LG Develops ‘Nano IPS’ LCD, Unveils 32UK950 4K Display with DCI-P3, HDR600, TB3
by Anton Shilov on December 22, 2017 5:00 PM EST
LG has announced a new kind of IPS liquid crystal panel that features an improved color reproduction. The Nano IPS technology will be used for LG’s upcoming high-end displays due in 2018 and will enable professional-grade DCI-P3 color space coverage on consumer models. One of the first monitors to use Nano IPS will be the 32UK950. The 32UK950 will be LG’s new flagship consumer 4K LCD, and will feature the VESA HDR 600 badge along with an integrated Thunderbolt 3 dock.
Nano IPS and HDR 600
LG’s Nano IPS technology will be used on numerous high-end monitors by the company, so it makes sense to examine what manufacturer tells us about it before jumping to the actual product. LG says that it applies nanoparticles to the screen’s LED backlighting to absorb excess light wavelengths and improve intensity, purity as well as the accuracy of the on-screen colors. Controlling spectral output of backlighting is a method generally used to improve IPS LCD panels — quantum dots and Panasonic’s light modulating cells do just that.
Adjusting backlighting spectral output not only enables to improve color reproduction, but also contrast ratio, but this is where LG’s press release gets vague. It never discloses or even mentions static contrast ratio, yet to get the HDR 600 badge (which is what the 32UK950 has), you need to get a black level of 0.1 nits max, which VESA believes is impossible without local dimming. However, neither local dimming, nor pixel-by-pixel control of backlight intensity, are mentioned in the press release.
Wrapping things up, we know for sure that LG’s Nano IPS enables the company to offer an improved color gamut by controlling the LED backlighting. The contrast ratio is something that is expected to be improved on new monitors as well, but LG does not say whether its Nano IPS is responsible for that.
The LG 32UK950
Among the first monitors to feature the Nano IPS technology will be the LG 32UK950. Its 32” panel has a 3840×2160 resolution, can reproduce 1.07 billion colors and cover 98% of the DCI-P3 color space. The HDR 600 badge clearly points to HDR10 processing capabilities along with up to 600 nits brightness, but LG does not disclose any information regarding its LUTs (look-up-tables) for HDR. LG’s current-generation consumer flagship display (the 32UD99-W) can cover 95% of the DCI-P3 gamut, which was a bit lower than 97% DCI-P3 coverage by the 31MU97-B, a professional display with a 4096×2160 resolution. The upcoming 32UK950 will surpass both models when it comes to gamut coverage.
| Preliminary Specifications of the LG 32UK950 | ||
| Panel | 32" IPS with Nano IPS technology | |
| Resolution | 3840 × 2160 | |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz (?) | |
| Viewing Angles | 178°/178° horizontal/vertical | |
| Color Saturation | 98% DCI-P3 | |
| Display Colors | 1.07 billion | |
| 3D-LUT | supported | |
| Inputs | 1 × TB3 DisplayPort 1.2 (TBC) HDMI 2.0a (TBC) |
|
| Audio | Integrated speakers | |
Another major selling point of the LG 32UK950 will be an integrated Thunderbolt 3 connectivity with daisy chaining support (enabling to connect two 4Kp60 displays using a single TB3 port on the host). Apart from TB3 headers, we expect the LG 32UK950 to feature regular DisplayPort and HDMI inputs, a USB 3.0 hub and other essential features.
LG plans to show the 32UK950 at CES trade show early next month. The company does not reveal when it intends to start sales of the new product, or its MSRP.
Related Reading
- LG’s 34UC89G 21:9 Curved Display with G-Sync, 144 to 166 Hz, Available for $999
- Pre-Orders for LG’s 32UD99 Display Available: 4K, DCI-P3, HDR10, FreeSync for $999
- LG 43UD79-B Launched: 42.5-inch 4K IPS with FreeSync
- BenQ Launches the SW271 Display for Professionals: 27-inch 4K with HDR and DCI-P3
- Panasonic Develops IPS Panel with 1,000,000:1 Contrast Ratio, 1000 Nits Brightness
- Philips Begins Shipments of LCD Monitors with Quantum Dot Technology
- LG Announces 32UD99: 4K IPS Display with 95% DCI-P3, HDR and USB-C
Source: LG
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Alexvrb - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
On a 21.5" display, 1080p has around 100 PPI. On a 38" 4K display, PPI is 116. A 21.5" panel at 1440p is actually substantially better than a 4K 38", in terms of pixel density - 136.Meanwhile the OP is talking about 4K on a 22-24" display. Don't get me wrong, all else remaining equal it would be better than 1440p but at typical viewing distance it isn't nearly as important as it is for larger displays. There's lots of other factors that may be more or less important than resolution depending on use, so to each his own. But it is interesting to see how people feel about a "low" res count, without considering PPI.
