About this review The ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC was purchased on Amazon for $250. There are older and lower costs models like MB169B+ and MB168B (WXGA) for less than $200, but the MB16AC is the newest iteration and has improved connectivity and display technology. Wait, they make portable displays? ZenScreen – What it is A few companies like HP and others have been making portable displays for a few years now aimed mostly at business, but ASUS is positioning ZenScreen as a mass market solution for the prosumer crowd.
ASUS MB169 Splendid Scenery Mode DisplayPort 1920x1080@60Hz Scenery Mode Standard Mode Theater Mode Game Mode Night View Mode sRGB Mode Reading Mode Darkroom Mode • Scenery Mode: This is the best choice for scenery photo displaying with. Page 15 Color Temp. Skin Tone Smart View • Brightness: The adjusting range is from 0 to 100.
At its essence, the ZenScreen is simple. Take a laptop and break off the whole computer part and keep the display. Traditionally the problem with such a scenario has been how to power such a device and have the display connector. Running a separate AC wall plug is possible, but that degrades the mobility part – sure, you can take it with you, but you need a wall jack too. More screens = better work ZenScreen – for the productivity crowd The idea of taking a second (or, in theory, even a third) display with you on the road seems ludicrous. However, many people including myself operate daily on a multi-monitor work station. Traveling and reducing your workload with a single display is better than no display at all, but it does limit your work habits.
For those who do presentations, having one display for data and notes while the second screen shows the PowerPoint is a tantalizing solution. Or maybe, you just want to watch Twitter, use Microsoft Teams, or keep an eye on Sling TV while you work. The issue with carrying a second display with you is it's not what you will do with it, but about convenience. Luckily, ZenScreen mostly solves that. Decent hardware ASUS ZenScreen specifications The ZenScreen is a relatively light weight and portable. While the overall specification pales compared to modern 4K touch displays in many laptops considering this is powered by a single cable and weighs less than many Ultrabooks it is an excellent tradeoff.
Category Specification Panel Size Wide Screen 15.6' (39.6cm) 16:9 Panel Type IPS True Resolution 1920x1080 Display Viewing Area (HxV) 344.16 x 193.59 mm Display Surface Glossy Pixel Pitch 0.179mm Brightness(Max) 220 cd Contrast Ratio (Max) 800:1 Technology Flicker free Blue light filter Connection type DisplayPort over USB-C (USB-C to USB-C) USB Type-C to A adapter Dimensions 14.6 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches (371 x 226 x 7.62 mm) Weight 1.7lbs (771 grams) 2.8lbs (1.27kg) with case Optional software DisplayWidget and MultiFrame apps. Like all display buttons to control the menu, it takes a few tries to understand the enter versus up/down system. At just 7.62mm the ZenScreen is very thin although it does get thicker with the Smart Case, which is used to prop up and protect the accessory during travel. That Smart Case is somewhat derivative of what Apple uses for the iPad. The case is magnetic attaching to the back and wrapping around the display. Magnets hold the cover to the front of the screen as well, and I always felt the screen was protected from scratches, dings, or dents.
As expected, the Smart Case doubles as a stand using some fancy origami-like configurations. The most basic setup involves wrapping the front of the cover below itself to use as a stand, but some other setups let you lower the ZenScreen. Like all Smart Covers, I found the ASUS one floppy and a bit unwieldy. I would have preferred a Surface-like kickstand and hinge instead. Not only would be easier to use, but it would give simpler positioning for angles too. Combined with a magnetic front cover, I am baffled why ASUS did not opt for that configuration instead. ASUS also punched out a pen-sized hole in the lower right corner.
The company includes a pen in the box – not a smart pen, a real black ink one – that can be put in the hole to act as a kickstand. While I get the 'life hack' appeal, in the end, it feels like a kludge and rather amateurish. The ZenScreen weighs just 1.7lbs (771 grams) but jumps to 2.8lbs (1.27kg) with smart case. I suppose much of that weight is the strong magnets used to seal the display. Despite it doubling the weight when carried with a Surface Pro, I never felt beleaguered when carrying it.
