Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC review: Smart TV features in a small display

            <h3 class="review-best-price" id="best-prices-today-asus-zenscreen-smart-monitor-ms27uc">
        Best Prices Today: Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC      </h3>
            <div class="wp-block-price-comparison price-comparison ">

    <div id="New" class="new_products_tab tabcontent">
        <div class="price-comparison__record price-comparison__record--header">
            <div>
                <span>Retailer</span>
            </div>
            <div class="price-comparison__price">
                <span>Price</span>
            </div>
        </div>
                                                    <div class="price-comparison__record  ">
                        <div class="price-comparison__image">
                                                                <span>Asus</span>
                                                        </div>
                        <div class="price-comparison__price">

                            <span>
                            $399.99                             </span>

                        </div>
                        <div>
                            <a class="price-comparison__view-button" href="https://shop.asus.com/us/90lm0a3h-b01ob0-zenscreen-smart-monitor-ms27uc.html" data-vars-product-name="Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC" data-vars-product-id="2587276" data-vars-category="Monitors" data-vars-manufacturer-id="11291" data-vars-manufacturer="Asus" data-vars-vendor="Asus" data-vars-po="" data-product="2587276" data-vars-link-position-id="001" data-vars-link-position="Price Comparison Top" data-vars-outbound-link="https://shop.asus.com/us/90lm0a3h-b01ob0-zenscreen-smart-monitor-ms27uc.html" target="_blank">View Deal</a>                          </div>
                    </div>
                                            <div class="price-comparison__record price-comparison__record--footer">
                <span class="price-comparison__footer-text">
                                                Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide                                              </span>
                                </div>
                    </div>
    <div id="Refurbished" class="refurbished_products_tab tabcontent">
        <div class="refurbished-padding price-comparison__record price-comparison__record--header">
            <div>
                <span>Product</span>
            </div>
            <div class="price-comparison__price">
                <span>Price</span>
            </div>
        </div>
                        <div class="price-comparison__record price-comparison__record--footer">
                <span class="price-comparison__footer-text">
                Price comparison from Backmarket                        </span>
                                </div>
    </div>
    </div>

Smart monitors (monitors that run a smart TV OS, like Google TV or Tizen) quietly became a trend in 2024 thanks to new releases from Samsung and LG, among others. Most of these monitors are larger, however, and target higher price points. The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC is a smaller, more affordable alternative that will appeal to people who care more about a smart monitor’s features than its image quality.  

Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC specs & features

At its core, the Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC is a run-of-the-mill 27-inch 4K monitor. It has a 27-inch IPS display with a native resolution of 3840×2160. While the display panel supports HDR, its specifications are otherwise mundane. It has a 60Hz refresh rate, lacks VESA DisplayHDR certification, and lacks adapative sync.

• Display size: 27-inch 16:9 widescreen
• Native resolution: 3840×2160
• Panel type: In-Plane Switching
• Refresh rate: 60Hz
• Adaptive sync: None
• HDR: Yes, HDR 10
• Ports: 1x USB-C with DisplayPort and up to 90 watts of USB Power Delivery, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB-A 2.0 downstream, 1x 3.5mm audio out
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Speakers: 2x 5-watt speakers
• Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Operating system: Google TV
• Remote control: Included, with two AAA batteries
• Price: $399.99 MSRP

While the display panel is basic, Asus packs the monitor with many useful features. It ships with a remote and batteries used to control the Google TV operating system. It also has Wi-Fi (a must for the smart TV OS to work), USB-C with 90 watts of Power Delivery, and a pair of 5-watt speakers.

Asus lists an MSRP of $399.99, but it appears to frequently go on sale for $369.99.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best monitors to learn about competing products.

Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC design

The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC is among the more affordable smart monitors available right now, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at it. On the contrary, it provides a clean, premium aesthetic that should look excellent in any office or living room.

From the front, the MS27UC has slim bezels on the top and sides, while the bottom is covered by an attractive grayish-white fabric that blends well with most rooms and lends the monitor an approachable, friendly feel. The fabric covering sweeps around the back of the monitor, where it joins silver plastics that look (but don’t feel) like metal.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The rear of the monitor also boasts a small shelf for rear storage, and Asus provides several peripherals (including the remote bundled with the TV) designed to perch there. While I rarely remembered to use it, this feature could be useful if you like a tidy setup.

