Displays - Page 33

Dell has just unveiled its latest flagship UltraWide gaming monitor, the new Alienware AW3420DW which builds on the foundation of its predecessor from 2017 -- right down to its 3440x1440 resolution, 120Hz refresh, and G-Sync tech.

But there are many areas where Dell has made some improvements in the new Alienware AW3420DW, first of which is the out-of-this-world design on the monitor. It looks like the just-announced Alienware Aurora R9 gaming PCs, something that would look truly awesome combined.

It's not just the design but the technology side of things is something Dell isn't shying away from, with the new Alienware AW3420DW packing higher display brightness, and an IPS-based panel with new Nano Color technology.

ASUS has one of the best gaming monitors launching soon, something that I fell head over heels in love with at Computex this year: the ASUS ROG Strix XG438Q.

The upcoming ASUS ROG Strix XG438Q is a huge 43-inch gaming monitor with a native 4K resolution, huge 120Hz refresh rate, and AMD FreeSync 2 HDR technology. Now that AMD's new Navi-based Radeon RX 5700 XT and RX 5700 are here, ASUS will have you ready with its upcoming ROG Strix XG438Q.

ASUS' new ROG Strix XG438Q has AMD FreeSync 2 HDR support with a variable refresh range of 48FPS to 120FPS, as well as 3 x HDMI 2.0 inputs and a single DP 1.4 input. So no matter what you're plugging into the ASUS ROG Strix XG438Q, you'll be covered.

LG teased and then pulled its UltraFine 5K display from the market over issues, but the newly-released and now-updated 5K monitor also includes a new feature: it'll work with the new iPad Pros thanks to their new USB-C output.

Apart from acting like a huge secondary display for your iPad Pro, the new LG UltraFine 5K monitor rocks its native 5120x2880 resolution and P3 wide color gamut. It has a single Thunderbolt 3 cable that will connect to your MacBook Pro, as well as three USB-C connections (each with 5Gbps) that will power various devices like smartphones.

The 27-inch 5K monitor has 500 nits of brightness, and with its native 5120x2880 resolution it has 77% more pixels than a 4K monitor. The difference between 4K and 5K and 4K and 8K (and even 5K and 8K) gets more and more incredible as you scale resolutions. 5K is perfect for content creators, especially thanks to its ease-of-use with a single Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C cable.

AOC has just unveiled two new high-end gaming monitors in their AGON gaming range of displayts, with the new AGON AG271FZ2 and AG251FZ2 both coming in as esports/enthusiast level 240Hz refresh rates.

The new 240Hz gaming displays also boast AMD FreeSync technology, and I think a never-before-seen 0.5ms response time. The AOC AGON AG251FZ2 is a 24.5-inch panel while the AG271FZ2 is a larger 27-inch monitor, both with lower native 1920x1080 resolutions. 1440p at 240Hz would've been much nicer, but much more expensive at the same time.

Both of the new AOC AGON 240Hz gaming displays include DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, and VGA inputs as well as built-in speakers, and 4 x USB 3.0 ports with a fast-charging port, too. AOC includes Lowblue Light Mode and Shadow Control. As for pricing, we're looking at the 24.5-inch version costing $330 while the larger 27-inch panel will cost $380.

ASUS has just released what should be the best UltraWide gaming monitor ever with its ROG Swift PG35VQ monitor, a beasty 35-inch panel with a native 3840x1440 resolution and super-slick 200Hz refresh rate backed up by NVIDIA G-Sync HDR tech.

The previous-gen ASUS ROG Swift PG35Q rolled out with the same 3840x1440 resolution but with a 100Hz refresh rate, so the new ROG Swift PG35VQ speeding things up to a quite insane 200Hz (especially at this resolution) is huge. It has made the ROG Swift PG35VQ more expensive than current 4K 144Hz G-Sync displays, but you're getting that awesome 21:9 aspect gaming world opening up.

ASUS packs the ROG Swift PG35VQ with the 35-inch curved VA panel rocking out with a 4K-wide 3840x1440 resolution (up from the 3440x1440 on a 34-inch UltraWide) and all done using Quantum Dot technology. ASUS claims that it has "cinema-standard" DCI-P3 90% color gamut, too.

