Samsung Announces U32D970Q with 4k PLS Panel

Samsung is ready to release the U32D970Q 4k PLS based monitor. The unit features a 3840 x 2160 resolution. The panel offers an 8ms G2G response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 350 cd/m2 brightness and 178/178 viewing angles.

The wide gamut LED backlighting offers 99.5% Adobe RGB coverage and the colour depth is also 10-bit, seemingly without the use of FRC according to the specs. The screen comes factory calibrated with a dE of <1 and also boasts a guaranteed uniformity of >90% (meaning that the greatest deviation ‘accepted’ in the factory between the brightest and dimmest of 25 measured points on the screen is 10%). It has a 16-bit LUT (Look-Up Table) for enhanced colour precision. The monitor features hardware calibration, meaning users can modify the LUT directly with a compatible colorimeter. The display offers an sRGB and Adobe RGB emulation mode as well. There are also a number of other modes designed with specific colour standards in mind; EBU (European Broadcasting Union), Rec709 (HDTV standard), SMPTE-C (Analogue SD standard), DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) and DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine). There also seems to be a mode to allow the screen to be split in half, with different colour space modes used for each half. Another nice feature includes ‘Quad PBP’, which is the ability to output content in Full HD from 4 devices simultaneously in a Picture By Picture mode.

The screen features a thin bezel design, with the stand offering a full range of tilt, height, swivel and rotate adjustments. The ports on the monitor include 2x DisplayPort 1.2, Dual-Link DVI, HDMI 1.4, 4x USB 3.0 ports and 3.5mm audio output. This monitor is designed primarily for PC users and requires the use of DP 1.2 to output 3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz. The brushed-effect rear plate around the stand can be removed with the stand itself to expose 100 x 100mm and 200 x 200mm VESA holes. The display is also specifically marketed as being "flicker safe" so will feature a PWM-free backlight.

The monitor is expected to be released from August in selected Asian markets and reach other regions such as the UK and US later (possibly October). The monitor currently retails for 2,090,000 South Korean Won, which is around £1230 ($2050 USD) to give a rough indication of price.