The monitor has a compact but effective L-shaped stand with a flat base. It takes up very little space on a desk and its compact form factor means the monitor can perch on even smaller surfaces, like a nightstand or cabinet (important if you plan to use it like a small television). The stand’s ergonomic adjustment is limited, however. It only adjusts for tilt and height and its range of height adjustment is a tad more limited than typical at 100mm of total travel.

A typical 100x100mm VESA mount is available for attaching the monitor to a third-party stand or mount. The ports are rear-facing instead of downward-facing. While I generally prefer this, as it makes connecting devices a breeze, it could prove tricky if you want to wall-mount the monitor.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC connectivity

The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC has a good range of connectivity. Video inputs include USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode, DisplayPort, and HDMI, for a total of three video inputs. While I would’ve preferred to see a second HDMI, this arrangement is probably fine for most owners.

The USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode can also supply up to 90 watts of Power Delivery, which makes it useful for connecting and charging a laptop, tablet, or even a smartphone. While this is most useful in a home office, it could also be handy if you want play games on a connected laptop, smartphone, or handheld gaming device.

Two USB-A 2.0 downstream ports and a 3.5mm audio-out jack round out the options. A USB-C downstream port would’ve been nice, but the MS27UC’s overall connectivity is good value for money.

Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC Smart TV features

Asus ships the ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC with Google TV, an Android-based operating system users might already be familiar with, as it’s commonly used by TVs from Sony, TCL, and Hisense, among others.

Because it’s a smart monitor with an operating system, the MS27UC requires a bit of setup before it’s ready to use. You’ll need to connect to Wi-Fi, log in to a Google account, and complete a few optional personalization steps. I found this process a bit slower than on competing smart monitors due to several setup load screens that took a minute or two to complete. Still, I had the monitor ready to use in under 10 minutes.

Once set up, I found the Google TV operating system familiar and easy to navigate. It really is Google TV, so apps you’d expect to work with a larger television running Google TV will work here. This includes streaming apps like YouTube (of course), Netflix, Amazon Prime, and so on.

If you’d like, you can use the MS27UC like a 27-inch smart television without a device connected to a video input. The monitor also supports wireless video connections through standards like Miracast and Chromecast, meaning it’s possible to wirelessly stream video from select phones, tablets, and computers.

Note, however, that the MS27UC lacks a TV tuner and won’t be able to connect to a coaxial cable source. This is also true of competitive smart monitors, however.

The remote control is large, comfortable, and provides good access to video connections and display options. I found the menu system easier to navigate than those on the Samsung and LG smart monitors I tested the last year. And I had no trouble connecting a PC over HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C. The menu system is ever-so-slightly sluggish at times, but it’s minor and I expect many users won’t notice.

However, the menu options are a bit confusing when using the display as a monitor. By default, the monitor switches to PC Mode (and this was used for most of our testing). This mode locks out some adjustments, such as color temperature. HDR also did not function in PC Mode. I also tried using Asus DisplayWidget, a Windows app that can control the settings of most Asus monitors and found it didn’t work with the MS27UC.

A pair of 5-watt speakers wrap up the monitor’s smart TV features. They’re okay, but 5 watts isn’t a ton of power, and the monitor lacks a subwoofer to deliver low-end kick. As a result, the monitor’s sound comes across as tinny and thin. The speakers are passable for casual viewing, but owners planning a Netflix binge will want a better sound system.   

Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC SDR image quality

The Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC has many features but, when it comes to image quality, there’s not a lot to talk about. Aside from a native resolution of 3840×2160, the monitor’s display is a rather basic IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. That shows through in testing.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

First up, however, is a bit of good news. The MS27UC hits a maximum SDR brightness of 467 nits, which is extremely high for any monitor.

An SDR brightness this high isn’t necessary for use in a typical home office, but it makes sense in a smart monitor that might replace a television. I expect the MS27UC will be used in brightly lit rooms, including living rooms and kitchens, where it’s an alternative to a budget smart television. The display’s brightness should keep it comfortable to view in most situations.