Well, it's confirmed - Alex Jones was right, aliens exist and they have taken our government hostage. Under the dictatorship of President Putin controlling the entire elections they control the Trump administration. Trump personally signed an executive order today which classified the release of Alienware's hotly-anticipated 55-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor. Sorry, internet.

No seriously, news has just hit the internet that Alienware looks to have shelved the release of its 55-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor according to an Alienware executive that spoke with WCCFTech. During E3 2019 the site talked with an Alienware executive that said that the monitor was a "conceptual product" that might not be released, ever.

As someone who was personally so excited to grab a gigantic 55-inch 4K 120Hz OLED gaming monitor, and now Alienware has crushed my dreams. It would've felt like the perfect monitor of its kind and as a personal owner of a 27-inch 4K 144Hz, 32-inch 8K 60Hz, and 65-inch 4K 60Hz OLED owner... the Alienware 55-inch 4K 120Hz OLED gaming monitor would've been in a league of its own.

Computex 2019 - MSI came out strong as it always does at Computex, with its reveal this year including the hyped GeForce RTX 2080 Ti LIGHTNING Z 10th anniversary edition graphics card. But there were triple-monitor rigs, awesome case mods, new gaming displays and so much more at the MSI booth.

MSI had quite the crown jewel in its behemoth spot in Nangang, with a huge triple-monitor 1440p 144Hz Optix rig. It looked pretty damn good in person, especially with the RGB lighting. I'd love to see 3 of these in my office under some testing, gave me the multi-monitor gaming vibes again.

Not that anyone would buy it, but MSI also had the world's first curved gaming case on show in the halls of Nangang, and man did it look slick.

Computex 2019 - ASUS unveiled its big and beautiful ROG Strix XG438Q gaming monitor at CES 2019 and once again at Computex 2019.

A refresher on the ASUS ROG Strix XG438Q -- it's a huge 43-inch 4K monitor with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR. ASUS has tapped AU Optronics for a VA panel so we have great contrast ratios compared to IPS and TN panels, with peak brightness of 450 nits and up to 600 nits for HDR content while it rocks 90% DCI-P3 wide color gamut.

I didn't get time today to play with it but I intend on spending time with the ROG Strix XG438Q during the week and I've told ASUS reps that I want the first panel that arrives in Australia and I have my wallet ready.

Sony is better detailing its upcoming 8K-capable MASTER Series Z9G TVs which begin with an 85-inch model up for sale starting at $13,000 while the larger 98-inch model drops in June for a wallet-busting $70,000. The perfect new TV to go with your 8K-capable next-gen PlayStation 5.

The flagship Sony MASTER Series Z9G 8K HDR TV comes in with a massive and I'm sure oh-so-beautiful 98-inch 8K screen with it powered by the Sony X1 Ultimate processor that it "optimized to handle 33 million pixels of 8K". Sony's in-house chip boasts the ability to "analyze each object in the picture" at 8K, which is joined by another feature called 8K X-tended Dynamic Range PRO and Backlight Master Drive "with full-array local dimming".

Sony is using some magical stuff inside of the MASTER Series Z9G TVs with clarity enhancements including the 8K X-Reality PRO, dual database processing and object-based Super Resolution that upscales your video content to 8K per object. It's pretty incredible. There's also color enhancements in the way of Live Color Technology, Precision Color Mapping, super bit mapping HDR and Sony's own TRILUMINOS Display technology.

The ramp up to 8K is going to really go to the next level in 2020 with Japan hosting the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with Japanese broadcaster 8K being on the forefront of the future of resolutions.

NHK engineers began their journey with 8K all the way back in 1995, with the news being revealed by Senior Producer at NHK, Mika Kanaya. Kanaya talked about the journey up to, and then launching what was the world's first 8K channel. In the video she talks about some of the issues the NHK engineers had to overcome to deliver 8K and how they broke through those challenges, and why 8K is here to stay.

NHK has been blasting out 8K broadcasts since December 2018, and with the 2020 Tokyo Olympis right around the corner they will have all eyes on the company across the world with 8K broadcasts of one of the most-watched events in decades. The current 8K broadcasts are limited, with NHK only broadcasting a couple of shows in 8K, and they're shown multiple times at a single period of the day.

If there's one thing about sitting in front of an 8K display all day as I do, it's the eternal question of sitting in front of an 8K display that is nowhere near mainstream yet and thinking "what next". Well, that is closer than you think thanks to Sony.

