NEC MultiSync EA244UHD 24-Inch 4K Monitor Review
Performance Summary: Even though NEC isn't marketing its MultiSync EA244UHD as a professional grade monitor, our testing showed that it nips at the heels of its higher end brethren. Out of the box performance didn't blow us away, but with just a little bit of tweaking, the EA244UHD sprang to life with deep blacks, bright whites, superb gray scale performance, and very good tones overall. Colors tended to be a bit on the bright side and lacked the richer reproduction of professional panels like the ones found in NEC's PA series, but compared to a mainstream monitor, the EA244UHD delivers an exponentially superior viewing experience. Even gaming didn't suffer from as much motion blur as we thought it would.
As we mentioned, we spent a little bit of time fine tuning the EA244UHD's settings. That's not to say you won't be pleased with the performance straight out of the box, but if you're willing to dive into the extensive menu options and play around, you can really bring this monitor to life, and we strongly suggest you do that. The before and after performance was well worth the nominal time we spent adjusting virtual knobs and dials.
We also have to give NEC credit for the wealth of features baked into the EA244UHD. There are half a dozen inputs, of which you can use to connect multiple machines to run in a matrix; the stand supports every ergonomic feature you can think of, including rotate (landscape/portrait); Eco friendly options abound with statistics on how much energy you're using and what it's costing you; and the list goes on.
That's also the rub. At $1,349 MSRP, NEC's asking price is mighty steep for a 24-inch monitor, even a 4K one. For the average user, it's just too much when you can get a bigger display for the same money or less. However, enthusiasts and in particular businesses looking to outfit an entire office are prime candidates, especially since you can easily sync settings among multiple monitors. While the initial investment is high, you get a next-generation 4K viewing experience with lots of power saving features that could make something like this a wise investment. And if you can take advantage of the myriad features, the MSRP looks a lot less scary.
;)
It's been difficult for us to wholeheartedly recommend jumping into 4K monitor territory up to this point because of the early issues that marred the user experience. Ultimately, 4K is not a fully mature technology. Everything from the hardware to software and firmware -- and even the type of DisplayPort cable -- can cause an issue, and we've seen plenty of them in previous panels.
As we mentioned, we spent a little bit of time fine tuning the EA244UHD's settings. That's not to say you won't be pleased with the performance straight out of the box, but if you're willing to dive into the extensive menu options and play around, you can really bring this monitor to life, and we strongly suggest you do that. The before and after performance was well worth the nominal time we spent adjusting virtual knobs and dials.
We also have to give NEC credit for the wealth of features baked into the EA244UHD. There are half a dozen inputs, of which you can use to connect multiple machines to run in a matrix; the stand supports every ergonomic feature you can think of, including rotate (landscape/portrait); Eco friendly options abound with statistics on how much energy you're using and what it's costing you; and the list goes on.
That's also the rub. At $1,349 MSRP, NEC's asking price is mighty steep for a 24-inch monitor, even a 4K one. For the average user, it's just too much when you can get a bigger display for the same money or less. However, enthusiasts and in particular businesses looking to outfit an entire office are prime candidates, especially since you can easily sync settings among multiple monitors. While the initial investment is high, you get a next-generation 4K viewing experience with lots of power saving features that could make something like this a wise investment. And if you can take advantage of the myriad features, the MSRP looks a lot less scary.
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