Samsung ships USB connected 940UX LCD monitor

It's been a long time coming, but Samsung has finally loosed its 19-inch USB connected 940UX on the US public. Starting today, interested consumers can snatch the monitor up, which "leverages Samsung's proprietary UbiSync technology to allow multiple screens to connect via USB, rather than VGA, without the need for a graphics card or any special video hardware." Yes, that means that each screen boasts an onboard video card and embedded driver software, and yes, you can connect up to six screens to one PC -- provided you have that many open ports, of course. The pain? $379 a pop.

[Via Electronista]

[Alan Lau @ Oct 4th 2007 7:24AM]

Is that USB displays faster/better than VGA/DVI or HDMI displays?
I don't think so.

[Taylor @ Oct 4th 2007 7:28AM]

Put high performance graphics cards in them and I'm sure they'll be popular at LANs. Imagine... MacBook/other generic consumer laptop with crummy graphics card but pretty good other specs, plus one of these with maybe even just a 7900GS in it!

Not to mention your PC's temperature would be a lot cooler without heat from your GFX card.

[snife @ Oct 4th 2007 7:55AM]

It offers a very useful solution for many business scenarios but they will simply not be able to put 'high performance graphics cards' in these.

[Kurian @ Oct 4th 2007 7:36AM]

USB doesnt have the bandwidth for that.
Graphics cards need 50+ gigabits per second.

[Rynth @ Oct 4th 2007 7:37AM]

Grr, I just want display port ^^

[周鹏 @ Oct 4th 2007 7:45AM]

In fact,I want to buy 19"normal display,but only USB? Look the screenside ,Doubt the behavior.

[tintastic @ Oct 4th 2007 8:12AM]

Is this a US launch? It's been available to buy in the UK now for the past few months...

ProBlogger are currently running a comp to win two LG USB-enabled widescreen displays that utilise the same DisplayLink USB video technology as this Samsung (but with the more powerful DisplayLink chip). If anyone is interested, head over to:

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/10/03/win-two-lg-usb-monitors-from-displaylink-giveaway/

[Webwolf @ Oct 4th 2007 8:20AM]

Hey, Engadget guys, are you sure you didn't miss a zero on the end of that price tag, there? Because that is..... unusually cheap. I would expect such a thing to start with at least a $500 baseline.

As for USB not having enough bandwidth to provide decent visuals, you're probably all right. In the future, however.... Considering that USB 3.0 is on the horizon, I would hazard a guess that Intel has their eye on something of the sort: Use your integrated Intel GMA on your Centrino laptop, then when you want to do some graphics-intensive work, plug in your USB 3.0 monitor, basically integrating something like ASUS's XG-Station (Is that thing still vaporware?) and a flat-panel together. If something like that *does* work, you'll probably be able to say goodbye to VGA/DVI ports, at the least.

[Webwolf @ Oct 4th 2007 8:33AM]

Scratch that. If DVI's maximum clock frequencies == maximum theoretical speed for the cable, then USB 3.0 will only be able to get to half of what DVI can handle. (Single-link: Capped at 165 MHz, 3.7Gbit/sec, Dual-link: in excess of 7.4 Gbit/sec, limited only by cable quality.) USB 3.0's tenative specs only rate it at 4.8Gbit/sec.

[moa999 @ Oct 4th 2007 8:39AM]

Coming soon to a trading floor near you.

[Hice @ Oct 4th 2007 8:49AM]

I wonder if this thing is compatible with the wireless USB solutions that are being bandied about at the moment.

If it is then this might be a good clutter prevention technology.

[alesh666 @ Oct 4th 2007 9:34AM]

Tried it... pitty it doesn't work on Vista for dual or triple desktop only as mirror.

A.

[savagemike @ Oct 4th 2007 9:44AM]

I think it has some brilliant possibilities. It would certainly be useful if every screen around had a usb port on the front that I could jack my laptop into for temporary use with a simple usb cable.
The word that comes to mind there is....
SWEET !!!!!
I hope the idea catches on....
Actually, with the proliferation of mobile computing with laptops and other ever smaller and smaller units, it is probably inevitable that the market will eventually accept some common method to easily and quickly take control of screens in the wild to use with those devices.
And this seems a perfectly convenient way to do it for the foreseeable future.
So... I just hope it catches on sooner rather than later as it really would be great.


- mike

[Randy @ Oct 4th 2007 10:28AM]

Um, Displayport 1.1 is supposed to to do what you just described. USB simply does not have bandwidth. Not even USB 3.0 will have the necessary bandwidth. displayport plug and cable resemble HDMI.

[Randy @ Oct 4th 2007 10:40AM]

Forgot to add, Displayport can carry an audio signal as well eliminating audio cables as well.

[spam_from_engadget @ Oct 4th 2007 10:19AM]

Regarding performance, I've used one of these and it's excellent for typical desktop use. Videos play OK too. Probably not what you want for games though, and the driver does use a fair chunk of your CPU (I think it must be compressing the data or something).

The main problem is that the protocol is proprietary, so you can't use it with a Linux box.

[randy @ Oct 4th 2007 11:14AM]

Hmmm, a 19" monitor for $380? That's double what is normal for a monitor of this size.

[jcwacky @ Oct 4th 2007 12:08PM]

I'm just hoping this will allow me to have 2 (or more) monitors connected to my Mac Mini!

[roberttco @ Oct 4th 2007 1:55PM]

When it comes to performance, you need to remember that you arend pumping pixles through the USB interface, you ar epumping commands to draw pixels through the interface. Actually higher level things like draw this line here and draw that box there. So USB is fine for that - up to a point.

[Neg2LED @ Oct 4th 2007 10:38PM]

i likes, i wants. i wouldn't use it as main monitor, but as a secondary (for messaging networks etc) would be very cool

Also, would be useful for laptops who want a bigger screen, but dont need GFX power (hint hint me)

--neg

[jj @ Oct 5th 2007 1:08AM]

SAWEEEEEEEETTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally, it's happening, way to go Sammy! This should have been out years ago.