Guide
Which of these 3 affordable screen bars is best?
by Lorenz Keller
Our editors’ desk setups, part 13: Lorenz throws it together
3/7/2024
Translation: Elicia Payne
In this series, our editors will reveal which equipment they use every day – be it for work or gaming. My workstation is my office cave, where I can concentrate hard on my work.
Work starts at six o’clock. That’s when I’m most focused. I switch on the screen bar, the rest of the office is still in semi-darkness. I tap the keyboard once and my MacBook also wakes up. Password in, let the fun begin. Here we go – I start my article.
Screenbar: this light keeps me focused
The most important appliance on my desk is my screenbar. A light strip that hangs directly above the monitor. This illuminates the desk from above – without the LEDs being reflected in the screen or blinding me.
Source: Lorenz Keller
I could replace everything in my home office setup, but I won’t give up the screenbar. With this level of passion, it’s no surprise that my first article at Digitec Galaxus was about this very screenbar. The model I have from BenQ is no longer available. However, there are now successors with wireless remote control. With mine, everything is connected by cable.
By the way, you don’t necessarily have to spend lots of money on a screenbar nowadays, there are cheaper versions out there too. You can find my article on this topic here:
Monitor: a random bargain
The monitor was an impulse buy that resulted from its irresistible price. Surprisingly, the LG UltraGear 34GL750-B has turned out to be a stroke of luck.
I never wanted to spend a lot of money on a large monitor, especially as I rarely worked from home back then. However, I couldn’t resist a 34-inch model for 280 francs. Luckily I bought it then because the monitor’s never been so cheap again. The LG still serves me well today.
Perhaps I’m not really using the screen to its full potential. With a frame rate of 144 Hertz and a short response time of one millisecond, it’d be ideal for gaming. In my case, its «only» allowed to display Office applications.
PC: it’s a MacBook
It was through video editing that I settled on a Mac. I treated myself to a MacBook Pro with M2 processor a year and a half ago, which has proved worthy both in home office and on the road at trade fairs and press conferences.
I mainly need the computing power for Photoshop and Premiere Pro – in other words, for image processing and video editing. My favourite feature is the memory card slot, which I use daily to transfer images from my Sony Alpha ZV-E10.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Sound: primarily for music
If you look closely, you may have already spotted it. Hidden behind the screen is a Sonos Move, which I use to stream music from my phone. The speaker’s perfect for my pretty small office and I can also control it via my MacBook if I want to. Another plus is, I can take it out onto my balcony thanks to its integrated rechargeable battery.
Source: Lorenz Keller
When I’m not alone in my home office, I use the Sony WH-1000XM5, which has good noise cancelling. That’s why I always have them with me when I go to the office or anywhere else. You can definitely see that in them.
I have another long-time companion for my ears that you can really see the wear and tear on. I mainly use the wired Sony headphones in bright red for calls and audio recordings. However, the ear pads are slowly coming off, so I’ll have to replace them soon.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Peripherals: basics and specialties
My boss Simon with his many years of radio experience advised me on what microphone to get. It’s nothing crazy, just solid technology sufficient for recording voice-overs for videos. The Rode NT-USB microphone is attached to an inexpensive Speedlink arm.
I’m not bothered about having a fancy keyboard. I don’t like loud hammering and a short stroke. The Magic Keyboard from Apple does the job quite well. The wrist support is much more important to me, as I spend a lot of time at my computer. Since I’ve been using the Speedlink Sateen, my arms don’t feel tired anymore. And since I tested a vertical mouse for the first time about ten years ago, there was no going back. At the moment I have a Logitech Lift. It takes some getting used to, but is much easier on the joints. Since then I haven’t had «mouse-ache».
Perhaps the most unusual accessory is the webcam. I use an iPhone 15 Pro. It can be controlled wirelessly from the Mac as a camera, which usually works well. The only problems I have is when I use Microsoft Teams because it struggles and crashes.
The iPhone 15 Pro is the best and most luxurious webcam for video conferencing.
The biggest challenge is finding a suitable mount for the «webcam». The tilt of the camera needs to be adjustable on both sides so that it can easily film me from below via the main camera. The wireless Qi2 charger from Belkin is ideal for this.
Last but not least, I also use my Zhiyun Molus G60 video light as illumination for video calls. So it stands next to my desk – ready for use at any moment.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Extras: a little personality is a must
Alongside painted gifts from my daughter, the perch from the 3D printer reminds me there’s a life outside of work. It’s a token of my favourite hobby.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Another absolute must in my home office is a glass of Coke Zero. It’s my nourishment, my pick-me-up and my motivation when an article isn’t progressing as quickly as I thought. Oh, but I’m at the end of this one. Great! There’s still time to go to the lake..
Source: Lorenz Keller
If you missed the last articles in our desk setup series, you can find them all here:
Header image: Lorenz Keller
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.