Lg 27uk650-w For Mac

The LG 32UL950-W is the best monitor for Mac Mini that we've tested so far. It delivers good overall picture quality, with a decent contrast ratio, great peak brightness, and wide viewing angles. Thanks for this post! I have two LG 27UD58P-B monitors connected to a new 2018 mac mini. I was getting 30Hz via HDMI 2.0 on both monitors until I enabled Ultra HD Deep Color as you suggested & rebooted. The reboot was necessary for some reason.

• Ease of Use - 100%
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• Design - 100%
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• Price - 90%
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LG 27UK850-W 4K UHD IPS LED Monitor

Pros

• Optional display setting utility
• Easy assembly and setup
• Versatile design

A brilliant addition to any set-up.

My first personal computer was a hand-me-down laptop with a busted hinge on the screen. I had to keep it upright by propping it up with a bookend or other weighted object just so I could see the screen clearly. The computer part worked fine and so did the screen but the hinge was unrepairable. Soon after, I invested in an iMac. That suited me well for quite some time but as time wore on I decided I wanted to be more portable and I found myself with a new iBook. Ever since I’ve been blessed with hard-working laptops that do the job of a much larger desktop computer. It was only recently that I found myself wanting more — like a second screen. I use two screens at work and it can make for a much more pleasant workflow. But when you have a Retina display on your laptop, what will do for a second screen? As I contemplated this question, I was presented with the opportunity to review a gorgeous 27-inch 4K UHD monitor by LG. This was something that I could not pass up.

Details

The LG 27UK850-W 4K UHD IPS LED Monitor is, as its name describes, a 27-inch, widescreen monitor. It’s compatible with USB-C and provides a sRGB 99% color gamut. The display is considered virtually borderless and it provides the user with HDR 10, which supports specific levels of color and brightness that exceeds the capabilities of ordinary monitors. This monitor is HDCP 2.2 compatible so it will display video from 4K streaming services, game consoles, and Ultra HD Blu-ray disc players.

SPECS

• Screen size: 27 inches
• Panel type: IPS
• Color gamut: sRGB 99% (Typ)
• Color depth: 10bit (8bit + A-FRC)
• Pixel pitch: 0.1554×0.1554mm
• Response time: 5ms
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160
• Brightness: Typical 350nits, Min 280nits
• Contrast ratio: 1000:1
• Viewing angle: 178/178
• Surface treatment: Anti-glare 3H
• HDMI (2)
• DisplayPort (1)
• USB Type-C (1) with PD 60W
• Headphones Out
• USB Down-stream (2) (No Service Only Port, ver 3.1 gen 1)
• Power adapter: 140W

User Experience

Assembly of the monitor and its stand was very easy. I really appreciate how LG makes it simple to get started. While there is a utility available for color/display presets, it’s not required for monitor operation. Even though there are other ports available, I connected to the monitor using USB-C. Given that I have a 2016 MacBook Pro, my options for connections are limited. I do have a docking station that provides me with added connectivity, but I still wanted to connect through USB-C so that I could retain all of my computer’s functionality.

One of the best features I found on the LG was its OnScreen Control. This utility gives you the option to change color settings from your computer rather than the monitor’s internal menus. This app also makes it possible for you to set up to 15 different applications to their own color preset. This is great if you work in a lot of different areas like I do. I typically have my monitor set to bright, vibrant colors but that’s not always the best option for your eyes. So, with the help of LG’s OnScreen Control, I was able to set my photo editing application to HDR while the applications I read and write in stay with the Reader option. This makes it much easier on your eyes if you are looking at the screen for much longer periods of time. When I switched Safari (I was writing in a WordPress editor at the time) from HDR to Reader, I could feel my eyes relax immediately.

When I thought about how to go about this review, I considered what people use monitors for. I came up with three main categories — work, entertainment, and gaming. Now, one could argue that gaming and entertainment belong in the same category, but I beg to differ. You see, I’ve learned over the years that gamers are their own people. And the settings you would use for a gaming monitor are far different than what you would use for a video. Therefore, gaming is its own category. With these areas defined, I set out to test the LG 27UK850-W.

