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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sonny73n - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
@boeushSure you don't get that because your brain is as big as a pea. And why would you even exaggerate about the distance of people's noses from their monitors? I also believe you have your nose closer to your phone's display than ours to our monitors.
I have several Dell monitors and one of which is 24" 1600p. Yet I can still see the jagged edges of text and icons from a normal sitting distance. I'm about to get a new monitor from Dell, P2415Q
ddrіver - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
You really deserve a prize for that. Most studies out there, backed up by science and extensive observation concluded that at 3' the benefits of 4K are visible at 34"-40" and above. If you can see the "jagged edges" your sitting too close to the screen (1 foot?).I remember the audiophile fad a few years back when guys like you insisted on BS stuff like oxygen free copper cables, ceramic stands for the cables, directional cables, and so forth. They were also sure that they can defo hear the difference. They were also called on their BS.
Holliday75 - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
But but but I'm special.Icehawk - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
Folks really claim to see pixels on a 5k display? On a 24" 1600p monitor? Man you guys have crazy good eyes. I am sitting in front of a 27" 1080p monitor and can't see pixels, no it isn't as crisp as the 27" 2k monitor I use at home but it's not terrible and I don't need to increase the size whereas on my 2k monitor I do need 150% scaling or I can't see squat.More pixels are more better sure but there are diminishing returns.
And yeah cables are totally snake oil. WTF ddriver I think this is twice this week where I totally agree with your posting. Did you get therapy? :p
iamlilysdad - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
Yes, ddriver claimed to see individual SUBPIXELS on his 5K display sitting 6' away. He didn't give the diagonal of the display, but it's likely 27".I call BS unless he has a VERY large 5K display.
ddrіver - Sunday, December 24, 2017 - link
@all: I call nor being able to read sarcasm ;) ("wink"). I also said I can see the SUBpixels just to make sure people catch it.It was addressed to the guys who insists 1600p at 24" is not enough. Maybe they're all teenagers. Just wait till they get in their 20s :))).
lmcd - Saturday, December 23, 2017 - link
1600p monitors aren't 5K unless you're talking about extreme widescreen or something. If you're referring to them separately, I can definitely see pixels on a 24-inch 2560x1600 panel.ddrіver - Sunday, December 24, 2017 - link
Icehawk, maybe we agree because it's pretty hard to swallow people's BS that they can see the dot pitch of less that 0.18mm from the regular viewing distance. Which should be about 3'.Or saying that text is "jagged" when every single OS out there does font smoothing making this statement an impossibility at every reasonable resolution.
Saying that the image is crisper is one thing, saying you can see individual pixels is just BS. Best think you can get a subjective impression that the image is better, not that you can see a pixel.
And I will quote real science for people like sonny73n, jrs77, mkozakewich, lmcd, and who know how many others insist they need 4K at 24" because otherwise they can see the pixels:
"At absolute best, humans can resolve two lines about 0.01 degrees apart: a 0.026mm gap, 15cm from your face. In practice, objects 0.04mm wide (the width of a fine human hair) are just distinguishable by good eyes, objects 0.02mm wide are not"
And that's at 15cm. But you guys can see 0.018mm at 3' or 100cm. I'd give you the BS of the year award but you still have a few more days to beat this one.
ddrіver - Sunday, December 24, 2017 - link
I mean when you say you need 4K at 21.5" (like the iMac) because otherwise you see the pixels and the jagged edges you can't be taken seriously.bill.rookard - Sunday, December 24, 2017 - link
Interesting. Taking a quick look at my micrometer with a lcd as a backlight, I can start to see a line at about .0008 inches as I open it holding it about 15 inches (not cm!) from my face. That's about your .002 mm at what you claim is at best, yet at twice the distance. I lose most of the resolution of it when it goes out to arms length.Just as a reference, these are 49 year old eyes, no glasses, but I did have lasik about 18 years ago.
I will say I really would disagree with someone who could see that at 36 inches. Once I get past 24-28 inches, it's gone.