NEC MultiSync EA244UHD 24-Inch 4K Monitor Review
Design
The EA244UHD is one of 11 monitors in NEC's MultiSync EA Series, though it's also one of the newest and the only one to sport a 4K resolution (3840x2160). At $1,349 MSRP, it's also the one of the most expensive -- the only MultiSync EA Series monitor that costs more is the 30-inch EA304WMI, which features a WQXGA (2560x1600) resolution.
;)
One of the advantages of owning a smaller size monitor with a higher resolution like the EA244UHD is the amount of screen real estate you get without taking up a ton of physical desk space. The EA244UHD's footprint is far more manageable than trying to make room for a 30-inch monitor. The entire unit measures a comfortable 21.9 inches (W) by 15.2 inches (H) by 8.5 inches (D) and weighs 15.43 pounds.
Big things come in this relatively small package though, namely the 10-bit panel with a 4K resolution. It has a rated 350 cd/m2 brightness, 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and 6ms response time. And as we touched on earlier, the panel offers 99.3 percent coverage of the AdobeRGB color space with 1.07 billion displayable colors. NEC also rates it for 94.8 percent coverage of the NTSC and 146.4 percent coverage of the sRGB color spaces, if you prefer to use either one for reference.
The physical bezel on the front of the panel is smaller than most -- it measures just half an inch thick. Touch sensitive controls adorn the bottom-right corner and are also located on the front with what appear to be laser-etched labels.
You'll also notice a couple of dots in the center of the bottom bezel. One is the Ambribright Sensor that detects the level of ambient lighting, and the other is the Human Sensor, which detects the presence of a user. Both of these are components of NEC's power saving features, and while they're not likely to add up to big savings for individual users, it's a different story for businesses that are thinking about deploying this monitor across an entire department.
Big things come in this relatively small package though, namely the 10-bit panel with a 4K resolution. It has a rated 350 cd/m2 brightness, 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and 6ms response time. And as we touched on earlier, the panel offers 99.3 percent coverage of the AdobeRGB color space with 1.07 billion displayable colors. NEC also rates it for 94.8 percent coverage of the NTSC and 146.4 percent coverage of the sRGB color spaces, if you prefer to use either one for reference.
The physical bezel on the front of the panel is smaller than most -- it measures just half an inch thick. Touch sensitive controls adorn the bottom-right corner and are also located on the front with what appear to be laser-etched labels.
You'll also notice a couple of dots in the center of the bottom bezel. One is the Ambribright Sensor that detects the level of ambient lighting, and the other is the Human Sensor, which detects the presence of a user. Both of these are components of NEC's power saving features, and while they're not likely to add up to big savings for individual users, it's a different story for businesses that are thinking about deploying this monitor across an entire department.
;)
There's a sizable hump on the EA244UHD's backside that makes it noticeably thicker than a cheap LED monitor. Part of the reason for that is because NEC equipped the panel with half a dozen display inputs (we'll go over those in a moment), along with various other inputs and features such as Picture-By-Picture (PBP), a built-in USB 3.0 hub, eco friendly sensors, and the list goes on. It also provides plenty of ventilation to keep the interior cool.
For the asking price, we're surprised NEC went with all-plastic construction versus metal/aluminum for the circular base and stand. In practical use, however, the stand is both sturdy and stable -- it would take quite a bit of force to knock the monitor over. It also features some cable management capabilities -- just route the cables down through its spine to keep them from tangling.
What we're more impressed with are all the ergonomic and productivity options the flexible base affords. You name it, the EA244UHD can do it -- height adjustment up to 130mm, tilt support from -5 degrees to +30 degrees, swivel from -170 degrees to +170 degrees, and rotate from 0 degrees to 90 degrees (landscape to portrait mode). Few monitors offer this much customization, and that's true even in the professional category where the ability to rotate is often left out.
Here we see the wide array of input options. Other than plumbing for the kitchen sink, the EA244UHD isn't missing many ports -- from left to right you'll find the USB upstream port, USB3.0 downstream ports, two DVI-D ports (DVI-D2 and DVI-D1), two HDMI ports (HDMI2 and HDMI1/MHL), two full-size DisplayPorts (DisplayPort2 and DisplayPort1), ControlSync In/Out, Audio input, and the power cord connector. Over on the right side of the panel you'll find the other USB 3.0 downstream port and a headphone jack.
If you notice that audio coming from a plugged in external device sounds a bit muted or dull, check the cable. In the documentation, NEC notes that you should only use an audio cable without a built-in resistor -- using an audio cable with a built-in resistor turns down the sound.
;)
For the asking price, we're surprised NEC went with all-plastic construction versus metal/aluminum for the circular base and stand. In practical use, however, the stand is both sturdy and stable -- it would take quite a bit of force to knock the monitor over. It also features some cable management capabilities -- just route the cables down through its spine to keep them from tangling.
What we're more impressed with are all the ergonomic and productivity options the flexible base affords. You name it, the EA244UHD can do it -- height adjustment up to 130mm, tilt support from -5 degrees to +30 degrees, swivel from -170 degrees to +170 degrees, and rotate from 0 degrees to 90 degrees (landscape to portrait mode). Few monitors offer this much customization, and that's true even in the professional category where the ability to rotate is often left out.
;)
Here we see the wide array of input options. Other than plumbing for the kitchen sink, the EA244UHD isn't missing many ports -- from left to right you'll find the USB upstream port, USB3.0 downstream ports, two DVI-D ports (DVI-D2 and DVI-D1), two HDMI ports (HDMI2 and HDMI1/MHL), two full-size DisplayPorts (DisplayPort2 and DisplayPort1), ControlSync In/Out, Audio input, and the power cord connector. Over on the right side of the panel you'll find the other USB 3.0 downstream port and a headphone jack.
If you notice that audio coming from a plugged in external device sounds a bit muted or dull, check the cable. In the documentation, NEC notes that you should only use an audio cable without a built-in resistor -- using an audio cable with a built-in resistor turns down the sound.