Sony announced at NAB 2019 (National Association of Broadcasters) that it has developed a new screen that rocks a native 16K resolution and uses its in-house Crystal LED technology. The screen in question is absolutely mammoth with it coming in at 63 feet (19m) long and 17 feet (5.4m) high, with a diagonal of 783 inches which means it's bigger than a bus.

Strategy Analytics analyst David Mercer told the BBC: "These displays are incredibly impressive in person - even 8K on a big display is almost mesmerising. When you get to this resolution it delivers almost a quasi-virtual reality experience as your eyes perceive there to be depth to the content".

I've long said that there is a big problem between the super-high-res, super-high-refresh rate displays because right now there's only a 27-inch 4K 144Hz and then the next size up from that sees you plonking down thousands on an NVIDIA-powered Big Format Gaming Display (BFGD).

Well, that all changes today with Acer announcing the next wave of its gaming-focused Predator monitors. The newly-announced Acer Predator CG437KP is a large 43-inch monitor with a native 4K resolution and super-fast 144Hz refresh rate, but it's also compatible with AdaptiveSync technology for the PC.

As for connectivity we have 3 x HDMI ports, USB Type-C, and DisplayPort. Acer has also used a built-in sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the display depending on the light level in the room. Acer has also used a proximity sensor that will wave up the Predator gaming display when you walk away from it, and then wake it up when it detects you back in front of the display.

The world of 8K gaming is still many, many years away but that doesn't mean that the R&D into these monitors isn't ramping up already. Dell has an 8K monitor on the market in its UP3218K which I personally own and absolutely adore, but it is limited to just 60Hz.

Sharp teased a similar monitor at a special media event at Sharp HQ in Japan this week with a new 31.5-inch 8K monitor with a whopping 120Hz refresh rate and HDR technology. It is using Sharp's own in-house IGZO panel technology, with the company teasing plans that it will be made available to the market sometime in the future.

A few years ago the company showed off a 27-inch 8K 120Hz IGZO-based monitor but it never made it to market, unlike the promises made over the larger 31.5-inch 8K 120Hz HDR panel shown off this week.

Eric Gan was asleep in his apartment when he was woken to the sound of loud noises, which after it happened he discovered were coming from the street in the form of guns being shot. Random bullets were fired, with 5 of them entering Eric's room as well as his friends room and windows. His MSI Optix G27C2 monitor was hit, and survived to tell the tale.

Gan posted the images on Twitter, with one of the bullets flying into the back of his MSI Optix G27C2 gaming monitor. The bullet passed through the wall first and into the back of the display, but didn't even get all the way through the display and into the screen. Impressive stuff, and very lucky.

No one was hurt in the shooting, with MSI seeing the marketing potential and reaching out to Gan offering him a replacement monitor and other MSI-related swag. Gan was told by the police that the shooting was "random" and happened at a party across the street from his apartment.

For those of you who have been interested in technology long enough you'll remember that Apple used to be champions of high-end displays with their Cinema Display range of monitors, but then Apple went dead quiet on the monitor front... but that looks like it could change.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released a new investor note today that teased that the company could be getting back into the display business in a big way. Kuo says that Apple is reportedly working on a huge new 31.6-inch monitor that would rock an interesting, and surely high-quality 6K resolution. The new 6K3K monitor would sport a Mini LED-like backlight design that would give it "outstanding picture quality".

The last time Apple had a monitor on the market was all the way back in 2016 with its Thunderbolt Display, and since then the only thing that Apple has officially recommended is the 27-inch LG UltraFine 5K monitor. Stepping up to 6K will be a big deal, and it'll go beautifully with a new MacBook Pro that Apple will release this year that will also receive an injection of upgraded technology.

CES 2019 - Lenovo is the first in the world with a gaming monitor rocking a native 2560 x 1440 resolution and huge 240Hz refresh rate with its new Legion Y27gq monitor. The native 1440p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate are joined with G-Sync HDR, too.

It was until CES 2019 that we had 240Hz refresh rate monitors tapping out with 1920 x 1080 resolutions, while 165Hz was the max we had for 1440p, until the Lenovo Legion Y27gq. Lenovo explains: "The Lenovo Legion Y27gq is an ultrapowerful monitor that elevates your gaming experience. This monitor is designed to dominate with an impeccable blend of 240Hz refresh rate, 0.5ms response time, and the latest NVIDIA G-Sync HDR technology".

