Ambilight returned! Review of the coolest LG monitor 2020

Testing monitors – the thing is quite tedious: 240 Hz, 300 Hz, 1 ms, 10 bits of color rendering – all this sounds cool on paper, but in life it can evaluate units. And when another top model came to the tests – LG 27GN950 , – I read her characteristics and dedicated to. 4K, IPS, 144 Hz and for the first time in the world 1 ms response, which, most likely, will again notice the burned e -sportsmen.

But after two weeks of tests, I can say with confidence: LG began to cut the window into the future. And, fortunately, it is in no way connected with the frequency or the milliseconds. The matter is the revived Ambilight and high -quality replacement of the road zonal backlight, which is needed by real HDR. All this is far from cheap, but the technologies themselves will probably appear in the future and in normal models in price.

Appearance

The monitor is supplied in the usual configuration: the power supply and the standard set of cables-HDMI, DisplayPort and USB Type-B. Outwardly – nothing supernatural. Thin frame, dense rough plastic of the case and no logos, even along the lower edge.

On the stand I can complain about the lack of a turn on a vertical axis, which is strange for the top model. Otherwise – normal. There are adjustments in height and angle of inclination, a hook for laying wires was cut at the back, but the support on the table is a large “boomerang” that does not take up much space. However, for those who use racks at home, there is a standard Vesa-strengthening 100×100 on the case, so the stand, in principle, can not be used at all.

All ports in the monitor are parallel to the table, and the wires are quite convenient to connect the wires. But the set of connectors is strange. Firstly, there is only one Display Port that uses the matrix in full. Secondly, both HDMI second versions, which means that the consoles of the new generation will be able to use 4K only at 60 FPS. The promised 120 frames are available exclusively in Full HD permissions.

Control

Monitor management is LG classics. Below there is a joystick-button, which is suspended both fast access to switching connectors and profiles, and all travels on the menu. The latter is also without complaints: LG has long brought its interface almost to perfection and tries not to touch anything in it.

In addition to all sorts of color settings from interesting I will note the following. Firstly, a motionless sight, which is fixed in the center and does not respond to the movement of weapons. Secondly, the black stabilizer, which highlights the dark areas of the screen and does not affect light areas. And here there is a setting of response time, where the same 1 ms in 4k is hidden.

Turning it on or not – I personally did not decide. In standard mode, this, apparently, was 4 ms – did not notice any problems, but when switching to “fast”, a train appeared behind the objects.

However, at such a frequency, it is more important that the monitor can synchronize the frequency with a real number of personnel. If your computer in 4K gives less than 144 FPS, then the display will not show the same frame several times, but will be adjusted in frequency. The opposite is true: if the frames are more than 144, then it will throw out the extra and save the picture from the breaks. Are responsible for this technology G-Sync And Freesync Premium. The latter means that synchronization works with HDR included – until recently there were problems.

HDR

HDR here meets the standard HDR600. Everything passes on the bit: the matrix drags 10 bits and thanks to compression technology Vesa DSC displays all colors even at 144 Hz. Previously, I remind you, 10 bits rested at 98 Hz frequency, and even top -end monitors had to throw up to 8 bits. The difference is not particularly great on the eye, but the very fact that you now use all the possibilities warm the soul.

As for the backlight, the 600th standard implies the maximum brightness of not 1000, but at 600 tint, plus LG acted cunningly with zonal backlight. Let me remind you: with the present HDR, the monitor should highlight individual objects, but, alas, the prices for monitors with such opportunities are still stepping over 150,000 rubles. Therefore, LG dragged her TV technology here-local darkening.

The matrix is ​​lit like everyone else: LEDs from above and below the screen. But they are controlled by zones: for example, if a bright object comes across on the left, then the display gives the LEDs to the command to glow brighter, and we get a bright strip on the right side. But due to the fact that you still need to highlight a specific object, and leave the rest at a normal level, LG obscures those places that should not glow.

Naturally, it is not possible to completely block the pillar of light: the bright strip is good visible, especially against a black background. But when the picture is colored, it is very similar to a real HDR. At least this is no longer a cheap game with contrast.

