It doesn’t seem that long ago when 1080p was considered the best resolution for viewing content. All the screen manufacturers advertised their top of the line models with “Full HD” as it was the name given to this particular resolution. Many believed that this was the perfect resolution and that it couldn’t get any better than this. Enter technology to prove us all wrong once more!
Not only did they get better but they’re constantly improving as time passes. Today, the go-to resolution for any high-end device is 4K. Also known as Ultra High Definition (UHD), 4K has 2160 pixels at the screen width which is twice as much as you get in 1080p. One of the top manufacturers to offer their products with 4K capabilities is Samsung. Already known for being the best at making smartphone displays, Samsung has been killing it in the 4K monitor business. Here’s a look at their products.
1) Samsung U32J590 QLED
Display
The screen has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which equates to a 3840×2160 resolution spread over 32 inches. The display panel itself is a Quantum dot LED (QLED) which results in a contrast ratio of 3000:1. Both horizontal and vertical viewing angles are rated at 178°. The maximum refresh rate available is 60Hz.
I/O
As far as I/O is concerned, the monitor has 1 display and 2 HDMI ports for input only. You also get a port to plug in your headphones, however, the monitor itself does not have any inbuilt speakers. USB ports are also absent.
Price
2) Samsung U32H850
Display
The screen has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which equates to a 3840×2160 resolution spread over 32 inches. The display panel itself is a Quantum dot LED (QLED) which results in a contrast ratio of 3000:1. Both horizontal and vertical viewing angles are rated at 178°. The maximum refresh rate available is 60Hz.
I/O
As far as I/O is concerned, the monitor has 1 display and 2 HDMI ports for input only. You also get a port to plug in your headphones, however, the monitor itself does not have any inbuilt speakers. You also get a USB hub and a Mini-Display Port.
Price
The U32H850 retails for $591 on Amazon.
3) Samsung U28H750
Display
The screen has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which equates to a 3840×2160 resolution spread over 28 inches. The display panel itself is a Quantum dot LED (QLED) which results in a contrast ratio of 1000:1. The horizontal and vertical viewing angles are rated at 170° and 160° respectively. The maximum refresh rate available is 60Hz.
I/O
As far as I/O is concerned, the monitor has 1 display and 2 HDMI ports for input only. You also get a port to plug in your headphones, however, the monitor itself does not have any inbuilt speakers. USB ports are also absent.
Price
4) Samsung U28E590
Display
The screen has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which equates to a 3840×2160 resolution spread over 28 inches. The display panel itself is a Quantum dot LED (QLED) which results in a contrast ratio of 1000:1. The horizontal and vertical viewing angles are rated at 170° and 160° respectively. The maximum refresh rate available is 60Hz.
I/O
As far as I/O is concerned, the monitor has 1 display and 2 HDMI ports for input only. You also get a port to plug in your headphones along with an option to use inbuilt speakers. USB ports are also absent. You can also get another variant of this called the U28E590D that comes with FreeSync support for $418.
Price
All of these monitors feature over 1 billion colors that result in a vivid display. They also come inbuilt with Picture-by-picture (PBP) and Picture-in-Picture (PIP) feature that helps them a lot in multitasking. Some of these even have AMD’s FreeSync along with a dedicated gaming mode. AMD FreeSync synchronizes the refresh rate of your graphics card with the display resulting in a lag-free transition. Game Mode increases contrast in dark scenes, effectively improving the dynamic range so that you can have a clear view of what’s going on in the game.
You may have noticed that all the monitors mentioned here have flat screens as Samsung does not sell any curved monitors that offer 4K. However, as of 4th January 2019, Samsung has just announced their “Space Monitors” along with their first curved 4K monitor. Named the UR59C, it is a 32-inch monitor that has a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels and a contrast ratio of 2500:1. Along with that it also comes integrated with Samsung’s Game Mode for the best gaming experience.
This monitor comes with 1 HDMI port, 1 Display Port and a Headphone Jack. Both the Horizontal and Vertical viewing angles are 178°, however, they may vary due to the curved screen. The price as quoted by Samsung is $499. It is not for sale yet but is available for pre-order on Samsung’s website.
Price wise, all of these displays are still on the expensive side. The reason being that 4K isn’t as mainstream yet as 1080p. Most people prefer and use FHD screens as they are much cheaper and do the job just fine. However, if you’re a pixel peeper and a true techie, then you probably should go for any one of these screens as soon as possible.
But if you’re sensible enough, I’d suggest you wait a few years and watch how when 4K becomes the norm, the prices of these will fall. Till then a 2K (1440p) or even FHD (1080p) will serve your purposes without much compromise.