Great Monitor. Some software and documentation defects.
I received this monitor today, February 20, 2023. It is the 43" M70B (Model: S43BM702UN ). It was manufactured in February 2023 in Mexico, not Vietnam, so it was born less than 20 days ago. Jerry wrote a great review. I've read the manuals. I've got two problems and one inconvenience. Problem 1) My webcam works with the monitor, but when I set it to be used by the computer attached to the USB-C, it doesn't work. Problem 2) My Logitech MK850 Bluetooth keyboard/mouse will not connect. The monitor finds them, but when I select "Pair," nothing happens, and after a minute or so, the settings software exits, apparently having failed. I hope a software update fixes it soon. Inconvenience 1) When I'm using it as a streaming TV, there is no quick way to switch it back to the PC. A "source" button on the remote would be nice. So far, the best way I've found is to open settings, navigate to connections, and select PC. It's about four more remote control clicks than it should be and challenging to explain to my wife. The documentation does not mention the microphone. There is one, but where is it? Some specs would be nice. Also, there are no specs on the built-in sound. It sounds pretty bad to me, but I've got a pretty good setup on the TV/Music system I use most often. 4/7/2023 UPDATE: The problems with the Bluetooth keyboard/mouse and camera connections have disappeared. The current firmware update is 1470.0 8/30/2023 UPDATE: I connect it via USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 10 Gbps cable to a Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1. After a few weeks, the computer no longer recognized the additional display. The monitor attached camera and keyboard/mouse continued to work through the USB cable. Thankfully, there is a three-year warranty. I called Samsung Tech Support. We went through all the diagnostics I had already done. The lady pronounced the monitor defective and scheduled a technician to come to my home (from 100 miles away). He had some special remotes with him, allowing him to do a deeper manufacturer's reset than the retail customer can do with the standard remote. The monitor worked for a couple more weeks, and then it failed again in the same way. I called tech support, and they offered me a full refund. At this point, I ordered the same monitor again from Amazon. It was delivered in a day, but I decided to wait to take it out of the box until my refund was in the bank. The logistics company sent their truck from over 100 miles away to pick it up. I did not box it and returned the power cord, USB-C cable, and remote. I forgot about the high-speed HDMI cable that comes with it. The drivers had appropriate packing material with which they repacked it. I got my refund direct-deposited within three days after the monitor was picked up. The two guys picking it up told me they had a great job. They drove around with a mostly empty truck, and the company would pay for their meals and hotels while they were on the road for customer returns. This process took many hours of my time and was over two months. I was past the 30-day return period for the second monitor before the money was in the bank, and I opened the box and set it up. When I set up the new monitor, it HAD EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE OLD MONITOR! Yikes! what was I to do? I wanted to avoid calling Samsung Tech Support and going through the same two-month-long process again. Here's what I learned from the Samsung User Forums and other places. 1) Others have had similar problems, but the computer recognizes the second display but the monitor does not get the display signals back from the computer. My problem was that the computer did not recognize the second display. 2) The installation instructions say to connect the monitor and computer BEFORE you plug in the power to the monitor. They aren't kidding. 3) Others have had success by buying a higher quality 1 M USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 10Gbps (or better) cable. ~$20. I bought one but have not had to use it. 4) I solved the problem by shutting down the computer, leaving it connected to the M7 Monitor with the supplied USB-C cable, and unplugging the monitor for at least two minutes. Then I plugged power into the monitor and turned on the Dell XPS. Also, the M7 only auto-updated the firmware to version 1470. I did a manual install of the latest firmware from the Samsung support site, and it was updated to version 1520.7. I have yet to notice a difference. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this monitor keeps working because it's great for the price. 9/2/2023 The four-year-old Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 was not recognizing a Logitech camera USB-2 attached to the M7, and I could not get the Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse to connect to the M7, I was using the Logitech dongle instead. The M7 manual firmware update to 1520.7 has fixed the Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse connection. I checked Dell Update and discovered eight major updates, including firmware, to the four-year-old Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1. After updating, the camera recognition problem was fixed. Also the M7 seems to act more like a regular monitor. I only need to use the monitor's remote to use the Smart features, I don't need it basic monitor function. I started putting the monitor to sleep instead of running it 24/7 with a screen saver. I hope the USB-C connection remains stable. It's a great little monitor if you get past all the little niggling bugs. Read more