[Moot]

Being in the market for a decent 32″ 4k monitor, I came across listings for the LG 32BL75U-W (hereinafter “BL”). Intrigued, I tried to find more information. The only reference that this product even exists on LG’s site is a manual. Curiously, this manual also lists that it is for the LG 32UL750-W (hereinafter “UL”). However, I can’t find anything online that compares the two products or even any detailed specifications of the BL. The manual is not very specific at all about specs.

There is MUCH more detail (even a few reviews) available online about the UL, but the very limited descriptions at merchants offering the BL sound similar (But only one site that I have found refers to the BL as HDR600). Nobody even seems to have a real picture of the BL, citing actual product may differ from image, having no image, or a low res frontal view that looks like literally 99% of all LG monitors out there.

I find it strange that the BL is available for sale at many more online stores (US) than the UL, but nobody selling it seems to know much about it. It’s also much cheaper. (~$200 difference in lowest prices found).

[PCM2]

Hi Moot,

LG’s consumer oriented UHD lineup (2019 model code) designed for home users is generally designated with the ‘U’ (‘G’ for some gaming models, ‘W’ for UltraWides etc.). ‘B’ is usually a designation that the company reserves for business products. Whilst I’m not specifically aware of the 32BL75U, similar re-designations of models have existed previously which is simply the same product designated for different sectors or sales channels. That is likely the case here.

By the way, please familiarise yourself with the forum rules and how you can support our work. I had to strip some links from your original post. Also be cautious of relying on DisplaySpecifications. They often post specifications which they believe to be true as if they are true. There commonly have errors in their listings, including for bit depth and occasionally even the actual panel used in a product. That includes their mention of 8-bit + FRC for this model as it uses the InnoLux M315DJJ-K30 (or a variant of it) which is a true 10-bit part. Refer to our news piece for more accurate information. As mentioned there it’s the same panel as used on a specific Philips model we’ve reviewed and also a model we’re currently reviewing and I’m using right now as I type this (Philips 326M6VJRMB). That review will give you a good idea of what to expect from many aspects of the LG and its core performance characteristics.

[Moot]

Thank you for the prompt reply. I made the mistake of reading the rules AFTER I had made my first post, but found there was no way for me to edit its content while being reviewed.

And indeed, the 32UL950-W also has a counterpart, according to its manual (this being the 32BL95U-W). I’m baffled as to why LG doesn’t provide more comprehensive product details for these “re-designated products”, though.

[PCM2]

I agree, LG have really dropped the ball with up to date product pages for their business models. You can find some of their ‘4K’ business models here – they’ve got some ‘BK’ models but no ‘BL’ models listed.

[Moot]

From the manufacturer via Amazon:

“The LG 32″ Class 4K UHD LED Monitor with VESA Display HDR 600 (31.5” Diagonal), Model # 32UL750-W is from our consumer division and Model # 32BL75U-W is from our Business/Commercial division. They have the same specifications and features and the only difference is in the Limited Warranty that is offered for them…^IFV

Ivan V. Manufacturer · June 12, 2019″

[PCM2]

So as I suspected, good to have it confirmed. 🙂

[Moot]

I went ahead and ordered one. Wish me luck! LG actually does have manufacturer propaganda for 32BL75U listed on their website. You can find it here. And yes, it is miscategorized 😉

[PCM2]

I hope you enjoy the monitor. Please also consider giving something back for the time and expertise I’ve shared, as you weren’t able to support our work with the purchase.

[Moot]

Indeed. Thank you very much.

[PCM2]

Your donation is much appreciated, thanks for that. If you have any thoughts you can share on the product when it arrives it would also be very welcome. 🙂

[Moot]

I got my new LG 32BL75U-W, here are my initial thoughts. Disclaimer: I’m by no means any kind of expert.

Setup was cake. No tools are needed, just screw in the bottom then “hang” the panel and it snaps in. It came with a paper showing that it has been factory calibrated. Included is a (large) power brick, HDMI cable, USB-C cable, CD-ROM containing manual/driver/software, and quick start guide and warranty info. The bezel is black but everything else is white or silver. All of the cables are white (puke). The ports are rear facing. Bezel measures about a half inch. It’s a big ass screen so that doesn’t bother me.

I am using a DisplayPort 1.4 cable connected to NVIDIA GTX 1070 (x2 SLI) and Windows 10. OSD is accessed by a joystick at the bottom. I find this is much easier to use than in line buttons. I installed the driver from windows settings because the driver setup on the CD would not launch. The manual is the same one that can be found online and is also for the LG 32UL750-W (same product different name if you haven’t read this thread). The screen is very bright on max brightness. You’ll want to turn that down in a dark room. Viewing angles match what I have read about VA panels. There is a noticeable difference in the front vs sides if you’re too close. I’m a night owl and my computer room is often dark. Black looks suitably black (There is also a “Black Stabilizer” setting). HDMI ultra hd deep color is supported (over HDMI I presume).

