[HN Gopher] Dell's new UltraSharp monitor is a 6K powerhouse for...
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       Dell's new UltraSharp monitor is a 6K powerhouse for pros
        
       Author : zdw
       Score  : 42 points
       Date   : 2023-01-03 20:45 UTC (2 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (arstechnica.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (arstechnica.com)
        
       | post_break wrote:
       | 60hz just isn't enough for me. Not sure if it's a bandwidth issue
       | or panel issue.
        
         | MBCook wrote:
         | At 6k it's probably bandwidth. That's (thought) to be the
         | reason on the Pro Display XDR for its 60hz limit.
         | 
         | At least without display stream compression.
        
       | fotta wrote:
       | > You'll also be able to connect to the U3224KB via Mini
       | DisplayPort 2.1
       | 
       | Interesting tidbit. DP 2.0+ allows for much higher resolutions
       | without needing DSC. The Pro Display XDR for example uses DP 1.4
       | with DSC to drive the 6k resolution.
        
       | ComputerGuru wrote:
       | I was hopeful for all of about two seconds until I saw the aspect
       | ratio: as I feared, it's a 16:9 display.
       | 
       | At that size, a 16:9 display is just not very functional. It's
       | just too wide and not tall enough. You _will_ be constrained by
       | the vertical height (since you need to use dpi scaling) and the
       | extra width will, by and large, be wasted. Depending on your
       | configured DPI, notifications or other activity to the side of
       | the screen is effectively outside your active vision, and you 'll
       | miss things that happen there.
       | 
       | I'm still holding on to my ZR30w for dear life, and that's only a
       | 16:10.
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | rektide wrote:
         | I had a similar first reaction. My main monitor is 28" 4k 16:9
         | and more vertical sounds nice.
         | 
         | This monitor is 6144x3456, which is 1.6x more pixels in each
         | direction (2.56x total pixels), and physically a bit bigger. So
         | I feel like I'd get the extra real estate I want. Heck, I might
         | be comfortable even adding some more inches to the side, making
         | it more widescreen!
         | 
         | However I really don't want a 60Hz monitor. Everything is much
         | smoother at even 90Hz. That's my dealbreaker.
        
         | SketchySeaBeast wrote:
         | In that case would it be better as a 9:16 screen?
        
           | mixmastamyk wrote:
           | Not really. I have this and it is too tall (gotta look up and
           | down) and too skinny (bit too wide for one window across, too
           | skinny for two tiled). Preferred my old 1600x1200 4:3 in
           | portrait mode, though I won't go back to < 200dpi.
        
         | BoorishBears wrote:
         | I completely disagree with this.
         | 
         | My XDR is too _tall_ if anything, definitely not too short. I
         | can 't have the entire thing aligned with my eyes: I end up
         | either having to look down a little, or up.
         | 
         | > You will be constrained by the vertical height (since you
         | need to use dpi scaling)
         | 
         | I run the XDR at a very comfortable scaled resolution of
         | 3008x1692 and text looks absolutely flawless. Compare that to
         | your 30" 2560 x 1600 native screen and you can see it's hardly
         | a difference.
        
         | user_7832 wrote:
         | I wish there were good squarish displays. The best/closest one
         | is the Huawei Mateview at 3:2 (3k*2k resolution IIRC), or the
         | Microsoft studio computer (4.5k*3k, also 3:2). But the mateview
         | is 500EUR+, while decent 4K monitors are available for
         | significantly less. I wish 3:2 and 16:10 took off properly -
         | MacBooks have been doing the latter for forever, yet no one
         | copies that good part :(
         | 
         | (PS I had a comment earlier here on HN on diying a monitor, let
         | me know if anyone wants more info.)
        
         | TacticalCoder wrote:
         | Your mileage may vary. I'm using a 38" screen (21:9) daily
         | since four years and I wouldn't want it any other way. Except
         | maybe a single 49" monitor (which does 32:9 I think).
        
         | zokier wrote:
         | Its <3% less tall than your ZR30w (40.39cm vs 39.23cm) and has
         | 8% more vertical desktop at 2x scaling (3456/2=1728 vs 1600).
         | 
         | Does the extra 2 inches of width really bother you that much?
        
           | ComputerGuru wrote:
           | Yes. Like I lamented above, the ZR30w is already borderline.
           | I miss things already. I "upgraded" to a Dell 32" UltraSharp
           | then want back to the ZR30w (well after I could return the
           | Dell) as it was that much worse.
        
