CEATEC 2016: Sharp Showcases 27-inch 8K 120Hz IGZO Monitor with HDR, also 1000 PPI for VR

While we’re not CEATEC, a Japanese technology show, news has come via PC Watch regarding a new publicly announced milestone in monitor production. For any journalist that has attended either IFA, Computex, CES or MWC over the past year, it would be hard going to miss one of the super large (80-inch plus) 8K monitors doing the rounds. While highly impressive in their own right, current 8K displays on show typically have a low pixel-per-inch value in order to achieve a good panel off the production line. So despite the fact we can get 4K panels on smartphones (Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is 4K in 5.5-inch, or 806 PPI), expanding the size at that pixel density is difficult with panel yields. Also, moving 8K down to a ‘monitor size’ has been hidden at the panel companies internal research divisions until now.

So this is where the Sharp monitor on display at CEATEC gets interesting. The IGZO display is down at 27-inches, marking a 326 PPI, just hitting at the door of large FHD smartphone displays. The panel is also listed at 1000 nit brightness. But to double down on specifications, the stand listed the display as supporting 120 Hz while in 8K mode, and also supporting High Dynamic Range, or HDR. This requires a large amount of data to be pumped into the display, and as a result a photograph of the rear shows eight separate DisplayPort cables being used in order to give the display the data it needs. 8K120 with HDR is no easy task, suggesting 7680×4320 at 10 bits per color channel (so 30-bit for RGB) at 120 times a second would suggest needing 120 gigabits per second of bandwidth at a minimum (or 15 GB/sec). That’s even before you discuss overhead, which will push that higher.

Needless to say, this is a prototype panel. Businesses with large enough checkbooks are free to try and estimate a figure for such a display, because it will be a while before a device of these specifications hits commercial availability.

Also in the display was a 2.87-inch display, offering 1920×2160 resolution and rolling in at over 1000 pixels per inch (1008 PPI). This was described as ‘4K to both eyes’, affording a combined display suitable for head-mounted units or virtual reality headsets. Compare this to the HTC Vive, which uses a 1200×1080 screen per eye at 3.62 inches per panel, making it 447 PPI. This gives the Sharp panel a specification of over double the amount of pixels in a given area. Of course, with that comes cost and the ability to feed that display with enough data either over cable or other means. Still, it’s an interesting prospect.

Dell Unveils UltraSharp U3417W: Makes Its Curved Display More Curved

Dell has unveiled its new top-of-the-range 34” curved monitor for consumers. The new UltraSharp U3417W display has the same WHQD resolution as the U3415W introduced a year ago, but increased curvature and a new chassis design. The monitor is aimed particularly at users who do heavy multitasking but do not want to install two monitors on their desks.

Nowadays, the majority of display makers position their curved monitors primarily for gamers and multimedia enthusiasts, thus, trying to incorporate very high refresh rates along with dynamic refresh rate technologies like AMD’s FreeSync or NVIDIA’s G-Sync. Meanwhile, Dell, quotes IDC’s findings that professionals from many industries (including those, who do finance, accounting and creative work) can benefit both from ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio as well as curvature. As a result, Dell offers curved monitors specifically tailored for professionals. Back in April, 2015, the company released its first U3415W curved display and this month it unveiled a newer model, the U3417W.

The Dell UltraSharp U3417W has higher curvature than its predecessor: 1900R vs 3800R. All the other specifications are generally similar: an IPS panel with 3440×1440 resolution, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 300 nits brightness, 178°/178° viewing angles, 5 ms response time in fast mode and a 60 Hz refresh rate. Dell believes that slightly higher curvature will further improve professional productivity.

When it comes to connectivity, the UltraSharp U3417W resembles other modern monitors from the company (e.g., the UP3017) designed for professionals as it supports two HDMI 2.0, one DP 1.2, and one mDP 1.2 inputs. For convenience, it has one DP 1.2 output with MST to for daisy-chaining to another display. Besides, the monitor also supports PBP and PiP features when connected to two PCs. Finally, it has a quad-port USB 3.0 hub with two receptacles supporting BC 1.2 charging as well as two USB Type-B upstream ports (to connect to two different computers).

The Dell UltraSharp U3417W curved display is available now for $1199.99 from the manufacturer. Meanwhile, the older model, the U3415W is now available for $899.99. It is unknown whether Dell will keep selling both models, but for now the previous-gen display is available for the price, which is $300 below its original MSRP.

Gallery: Dell Unveils UltraSharp U3417W: Makes Its Curved Displays More Curved

Dell Introduces UltraSharp UP3017 30-Inch Professional Display with 16:10 Aspect Ratio and DCI-P3 Color Space

Nowadays, the vast majority of displays for desktop computers have 16:9 aspect ratio for various reasons (e.g., content, manufacturing aspects, etc.). However, there are a lot of professionals, who appreciate taller aspect ratios. Specifically for such people Dell this week introduced the latest iteration of its venerable line of 30″ 16:10 2560×1600 monitors, with the latest model covering all three color spaces important for digital content creators.

The Dell UltraSharp UP3017 is a 30-inch display featuring an IPS panel, which can reproduce 1.07 billion colors and covers 99% of the Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI-P3 color spaces. The sRGB and the DCI-P3 color spaces are particularly important for video editors and animation designers, who do post-production work. Moreover, the DCI-P3 color space is used for digital movie projection by the U.S. movie industry, an increasing amount of Apple mobile devices, and is expected to be eventually adopted in televisions and for home cinemas. And given the professional audience the UP3017 is intended for, it comes pre-calibrated, with users able to further calibrate it using Dell’s UltraSharp color calibration software and X-rite colorimeters.

As for the other specifications, they do not differ too considerably from the UP3017’s predecessor: a 2560×1600 resolution with a 60 Hz refresh rate, 350 nits typical brightness, 1000:1 static contrast, 6 ms response time in fast mode, W-LED backlighting (which a surprise for a display with a wide colour gamut) and 178° viewing angles. Do note however that unlike all of its 30” UltraSharp ancestors, the monitor has an adjustable stand that allows to rotate the panel clockwise or counter-clockwise to view the screen in portrait orientation.

Since the UltraSharp UP3017 is a professional display, it comes with a greater than usual number of display inputs. Overall we’re looking at two HDMI 1.4 inputs, one DisplayPort 1.2 input, and one mDP 1.2 input. Furthermore, the display has one DP 1.2 output with MST, to allow daisy-chaining another display off of it. Unlike the UltraSharp U3014, the monitor does not support DL DVI-D input, though this should not be an issue for owners of anything close to a modern PC.

Meanwhile, like many high-end monitors, the monitor can be connected to two PCs with KVM, PBP and PiP features. In addition, the UltraSharp UP3017 has a quad-port USB 3.0 hub with two receptacles featuring BC1.2 charging capability.

The UltraSharp UP3017 is already available directly from Dell for $1249.99.