WORK
This was my primary use for the monitor. I found some time ago that I enjoy using two monitors as a workflow because I could place reference materials on the second screen while working on my primary one. With set-up I currently have with this LG monitor, my MacBook Pro is the primary screen — depending on the type of work I am doing. If I am editing photos, I pull the Affinity Photo window over onto the LG monitor so I can take advantage of its HDR display settings. But, if I am typing in Pages, I will continue to use the MacBook Pro’s display as my primary monitor and utilize the LG monitor as my reference screen. The monitor will work in both landscape and portrait modes and even though I don’t have much use for it, I did try out the portrait option. The monitor turned quite easily on its stand and I enjoyed reviewing some website code in this viewing mode. I can see how people who need to look at code a lot would use this viewing mode. It’s very easy on the eyes and you have a much easier time keeping track of your place then you do when you are looking at a smaller, landscape screen. One other feature I got to test out was the closed-clam shell mode of my MacBook Pro. Because I typically use it as a single monitor system, I’ve not worked with the lid closed before. I was able to do so with the aid of a wireless keyboard and mouse. The LG monitor did a great job interpreting the connection from the MacBook Pro.

ENTERTAINMENT
In order to make a judgment about how the quality of the monitor affected my viewing experience, I pulled up Netflix on my computer. Since I typically watch movies and TV shows through Netflix, I decided that I would use the platform to test out cinematic videos. I watched portions of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and several documentaries that are part of Netflix’s 4K content. All of it held up really well. I used the Cinema preset and HDR Effect preset for watching videos. I thought it was beautiful. Video — especially 4K content — looks amazing on the LG monitor.

GAMING
Since I’m not really a big gamer, I decided to the best way to test out the monitor with gaming was to download a game from Steam and play a few rounds. I downloaded a game called Tactical Monsters Rumble Area. It’s a fairly straightforward action/strategy game that has a point-n-click function to it. While it’s not particularly flashy, the game does have vibrant colors and quick actions. The LG monitor did a great job of interpreting colors and movements — no matter how quick — played very well on the screen. I love the different color options for the monitor. My favorite is HDR but I can see how the presets for gaming can be quite helpful, too.

Conclusions

Even though the LG 27UK850-W 4K Monitor is designed for gaming and other ‘heavy’ display functions, I think it’s a really nice all-around monitor. The picture quality is impeccable and my eyes aren’t tired after using it for several hours at a time. The LG monitor retails for around $700 currently and that seems to be a bit on the high side of the price spectrum. At a glance, there appear to be many 27-inch 4K UHD monitors between $400-500. While I haven’t compared them side-by-side with this LG monitor, a $700 price tag seems just a bit high. Aside from that, I really don’t have any major issues with this product.

For more information, visit lg.com.
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LG has been making great monitors, TVs, phone, and other displays for years now, and since Apple moved over to USB-C ports on all their laptops, LG has been trying to become the lead manufacturer for displays that work with Apple's MacBook line up. Wddm 2.4 driver.

The LG 27UK850-W is an updated version of LG's 27UD88 from last year and promises to improve on everything we loved from that from the previous model, let's see if it lives up to the hype!

LG 27UK850-W

Price: $650

Bottom line: The LG 2727UK850-W offers fantastic features at a very attractive price point. It's value, compatibility, and features make it the best 4K display for most Mac users.

The Good

• Base is well-designed
• Super easy setup
• Plenty of ports
• Excellent color

The Bad

• Speakers could be better
• Annoying control stick

By the numbers

LG 27UK850-W: The important specs

Coming in with a 27-inch screen size, the LG 27UK850-W features a full 4K display, two HDMI ports, Two USB-A ports, a display port, a headphone jack, and the USB-C port feature data transfer as well as 60W power transfer.

The monitor can be set up with no tools required and features LG 'Edge-Arcline' base. Overall, the footprint of the monitor isn't too huge and should fit most spaces — it fit in my tiny apartment desk without too much issue. The screen can also tilt up and down to adjust viewing angle, be moved up and down to adjust height, and can even rotate to portrait orientation all with relative ease.

Power, peripherals, and price.

LG 27UK850-W: What I like

It's a spacious display that makes working on my MacBook Air feel like I'm working on a full blown desktop. Yet, the display isn't so huge that it feels out of place or overkill in any way. Plus, it just looks great sitting next to my MacBook Air. The aluminum base, with the thin black bezel display, really makes the LG 27UK850-W look and feel like a display built with the Apple aesthetic in mind.