       | cwkoss wrote:
       | This article is just an ad
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | nickthegreek wrote:
         | Ads normally do not contain these type of nuggets:
         | 
         | >However, the company hasn't provided any color accuracy claims
         | for the monitor yet, and that will be critical for many
         | creatives.
         | 
         | >But while IPS Black contrast is impressive for IPS, there are
         | prosumer monitors delivering even greater contrast levels.
         | 
         | >One potential disadvantage: HDR >When in HDR mode, the
         | U3224KB's max brightness increases a tick to 600 nits, as per
         | VESA DisplayHDR certification. That's a bit dim for creative
         | professionals like video editors, who will likely need
         | DisplayHDR 1000 and beyond for effective performance.
         | 
         | >both monitors are still expected to be subject to the flaws of
         | LCD panels that OLED monitors avoid, such as the potential for
         | blooming around light areas on dark content.
        
       | nazgulnarsil wrote:
       | I don't get it, dell already sells an 8k display for much less
       | than the apple
        
         | wmf wrote:
         | That monitor has wrong DPI.
        
       | fotta wrote:
       | I'm very interested in this. I've been looking at the XDR for a
       | high-DPI, >27" display but can't bring myself to fork over $5k
       | for it. Hopefully this is significantly cheaper.
        
       | sneak wrote:
       | I'm excited for this, because the PC world has been too low dpi
       | for too long.
       | 
       | I hope more displays incorporate PD and networking.
       | 
       | None of the reviews mention the speed of the network interface on
       | this, however. (Fairly safe to assume it's only 10/100/1000 but
       | it would be nice to see 2.5G on a $2000+ display designed for
       | pros and connecting with thunderbolt.)
        
         | fotta wrote:
         | Looks like it has 10Gbps USB so worst case I think you can get
         | a 2.5Gbps adapter
        
           | sneak wrote:
           | Oh wow, I had no idea that these are only $30 now. Awesome!
        
       | axus wrote:
       | I contrast this with the article I read today about a 14 year-old
       | Dell monitor: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/why-im-
       | still-using-1... (also 16:10)
        
       | tannhaeuser wrote:
       | Used a 27" monitor years ago, but it's simply too large for
       | practical work for me, let alone 32" or more. LG's Apple-
       | exclusive UltraFine 23" 4k monitor, OTOH, is a perfect companion
       | next to the built-in monitor of a MBP in terms of dot pitch and
       | glare.
        
       | symlinkk wrote:
       | 32" is just too big. 27" 5K is the sweet spot. As usual Apple is
       | the only company to execute on this successfully.
        
         | nickpp wrote:
         | As I aged, 32" became my sweet spot replacing 27". Same
         | resolution - 4K.
        
           | turtlebits wrote:
           | 32" 4k ppi is too low IMO. I'm glad someone is trying to
           | compete with the Apple 6k XDR. I'm just afraid this also
           | might be out of my price range.
        
       | FpUser wrote:
       | I think 31.5" is too small for this resolution. I have for
       | example 4K at 32" and pixel density is sort of borderline optimal
       | to me at 100% font scaling. For programming I want to have more
       | windows and text on single screen, not smaller pixels for which I
       | have to increase scaling proportionally. This particular Dell
       | display in this case has to have something like 50" which is way
       | too big when sitting in front of it.
       | 
       | I can imagine it can be useful for some image / video related
       | professional production or for font perfectionists. Other than
       | that I do not think it is very practical.
        
         | purerandomness wrote:
         | > I want to have more windows and text on single screen
         | 
         | > not smaller pixels for which I have to increase scaling
         | proportionally
         | 
         | I'll never understand this argument. You want to place windows
         | and text on a single screen so that it's comfortable to read,
         | not smaller, and not bigger.
         | 
         | Then, when you have the perfect reading font size for your
         | viewing distance, there's no imaginable scenario where you
         | would want a _lower_ resolution. If you have a comfortable
         | physical font size, the same font size at a higher resolution
         | will _always_ be better than at a lower resolution.
         | 
         | Especially if you don't have perfect vision.
        
           | wmf wrote:
           | _the same font size at a higher resolution will always be
           | better than at a lower resolution_
           | 
           | It could be worse due to fractional scaling. Some people are
           | more sensitive to it than others.
        
