LG 32UL950 4K UHD model with Nano IPS
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It’s no secret that when it comes to the ‘4K’ UHD resolution (3840 x 2160) resolution, we favour screens of ~32”. The pixel density is sufficient to give a nice ‘4K’ look to the image, whilst the amount of scaling-free real estate at your disposal is also very attractive. The LG 32UL950 (32UL950-W with white rear and silver stand) features a 31.5” ‘Nano IPS’ UHD panel. This is marketing speak for an IPS (In Plane Switching) panel that uses a Quantum Dot backlight solution to enhance the colour gamut. As with many marketing buzzwords – it sounds much fancier than it actually is. The monitor features a ‘4-side borderless’ (dual-stage bezel) design with very thin hard outer bezel and slender panel border. The OSD (On Screen Display) is controlled by a joystick mounted centrally under the bottom bezel.
As noted, the monitor uses a 31.5” ‘4K’ UHD (3840 x 2160) panel with LG Nano AH-IPS (Advanced High Performance In Plane Switching) technology. This features a 60Hz refresh rate, with AMD FreeSync also supported via Adaptive-Sync on the monitor. The variable refresh rate range is 40 – 60Hz in line with LG’s other ‘4K’ FreeSync models. A light matte anti-glare screen surface is employed to preserve clarity and vibrancy better than stronger matte screen surfaces. The monitor offers support for HDR10, specifically ‘VESA DisplayHDR 600’. This means that an effective local dimming solution is employed, as one of several important boxes ticked. The manufactuer specifies a (typical SDR) static contrast ratio of 1300:1 typical luminance of 450 cd/m², with the backlight able to pulse to 750 cd/m². The backlight uses a enhanced phosphors (the ‘Nano’ part) to offer an enhanced colour gamut of 98% DCI-P3. This is considerably broader than sRGB but not as wide in some regions as traditional ‘wide gamuts’ like Adobe RGB. DCI-P3 (or approximate coverage of) is the near-term standard that HDR-capable displays strive for – ‘DisplayHDR 600’ specifically calls for 90% DCI-P3, exceeded here comfortably.
The monitor comes factory calibrated and supports hardware calibration (‘True Color Pro’) with compatible colorimeters. 10-bit colour is supported (8-bit + FRC dithering) and 178°/178° viewing angles are specified alongside a 5ms grey to grey response time. LG’s ‘Dynamic Action Sync’ (DAS) low input lag setting also features, designed to minimise input lag by reducing extraneous processing done by the monitor. A Low Blue Light (LBL) setting called ‘Reader Mode’ also features for more relaxing viewing, something we like to use in the evening where blue light exposure should be minimised. The included stand offers tilt and height adjustment. 100 x 100mm VESA mounting is also supported for alternative mounting. The ports include; HDMI 2.0, DP 1.4b, USB Type-C, 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports (with power delivery) and 2 USB 3.0 ports. 2 x 5W ‘Rich Bass’ speakers also feature for reasonably rich sound output (on paper, at least).
Further information can be found on the manufacturer’s website. The monitor is listed for ~$1300 in the US, with an early 2019 release anticipated in most regions given the re-designation of the model (from ‘UK’ to ‘UL’ or ‘2018’ to ‘2019’).