FreeSync is disabled by default. I set it to “Extended”, but there is also a “Basic” mode. NVIDIA Control Panel showed that it was not “validated as G-SYNC Compatible” but allowed me to enable it. Witcher 3 was smooth, my framerate remained in the 50s. In Fallout 4 on max settings, there was occasional framerate droppage below 40. The image stuttered quite noticeably when this happened and became smooth again when the framerate went back over 40. G-SYNC does seem to work with this monitor over DP. The OSD has an option for “Response Time”, which offers Off, Normal, Fast, and Faster. It is default to Fast and can’t be changed when HDR or emulated HDR is enabled.

Again, I’m no expert, and just played around with the display settings. There are a plethora of options. “HDR Effect” mode attempts to emulate HDR for SDR content. For the most part this seems to work well. It can have a tendency to darken / brighten / darken / brighten the entire scene which took some getting used to. However, HDR Effect makes colors really pop out. There is a matte anti-glare surface which is noticeable with a white background. I’m very aware of it right now since there is a white background and I am thinking about it. But, if I’m not thinking about it I tend not to notice. The surface is not nearly as noticeable as that of my other monitor, the AOC Agon AG241QX, which is now sitting to the right of this one. I’ll still be using that monitor for gaming.

I enabled HDR on Windows 10 and immediately noticed that colors looked “washed out”. BUT, when I played HDR content my jaw dropped. I’m an HDR noob. I realize now just how much I was missing. Where has HDR been all my life?! Content looks amazing to me. I only have a few movies that offer HDR but I suspect I will remedy that soon. Anyway I’m off to bed.

[PCM2]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I’m glad you’re enjoying the HDR experience on your content that properly supports it. VESA DisplayHDR 600 implemented in a decent way (as with the LG 32UL750/32BL75U) can certainly enrich the experience. It’s also good to see the monitor appears to be working properly with ‘G-SYNC Compatible Mode’. The fact you notice a clear difference between <40fps (technology deactivated) vs. >40fps (technology activated) certainly suggests it’s working exactly as intended. Hopefully you’ll continue to enjoy the monitor and will be able to find some more HDR content to enjoy.

[Moot]

The instances of inappropriate darkening and brightening that I mentioned could very well be shoddy local dimming based on what I’m reading on the LG 32UL950.

[PCM2]

Is this something you observe only with ‘HDR Effect’ enabled but not when observing actual HDR content? On most models with a sort of HDR emulation mode for SDR content, local dimming is disabled but Dynamic Contrast is enabled. Which would cause the entire backlight (all zones) to dim and brighten according to the average lightness/darkness of the image. Local dimming (including under HDR) has a similar effect but it’s controlled by zone rather than the entire screen at once, so it’s generally more subtle and usually better able to compensate for the actual relative brightness or darkness of shades in that rough area of the screen.

[Moot]

Yes, it is only something I observe when viewing content in SDR with ‘HDR Effect’ selected. Local Dimming remains on when watching SDR content (unless turned off manually). There is an option labeled “DFC” which “adjusts brightness automatically according to the screen”. This option is grayed out (as are many of the other settings) when ‘HDR Effect’ is being used, so I am guessing it is being turned on by the ‘HDR Effect’ mode and the system doesn’t want you turning it off.

Another item: Oversaturated reds in ‘HDR Effect’ mode. picture by Canon 360 HS. This is in ‘HDR Effect’ mode only. (VA Glow evident in photo due to distance from monitor). The mode itself results in quite saturated images (akin to true HDR) however I have noticed a difference in red, as it is much more vibrant.

This was something I noticed early on but wanted to make sure of my eyes.

[PCM2]

You should observe the Lagom contrast gradients and see if you notice distinct bands at the upper ends or whether things appear strongly blended together. Typically ‘HDR emulation’ modes do cause terrible oversaturation. And in this case it seems to be combined with overdone Dynamic Contrast as well.

[Moot]

You should observe the Lagom contrast gradients and see if you notice distinct bands at the upper ends or whether things appear strongly blended together. Typically ‘HDR emulation’ modes do cause terrible oversaturation. And in this case it seems to be combined with overdone Dynamic Contrast as well.

Yes, upper ends are somewhat blended together, more so on red. Red appears more saturated.

I edited the custom setting using the Lagom contrast gradients and attempted to balance using 6-color adjustment, contrast, sharpness, black stabilizer, and gamma in the monitor settings. I managed to get a result that looks better to me than any of the pre-set modes. (Wasn’t this monitor supposed to be pre-calibrated?)

The monitor does not allow you to edit pre-set modes and save as custom, and there is only one custom profile. Would have been nice to be able to create multiple custom profiles.

[Moot]

PWM test: Monitor on the left is the LG 32BL75U-W, monitor on the right is AOC AG241QX (Flicker-free). Brightness is at 50% for both monitors.

[PCM2]

Interesting. The striations could be a camera artifact, although they are suspiciously sized and shaped like ‘PWM waves’ as you’d see on a camera. You should see if you observe any flickering on the camera screen itself and also see whether it is present at full brightness vs. 99% brightness.

[Moot]

The bands are visible on the screen of the phone used to take the image. I used the phone because with my camera the bands only showed up for half a second when shutter is half-pressed and did not show on image. Here is 100% brightness on both monitors:

It is not visible at 99%, at 95% I can start to tell they are there.

Edit: Lines are visible on photographs taken with my camera, I just had to set the ISO higher.

[Author]

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