         | Matthias247 wrote:
         | it's actually the perfect resolution for this size - since it
         | finally gets you 2x scaling with "previously native" font
         | sizes.
         | 
         | we started with around 100dpi when 1920x1200 screens where
         | trendy. Font and UI sizes on those were pretty good - but the
         | screens lacked real estate (small size) and clarity (low DPI).
         | 
         | 27" 1440p and then 4k screens improved on that, but they were
         | never good enough to go for 2x scaling - which will provide
         | both more real estate and more clarity. One had to pick either
         | unnaturally tiny fonts or fractional scaling which messed up
         | some UI sizes.
         | 
         | With 5k 27" and 6k 32" screens the compromises should be gone.
         | It's a natural 2x (retina) display, just like Apple had them on
         | notebooks for lots of years.
        
         | andix wrote:
         | Are you using windows? Because on windows you can scale in 25%
         | steps and everything still looks crisp. Linux and macOS don't
         | have this feature (more or less only 100%, 200%, and so on).
         | 
         | I really like high DPI monitors for programming, text looks
         | just so much better and is easier to read (less tiring for the
         | eyes).
        
           | FpUser wrote:
           | Yes, Windows. I do not want to scale at all. Scaling reduces
           | the amount of text on screen. Completely contrary to what I
           | want. And for my imperfect eyes 4K at 31" is totally optimal,
           | sharp and easy to read. I would not spend a single penny to
           | make something look "Better" when it is already perfect for
           | me
        
             | andix wrote:
             | Okay, I use my screen at arms length, and I can't read the
             | text if it is set to 100%. I'm in my 30s and the eyesight
             | is good, but it seems to be already a bit less than in my
             | early 20s, maybe that's the issue.
        
           | BoorishBears wrote:
           | This isn't true. OSX has handled fractional scaling better
           | than Windows since it's been a thing, and my XDR is running
           | at 3008 x 1692
        
             | andix wrote:
             | As far as I know macOS (like Linux) renders always in 100%
             | increments and then scales it down. So if you're running a
             | 4K in 125% it needs to render everything in 8K and scale it
             | down. Which can require a lot of GPU power.
             | 
             | There are way less scaling issues because of that though.
             | Windows only does scaling well since Windows 11, before it
             | was a mess, and before windows 10 it was practically
             | unusable.
        
               | BoorishBears wrote:
               | I've used the "Using a scaled resolution may affect
               | performance" branded sizes (which are fractional) just
               | fine in the past
               | 
               | But the whole point of the approach is to support
               | monitors like this one flawlessly compared to most
               | alternatives. 3008 x 1692 (1/2 6k) is perfect for a 32"
               | 6k screen
        
       | einpoklum wrote:
       | This title sounds like advertising.
       | 
       | Anyway, personal story: For years I worked on a 24" monitor at
       | home. Then, at some point, I decided I too want to be a "pro" or
       | whatever, and bought me a Dell UltraSharp 27" monitor. It looked
       | very impressive when I turned it on... but within a couple of
       | weeks, I noticed I was getting this sensation of wanting to turn
       | away from the screen, of not wanting to be at my computer. I
       | gradually realized that, well, it was the monitor; or rather the
       | monitor + the distance: I could just not tolerate my eyes having
       | to focus on high-intensity lit items at the angles the monitor
       | was showing me. I went back to a 24-incher, and am happy as a
       | clam. No multiple monitors for me, either: Dizziness and
       | headaches.
       | 
       | I know this might not be everyone's experience, and many people
       | have no trouble with large/multiple monitors, but - be warned,
       | you might be one of those we do; or, you might develop this
       | sensitivity over the years.
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | AdrianB1 wrote:
         | I am using 2 monitors for over 20 years (since GeForce 2 MX, my
         | first video card with 2 outputs) and I had no problems; at
         | first it was 19" CRT, then dual 21", for the past 9 years dual
         | 24". I had a colleague (now retired) that was using 6 21"
         | monitors on a special stand in a 3x2 arrangement, he loved it.
         | Different people have different preferences and tolerances.
        
       | locusofself wrote:
       | I converted my 27" 5k iMac into a monitor using a conversion
       | board from eBay.
       | 
       | I use a macbook air for personal stuff, and a windows laptop for
       | work (Microsoft). So it's great having a 5k monitor for both of
       | my laptops!
       | 
       | It looks great, but honestly wasn't really worth the effort and
       | risk of damaging everything. I retrospect I'd have sold the iMac
       | and bought the Studio Display I think.
        
