I tried the CHEAP and EXPENSIVE monitor light bar | Must Have Computer Desk Accessories

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2 жыл бұрын

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo and ScreenBar Plus are awesome for your setup, but they can be pretty expensive, so is it worth just to get a cheap one instead?
BenQ ScreenBar Halo (Wireless desktop dial): amzn.to/3PXnkfk
BenQ ScreenBar Plus (Wired desktop dial with click): amzn.to/3b7OYr0
Quntis Monitor Light (Cheap light I tried): amzn.to/3zBsNTu
Xiaomi Mi Computer Monitor Light Bar (Popular cheap light I haven't tried): amzn.to/3PTPxDA
Generic Lighbar (Cheap light I haven't tried): amzn.to/3ODgASH
My favorite external drive: amzn.to/3Os9Wi3
My favorite dock: amzn.to/3oyqWZz
My little Thunderbolt 4 dock: amzn.to/3yVRicC
#screenbar #lightbar
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Пікірлер: 405

@Quettesh Жыл бұрын

Xiaomi Monitor Light Bar is much cheaper, it has wireless remote and about the same quality. BenQ is really overpriced for a strip of LEDs.

@StardustLegacyFighter Ай бұрын

Exterior quality is slightly worse, but there's a night and day difference between the interior quality. Unless you've been living under a rock, Xiaomi light bars are prone to breaking within the first year. There are 100s of complaints about them on Amazon and other online retailers.

@Raied114 Жыл бұрын

I love your content, Alex! You're doing all developers and future developers out there a service when it comes to software development content and the tools for development. Keep up the good work!

@nashwins Жыл бұрын

I’ve struggled with lighting on my desk as I too am running out of space, so this review is really helpful! Really appreciate all you do, thanks for the insightful videos and fingers crossed for the raffle 😊🎉

@pedroluis4004 Жыл бұрын

You know you're doing a great job on content when companies start sending you their products!

@Skobeloff... 2 ай бұрын

You know companies are well aware of how easily youtubers push products, when they send their products to so many youtubers for 'review' for 'free'

@mosch1811 Жыл бұрын

The Xiaomi is really solid. Can just recommend them. They turn on when the display is active and they also have a wireless remote. Was thinking about getting the BenQ before but the price and the fact that I want to test it before paying a lot, made me buy the cheaper product.

@alexj1580 Жыл бұрын

I've been looking into monitor lights recently, so I'm glad you did this review!

@ezlanhashim53 Жыл бұрын

I actually thought about getting a monitor light like this but didn't think it was worth it considering my keyboard is backlit and my monitor can easily illuminate my desk too. Thanks for showing these light bars and going into the details (didn't know there was such a thing as flickering on LEDs). Great video, Alex!

@tavarisjones551 Жыл бұрын

I've been using my benq plus for over a year now and its the best accessory that I never knew that I needed. I'm also a software dev and this has truly been a huge quality of life improvement.

@xdikayx Жыл бұрын

I actually thought about getting a monitor light like this. Thanks for showing these light bars and going into the details (didn't know there was such a thing as flickering on LEDs).

@GRLDT Жыл бұрын

Hopefully there's more companies reaching you out for reviews! (of course non paid ones) A nice change of pace from MacBook testing and really detailed review from you Alex! Never knew the lights flickering not fast enough can cause fatigue, gonna ditch these DIY LED lights then 😅

@FrankInTheFlesh Жыл бұрын

I've got the Quntis and use it a lot and it's great. However, I haven't compared it to a higher end one because of the prices. Based on the reviews that I read and my experience, it's perfect for me and have no issues with it at all. I could honestly never justify buying a $100 light bar when this works so well as is.

@KarlXByrne Жыл бұрын

Same here. Have the Quntis for several months now and love it.

@ssskids123 Жыл бұрын

Hey Alex. Thank you so much for the breakdown. I’ve been really curious about this kind of lights in the past and have a similar lighting issue that you do so it’s welcome. Thanks again.

@LaidbackAk Жыл бұрын

Really good review Alex. The BenQ lights are expensive but seem to be well-made. The XIAOMI Mi light bar appears to be very well priced and well built, that could be a good alternative to the BenQ.