While the bezel is a black plastic material, the lower area is silver brushed metal that contrasts nicely. There were no creaks, soft spots, jagged edges, or any other design flaws. Finally, the rear of the ZenScreen leverages ASUS's familiar circular brushed metal design. It's exquisite and possibly prone to scratching were it not for the smart cover that protects it nearly all the time. Second screening ZenScreen display The ZenScreen only yielded about 200 nits of brightness.
Compared to most laptops that are maxed out the ZenScreen is about half as luminous. Nonetheless, I would not describe it as dull, just do not plan to use it outside under the sun. The lack of extreme brightness is to ensure it does not drain too much power from the connected laptop. Color accuracy was decent falling around 74 percent sRGB. That is poor color accuracy for photo and video editing but fine for second-screening for productivity apps or even watching TV or a movie. The ZenScreen is also rather glossy, which when combined with overhead lights, could make extended usage problematic if the connected laptop's display is matte. On-screen settings let you choose between various profiles like cinema, scenery, theater, game, reading, and night view modes.
Each of those can be fine-tuned for contrast, brightness, sharpness, and more for personalization. The ZenScreen is very sharp for text and brightness was even with no visible light bleed. Being In-plane switching (IPS) technology viewing angles are excellent. For devices with USB Type-A, the user needs to attach the converter to the Type-C cable. Interestingly, the Surface Pro seemed to pull the DisplayPort over Type-A driver from Windows Update without user interference. I faced one limit with the Surface Laptop running Windows 10 S.
Not only did it not pull the driver automatically, but the user cannot manually install the driver from ASUS either due to the way the OS blocks executable apps from running (I was unable to extract the driver as well). Surface Laptop owners who switch to Window 10 Pro from Windows 10 S have no issue. Upon rebooting after the switch, the Surface Laptop pulled the ZenScreen MB16AC driver. Another limit was with the, which also could not work with the ZenScreen with either its Type-C or Type-A port. Presumably, the GPD Pocket just does not have enough power for the ZenScreen although it is not entirely clear. The bottom line is most laptops with either USB Type-A or USB Type-C ports should be OK with the ZenScreen. However, as demonstrated above, there are exceptions with Windows 10 S and some cheaper, or underpowered devices where there may be obstacles.
Finally, for those with a Windows 10 Mobile device like the HP Elite x3 or Alcatel Idol 4S you can use the ZenScreen wired for Continuum but if you increase the brightness too much it may cause connectivity issues due to the massive power draw. Android devices are mostly a miss as many do not support DisplayPort over USB. Cool to have if you need it ZenScreen is an easy recommendation Admittedly, the draw to the ASUS ZenScreen is a limited demographic. Most people are fine with a single display, but for those like myself who prefer multi-monitor setups, the ZenScreen is a fantastic solution. Putting aside some quirks with niche devices or Windows 10 S the ZenScreen worked without a hitch.
It is light enough to toss in a bag and worth the slightly added weight for the convenience. Even with it not being the brightest nor most color accurate display, the ZenScreen looks great in person.
Contrast is excellent, the screen's brightness is even, and the refresh rate is good enough for video without any noticeable motion blur. The smart cover is not the best solution here, and ASUS could do better, but it was not a deal breaker either. The cover does a respectable job of protecting the display when in the bag and gives confidence when tossing it around that it won't be damaged. ASUS's $250 price tag is not exactly cheap, but it does not feel extravagant either, and the value feels justified by the ability it provides.
Finally, for battery draw, I did not find the ZenScreen to impact battery severely. On average for the Surface Pro, there was a reduction of about ninety minutes from the nearly eight hours of total battery capacity. Obviously, such a metric is hard to account for due variability in brightness and the connected laptop. Overall, I can recommend the ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC for those who want more screen real estate when traveling.
It's an ingenious solution to a problem some of us have, and the ability to switch between Type-A and Type-C USB ports opens many possibilities for many devices.
Having more than one is a boon for productivity, and it's usually easy to get hold of a second panel if you're working from home or the office. On the move, however, you can't exactly chuck your favorite 4K-resolution stunner into a backpack. For that reason, mobile workers have long felt the paint of having to revert back to using a single display.
