Author Topic: LG 27UL550 Review: Matte 3840x2160 LG AH-IPS with AMD Free-Sync  (Read 15106 times)

NCX

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LG AH-IPS Glow

LG 27UL550 Glow 1 by Dr NCX, on Flickr

LG 27UL550 Glow 2 by Dr NCX, on Flickr

When set to 140cdm/2 and when viewed with only a single light source, my ceiling light, a 2200 lumen (brightness) 6500K LED by Anmien, IPS glow is not visible unless viewing the monitor from above, or significantly off angle, which is quite rare for AHVA/IPS/PLS panels.  The 27UL550 also suffers from significantly less glow than most AHVA/IPS/PLS panels aside from the low glow 32" 4K AUO AHVA panels in monitors like the BenQ PD3200U and Qnix UHD3216R, and the low glow AHVA panel in the Monoprice 274K or RTD2795.  The 27UL550 is not glow free, but it has wider viewing angles and suffers from less glow than my Acer H257HU (1440p AH-IPS), ViewSonic VP2780-4K (4K LG AH-IPS), and gloss X-Star DP2710 (1440p Samsung PLS), as well as is almost on par with the low glow 32" 4K AUO AHVA panels and the low glow AHVA panel in the Monoprice 274K or RTD2795 I tested in 2017, so I consider it to be an above average AHVA/IPS/PLS panel glow and viewing angle wise. None of this applies if not viewed properly with the brightness cranked in a light-less or very dimly lit room.

Correct Way To View AHVA/IPS/PLS & VA

Correct Monitor Viewing Height by Dr NCX, on Flickr

The top left image shows the correct way to view IPS type (AHVA, IPS, PLS) and VA panels, but most importantly IPS LCD panels.  Doing so vastly reduces white glow when viewing black and dark content, especially if the display brightness is not cranked in a dimly lit room.  IPS vs TN: Right & Wrong Ways To Use Or View; How To Vastly Reduce AHVA/IPS/PLS Glow & Vastly Increase The Perceived Black Depth
« Last Edit: June 20, 2019, 02:54:32 am by NCX »

NCX

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Playstation 3 & 4
« Reply #16 on: May 25, 2019, 12:01:57 am »
Playstation 3 & 4

DSC_0041 by Dr NCX, on Flickr

The LG scales 1280x720 and 1920x1080 without issue, but as expected, native 1080p monitors look better than the LG when it is set to 1080p.  The LG automatically and correctly reads both the Limited and Full RGB signals sent out by the PS4 and PS4 Pro, but the PS3's RGB Range setting does need to be set to Full to prevent the monitor from being washed out.

PS3:
Spoiler (hover to show)

PS4 & PS4 Pro:
Spoiler (hover to show)
« Last Edit: March 21, 2020, 10:40:40 pm by NCX »

NCX

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Xbox 360 & Xbox One
« Reply #17 on: May 25, 2019, 12:02:31 am »
Xbox 360 & Xbox One

DSC_0059 by Dr NCX, on Flickr

The LG scales 1280x720 and 1920x1080 without issue, but as expected, native 1080p monitors look better than the LG when it is set to 1080p.  The Xbox 360 must have its YCbCR709's setting selected to prevent the image from being washed out since the other settings send a 16-235 signal.

Xbox 360

Spoiler (hover to show)

Xbox One & Xbox One X

The Acer automatically reads both the Limited (16-235) and Full (PC RGB 0-255) signals sent out by the Xbox One and Xbox One X, so no settings need to be changed.  Free-Sync must be manually activated in both the LG 27UL550's menu and by whichever Free-Sync compatible device the monitor is connected to, those being a compatible graphics card or Xbox One X.  To activate the 27UL550's FreeSync setting go into the Picture Menu, select the Game Adjust sub menu and set FreeSync to On.

LG 27UL550 Picture Menu>Game Adjust>FreeSync setting
Spoiler (hover to show)

The Allow variable refresh rate setting must be selected in the Xbox One S and X's Display & sound Advanced video modes menu.  Here's how to access this setting:

Quote from: Xbox One FreeSync and Variable Refresh Rates: Everything you need to know by Matt Brown


1.) Open the Settings app on Xbox One.
2.) Navigating to the Display & sound tab.
3.) Select the Video output tile.
4.) Select Video modes.
5.) Enable the Variable Refresh Rates checkbox.

Source=Xbox One FreeSync and Variable Refresh Rates: Everything you need to know by Matt Brown
« Last Edit: March 21, 2020, 10:40:07 pm by NCX »

NCX

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Settings & ICC Profile
« Reply #18 on: May 25, 2019, 12:10:56 am »
Settings & ICC Profile

DSC_0057 by Dr NCX, on Flickr

Brightness: 38
Red: 48
Green: 44
Blue: 37

LG 27UL550 ICC Profile

Use Color Sustainer to ensure games use ICC profiles.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2020, 10:41:26 pm by NCX »

NCX

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Conclusion
« Reply #19 on: June 01, 2019, 04:22:41 am »
Conclusion

DSC_0065 by Dr NCX, on Flickr

+Competitive sale price and superior performance compared to multiple more expensive 27" 4K monitors.
+Build quality and height adjustable stand
+Displayport and 2x HDMI 2.0 with Free-Sync and full 4K 60hz support
+AMD Free-Sync support over Displayport (40-60hz) and HDMI 2.0 (40-60hz)
+Balanced overdrive with no overshoot and very fast pixel response times
+Negligible input lag
+Nearly grain and sparkle free matte coating allows for increased clarity and vibrancy of light colors and white
+Great preset color accuracy, especially when set to the SMPTE-C Picture Mode
+Excellent calibrated image quality
+Minimal glow for a AHVA/IPS/PLS panel
+Reduced IPS glow compared to older panels from LG
+Wide viewing angles which do not negatively affect the viewing experience unless looking down at or viewing the monitor from above

-Fake HDR which should not be used
-Minor preset blue dominance
-Not as accurate as the cheaper Philips 276E8VJSB (review links)
-Height adjustable stand is too short to be useful


The LG 27UL550 is a great monitor without any major flaws, especially since it is competitively priced (for a 4K non-TN panel) and has less glow than many older, and many more expensive AHVA, IPS and PLS panels.  It does suffer from a preset blue tint, but it can be reduced by switching the SMPTE-C Picture Mode, and the flaws are quite minor, even when compared to a nearly perfectly accurate calibrated monitor.  The cheaper Philips 276E8VJSB (review links) and more expensive BenQ PD2700U (review links) are a bit more accurate, but I don't know if they suffer from more or less glow, and they use fake bezel or frame-less casings with perceived black depth reducing inner black bezels while the 27UL550 has a perceived black depth increasing dark matte grey bezel.  I can attest to the greatness of the 27UL550 (for the price), but can't claim that it is the best affordable or budget 27" 4K monitor, or recommend it over the  cheaper Philips 276E8VJSB (review links) and more expensive BenQ PD2700U (review links), but I do recommend it over the 27" 4K IPS panels in the LG UD, UK and other UL series monitors, especially the overpriced 850 monitors which offer USB-C and 2x USB 3.0 ports but no performance improvements.


« Last Edit: March 21, 2020, 10:41:48 pm by NCX »