IN Monster Hunter: World HDR looks great Lucky Barry sister sites and completely changes the perception of the game of light and shadow. In night scenes, torches really blind, and in the daytime pieces of the sky look very cool, which look through the foliage. Yes, of course, HDR still has problems on the menu and on the texts (distortions begin in contrast and brightness), but the effect in the main game is to tolerate it.

Ambilight

And since they talked about the impressions of the games, let's immediately deal with Ambilight. Here, of course, it is called wrong (this name belongs to the brand Philips ), but the essence is one: the rear LED backing is synchronized by color with what is happening on the screen.

In the same Monster Hunter, if you are in the forest, the wall above the monitor is lit green, and the space under it is muffled white. You move the camera into the sky, and the green changes to blue (or red, if there is some volcano against the background), and white switches to green.

Of course, the bulbs fall into shades not too accurately, and in particularly dynamic scenes the system begins to get confused at all. But you notice all this only when you specifically pay attention. During the game, this whistle is perceived rather by lateral vision, which does not so much capture the little things, but the overall impression of what is happening in the center of the screen.

Soft

To synchronize the display, the display must be connected to the USB computer and install the Ultragear Control Central program – the analogue of Ambilight is turned on in it. However, if it does not get there, the LEDs can be switched to ordinary modes: then the monitor will simply be highlighted by one or more iridescent colors. Moreover, for quick tuning next to the control joystick there is a wheel that changes the colors and the bulbs themselves extinguishes, and allows you to configure their brightness. True, for some reason, for some reason is inaccessible in synchronization with the display.

In addition to Control Center, there is another management program – ONSCREN CONTROL. It contains switching gaming technologies, brightness, contrast, binding of color to programs, as well as the screen separation functions, as on wide Ultrawide.

They allow you to divide the screen into two, three, four, five, and so on the zones – and when you drag a window with the application, it is tied to the selected area and completely occupies it. For 27 inches, this is not a particularly necessary function, but someone may come in handy. I quite admit the option when three quarters of the screen occupies Word, and the remaining narrow strip – say, Telegram.

Technical part

Matrix – IPS. More precisely, nanoips: it was first shown a year and a half ago in the monitor LG 34GK950G , And its meaning is that for illumination LG uses a red phosphorus coating that removes an unpleasant LED syNNIVEN and enhances the red range. Due to this, color coverage increases significantly, and, accordingly, 10 bits are taken.

According to our measurements, the monitor blocks 92% DCI-P3, of which 90% falls on the target, and after calibration, the matrix fits into all norms for the correct color rendering. The frequency, as I said, is equal to 144 Hz, and it is supported with a 10-bit signal. The brightness in standard mode reaches 450 cd/m2, which is enough if necessary to score even a direct sun outside the window.

In the end

After a couple of weeks with LG 27GN950, thoughts are as follows: firstly, once again I am convinced that playing 4K is unrealistically cool. The quality of the picture compared to FHD grows dramatically, and even in general the very soap Monster Hunter is somehow gathering in the level of graphics and looks pretty. Secondly, HDR with local darkness is an adequate replacement for expensive zonal backlight. Yes, the menu and dark backgrounds look terrible, but the real game picture looks no worse than on models for 150-200 000 rubles. I hope this technology will drag into the lower segments. And thirdly, the backlight by the Ambilight type is so cool that now I want this to my home monitor. Well, or let LG at least transfer this technology to more affordable models.

Technical characteristics

Diagonal: 27 inches Permission: 3840×2160 The frequency of deposit: 144 Hz Response time: 1 ms Type of matrix: IPS Number of flowers: 10 bits Backlight: Edge, local dimming Brightness: 450 KD/m2 (up to 600 kD/m2 by measurements) Viewing angles: 178 °/178 ° Interfaces: 2x HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, 3.5 mm jack Dimensions: 651x29x46-57 cm Weight: 7.7 kg The price of October 2020: 90,000 rubles ($ 1185)

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