If you're using any of Apple's newer MacBooks that have abandoned all ports except USB-C, you may have thought that USB-C hubs were your only saving grace, but the LG 27UK850-W has enough ports on it to get you through most situations. With two USB-A ports and two HDMI ports, I never encounter an issue with having to connect something to my MacBook Air. Plus the USB-C port supports 60W power transfer, meaning if you have a MacBook, MacBook Air, or a 13-inch MacBook Pro, the LG 27UK850-W will charge your laptop while you're using it, with no more than the USB-C cable provided in the box.

The color, brightness, and sharpness of the display are absolutely gorgeous right out of the box.

I was super impressed with the color performance of the LG 27UK850-W. While the spec sheet does say that the color gamut is sRGB 99% (typical), those numbers don't really put how great this display is when you first set it up. The color calibration that LG puts into its displays are second to none, and right from the moment I hooked it up to my MacBook Air, I was blown away. The color was spot-on and didn't require additional fine-tuning. It looked the same as the built-in display on my MacBook Air, which once again, made the LG 27UK850-W just feel like a natural extension of my workspace.

Lastly, I want to give LG props for making this monitor, so dang easy to set up, especially considering who this product is meant for — which is kind of everybody. Setting up the LG 27UK850-W took under 10 minutes, and didn't require any tools whatsoever. It's nice to know that if I ever need to move the monitor, or if I wanted to buy one for a less tech-inclined friend, I would have confidence knowing the experience is going to be manageable.

Sound and controls.

LG 27UK850-W: What I don't like

In a day where most people have some sort of external speakers running through their computer setup, is hard to be too mad at LG for including less than stellar speakers in the LG 27UK850-W, but it would have been nice to have speakers that didn't sound so flat and tinny. Obviously, you can't include giant tweeters with large diameters without compromising the design of the monitor, but the 5W speakers just don't sound good for the majority of listening activities, in fact, I turned off the speakers from my LG 27UK850-W and ran all the sound through the speakers on my MacBook Air because they sounded better.

Of course, you can mitigate these issues by plugging in headphones to the included 3.5mm jack, or by setting up speakers with your Mac, but it is disappointing that I can't recommend using the speakers on LG 27UK850-W for any sort of audio at all.

The cheap and flimsy joystick used to access the monitor's settings is just plain awful.

When it comes to adjusting the brightness, volume, powering off or adjusting any other settings on the LG 27UK850-W, you have to use this small, hidden, plastic joystick located underneath the screen, right by the LG logo on the bottom bezel. As elegant and clean as LG made the design of this monitor, this cheap, flimsy control stick seems like something out of a Lovecraftian nightmare.

Last negative to mention, and it may not bother you at all, but the pixel density isn't quite as good as most of Apple's Retina Displays. For example, when LG 27UK850-W has a 163 PPI while my MacBook Air has a PPi of approximately 227. I haven't noticed a big difference in the quality of the screen, the 27UK850-W looks as silky smooth to me as my MacBook Air, but if you're used to displays with higher PPI, or you do a lot of very serious photo-editing, it could be problematic or bothersome to you.

Bottom line

LG 27UK850-W is great value

As mentioned before, the LG 27UK850-W offers something for everyone, making it a fantastic monitor for most people. It can handle gaming really well, and all its added ports, plus it power-transferring USB-C makes it a super compelling product for most MacBook users. The design and look of the LG 27UK850-W will fit well in almost every workspace, and even though it has a 27-inch screen, the overall package isn't too massive and should easily fit on most desktops.

For the $650 price tag, its obviously not the cheapest 4K monitor out there, but most cheaper displays will lack some of the fantastic compatibility and elegance that the LG 27UK850-W bring to the table. Yes, it can't charge the 15-inch MacBook Pro (but it can charge every other MacBook in Apple's line up), and the PPI is a little low if you plan on doing a lot of intense photo-editing.

At the end of the day, the LG 27UK850-W is a fantastic monitor that you can set up, plug in, and get right to work. It's no hassle experience that truly embodies a lot of Apple's design techniques, and I think if you're in the market for a USB-C monitor for your Mac, the 27UK850-W is the one to get.

LG 27UK850-W

Price: $650

Bottom line: The LG 2727UK850-W offers fantastic features at a very attractive price point. It's value, compatibility, and features make it the best 4K display for most Mac users.

While we do love the LG 27UK850-W, it's not the only USB-C monitor out there, and you can always take a look and what we think of some of the competition .

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