4k monitor (TN vs IPS)

[skaertus]

I currently use a LG 27EA83R, which is a 27-inch IPS monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution. I am planning to get an update to at least 4k resolution. I am not using it for gaming.

I live in Brazil and my options are really limited here. Such monitors are expensive, and the abusive taxes the government charges makes it impossible for the vast majority of people to afford them, so availability is very limited.

There are two options readily available for sale in stores.

• 
  
  28-inch Samsung LU28E590DS
  28-inch Philips 288P6LJEB/57
  

Both these monitors have a 28-inch TN panel. Even though they have the same panel, they are quite different. I heard the Samsung model has great viewing angles and brightness, and performs well, even though it has fewer functions than the Philips model (which has integrated speakers).

I do not have IPS 4k monitors available for sale in stores in Brazil. I can order a Dell U2718Q via its website, and it will cost at least 50% more than any of the displays mentioned before, and will get about two months to arrive (yes, the import process is that slow).

Now I am wondering what to do. I always heard bad things about TN displays, but these two are said to be good. The Samsung one is said to have good colors and viewing angles despite being a TN display. I am wondering if it is worth getting all the trouble in ordering an IPS panel when these good quality TN panels are available.

Any real life experience with these TN 4k monitors from Samsung and Philips? How do they compare with my current monitor in terms of image quality? Are they worth it? I am not looking into generic explanations why TN panels are inferior to IPS panels; I already read a lot about it. I want to know about your specific experience in using these monitors in real life.

Thanks.

 

[mnewsham]

I am planning to get an update to at least 4k resolution. I am not using it for gaming

Then what is the use?

With normal desktop use a 28" 4k panel has to be scaled to 150% meaning it's identical desktop resolution as 1440p.

It will have a higher pixel density, but useable resolution will be 1440p since you can't use that monitor without GUI scaling.

And gaming is one of the few things that can take real advantage of higher pixel density, so if you're not using it for gaming, what exactly ARE you using it for? And why do you think you need 4k?

 

[skaertus]

Then what is the use?

With normal desktop use a 28" 4k panel has to be scaled to 150% meaning it's identical desktop resolution as 1440p.

It will have a higher pixel density, but useable resolution will be 1440p since you can't use that monitor without GUI scaling.

And gaming is one of the few things that can take real advantage of higher pixel density, so if you're not using it for gaming, what exactly ARE you using it for? And why do you think you need 4k?

Well, it’s basically Office, browsing the web and so on. I don’t really need 4k, I just want it, and scaling is not an issue at all.

I have a 13-inch MacBook Pro (touch bar) in which I run Windows alongside macOS. And I have a 15-inch Dell XPS with a 3840x2160 resolution and I have no trouble running Windows on it. As a matter of fact, in the last 5 years, every laptop I bought had resolutions superior to full HD, and I never had any problem with scaling. And I much prefer it than being able to see individual pixels on the screen.

I just like the ultra-sharpness, and I want to replicate the experience in my desktop as well.

So, do you have any real life experience with the models that I mentioned?

 

[mnewsham]

So, do you have any real life experience with the models that I mentioned?

Nothing besides seeing them and similar (mainly IPS models) at microcenter.

I ignored them because windows is still pretty crap at GUI scaling in my opinion and so I opted for a 42.5" 4k monitor at 100% scale.

 

[Headfoot]

With TN I would only buy it for non-gaming use if you pick the highest quality panel you can find. Bad TN looks very bad. Good TN is decent.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You don't need to use scaling at all. 1 4k monitor is equivalant to 4 HD, so you will get a lot more real estate space. I want to eventually get a good 4k and go single monitor instead of triple. Will be a simpler setup. I think IPS is considered better so I'll probably go that route.

At work we have 3 4k + 1 HD I've gotten so used to 4k now that everything looks so big when I'm working on the HD one. Worse is newer versions of windows have such blocky UI elements you almost NEED 4k if you're running Windows because the UI wastes a lot of space. We're running 7 at work though so it's not really an issue.

 

[mnewsham]

You don't need to use scaling at all. 1 4k monitor is equivalant to 4 HD, so you will get a lot more real estate space. I want to eventually get a good 4k and go single monitor instead of triple. Will be a simpler setup. I think IPS is considered better so I'll probably go that route.

At work we have 3 4k + 1 HD I've gotten so used to 4k now that everything looks so big when I'm working on the HD one. Worse is newer versions of windows have such blocky UI elements you almost NEED 4k if you're running Windows because the UI wastes a lot of space. We're running 7 at work though so it's not really an issue.

28" 4k without scaling is unreadable unless your face is glued to the panel.

 

[Red Squirrel]

28" 4k without scaling is unreadable unless your face is glued to the panel.

Yeah it does require to put your face a bit closer and not sit back, but it's not too bad actually. I thought 27" was small when we first got them at work as some programs the text is already small, but you get used to it. For at home and only one monitor I would go 32" though.

 

[skaertus]

With TN I would only buy it for non-gaming use if you pick the highest quality panel you can find. Bad TN looks very bad. Good TN is decent.

I read that the TN panel of these models is good, but I did not have the chance to see one in person, as there is none available nearby. Thing is, I would have to buy them first so I could check them, and making the store to accept the product back after buying here in Brazil may be real trouble.

This is why I want advice from someone who has real life experience with these models.

 

[skaertus]

Yeah it does require to put your face a bit closer and not sit back, but it's not too bad actually. I thought 27" was small when we first got them at work as some programs the text is already small, but you get used to it. For at home and only one monitor I would go 32" though.

Thanks. However, I cannot find a 32” 4k monitor here in Brazil for a decent price (below USD 2,000) or with a delivery date of less than 1-2 months. So I have to stick with the models I mentioned, and I am pretty much aware of the scaling issue, which is not really the point here.

