It\u2019s no wonder then that portable displays are so popular, with the assortment of choices providing easily stood up screens that can quickly be matched to your computer of choice, or maybe even a game system.<\/p>\n
While there\u2019s plenty of choice in this category, most go for over $300, making them a somewhat costly accessory.<\/p>\n
Is there such a thing as a budget display, and if there was, what would it be like?<\/p>\n
We may not have to wonder or guess anymore, as Australia\u2019s Laser is trying its hand in the idea, offering a $99 screen. Is it too low a price for a screen, or is the value too hard to pass up?<\/p>\n
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All reviews at Pickr are subject to experienced testing methodologies. Find out why you can trust us<\/a> and change the way you choose. Technically named the Laser PC-14PTMB-004, the Laser 14 inch Portable Monitor is exactly what it says it is: a 14 inch screen with a Full HD 1920\u00d71200 resolution, and a stand built into the back. There are also little speakers built into the back, as well, plus some old school push buttons to change settings on the screen.<\/p>\n Arriving with cables that end in both USB-C and mini-HDMI, Laser\u2019s 14 inch portable screen already comes with more than most displays we\u2019ve seen. Normally, it\u2019s just a stand, a screen, and a USB-C to USB-C cable. The include of an HDMI to mini-HDMI goes a little further, which means you\u2019re getting a little more that would typically cost extra.<\/p>\n What does it do?<\/p>\n Like all portable screens, the idea of this one is to provide an external display that sits rather easily next to your laptop, giving you a little extra to work with.<\/p>\n The stand pops out of the back, sitting on a small hinge and allowing you to position it at a small assortment of angles, though this is not a touchscreen so it doesn\u2019t really matter how you position it.<\/p>\n Once in place, grab one of the included cables \u2014 USB-C or HDMI to Mini-HDMI \u2014 and simply plug it in. Your computer should detect the screen, and you\u2019re ready to go.<\/p>\n If you use the HDMI option, you\u2019ll still need the Type C cable<\/a> to power the thing, but everyone with a USB-C port should also have it work as power and video through the one port. Easy.<\/p>\n There are physical control buttons on the side, old style button presses that can help you tweak brightness and contrast, and just like the monitors of old, it\u2019s a bit of a pain to do anything here. It\u2019ll make you relive the meh times of owning an old screen, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n Fortunately, there\u2019s no degaussing<\/a>, though this reviewer is clearly showing his age.<\/p>\n Does it do the job?<\/p>\n While the old school approach to maintenance fortunately isn\u2019t a part of this display, the lack of overall brightness is. It\u2019s bright enough for most office work, but compare the display to any other screens and you\u2019ll see a clear difference.<\/p>\n Despite this, the Laser 14 inch screen doesn\u2019t fare too badly.<\/p>\n The display is matte, the screen easy to look at, and while the angles could be better, you do get a Full HD resolution at 60Hz, though it\u2019s not a Full HD 1920\u00d71080. That will work, of course, but it stretches the vertical slightly. Rather, it\u2019s a 1920\u00d71200 display, with that resolution appearing best.<\/p>\n Consider that a tip no matter what you decide to plug into the screen, because while it\u2019ll default to 1920\u00d71080 \u2014 the 16:9 standard for Full HD \u2014 this screen performs best with just a few more vertical pixels, running instead at Full HD in 16:10, also known as 1920\u00d71200.<\/p>\n When loaded like this, the display is easy to look at when sitting in front, and really offers a simple external screen. It\u2019s no nonsense and just seems to work.<\/p>\n What does it need?<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not all perfect for Laser\u2019s budget display, which is a nice screen, but not quite at the level where competitors from Dell<\/a> or Espresso deliver. There are premium displays, and then there\u2019s this, which is clearly not premium.<\/p>\n You can see it in the viewing angles, which aren\u2019t horrific and works well enough from the sides, but dead on is clearly where Laser\u2019s screen works best.<\/p>\n The lower quality really shows up in the build, however, which is so plasticky, it can feel like you\u2019re going to break the thing simply by prying open the stand. It\u2019s really wedged in there, and while the hinge is quite flexible, the stand and plastic casing of the screen feel cheap and fragile, as if the most minor touch will snap it all.<\/p>\n Espresso\u2019s 15 Lite is plastic<\/a>, too, but it feels a whole lot better by comparison. This feels cheap.<\/p>\n Is it worth your money?<\/p>\n There is a pretty clear reason why the Laser feels this way, though: it is cheap.<\/p>\n Indeed, the craziest thing about Laser\u2019s 14 inch portable screen is the price, because it is just a stellar deal for what you get. For $99, Laser\u2019s 14 inch portable is about the best value display out there.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s definitely an air of \u201cyou get what you pay for\u201d, the fact that you\u2019re not paying much in the first place and still getting so much makes it impossible to look past.<\/p>\n
\nWhat is Laser\u2019s 14 inch screen?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/laser-14-inch-portable-monitor-2026-02-jpg.webp\")
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\nThere\u2019s a clear difference between 1920\u00d71200 (left) and 1920\u00d71080 (right), with the latter stretching in height.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/laser-14-inch-portable-monitor-2026-11-jpg.webp\")
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There are obvious differences between the Laser 14 inch and the Espresso 15 Lite, and not just in build quality. Laser\u2019s panel (left) is nowhere near as good as Espresso\u2019s (right). <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/laser-14-inch-portable-monitor-2026-15-jpg.webp\")
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