@JB-fh1bb Жыл бұрын

@3:20 No. LEDs do not have to flicker. There are three reasons they typically do, and all of them are because it’s cheaper to make them that way: 1. Using AC power directly. Since AC goes through a cycle 50 or 60 times per second, cheap LEDs will flicker 50 or 60 times per second*. 2. If an LED is off half the time it uses half the power*. Whether that’s to meet standards, put some marketing on the box, or to save battery power: Flickering can save energy 3. For dimming. The cheapest way to dim is through Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM). Better lights will use PWM frequencies of 5000 times per second or even 25000+ if you’re lucky, but it’s still the cheaper way. It takes more parts and more circuitry to do variable voltage or variable amperage but both of those have Zero flicker. *There are some edge cases (as there always are) where that’s not strictly true

@matthewclements9587 Жыл бұрын

I bought a cheap light bar of amazon a few months ago and feel it has made a massive difference if I’m on the pc for a few hours. Whilst it’s not as good as the Benq (a great brand who’s monitors I tend to buy) it was about a fifth of the price and based on your comparisons not a bad compromise. Thanks for mentioning about the led flicker as although I don’t get it on my light bar, I had noticed this on my Razor keyboard and thought I was going mad as it’s only ever out of the corner of my eye that I’d notice. Another great review and really enjoying your channel since discovering it a couple of months ago.

@PlaybyRaine Жыл бұрын

I'm loving your content. I'm not a developer but I can relate to a lot of your comparison videos and now I'm watching this! Just subbed. Great way of explaining things 🥰🥰🥰

@AZisk Жыл бұрын

thanks! welcome!

@mrmoonmoon Жыл бұрын

Perfect timing! I’m just doing my own research about the desk lights. Thanks for the inputs!

@theconstantchange Жыл бұрын

I’ve been looking at these light bars for a few months now. Thanks for making an in depth review.

@CarlosStorms Жыл бұрын

I find it useful to fix stuff, I often fix computers next to my monitor and this could be a very nice work light as well... I am loving the concept of freeing space in the desk as well.

@drjones694 Жыл бұрын

Great review I just got the Xiaomi and reviewed it Like you fell on my lap and I love these monitor lights makes a huge difference after a week of use will be a requirement for me from now on

@ecatanzani Жыл бұрын

Very interesting review! It’s fun to see you testing things 😉

@talapang975 Жыл бұрын

It's nice to see you reviewing some tech products especially that relates to developers. Just sharing that I just graduated college and will be starting my job soon as a software engineer. Thanks for the videos about developing using the m1 macs, helped me made a decision on what device will I invest on to code and stuff. Anyways, have a blessed day!

@AlmorTech Ай бұрын

Love this one :) Have a good night, Alex and folks!

@AZisk Ай бұрын

Thanks, you too!

@Vintersorganic Жыл бұрын

I was looking for one of them as I have some problems adjusting my vision to different illuminations (specially when things are dark). So I'm really happy for this review! Thanks as always Alex.

@BaranMirek Жыл бұрын

Thanks for that video! I was looking for opinions about this kind of lamp for myself recently and this content is very useful!

@viditshah8105 Жыл бұрын

Love your videos, new to the channel. Really honest reviews!!

@SergiuszRoszczyk Жыл бұрын

Speaking of LEDs, as long as they are DC powered (5, 12, 24V) they should not flicker, no reason for that. Flickering may occur when adjusting brightness, which is more often done by PWM rather than adjusting current (monitors with flicker free badge uses this method). 230V ones often flicker because of tiny power supply which is unable to keep voltage stable and you get 50/60Hz multiplied by 2 in most cases.

@Timsin2 Жыл бұрын

Superb - thanks Alex, I’ve since bought the plus model and wow what a difference to working from home!

@brianmcguire21 Жыл бұрын

I've been watching your reviews on the M1 Max vs M1 Ultra for development. Good stuff. I just bought the M1 Max Mac Studio and a LG monitor a few days ago. Big upgrade over my previous iMac. The BenQ ScreenBar'a are pretty nice.

@TheLonelyLPer Жыл бұрын

Love the video! Have been considering getting something like this as I'm getting back to school soon and they'd be useful for eye relief during late night bug hunting sessions in my code.

@firstsipstudios Жыл бұрын

Perfect timing for this video! Re-doing the desk setup and have been wondering if these lights are worth it!

@KelG Жыл бұрын

Watching this with my BenQ halo light lol. The price is worth it due to the quality. The wireless remote is also really convenient.

@bhaskaradit Жыл бұрын

One thing to note is not to install the screenbar too tight on your monitor because it will make it bleed for a longer use, especially with the cheaper screen bar. A lot of users having this problem, so be careful.

@AZisk Жыл бұрын

good to know thanks

@JoseAguilar-vt9zt Жыл бұрын

I have one of the inexpensive ones (bought mine at Costco - not sure the brand). Not a lot of control, but works fine. One thing I ended up using them for is for video calls for remote meetings. I tilt it a bit towards my face and it makes a difference, specially since I have a window behind me so I would previously show up as a silhouette.

@mateuszmrowiec4265 Жыл бұрын

Great comparison and thank you for spending time for doing this video!

