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Switzerland, Bern
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Review on ๐ŸŽฎ Enhance Your Gaming Experience with Lepow Portable Monitor Z1 Gamut Computer Speakers โ€“ 15.6", 1920X1080, Z1-Gamut Pearl Grey, HDMI by Ondra Stathopoulos

Revainrating 5 out of 5

A great second display for a laptop or portable Nintendo Switch monitor!

I saw on one of the tech sites that this particular monitor was on sale so I took a chance because the price was right and I can definitely find something that could be done with a decent monitor. After testing it I'd like to share my thoughts on what it offers for its price rather than comparing it to other monitor options we have; it's not perfect but it doesn't have to be because it's not particularly expensive and I think the product can be considered good if you get what you pay for. So, can I recommend this monitor to start with? I think so if you have a specific use for that specific type of ad. This is not a desktop monitor that you would leave plugged into a gaming PC; It's definitely a full-featured display with HDMI, but you tend to opt for a larger panel if you're going to be looking at it all the time, watching videos, playing games, etc., and you have a choice of higher resolutions and features such as VRR /Adaptive Sync. I think this Lepow display suits two main use cases: as a portable secondary display and as a simple external display for a gaming console. To be clear, I mentioned above that this is "fully featured and HDMI equipped". This is because there are other portable monitor options that use DisplayLink, a solution that uses software rendering (i.e. no GPU acceleration) and discrete hardware to create a USB video output. You'll find docking stations that add space for audio, USB hubs, etc, but are limited by USB connectivity (early ones were USB2) and lack of GPU acceleration, meaning they're best for desktop tasks (eg . surfing, word processing) maybe for watching videos and not at all for gaming Monitor is totally tantamount to connecting literally a 'normal' HDMI display (or DP for that matter). for that matter) to a host device, be it a computer, game console, or home video device (cable/satellite/IPTV). set-top box, DVD/BR player, etc.), so not quite in the same category as cheaper but less powerful and less compatible DisplayLink products. That being said, I still think this type of monitor should be used primarily as a portable secondary display rather than in a guest room hooked up to an STB or PC. This monitor works well if you want to take it with you on trips with an Xbox or Playstation, but especially with the Nintendo Switch, which is much more portable and currently has several portable video-out docks. Personally, I have a few dedicated Switch gear bags (backpack, shoulder bag) with laptop sleeves that would fit such a 15-inch display perfectly. Also, you can use it as a second monitor with your laptop, especially when you travel. for work, as multiple displays can greatly improve productivity by giving you more screen real estate. As mentioned, any laptop bag larger than 15 inches should have room for this fairly thin monitor. So while you can use this monitor in many other roles, I'll judge it by how well it fits the two scenarios above and I think it's absolutely right for them, especially for the price. So what about the look, fit and finish? More than enough. The packaging is a sturdy white box that includes the display, case/stand, screen protector, cable and power adapter. The monitor appears to be well constructed, with a main body that I think is made of matte plastic that looks like metal; it's good enough despite being mostly covered by the cover. The lid is one of those reusable tablet stands; it folds to protect the display and is strong enough, and then folds back to support the display at several different angles; It's not over-regulated, but for the price it's acceptable. A flexible screen protector is a nice addition, but not really necessary in my opinion as it's not touchscreen and I don't think you need to worry too much about protecting cheap screens. Includes USB-C-to-C cable for monitor data/video connection, USB-C-to-A cable for power supply, and HDMI mini-to-full cable. Unfortunately, this monitor uses a mini HDMI, which works great, but most people probably have a lot of full-size HDMI cables; It's not really a big deal, especially since a mini-HDMI cable is included (and there's another display output option), but it's a compromise that some people might not like, but I find it perfectly acceptable given the circumstances. Finally, the monitor will most likely or definitely need a separate power supply and therefore the included USB power adapter, which is par for the course when connected via HDMI, but can be a little disappointing if you're expecting it to be powered via USB-C, but more on that more below. What does the ad look like? Quite acceptable. The resolution is FHD, which