arrived without a hitch – works well.