@TheOfficialGusS Жыл бұрын

Never thought about having this kind of monitor light bar, I usually just have my lamp on my desk. Otherwise nice review! Would like to see more in the future, especially if it can improve our development environment :)

@AlesRozmarin Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video Alex, I enjoy review and make for me easier to choose the light.

@FernandoLucaDeTenaSmith Жыл бұрын

Just discovered you a day or two ago and really like your videos. Good job man :)

@AZisk Жыл бұрын

thanks! welcome

@professorgamer2084 3 ай бұрын

After Watching over 20 videos I choose Benq Halo, Thanks for the video

@marcodesantis2910 Жыл бұрын

I was looking at these some days ago, it would be really interesting to check if they actually make a difference for my eye strain or not. very nice video btw!

@kinglee5008 Жыл бұрын

Great video, never thought about a light bar, but after the video it makes a lot of sense now. Why didn’t I consider this earlier, I’ll never know. Keep up the great work.

@edoardomacri3049 Жыл бұрын

Hello Alex, the flickering you are talking about happens on light bulbs because they are made cheaply, as they lack of a current transformer, the one that converts mains (source of alternating current) to a stable direct current used by LEDs. They are simply electric diodes that when current flows with positive voltage they lit up, while in the other way they simply block the flow and don’t lit, usually it is done with main frequency 50/60Hz. The lights in the studio and the ones you’re showcasing uses DC current either from a proper (beefy) transformer or via pc’s psu.

@KarenVaisman1 Жыл бұрын

I recently got the BenQ monitor and these lights seem to be a great complimentary accessory. Thanks for an “illuminating” review!! 🤩😊🤩

@LukasTyla Жыл бұрын

Really informative review, thank you. I was pondering switching from desk lamp to a monitor lamp and now, when I saw these BenQ ones in action I do want it even more. Although, I'm using a MacBook Pro right in front of the monitor and I'm afraid that the laptops screen with glare coating might reflect the light too much. :/

@KoZeroSM Жыл бұрын

I've been using Xiamoi Mi light bar for over a year and it's been doing really great considering it's a budget one. The light trajectory is actually asymmetric unlike the other light bar within similar price range. One downside is that the wireless controller is a bit finicky. The rest is great.

@ahwai82 Жыл бұрын

i have the same light bar, i find that pressing the remote with 2 finger on the edge works better. Apart from that its great and for the price i dont have much complain.

@fhoulbr Жыл бұрын

Worth it's price. IT's doing the job great.

@lorenzehernandez2602 Жыл бұрын

Awesome review. Definitely important to take a look at light frequency as that can affect eye straining as you mentioned

@madmeatballs1533 Жыл бұрын

Been eyeing for one of these for awhile now. What a timely video lol.

@Nightey3s Жыл бұрын

Really love your videos, especially your comparision videos of the Apple Silicon chips, I'm really excited about the future of ARM chips in laptops as these are the devices that would benefit greatly from power efficiency. Also, I'm interested in getting a light bar for myself, the BenQ seems a little too pricey for my liking, are you able to pick up one from Xiaomi and test it?

@filthykaos Жыл бұрын

Alex has to be my most favorite find on KZfaq. I liked the mac information, but he does an awesome job on other tech products. Cheers!

@reyjes Жыл бұрын

I bought the Ben-Q ScreenBar Plus and I hate that I paid so much for it, but actually do use it every day. The Halo feature to bounce the light off the wall is a good addition, but the price to upgrade is steep; I'm currently using a desk lamp to bounce light off the wall. I have the light bar plugged into a USB-C outlet on the desk lamp, which works pretty well, since I can turn on the light bar even with the monitor or computer powered off. It helps when switching from work to home setup, or when changing the setup for any other reason. Nice review, by the way!

@nayandas1774 Жыл бұрын

Loved it!!

@cftan925 Жыл бұрын

Very useful showcasing especially on the light flickering part, hope to get one of those cool looking screenbar!

@homemade_vancity Жыл бұрын

Good video. I was just looking into light bars for my editing set up after a few years of fiddling with various LED cords and strips. Really helpful, thanks. I like BenQ products in general, good budget friendly screens for video and photography.

@adamfeber Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video. Was torn between the plus and the Halo and this video helped!

@wertone Жыл бұрын

Wow, great review. Thank you. Keep it up

@ferencfapal Жыл бұрын

It was an informative video, thank you. I’ll pick up one of these for my new office.

@hacik81 Жыл бұрын

I love your videos. They are really useful for programmers.

@dkaranovic Жыл бұрын

Perfect moment! Just wanted to get a light bar. Nice to know, that the cheap ones would do fine, if you can't afford the more expensive ones. But having a desk lamp behind my monitor right now, I can only suggest buying a bar with a backlight. It's really a relieve for your eyes.

