4k TVs and Monitors

sedrosken

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Apparently, OSX has pretty serious problems with 4k Display support. Given that a sizable chunk of professional-grade content creation is being done on OS X, that suggests a real disincentive to bother with getting decent desktop-size 4k displays for the rest of us. Goddammitsomuch.


I'm just gonna leave this here.
 

ddrueding

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Just got it installed. So pretty. The apparent size difference between the 30" and the 32" is much larger than I had anticipated. I hadn't looked before, so was surprised to see to DVI ports on this thing. Even more surprising is the presence of an HDMI port. The SuperSpeed Hub is nice. If anyone wants to see a demo/test of some kind, let me know.
 

Handruin

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Just got it installed. So pretty. The apparent size difference between the 30" and the 32" is much larger than I had anticipated. I hadn't looked before, so was surprised to see to DVI ports on this thing. Even more surprising is the presence of an HDMI port. The SuperSpeed Hub is nice. If anyone wants to see a demo/test of some kind, let me know.

What GPU did you use to drive this and what connection type are you using? Were you able to drive it at 60Hz?
 

ddrueding

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What GPU did you use to drive this and what connection type are you using? Were you able to drive it at 60Hz?

At the moment I'm using a 10' Displayport from a single GTX Titan. Win8 automagically changed resolution for me to 4k@60Hz without any issue. I didn't turn off the computer, and by the time the new monitor powered up it was already at the correct settings.

Interestingly, I'll need to go to a 15' DP cable to finish the routing properly. I hope it will still work; that Seiki spooked me a bit.
 

Handruin

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At the moment I'm using a 10' Displayport from a single GTX Titan. Win8 automagically changed resolution for me to 4k@60Hz without any issue. I didn't turn off the computer, and by the time the new monitor powered up it was already at the correct settings.

Interestingly, I'll need to go to a 15' DP cable to finish the routing properly. I hope it will still work; that Seiki spooked me a bit.

That's great to hear it changed over to the right resolution and frequency. I was reading through some of the Amazon reviews on that panel and some people sounded unhappy. I bet it looks great though. I hope they get cheaper over time.
 

Handruin

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28" wouldn't have worked for me anyway. 32" is what I would consider a minimum as I can barely make out the pixels if I really lean in and squint.

By that logic a 28" at the same resolution as the 32" would be even harder to see any pixels. :)
 

Handruin

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Not quite. I want to be able to make out the pixels. Particularly for CAD applications it is helpful to know whether something is aligned or it isn't.

Sorry, I didn't realize you wanted to see the pixels. That makes sense now. Is this the Zeppelin you want to build?
 

Howell

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I'm surprised the cad software doesn't have that capability built in. Seems like it would be very handy.
 

ddrueding

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I'm surprised the cad software doesn't have that capability built in. Seems like it would be very handy.

It is built in to most of the programs, but when I'm just dragging out boxes and roughing things in I don't want to start dimensioning or specifying relations and it is easier if things just land in the right place. SolidWorks is big in this, getting the relationship mostly right first can save massive headaches. One of the programs I use for house design stuff (Chief Architect X5) doesn't actually have this capability for certain classes of objects.

Sorry, I didn't realize you wanted to see the pixels. That makes sense now. Is this the Zeppelin you want to build?

Designing stuff is by far my biggest hobby at this point. Everything from the remodel of my house to car stuff to whatever. I spent a day doing the layout for the manifolds for the sprinkler systems in the front and back yards before I built them. I spent 9 months doing a complete layout of this house before we even closed the paperwork. Everything from which walls we were going to tear down and where doors/windows would go to the colors of the rooms and finish of the hardware. Once it became clear that our ambitions exceeded our cash I was able to split the project into phases, with the house being livable and functional in each without having to redo anything done in a previous step.