Lenovo is using an AU Optronics panel with the 27-inch display arriving with 0.5ms G2G response times, 90% DCI-P3 coverage, and the aforementioned NVIDIA G-Sync HDR support.

CES 2019 - GIGABYTE unveils the world's first tactical gaming monitor aimed at gamers who want the edge over the competition. By combining many unique and quite ingenious technologies, the AD27QD is capable of delivering features that make it almost like the Swiss Army Knife of gaming monitors.

Let's get through the basics; this is a 27-inch 10-bit ISP 1440P display that offers refresh rates up to 144Hz. It also offers 95% DCI-P3 RGB color coverage, which is one of the latest standards for color reproduction. It does offer swivel, tilt, and pivot. The monitor also has RGB LEDs integrated behind the display so you get some ambient lighting if you have a wall behind the display.

However, what makes this display special are its special technologies that are designed to give gamers the edge over the competition and the game itself. For starters, it has the ability to display a reticle regardless of whether or not the game provides one, so if your game doesn't offer one you still get one. It also has an OSD baked into the display, which means that you not only get to use an OSD in games where an OSD is not allowed or offered, but it also wont eat up your system resources since it's built into the display.

CES 2019 - Dell has stepped up to the display table with a new beast in its Alienware gaming range with the unveiling of the new Alienware 55 OLED Monitor, a larger-than-life 55-inch 4K OLED display capable of a huge 120Hz. Yeah, 4K + 120Hz + OLED.

The design of the Alienware 55 OLED Monitor has the usual sleekness about it, with a subtle Alien logo on the back and a beautiful blue LED strip that would look mean AF at night. There's a huge '55' on the back of the display which I actually dig, with Alienware including a cable path and removable cover to keep it looking schmick around the back.

Frank Azor, VP and GM of Alienware explains: "Dell is the leader in displays around the world, we ship more displays than anyone else. We've taken OLED to the next level... these pictures don't do it justice... I promise you won't be disappointed, this thing is absolutely amazing".

CES 2019 - Sony isn't going to be pushed out of the 8K TV market with an announcement of its new Master Series TVs that include 4K and 8K models split between OLED and LCD panels, respectively.

The flagship Z9G 8K uses an LCD panel for its 7680 x 4320 native resolution while the A9G 4K OLED TVs that come in 55/65/77-inch sizes while the 8K sets are larger 85-inch and a huge 98-inch in size. All of the new TVs will feature Sony's own Picture Processor X1 Ultimate, with the company adding it "has a unique algorithm specially developed for 8K that can intelligently detect and analyze each object in the picture, resulting in exceptional detail and contrast for a more realistic picture that represents the creators' intent".

Sony's first consumer-focused 8K TV is the new Z9G, with Sony touting: "Completely new dedicated 8K technologies have been developed for the Z9G series, including a Backlight Master Drive feature with full-array local dimming and 8K X-tended Dynamic Range PRO. The Backlight Master Drive on the Z9G has ultra-dense LED modules that are independently controlled, delivering unprecedented contrast with punchy brightness and pitch blacks. To optimize this backlight system, 8K X-tended Dynamic Range PRO uses the saved energy to intelligently boost the brightness in the areas where it needs to be boosted".

CES 2019 - Samsung already set some records with its gigantic The Wall unveiling last ye ar, with a bigger-than-life 146-inch MicroLED-based TV shown off at CES 2018 this time last year. Well, Samsung is back and it has made that 146-inch TV look small in comparison.

The new Wall TV is a blistering 219 inches and continues to use what Samsung is referring to as the future of display technology with its MicroLED technology, where a consumer-facing 75-inch MicroLED TV has been announced for later this year from Samsung. It might not sound like much but MicroLED is a big part of the future for these absolutely huge TVs that are now getting to the point of taking up entire walls, and that's something only MicroLED can do right now.

MicroLED is special because its a new modular-style of TV design that allows for totally different aspect ratios and sizes than previous LCD/OLED panels are capable of, as the MicroLED panels act like tiles that can be connected into others to extend screen sizes. Huge screens can be constructed by many smaller (even if they are 50/60/75-inch each) into large multi-hundred-inch MicroLED displays that act like a super-quality billboard.