       | kbumsik wrote:
       | Very interesting. I have been using 4k 27" monitor but this makes
       | me temping to switch to 32".
       | 
       | But I don't like that ugly and huge webcam. I would use my own
       | webcam on top of it.
       | 
       | > via Mini DisplayPort 2.1
       | 
       | Why Mini Displayport? I haven't heard of Mini DP for years.
        
         | andix wrote:
         | Mini-DP is still used for a lot of professional graphic cards
         | that have a lot of outputs, because you can't fit 4 or 8
         | regular sized DPs on a normal PCIe card bezel, especially if it
         | is just half size. (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-
         | rtx-a2000/2.html)
         | 
         | My older Dell monitors have both (mini and regular DP) and ship
         | with a mini to regular cable. So you can use it in both
         | directions and they don't have to ship two cables.
        
       | xnx wrote:
       | Can this really be worth $3,800 with 32" 4K TV's going for ~$200?
        
         | Matthias247 wrote:
         | if you want 220dpi, then any TV isn't an option. Even if you
         | just want 160dpi, then current 27" 4k screens are your only
         | option.
        
         | themodelplumber wrote:
         | IPS Black with twice the contrast compared to previous IPS
         | models, 35% deeper blacks, probably a lot of the UltraSharp
         | line's conveniences thrown in...yeah I can see people wanting
         | that.
         | 
         | Reliable reviewers say it makes even average Joe stuff like
         | movies and photos look noticeably better. So I want to at least
         | try it.
         | 
         | If you are telling us what kind of display you personally don't
         | need, I guess that's another thing...
        
         | zokier wrote:
         | Where did you get that $3800 number? I'd expect it to be priced
         | significantly lower..
        
         | defnotahuman wrote:
         | Yes, because TV prices are heavily subsidized by ad systems
         | installed directly on the OS and not reflective of the true
         | cost of manufacturing. Good monitors still do not have this
         | problem.
        
           | FpUser wrote:
           | I have couple of big TVs for people to watch movies, play
           | games. All hooked up to PC and disconnected from any
           | networks. They're essentially dumb monitors. No ads at all.
        
           | symlinkk wrote:
           | I don't think they're making $3600 off of showing me ads
        
             | arcturus17 wrote:
             | Joke's on them, all I do is code all day, I barely even
             | shower and I don't buy anything except licenses for
             | JetBrains products and productivity apps.
        
             | nickpp wrote:
             | Maybe they're also monitoring what you are watching making
             | you part of the greatest Nielsen ratings group of all
             | times?! Content producers and advertisers would pay a lot
             | for that.
        
         | zuminator wrote:
         | Those are not comparable. This has about 2.5x the pixels of a
         | comparably sized 4K TV which means lower yields for
         | manufacturing, plus it doesn't have the same economy of scale
         | of a discounted consumer TV. Also it integrates a stand with
         | USB hub, a webcam, far superior color gamut than your $200
         | screen and Thunderbolt 4 with PD.
         | 
         | But if the extra pixel density and other features aren't useful
         | to you, then no reason not to get the vastly cheaper device.
        
         | yamtaddle wrote:
         | Check the color gamut and black levels on the $200 4K TV. You
         | won't find anything remotely comparable in the three figures, I
         | expect.
        
         | andix wrote:
         | Interesting thought. Most tvs have a vesa mount, so you can put
         | it on a monitor stand. Are there some major drawbacks I might
         | overlook?
        
           | agys wrote:
           | I just sent back to the store a 42" Samsung LCD TV for two
           | reasons:
           | 
           | 1) It didn't go into sleep and I always had to fiddle with
           | the remote to bring back the desktop image after a wake up
           | (select source, etc).
           | 
           | 2) The color (LED lighting?) wasn't uniform near the frame
           | even if it was a higher end model.
           | 
           | But the 120 Hz frame rate was interesting and the text
           | extremely sharp. I kept it around 1 meter from my eyes and I
           | liked the extra space. I connected it to an older MacBook Pro
           | through an eGPU.
        
           | eYrKEC2 wrote:
           | I've used a 43-inch 4k monitor for 4 years. First a Samsung
           | and now a TCL. I love it. Some people worry about frame
           | latency for high performance gaming, but that's not me. It
           | handles my level of PC gaming just fine, in addition to being
           | my programming workhorse.
        
