Recently BenQ reached out with the ScreenBar Halo 2, and frankly I was as excited as a little kid in a lolly shop to get my hands on it.
Five years ago during the brutal second COVID lockdown which lasted 111 days, I got my first monitor LED bar – the BenQ WiT Screenbar Plus. It was a game changer not just for my desk real estate, but also how for I lighted my workspace and eye comfort.
Unboxing and the Fabulous Wireless Control
Ever since the BenQ WiT Screenbar Plus, I remain a huge fan of monitor LED bars. I have reviewed a few, mounting them on my second monitor, but the BenQ has always remained on my primary screen.
The latest iteration, the ScreenBar Halo 2, promptly dethroned the king upon arrival. There was finally a reason for me to do so. Actually much more than one reason.
The first significant upgrade that is immediately apparent, is the wireless rechargeable controller with display that provides the ultimate control over your lighting.
The display tells you exactly what percentage brightness your LED bar is set to. It also allows you to know exactly what Colour Temperature it is set on between 2700K and 6500K.
BenQ has also redesigned the mounting clamp. It is now an universal design that will work for standard and curved monitors. It is compatible with monitor thickness of 0.43 to 6cm, and curvature of 1000 to 1800R.
Installation is simple, there is no need to assembly anything.
The ScreenBar Halo 2 comes out of the box ready to work – after your charge up the wireless controller first.
Deep Dive: Features and Performance in Daily Use
Hitting the ground running with the ScreenBar Halo 2 is easy, but you really do want to RTFM in this case because there is so much more to just turning on and off the lights.
The universal clip is right at the very limits with my trusty HP ZR24W if I mount it conventionally, expecting the clip to be flushed to the top of the monitor.
Because of the thickness of the monitor (I know it’s a dinosaur but I love it), the back portion of the clip is really at max and I find the unit slipping out of position over time. However the grooves on the back of the clip sits perfectly with the handle on the back of the monitor so I have found a happy medium.
Walking through the features, starting at the BenQ logo at the top of the wireless controller and going anti-clockwise.
Presence Detection: When activated the ultrasonic sensor on the lightbar detects a conical area of 60 x 10cm in front of the screen at a height of 50cm from the table. I love this feature because if I walk away, the ScreenBar Halo 2 will turn itself off after a period of time.
How long you ask? If you hold down the Presence Detection button for six seconds, you can use the dial to adjust it from 3, 5, 10 or 15 minutes of no movement detection.
Auto Dimming Mode: the light automatically adjusts it brightness according to ambient lighting conditions, and colour temperature is set to 4000K.
My Favourite Mode: Tap and hold for three seconds to memorise the Brightness, Colour Temperature and Light Mode.
Power Button: Self explanatory.
Light Switch Mode: What I failed to mention earlier, is that the ScreenBar Halo 2 has the front LED, as well as a back ambience LED to bounce light off a wall.
My workspace backs onto … nothing, I have the corner of the lounge room as my workspace. But if I was backed onto a wall, then the backlight could be use to further refine the light and ambience.
By tapping the Light Mode Switch button (the one that looks like a two way arrow but pointing north-south), you can cycle through front light, ambient light and have both lights on at the same time.
Brightness Adjustment: This can be set for the front or back light individually or together. The brightness does not need to be set to the same level, and if you are adjusting both lights at the same time, the brightness difference between the two lights are maintained.
Temperature Adjustment: Adjust the colour temperature from 2700K to 6500K in 25K increments.
It really was simple to set up the ScreenBar Halo 2 to suit my needs and the environment. Just remember to adjust the light so it does not bounce off your screen as that defeats the purpose of the LED light bars. The idea is to cast a pool of light in your workspace without reflecting glare.
Power, Pairing, and the Webcam Accessory
The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 has a non-removable USB-C cable for power.
A power brick is not provided, but for me, it has no issues turning on being plugged into the USB-A port on my HP ZR24W via an adapter.
You can pair multiple ScreenBar Halo 2 to the same wireless controller. BenQ doesn’t put an upper limit on this feature. If the lights are within a metre of the controller, then the settings of those lights will change simultaneously.
It also comes with a “webcam accessory”, which is a plastic bracket that can be fitted to the flat area at the top of the ScreenBar Halo 2 and allow a webcam to be mounted to it.
Verdict: Why the ScreenBar Halo 2 Earned a Pulse Award
If I am not a tech reviewer, I would be instantly buying a second BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 to pair with the same controller, set it to auto brightness and pretty much forget about it – keeping the glare off the screen and reducing eye strain.
There are drawbacks to this, as it assumes the lighting conditions would be the same on all the light bars under the same controller. It would work for me but might not work for others.
The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 oozes class with solid build quality. You can feel it when using the wireless controller. The instant win here for me is being able to know precisely what the light intensity and colour temperature is set to at a glance.
It is available from BenQ directly for the light only A$259, and the webcam accessory is an additional A$29. The bundle is available from Amazon Au for a buck more at A$289.
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, this one sneaks in for a Pulse Award!
DRN would like to thank BenQ for providing the review unit.
