Samsung Odyssey G8 OLED G80SD assessment

Relating to peculiarly off-target premium PC shows, Samsung has type. With the brand new Samsung Odyssey G8 OLED G80SD, a 4K 240Hz OLED panel, the corporate stays true to that doubtful custom. This factor is baffling.

For those who’ll forgive a digression and simply as a fast reminder, maybe essentially the most egregious offender in Samsung’s again catalogue of screens misses is the Neo G9, a 49-inch mini-LED monster that shipped with some severely shonky firmware, has been up to date quite a few occasions since, however stays basically damaged. It is arduous to think about what you’d take into consideration all that had you forked out $2,000 for the factor.

On the identical time, Samsung has additionally produced some frankly wonderful shows, together with the G9 OLED and the opposite Neo G9, the 57-inch twin 4K factor. And, yeah, that is loads of G9s. Samsung’s monitor branding is hopeless.

Extra broadly, it is arduous to know what to make of Samsung as an general entity. On the one hand it is a technological colossus, striding a number of segments from cutting-edge chip manufacturing to OLED show panels and excessive efficiency SSDs. It is also one of many world’s main smartphone, laptop computer, and TV makers.

It is distinctive in that regard and is able to some fairly magical issues. In the meantime, it might probably’t kind out one thing fundamental like monitor firmware on a really costly show. It is all moderately odd. Anywho, with that in thoughts, the place does the brand new Samsung Odyssey G8 OLED G80SD match into the tech triumph-or-tragedy spectrum?

You may most likely have guessed by now it is someplace in the direction of the improper finish of the dimensions. However maintain that thought whereas we cowl off some fundamental speeds and feeds. The Odyssey G8 OLED G80SD is Samsung’s tackle the burgeoning 32-inch 4K OLED sector.

We have reviewed a number of such specimens already, together with the Alienware 32 AW3225QF, Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM and MSI MPG321URX. All of them have truly used Samsung QD-OLED panels. Options based mostly on LG’s competing WOLED panels are coming, however have been a bit slower to truly go on sale. Anyway, to this point the 4K OLED screens we have reviewed share very related attributes. And we have just about cherished all of them.

In any case, what’s to not like about uber-zingy, ultra-quick QD-OLED panel tech mixed with crispy 4K pixel density? The primary signal that Samsung’s personal tackle this class of monitor goes to be a bit totally different is its anti-glare coating. Each different entrant into this market has gone with a shiny coating for max distinction. However Samsung has opted for matte.

That is shocking, as a result of this monitor is stuffed to the gunnels with SmartTV options and is pitched at players, each of which have a tendency towards a shiny coating. One can, after all, debate the deserves of shiny versus matte. A matte choice can be welcome. However providing this show completely with a matte coating is difficult to get onboard with.

Nonetheless, it is that aforementioned SmartTV performance the place issues actually disintegrate. The SmartTV performance and interface completely dominates this show. And it fairly comprehensively spoils it from a PC consumer’s perspective.

All of it begins from the primary time you fireplace up the Samsung Odyssey G8 OLED G80SD. You possibly can’t simply flip it on and join a PC. No, you need to undergo not less than among the SmartTV setup first, together with some pretty foolish prompts asking you to verify that you just’re connecting a PC to that Displayport interface.

That is a one-time deal, after all, and have been that the one difficulty it could hardly matter. As a substitute, it is a harbinger of the horrors to return. The fundamental downside right here is that Samsung has set this factor as much as be pleasant to common shoppers, to work like a TV. Consequently, the monitor performance could be very deeply buried in varied submenus and does not conform to PC norms.

I’m completely not exaggerating once I say it took over an hour earlier than I might reliably choose HDMI or Displayport with out having to reboot the show when connecting a PC. When you do get your PC’s desktop displaying on this panel, it looks as if there are numerous settings menus, all accessed in separate, counterintuitive methods.

Truly, there are three fundamental settings menus. There’s what’s designed to be an idiot-friendly menu, then there is a extra superior menu and at last the “Recreation Bar” menu which has varied gaming-centric choices and which, in flip, has its personal “Extra Settings” submenu. To one of the best of my information, the one option to reliably entry the Recreation Bar is to press and maintain the play/pause button on the bundled IR distant. Properly, clearly.

The one purpose why I do know the Recreation Bar menu even exists is as a result of it flashed up by chance, how I have no idea, earlier than virtually instantly disappearing. I used to be then down a rabbit gap of analysis to get it again. It additionally took me absolutely 20 minutes to search out out if this monitor has any OLED care options (it does).

Anyway, as I write these phrases I’m severely contemplating remedy for the PTSD and anxiousness I suffered each time I went close to the OSD controls or the distant. As a result of each are hell bent on kicking you again into the SmartTV interface, which if you happen to’re nonetheless struggling to grasp learn how to get from that SmartTV gubbins again to the PC desktop makes you terrified to the touch completely something.

Picture 1 of 6

Now, you can dismiss all this as a steep studying curve, following which you simply have a unbelievable 4K OLED 240Hz magnificence. However here is the factor. The color calibration in each SDR and HDR is barely off. No less than it’s within the varied picture modes in all of the numerous menus and submenus I might discover.

The factor is, I am not completely 100% sure I did not miss one thing. As I stated, the menus do not conform to something just like the PC monitor norm and the result’s a complicated mixture of dumbed-down pseudo simplicity and deeply-buried complexity. Weirdly, the SDR colors are bang on if you happen to join a Mac, implying a particular profile for Apple computer systems. However PCs in SDR mode are clearly oversaturated and I merely couldn’t repair that.

HDR content material, in the meantime, principally seems to be nice, however once more the color stability is off and once more I couldn’t repair that. It is a pity, as a result of I believe this is likely to be the punchiest instance of a 4K QD-OLED monitor but, maybe due to what Samsung calls its Dynamic Cooling System, which contains “pulsating warmth pipes”.

It is principally a phase-change warmth pipe system constructed into the rear of the panel. Samsung says it is 5 occasions higher than the graphite sheets competing manufacturers are utilizing.

Picture 1 of two

Oh, after which there’s the matte moderately than shiny coating. Truthfully, it is okay. It does detract a bit from that deeply, inky OLED distinction expertise. Nevertheless it additionally helps to mitigate the quantum-dot related greyness these panels can undergo from in robust ambient gentle. Put it this manner, have been it the one difficulty it could be removed from a deal breaker.

That is the factor. Buried someplace in that craptastic, pointless SmartTV interface is a unbelievable monitor. However Samsung has completely overpassed the shopper with this monitor. No person desires to pay $1,300 for a 32-inch TV. This can be a monitor and solely is sensible at that value as a monitor. Heck, whilst a monitor it is struggling on the value, given MSI’s providing goes for about $900 when you may get maintain of 1.

However Samsung has set it up primarily for use as a TV and made it infuriatingly arduous, and in some methods maybe unimaginable, to get essentially the most out of it with a PC. And so ultimately, it is completely, positively unimaginable to advocate.