       | inductive_magic wrote:
       | I just ditched their 32" 4k for their - cheaper - 42" 4k displays
       | and haven't looked back since. Finally I get 4K sans dpi scaling.
       | 42" is huge, but perfect for hn type work. IDE, terminal,
       | browser, mail/chats all on one screen, all readable, no
       | compromises.
       | 
       | I'm sure there are people who benefit from 6k on 32", but if
       | you're coding and you haven't tried the 42", you may want to do
       | it.
        
         | nikanj wrote:
         | I've got the 49" ultrawide that clocks in at 5120x1440. Massive
         | real estate but 100% UI scale so no weird issues - aside from
         | the occasional software that pulls the resolution instead of
         | the DPI and then insists on a 200% UI zoom
        
         | xpil wrote:
         | I've been using their 42 inch monitor for a couple of years
         | now. Before that, I worked on a curved 50 inch Samsung TV but
         | it was a bit too large. 42 inches is a sweet spot for me.
         | 
         | 2-monitor setups suck. If I had to go multi, I'd always go with
         | an odd number of monitors (so, 3 or 5) to avoid assymetry. With
         | 2 monitors, your secondary monitor is going to be placed either
         | to the left or to the right of your primary, thus creating
         | assymetrical workload on your neck muscles, affecting your
         | health long term.
         | 
         | The only exception from this rule is a layout where your
         | primary screen sits in front of you, and your secondary is
         | placed beside it but _rotated 90 degrees_ (to vertical
         | position) and used mostly for placing various toolbars to
         | declutter the main one. I tried this setup once and it worked
         | ok ish for me. It looks weird but is quite practical once you
         | get used to it.
        
         | ak217 wrote:
         | I use the LG 43" 4K with a portrait mode 27" as a sidecar, and
         | can highly recommend this size. My only complaint is that it's
         | not 8K.
        
         | proee wrote:
         | Can you share the model of the 42" monitor you're using?
        
           | defnotahuman wrote:
           | It's probably the U4320Q, which I use and love as well.
        
           | nordsieck wrote:
           | I'm not the person you're replying to, but I've been using a
           | 43" TV for 6 months, and it's been great.
           | 
           | I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RRVKN12/
           | 
           | I'm running 1 monitor with MacOS and Rectangle. The vertical
           | height is amazing, and there's enough horizontal space for 3
           | double wide terminals.
        
         | andix wrote:
         | I just switched to the 32" and I like it a lot. I think the
         | sharpness of texts and icons are much better on the 150%
         | scaling I use it on, mich easier on the eye. Would prefer more
         | sharpness though.
         | 
         | Isn't 42" a bit big for a desk monitor? I prefer having a
         | second monitor (currently a 25"), is there still enough space
         | on the desk for a second monitor?
        
           | nordsieck wrote:
           | I run a single 43" monitor. I vastly prefer it over 2
           | monitors due to running a tiling window manager. I'm sure
           | there are good ones for Linux and Windows, but on MacOS
           | Rectangle is where it's at.
           | 
           | But if you really need to have multiple monitors, you'll need
           | a pretty big desk to make it work.
        
         | CobaltFire wrote:
         | I just picked up one of their 32" 4K's and LOVE it at native
         | scaling.
         | 
         | I specifically got their G3223Q (144Hz) and it's awesome. Color
         | calibrated it to match my MBP and it's an excellent match (with
         | less contrast).
        
           | sumoboy wrote:
           | I just pickup a U3223QE last week and can't complain. I
           | already have two viewsonic 27" 4k monitors which were side by
           | side, now stacked next to the new monitor which I'm liking
           | this configuration. If this 6k monitor was available now I
           | would be taking the 4k back and buying two of them.
           | 
           | Samsung just announced a 57" 8k monitor which looks pretty
           | awesome, $$$.
        
         | FpUser wrote:
         | I did exactly the opposite a while ago. I switched from 40" 4K
         | to 32" 4K. Too much head movement to see the whole screen or
         | inconvenient head angle when looking at the corners / sides.
         | 32" at 4K is perfect for me
        
       | raincom wrote:
       | In 2001, 17' ViewSonic LCD displays were sold for $999 a piece.
       | Even if this 6K monitor sells for $1800, it is worth the price
       | for the people who need such a set up. In my case, I am happy
       | with my 7 years old 4k P2715Q monitors, which I bought for $480 a
       | piece.
        
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