@harjyotbagga7693 Жыл бұрын

Amazing contentt!! Way to go!

@dillonpower4798 Жыл бұрын

I’ve been using the Quntis bar since December and it’s held up pretty well - definitely worth the price and it shows 0 signs of breaking. Only problem I had is with thicker monitors (old Acer Z35) where I had to use command strips to actually attach the light bar.

@Capzlk Жыл бұрын

i just found your channel through this review. super relevant because i'm in a similar boat, and was wondering whether or not there is much difference in quality between the price differences. So thanks for the video, it's very helpful, and cool that you're even doing a giveaway, too many people keep the stuff and don't disclose what kind of agreements they have with the manufacturer.

@Musse930115 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for a great review😁

@ChristopheLereverend Жыл бұрын

Nice content! keep up the good work! thanks, Alex

@ragrobber Жыл бұрын

I’ve been using the Quntis bar on my M1 24" iMac and it fits perfectly on the square edged iMac. Love it well worth the money.

@1252PFC Жыл бұрын

Great review!

@r3d-soft Жыл бұрын

Since my eyes rapidly got worse, I‘ve started looking for lights a few weeks ago. Getting one would be great 🤞🏼 Keep up the good job!

@adityashanmugham724 Жыл бұрын

I was sceptical whether the monitor lights are worth it, thanks for clarifying it out.

@chmoncada Жыл бұрын

great review!. I was wonder if I need one of them in my desktop setup!

@neamulm 5 ай бұрын

Great review Alex, and much appreciated as many reviews don’t cover the finer aspects of the quality of the light and the holding mechanism. Only thing I’d ask if you have time is to share your thoughts on using a web camera with these light bars. My issue is that if it’s a pain to do so, perhaps the light bar I need is the type that clamps onto your desk and hangs well above the monitor vs laying along the top of the monitor. 🤷🏽

@jaf724 Жыл бұрын

Great video, thanks for the comparison

@JohnJrPue Жыл бұрын

Great content and quality of content!

@milkcashew Жыл бұрын

Great video, I liked this kind of content!

@MultiShineman Жыл бұрын

Great video! Thank you for comparison.

@ThurSS4 Жыл бұрын

Another illuminating video Alex! 💡 Using a regular desk lamp with a lightbulb and a lamp on the ceiling, so one of these would be quite an improvement for me.

@AZisk Жыл бұрын

😂

@yogifish4721 Жыл бұрын

Well that was just what I needed to know. Didn't know a monitor light would make that much difference, but I see how the focus of light on the desk will take a lot of strain off of my eyes. Great insightful reviews. BTW... The dark low light background makes for a more dramatic video, I'd go with that. Thanks.

@BeyondOneSoul Жыл бұрын

What a timing... I was looking for renewing my lighting from my room! Thanks Alex

@titalx7169 2 ай бұрын

Great review! Thanks

@Brunoelgamer309 Жыл бұрын

Great video!!! Would love to have one of those for my study and programing sessions!

@iamtherjp Жыл бұрын

Love this video.. Exactly what I was looking for.. New subscriber on board

@AnthonyBrown-ww5sn Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review, that would be great for my desk when I am working early in the morning.

@KevinBurns Жыл бұрын

Great overview Alex, the BenQ looks like it better quality and reach over the desk. I have a cheaper no-name model that is not great but it does help reduce the eye-strain.

@brunocmesquita Жыл бұрын

Your content is great! Congratz!

@briantafelmeyer7337 Жыл бұрын

Dude this video was totally lit and ligit!

@champsdesigner Жыл бұрын

Sometimes youtube nails to refer a video. Thank it did with you. Luved the channel.

@b.w.p440 Жыл бұрын

great review i liked the lights and thank you for your honesty

@mrthinkhappily Жыл бұрын

Great review! I am a software developer myself and I really enjoyed your video contents. Thanks a lot of making them!

@martinsoppa Жыл бұрын

its great to have such lights above the desk! And you are right with saving spaces. i use 4 lights from different sources to fill my desk with light! so i am thinking now to switch and buy a lightbar

@newtypetommy Жыл бұрын

I'm a SWE student! I just set up my desk for my journey and would definitely put these to great use on my journey to becoming a SWE!

@ysl060704 Жыл бұрын

Nice. I find it super helpful on what to buy

@karelmares8111 Жыл бұрын

great review! keep doing ;)

@mirosaric2516 Жыл бұрын

I wonder if the difference in quality between the BenQ and the cheaper ones are worth it. My experience with my BenQ monitor leads me to believe it could be. Keep up the good work, love your channel!