chrnochime - Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - link
Easier to read as in making them smaller in size? Yeah that sounds right for keeping eyestrain to a minimum...CharonPDX - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
What Apple calls "Retina display" or HiDPI mode - displays with things on screen sized as if it were a 1080p display, but using twice as many pixels each direction to increase sharpness of images/text. In Windows you just set to "200%" mode and it does similar.It really does look far better.
jrs77 - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
I currently use a 22" FullHD display and at arms length with the keyboard infront I can still see single pixels.And no, eyesight is not ruined at all. I'm sitting infront of a PC for over 30 years now and my vision is still 20/20. Working as a graphics designer for the last 20 years 10+ hours a day.
Even a 24" 4k monitor is far from magazine print-quality (300 dpi), which you read aswell at an armslength. 24" 4k is ~180 dpi. My 22" FullHD has ~100 dpi for comparison.
It makes a huge difference and you notice it very fast, if you spend a day with an iMac 21" 4k.
ddrіver - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
You read magazines at arm's length? So not like everybody else, with your elbows bent ~90 degrees?I sit 6' from my 5K display and still see individual subpixels. That's real harsh.
There's a rule of diminishing returns and 4K at 22" is the model that rule is based on. I'm willing to bet 0.1% of people would actually make the difference and they definitely are all on this comment thread. And I know this because I have multiple monitors with different diagonals, different resolutions but the same approximate screen quality. It's fun to see people misjudge the quality and resolution based on their preconceived notions and false hints I give them. They all overestimate their abilities.
jrs77 - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
When I sit on my comfy couch and read a magazine, then my arms are allmost fully extended, yes.And like I said, check out the 21.5" iMacs with their 4k displays to see the difference between a 4k display and a FullHD display at a normal working-position at your desk (arms length).
Seriously, if people don't see pixels at some ~90cm distance on a 24" FullHD display, then they should get glasses asap.
I have a 24" FullHD display right beside my 22" FullHD display and a 15" laptop with FullHD display so I can compare them right beside each other. 24" with 4k should be sub €500 standard by now for desktop displays imho.
zepi - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
I think 24" 4K monitors are quite standard. For some reason enthusiast websites don't report on them much and people seem to prefer bigger ones, but they are out there.I personally got myself a Samsung 24E850R in the summer of 2016 to accompany a hackintosh installation and to be run with "100%" scaling. It is by no means perfect, but quite decent for £320. Colours after calibration are pretty decent and works nicely. In windows use 150% scaling has been pretty nice.
Currently I'd choose probably Dell P2415Q, because Samsung seems to be discontinued, which I find to be a shame.
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Personally I would appreciate a bit higher DPI. It is not really for discerning pixels as such, but for additional sharpness. For example using other than "100%" MacOS scaling looks bit fuzzier than I'd hope, despite the fact that I can't really claim to discern individual pixels. It is kind of the same thing that you can tell a difference between digital photograph that is perfectly in focus with Zeiss lens vs. kit-objective, despite the fact that even the kit lens should have way higher resolving power than your eyes...
If you draw two very thin lines, one horizontal and one at 3deg angle, you will need very high DPI to make the slightly angled line look "perfect" and identical thickness to the horizontal line. Angled line needs almost certainly to be antialiased to remove the jaggies and this in turn will reduce contrast of the line. To make contrast difference and blurriness indiscernible you will fore sure need more than 160dpi at 80cm distance (28" 4K monitor) for most good eyed viewers.
Lolimaster - Monday, December 25, 2017 - link
Problem is web media and apps are simply not adapted for high res, All websites are on averg 1024-1280px wide with the same text size and images to fit in that res.Lolimaster - Monday, December 25, 2017 - link
That's because digital panel using many pixels for a display are more visible than the "pixels" on an analog display like the CRT.Lolimaster - Monday, December 25, 2017 - link
Or more exactly, the space between them (screen door effect) on digital panels.