Portable monitors are one solution to the conundrum, but devices in its category so far have been dogged by issues such as high input latency, poor viewing angles and washed out displays. Asus is looking to change that with the MB169C+, which follows on from its previous portable monitor, the MB168B+. The company's newest offering boasts a 15-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1080) display and uses the newer connectivity standard, rather than USB-A like the MB168B+ – and it's convenient to boot. Portable package Let's take a look at how the MB169C+ is put together. Even with the illustrated instruction manual to hand, it's not immediately clear how the monitor's case, which doubles up into a protective sleeve, folds into shape. After a good 10 minutes of trial and error, we worked out that the back end of the case folds into a triangle and fastens tight via two velcro strips. At the other end, the flap folds over to the halfway point, which then allows you to tuck it underneath and balance the monitor on top.
The display can be inserted into one of three lips of material angled at varying degrees depending on what angle you want view the screen. It's a simple but effective method, and the display remains steadfast until you're ready to move it again. Once in position, it's time to connect the USB-C cable to the port on the left-hand side of the monitor, with the other end going into your device of choice. We tested it using Apple's new, but the MB169C+ will work with any laptop equipped with a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort active mode. An indicator light comes on the top-left hand side of the monitor to show that it's receiving a signal, and Asus' logo is displayed after around five seconds before the MacBook's extended picture pops up on the screen. The MacBook Pro sports two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, delivering 10 Gbps of data transfer rates each. That's plenty for the MB169C+, which operates as smoothly as a regular external monitor.
After using portable monitors with USB-A connections that suffer from high latency in the past, we found the MB169C+ refreshingly usable. We even managed to play a few rounds of Overwatch on the MB169C+ using the MacBook in Boot Camp mode. The MB169C+ has a slick 5ms response time, meaning that it suffered from no ghosting trails during play. Be aware that even when you're not gaming on it, the MB169C+ will bleed your laptop's battery life dry. That's not a fault of the Asus, but it is something that you'll have to bear in mind when taking your laptop and the MB169C+ to a coffee shop and working away from the mains for hours at a time.
Picture quality is good for a portable monitor, with deep blacks and relatively punchy colors. The image can be adjusted using a dial on the left-hand side, which combines with two rockers to allow for navigating the on-screen menu. From there you can select various color present modes – including Scenery, Standard, Theater, Game, Night View, sRGB, Reading and Darkroom - all with varying levels of brightness and color temperature. The first thing we did was crank up the brightness to maximum, as the picture on the screen felt a little too dim at anything lower.
A degree of caution was needed from that point on, as tinkering too much with the contrast and other settings caused greys and lighter colors to become indistinguishable from whites as they blended into one another. Move the menu's sliders too high and websites like Reddit that use striped colors schemes become a pain to read, and easily picking out data on spreadsheets with alternate colored rows becomes similarly tough.
Because it uses an IPS panel, rather than TN like many older portable monitors, the MB169C+ boasts great viewing angles. They're easily good enough to watch movies on the screen sat with a friend, and it means you can position the monitor at a more extreme angle while you're working on your laptop. Weighing just 800 grams, the MB169C+ is perfectly weighted for slinging into a backpack along with a laptop to take on the move.
In fact, such was our experience with the MB169C+, that for people in need of more screen real-estate on the go, we would recommend combining it with a 13-inch laptop instead of choosing a 15-inch laptop from the outset. (Unless you absolutely require the greater processing power of a 15-inch laptop such as the quad-core MacBook Pro, for example.) Final verdict The Asus MB169C+ is undoubtedly one of the best portable monitors out there today. Requiring a single USB-C cable for video and power, it's high on convenience and low on problems, with none of the latency and viewing angle issues posed by older portable monitors rearing their head on this occasion. On the negative side, even on maximum brightness you're not going to get a screen that's lit up as much as even cheaper laptops. Still, if you're not planning to use the MB169C+ outdoors, its impressive color saturation, lag-free operation and lightweight build all make it a winner for productive road warriors.