The Zepplin was more of a design/feasibility study. How much would it have to weigh? How big would the envelope need to be to lift it? How much power would you need to maintain a reasonable speed based on how big it is? How much would it cost? How does that compare to a luxury yacht or top end apartment (Monaco, NYC, Tokyo)? The result of all those came out quite positive, and I'm in the process of a market study at the moment. ;)

Current stuff I'm doing ties into my interest in fabricating stuff out of Carbon Fiber. I have a decent 3D scan of the front of my car that I'm converting to a SolidWorks model. Once there I'll be able to play with CFD and make modifications before construction.

In the past I've used SolidWorks to design some of my quadcopters and plan out component placement for cable routing, center of gravity, and total mass calculations before construction. Still working on the one that can lift a 7D with a 28/1.4.
 

snowhiker

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$700

These are getting cheap. SST via DP. Tempting but as was mentioned by DD above 28" is a bit small for 8.3MP. If this thing was 36" I'd buy it now at twice the price.

Edit: $600 here.
 

snowhiker

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Meh. It's a TN panel.

It is a TN panel. But from reports a decent TN panel. Maybe not a monitor for "professional" color work but a 4k, 60 Hz, SST display for $600 ain't bad. Plus this will help drive down the price of IPS units that will be out by 2015.
 

snowhiker

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So what's that mean? Is that like saying someone is a jerk, but a nice jerk? :p

I would say that the TN panels of today suck a lot less than the TN panels of 10 years ago. The underlying technology may be the same but the implementation is better perhaps. So from a few reviews I've read/seen on Youtube..."Hey this things not bad, for a TN panel" stands. This is a decent TN panel, not the "holly shit that sucks" TN panels of 5 or 10 years ago.

Obviously for pro/photo/color work you would go elsewhere.

As far as the monitor itself goes the non-adjustable stand (and no VESA mount) and "small" 28" size is a deal-breaker for me. The 60 Hz refresh @4k (via DP) and single tile (SST) 3840x2160 rez Vs two tile (MST) 1920x2160x2 are big pluses.
 

LunarMist

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I'm not seeing the need for 4K, especially if the panel has worse characteristics than the typical IPS panel.
 

snowhiker

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I'm not seeing the need for 4K, especially if the panel has worse characteristics than the typical IPS panel.

Imagine a setup where a "pro" has a 4k monitor AND a color calibrated IPS monitor. Does all the image prep work on the 4k...large image, lots of work room for toolbars, extra windows, whatever. Then drags the final image over to the calibrated monitor for final color work. And only $600 for an extra large workspace seems like a cheap way to increase productivity. Obviously one huge IPS monitor would be nice, but that going to be a ways off. Probably 2015.
 

time

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I would say that the TN panels of today suck a lot less than the TN panels of 10 years ago.

The specs are only 170° horizontal / 160° vertical. That's been the TN standard for several years now; I guess ones from 10 years ago may have been worse.

Obviously for pro/photo/color work you would go elsewhere.

Ummm, what else would you use a small 4k monitor for? It's physically too small for a big desktop layout and I think nearly all gaming cards are going to struggle with 4x the normal resolution ...
 

time

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I would say that the TN panels of today suck a lot less than the TN panels of 10 years ago.

The specs are only 170° horizontal / 160° vertical. That's been the TN standard for several years now; I guess ones from 10 years ago may have been worse.

Obviously for pro/photo/color work you would go elsewhere.

Ummm, what else would you use a small 4k monitor for? It's physically too small for a big desktop layout and I think nearly all gaming cards are going to struggle with 4x the normal resolution ...
 

snowhiker

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32" 4k IPS exists now, and (compared to high-end monitors of decades ago) is relatively cheap.

Are they single tile (SST) 60 Hz @ 3840x2160? I thought all the current, first generation 4k IPS monitors were (DST) 1920x2160x2 @ 60 Hz?

I'd wait till the new/improved HDMI and DP standards are finalized and shipping and the monitor itself support SST, 60Hz @ 4k rez before I drop my cash.
 

Handruin

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Are there any newer 4K monitors for PC usage on the horizon with good specs and manageable prices?
 

Mercutio

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I'd call $3k for a 50 - 60" brand-name 4k TV reasonable, and there are a couple options that are in that ballpark.
 
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