is good for a 15-inch panel, although you can see the pixels if you look closely enough. Brightness is good for indoor use (although I haven't even tried it outdoors). Image quality is good again too, although as other reviewers have pointed out, there does seem to be a bluish tint that's more noticeable next to my laptop's mirrored display, but is less noticeable on its own and is great for mine anyway if you're using this If you use a laptop for productivity, you should use the laptop's own display, preferably calibrated for accurate color reproduction, and that external monitor can display everything else. -C, HDMI and 3.5mm audio jack on the left and USB-C, power button, power light and toggle switch on the right The speakers are what you would call typical of a laptop or tablet; not surprising, but passable if you don't need hi-fi sound for music or movement yes The toggle switch on the right is "turn any direction, press to select" type; It's a bit flimsy but does the job and you won't be messing with it anyway. The USB-C ports are the important parts here. The one on the left is fully functional, the one on the right is only for power supply. Here we come to the power supply situation. As discussed above, there are some DisplayLink monitors that get all of their power from one or two USB ports (usually with a Y-cable, similar to some external drives). Unfortunately, it appears that the Lepow monitor cannot draw enough power from a single USB-C connection to the host, which may be part of the monitor's design but can also be a compatibility feature with other devices; not every other device can offer up to 100W as stated in USB PD 2.0. This is also a compatibility issue related to the issue of video output, which is discussed in detail below, but in short, it's difficult to get a full list of the device's power delivery and alternate mode capabilities. I'm still not even sure what power options and alternate modes the Chromebook I'm using supports, although it otherwise worked with this monitor. In any case, this means that if other devices really can't put out enough power to drive the Lepow, you'll need to plug that right USB-C port into a power bank, either one that's powered on or something else that will output can be 10W. (And again, HDMI doesn't supply power, so if you're using that connection you still need an external power source, so the rest of this thread isn't an issue.) I wasn't able to use the monitor with two Operate with USB-C cables. to-C are connected to each of the monitor ports and both ports on my Chromebook, which again isn't necessarily something my Chromebook is capable of. Instead, I was able to connect a monitor that was plugged into the Chromebook's own power supply, and the monitor would send power to the Chromebook! This means that despite the perceived inconvenience of connecting two cables to the monitor, you end up only needing one cable from the monitor to power the PC, which is a good benefit. Okay, we've covered that topic, but the Lepow monitor can connect to video via USB-C instead of a mini-HDMI port. This is *not* related to the DisplayLink technology mentioned above, which is again a direct USB data connection that uses the bandwidth that other devices might need. Rather, it's because USB 3.1 introduced Alternate Modes, which are different protocols routed down the USB-C connector (i.e. they're not USB data channels). In practice, there are 3 widely used alternative modes: Thunderbolt 3, which is *mainly* PCIe (but admittedly more difficult), and HDMI and DisplayPort. The last two are used to enable this type of wearable display (although I've seen desktop monitors with USB-C). The confusion mentioned above is that devices, especially laptops, typically don't advertise if they support HDMI. , DP or both alternative modes. You can usually find out if there's TB3 and if the USB-C ports are data only, power only, or both, but I've really had trouble figuring out what standard video devices are supported, and this applies to both monitors and the Chromebook that comes with it i use it I can tell you that this absolutely works, which won't help you, the reader, to determine whether or not your device will also be compatible, but I suspect Lepow at least uses HDMI Alternate mode, since it does too natively uses HDMI. and I have no idea if it also supports DP Alternate Mode as I don't have an output device that exclusively uses that interface. Admit I've talked long enough. :) Good portable monitor for the price, despite its shortcomings. This is something to consider if you need a portable display for your Nintendo Switch or a second display for your laptop while traveling on business.

img 1 attached to ๐ŸŽฎ Enhance Your Gaming Experience with Lepow Portable Monitor Z1 Gamut Computer Speakers โ€“ 15.6", 1920X1080, Z1-Gamut Pearl Grey, HDMI review by Ondra Stathopoulos

๏ปฟ

Pros
  • Updated extended color space
Cons
  • Restricted Ports

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