I wonder if someone who knows these monitors can give me a real life impression of these specific TNs in comparison to IPS monitors.

 

[Headfoot]

Check if you can find the exact panel model then go to TFTCentral.co.uk and look it up in their database. You can read a very thorough review of a similar monitor using the same panel and get a really solid ballpark, sight unseen.

 

[skaertus]

Check if you can find the exact panel model then go to TFTCentral.co.uk and look it up in their database. You can read a very thorough review of a similar monitor using the same panel and get a really solid ballpark, sight unseen.

Thanks, I will check that.

 

[skaertus]

I just came accross a monitor which seems to be new in the market here. It is the LG 32UD59-B, a 32” 4k monitor with a VA panel.

I wonder if this would be a better option. Does anyone know this monitor? My concern is that this one behaves as a TV and that as a result it is not so good as a PC monitor, not having text as sharp, for instance. After reading this article (http://furniture10.com/4k-tv-do-not-as-a-computer-monitor/), I am afraid that a monitor which is truly a TV may not be suitable for word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, or browsing the web, for instance. Is it the case of this monitor?

Thanks.

 

[mnewsham]

All the LG 4k monitors act as monitors, not TVs.

I have the LG 43UD79.

The 32UD59 is similar, and the LG VA panels are generally considered pretty good, much better than TN panels.

 

[skaertus]

All the LG 4k monitors act as monitors, not TVs.

I have the LG 43UD79.

The 32UD59 is similar, and the LG VA panels are generally considered pretty good, much better than TN panels.

Thanks a lot! Very useful.

So the text is sharp (and not blurry) as in any other PC display, right? I will use word processing a lot in this.

 

[mnewsham]

Thanks a lot! Very useful.

So the text is sharp (and not blurry) as in any other PC display, right? I will use word processing a lot in this.

Yup

You want to use a 4:4:4 signal, which the LG's have no issues with.

I recommend using displayport as it has excess bandwidth available, whereas HDMI 2.0 is at the limit of it's bandwidth when running 4k 60hz 4:4:4.

 

[BFG10K]

You'll seriously regret getting a 28" TN, especially coming from an IPS. At that size there's enough surface area to have automatic color shifting even if your head is dead center.

 

[skaertus]

You'll seriously regret getting a 28" TN, especially coming from an IPS. At that size there's enough surface area to have automatic color shifting even if your head is dead center.

Thanks. I read, though, that these TN panels are better than most, and the Samsung seems to have better viewing angles than the Philips. Even though they cannot compare to an IPS, it should be enough for working in front of the monitor. But that is what I have read, and I have never seen one of these in the wild to check for myself.

Anyway, I am more inclined now towards the 32” VA monitor from LG. I suppose VA rivals IPS in terms of quality and viewing angles, but I have never used a VA monitor (only VA TVs).

 

[Hans Gruber]

IPS has much better viewing angles than VA but the VA picture is excellent. TN panels are on their way out. I would vote for IPS.

 

[skaertus]

IPS has much better viewing angles than VA but the VA picture is excellent. TN panels are on their way out. I would vote for IPS.

OK, but I have very limited options here. As I told, I live in Brazil and these monitors are generally nowhere available for sale here. And importing them from the U.S. would take more than a month and would increase the price in over 100% due to absurd taxes.

Considering that I will be the only person to use the monitor, and I will be sitting right in front of it, wouldn’t a VA panel be enough?

 

[Red Squirrel]

In your case I would just take what I can get. It's kinda like this even here in Canada though not quite as bad - it's mostly niche stuff that's harder to get here. IPS is better so go for that if you can but if not you'll have to settle for the others.

 

[mnewsham]

IPS and VA are similar with IPS taking the cake for color accuracy.

But VA has better contrast ratio and less backlight bleed, so some people prefer VA.

TN is pretty crap unless you're a gamer.

 

[skaertus]

Thanks for all the input.

I ordered the LG 32UD59-B.

For what I read, the viewing angles are not as good as those in an IPS panel. Plus, it is not a very bright display and it lacks some features found in other monitors.

However, it is a VA panel, so clearly better than the TN models I had at hand. Plus, it seems to have good contrast. It is 32” so also bigger than the 27-28” I was looking at, which may be a good thing. And it has integrated speakers, which is good for me, as weak as they might be.

Finally, it is readily available, and will arrive in two days, a lot less than 30 business days or more that would take for a Dell monitor to be imported from the U.S.

 

[mikeymikec]

You'll seriously regret getting a 28" TN, especially coming from an IPS. At that size there's enough surface area to have automatic color shifting even if your head is dead center.

One of my customers has a 27" TN that I bought them a few years ago. No colour shifting "even if your head is dead center".

Iiyama B2776HDS, bought Nov 2011.

 

[nOOky]

Thanks for all the input.

I ordered the LG 32UD59-B.

For what I read, the viewing angles are not as good as those in an IPS panel. Plus, it is not a very bright display and it lacks some features found in other monitors.

However, it is a VA panel, so clearly better than the TN models I had at hand. Plus, it seems to have good contrast. It is 32” so also bigger than the 27-28” I was looking at, which may be a good thing. And it has integrated speakers, which is good for me, as weak as they might be.

Finally, it is readily available, and will arrive in two days, a lot less than 30 business days or more that would take for a Dell monitor to be imported from the U.S.

I have this monitor. I also read "reviews" that said it wasn't bright enough, however I have mine at 72% brightness and it's perfect. Most of the reviews I found were not reviews anyway but opinions by people that didn't own the monitor that said the maximum specified brightness wasn't enough, in actual use it's fine. I sit directly in front of it and the viewing angles are fine, I've no complaints. I do have Windows scaling at 150% text and Windows use is just fine for me, ymmv.