[PCM2]

The shallowest curvature you’ll find on a ~32″ UHD screen at the moment is 1500R. It’s either that (Samsung SVA panel, 1500R curve) or a flat model. Again, I don’t see the 1500R as a problem. It’s something most users will readily adapt to and you soon forget it’s even there. Unless you’re sitting off-centre. Rather than trying to hunt down a screen with a gentler curve, I’d suggest giving the Philips a try or opting for a completely flat model instead. With as much experience as I have with curved models of various sizes and curvatures, I’d put the curve itself low down on my list of priorities or potential worries. As with many things it’s very subjective, but more often than not people freak unnecessarily out when they see pictures and videos of curved monitors. But find it amazing how quickly they adapt and how natural the screen feels to them after a short adjustment period.

[DougWilsons]

Thanks, again. I’ll to test out a curved monitor first. I tend to sit off-centre, but I suppose the idea of the curve is to sit centre!

[Kachongui]

Hi again. My car broke down and I won’t be able to spend €430 on the Philips 32″ 4K . Now I’m thinking about those ones: LG 27UL500-W (IPS) €280, Philips 278E1A (IPS) €299, LG 32UK550-B (VA) €329, AOC U2790PQU (IPS) €349. Which one would you recommend? Thank you.

[PCM2]

Out of those models I’d recommend the Philips 278E1A, because it’s similar to the 276E8VJSB recommended to you already aside from the chassis. It offers an alternative look with matte plastics in place of glossy. Plus VESA holes, integrated speakers and a ‘SmartUniformity’ setting. It uses the same panel and should be tuned in a similar way.

[DougWilsons]

Last wrinkle: I might be able to get an LG discount. Would you have any suggestions for moderately priced LG 32 and 34 4K for text purposes, curve and no curve?

[Kachongui]

What about the LG VA model? Deeper blacks but maybe too much black crush?

[DougWilsons]

This one: LG 32UK550 ? I don’t care about looks, just what is good and recommended. I’ve reached total dad/worker stage in life. If there are other you like, let me know. If not, then no worries. You’ve been a big help!

[PCM2]

LG has a large number of very similar models, differing just slightly in terms of features and aesthetics. The most relevant models to consider here are the 31.5″ 3840 x 2160 VA models, of which the LG 32UK550 is a good example. Don’t expect to see me recommending this or a similar model above the Philips and made various points of comparison in the review itself between the panels used here. I’ve also summarised why in this thread and also various others. Some additional related reading on this topic with additional consideration for 27″ IPS-type models:

https://forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/27-4k-uhd-ips-vs-315-4k-uhd-va/
https://forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/new-32-4k-display-help/page/4/#post-56990

I can’t confirm how well the 32UK550 is calibrated, how well the pixel responses are tuned or comment on overall build quality and quality control. I simply haven’t tested it and don’t have enough user feedback to share and paint an accurate picture. I can’t confirm whether it has a PWM-free backlight, either. LG has shown themselves to be very hit and miss when it comes to whether their recent monitors have been ‘flicker-free’ or not. For your uses (this applies to both of you) that sort of monitor may still deliver a nice enough experience. Contrast is certainly strong, that’s known from the panel. The pixel density is excellent and there are no particular subpixel related text rendering issues. I really can’t add any more information related to that or similar models. I’ve now made my recommendations very clear and whether you want to go for the LG or a similar model instead is entirely up to you. As I said they may be well-suited for your uses and (subjectively) they may be just what you’re after. But asking me to specifically recommend them over a model I personally much preferred for reasons I’ve carefully justified is a step too far.

[DougWilsons]

Thank you, kindly. The loop is closed!

[Kachongui]

Thank you for your useful advice. Note: prices are rising up €20 at least on Amazon Spain.

[PCM2]

Hopefully pricing will settle a bit. The current virus situation has meant that monitor and panel manufacturers have been having some supply issues and delays. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see some instability with pricing and availability as well as slight delays to future model launches. I don’t want to cause alarm, though, I don’t see this as a serious long term issue and prices frequently fluctuate for other reasons as well.

Whichever model either of you two decide to go for, I’d be very interested in your feedback. 🙂

[Arachas]

Wanted to chime in here as I have a similar use case: I’m about 60 cm away from my screen and spend my days with text and browser-related software products. I love high DPI screens (or rather, I can’t stand lower DPI screens – 1080p on a 24″ screen is too low for me, for example).

I want a monitor I can look at all day and not feel tired, gives me a lot of screen real estate. I could imagine that, when the PS5 comes out at the end of the year, I might get it (I used to own a PS4 a while back) and hook it up to this monitor when I can’t play on the 4k living room TV.

So I, too, am wondering if I should go 27″ or 32″ inch, 1440p or 4K… and then which one? I want to max out around 400 euros in budget.

Also, I used to own a 24″ 1080p Iyama ProLite and not only did I find the DPI too low, I also thought the coating was very grainy.

Thoughts? Thanks!

[PCM2]

Hi Arachas,

If you like high pixel density and found 24″ Full HD to be too low in that respect, I’d certainly recommend you go all the way to the ‘4K’ UHD resolution. Our recommendations are clearly provided in this thread, related threads on the forum and the dedicated section of the website.

As for whether to opt for 27″ or ~32″ for a ‘4K’ model, you should find the pixel density of either to be suitably high for your preferences (reference the relevant sections of our reviews, here for example).

[DougWilsons]

I’m back again. My use case has changed a little bit as I should be getting something with PBP or at least a PiP feature, as I need to run two separate computers simultaneously and at least leave one screen up for passive viewing to quickly respond to e-mails and switch sources in a hurry. Are there recommended 32″ 4K monitors that do this? Otherwise, I think i’ll look for a 34″ UW (even though I like the idea of a 32″ better) as the real estate may be suited better for my needs — 2 windows up from one source (for document contrast and compare) and then a 3rd window from the other source.

[Arachas]

Thanks for the quick reply!

So, I’d read through most of that, of course. 🙂

My problem is that the one that really stands out, the 32″ Philips, is curved. And I really want to mount my screen on the wall. What would you consider the best flat alternative in the same price category?

[PCM2]

@ DougWilsonsSlapper

The Samsung U32R590C mentioned on the previous page as a potential alternative to the Philips offers this functionality.

@ Arachas

You’re sitting 60cm from the screen, which is reasonably close for a ~32″ screen. If you want to stick to a flat model due to wall mounting, why not consider the 27″ route instead? You’d of course need VESA holes, so that’s where the 278E1A mentioned on the previous page comes into play.

[Arachas]

Gotcha.

Considering I have a Surface Pro, does it make more sense to get an HDMI or a DP cable? I have an HDMI to MDP connector, but I have no idea if that supports 4k at 60 Hz. Is that something to look out for, or do the connectors not matter?

Edit: Also, do you have an opinion on the iiyama ProLite XB3288UHSU-B1?

[PCM2]

There should be no difference, provided the correct colour signal is used. I’m not sure how Intel’s Iris graphics chips handle that these days, whether correction would be needed or how you’d do it in the graphics driver. I would think the correct Full Range RGB colour signal is used but you might need to do your own digging. It’s really not my area as it’s related to a graphics chipset I have no experience with, nothing to do with the monitors themselves. I only use dedicated AMD and Nvidia GPUs on my own systems. The converter won’t get around this as an HDMI signal is still used by the system, you might as well use a straight HDMI-HDMI cable.

The Iiyama uses the same Innolux CELL as used on various products discussed elsewhere on the forum. It’s inferior to the models I’ve already recommended in many respects – read through some of the posts in this thread for more information on why that’s the case. That isn’t to say you won’t enjoy the experience or that you’d find it anything but a pleasure to use. Just that it isn’t a model you’ll find me recommending above those which I justifiably prefer. Wall-mounting and wanting the front of the screen to appear flush with or parallel to the wall is a decent enough reason for preferring a flat model, though. So if you still find yourself drawn to 31.5″ models then perhaps the Iiyama could work for you.

[Arachas]

Alright, I have the 278E1A set up. It is really pretty and sharp. I have two minor pitpicks: first, the ports face directly backward, so I have to order angled connector thingies if I do want to wall mount it. And second, speaking of wall mounting: my IKEA set couldn’t fit, because it covers the power port on the monitor. I guess I’ll have to buy another system.

Also, I specifically bought an HDMI cable that can handle 60hz, but the monitor is currently at 30hz. I tried both ports. It’s currently hooked up to an Elitebook with an HD620 video card. Thoughts?

[PCM2]

It’s unfortunate that the wall mounting solution didn’t work, hopefully you’ll find something that does. I’m not sure why your Elitebook isn’t outputting 3840 x 2160 @60Hz. The most likely explanation is that your laptop’s HDMI port controller may predate version 1.4 and therefore offers insufficient bandwidth. This isn’t a free technical support service so that’s the last I’ll say on the matter.

[Author]

Posts