48" 4K OLED Monitor Thread

Finny76

Finny76

[H]ard|Gawd
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Aug 31, 2002
Messages
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I currently have a 43" monitor and am contemplating an upgrade to a 48-inch 4K OLED monitor with a 120Hz+ refresh rate. Intended use will be Graphics/Video and everyday use (not really using it for gamins, just need to have as much real estate and low eyestrain)
Despite conducting some research, the available options appear limited, and each model seems to come with its unique set of quirks and issues. The monitors I've identified so far have prompted me to seek opinions from individuals with genuine hands-on experience.

LG 48GQ900-B 48
MSRP $1500
Current Price $899

ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ
MSRP $1499
Current Price $1499

ACER Predator CG48
Current Price $1199

BenQ MOBIUZ EX480UZ
MSRP $1750
Current Price $1499

Gigabyte AORUS FO48U
Seems this may be discontinued or in the process


Additionally, I'm curious if there are any NEW upcoming 48" 4K/120Hz monitors on the horizon that might be worth waiting for.
As timing can often be a crucial factor in such decisions, I'd appreciate insights and recommendations from those in the know.
 
The LG OLED TV models are also an option if you disable automatic static brightness limiter from the service menu.

Pretty much all of these are the same thing - same LG TV panels, varying firmware and port features.

If you've been using a 43" monitor, I'd aim at the 42" OLED models instead. They are a more practical size for a desktop unit.

To me on none of these 100% scaling is a good option. The OLED pixel structure causes text rendering issues so 125% scaling (or 120% on MacOS) is essential to help mitigate it. So if you were thinking "48 inch but more desktop space than my 43 by reducing scaling" then that's not going to work well.
 
LG C3. The monitor version of the TV has much more aggressive brightness limiting, even with SDR. The C3 can get twice as bright in SDR than the GQ900, and the gamma level is much more stable across the brightness range. The less stable gamma curve on the GQ900 can cause some minor flashing that can lead to eye fatigue. I know you can turn off the ABL in the service menu on the C3, but I am not sure if you can on the GQ900. On my FO48U it's impossible to turn off the ABL. The only caveat to keep in mind is the C3 has a glossy coating while the GQ900 has a matte AG coating. In my personal experience the glare is a lot more manageable with a glossy coating than the light dispersion with a matte coating. The effect on the image with the latter is a lot more distracting than with the former.
 
kasakka said:
To me on none of these 100% scaling is a good option. The OLED pixel structure causes text rendering issues so 125% scaling (or 120% on MacOS) is essential to help mitigate it. So if you were thinking "48 inch but more desktop space than my 43 by reducing scaling" then that's not going to work well.
Click to expand...
Depends on what LCD you're comparing it with. I recently went through this. I've got a 43" Dell IPS 60Hz 4k screen I've had for years. Tried replacing it with a 43" 4k Samsung Neo G7 LCD, which was cheap at $500. Had issues with DisplayPort and HDMI, and the thing just plain looked ugly at "programming distance" -- sit close enough that you can turn scaling off. At that point I decided it was unlikely any 40+" screen was going to totally make me happy, so I decided to keep using the Dell for work and get a dedicated gaming/video/movies screen so I picked up an LG 48GQ900-B. I tried it out for work while I was waiting for table to extend my setup and a floor stand to show up. I think the text on it is actually better than the Samsung off center, but neither of them can touch that 60Hz Dell IPS screen for work & text. The VA Samsung screen really suffers from off-angle viewing, much more so than the IPS screen and vastly more than the OLED.

The reason I didn't go with a C3 or a couple of other OLEDs I looked at was the AG coating. Shiny is bad in my office. I like it in the living room, but I get too much glare in my office.
 
zandor said:
Depends on what LCD you're comparing it with. I recently went through this. I've got a 43" Dell IPS 60Hz 4k screen I've had for years. Tried replacing it with a 43" 4k Samsung Neo G7 LCD, which was cheap at $500. Had issues with DisplayPort and HDMI, and the thing just plain looked ugly at "programming distance" -- sit close enough that you can turn scaling off. At that point I decided it was unlikely any 40+" screen was going to totally make me happy, so I decided to keep using the Dell for work and get a dedicated gaming/video/movies screen so I picked up an LG 48GQ900-B. I tried it out for work while I was waiting for table to extend my setup and a floor stand to show up. I think the text on it is actually better than the Samsung off center, but neither of them can touch that 60Hz Dell IPS screen for work & text. The VA Samsung screen really suffers from off-angle viewing, much more so than the IPS screen and vastly more than the OLED.

The reason I didn't go with a C3 or a couple of other OLEDs I looked at was the AG coating. Shiny is bad in my office. I like it in the living room, but I get too much glare in my office.
Click to expand...

This.... What i need is something that is larger than 43" (preferably a 48") has sharp txt, easy on eyes and NOT VA (preferably IPS/OLED)...So any of the ones above would work?
Armenius said:
LG C3. The monitor version of the TV has much more aggressive brightness limiting, even with SDR. The C3 can get twice as bright in SDR than the GQ900, and the gamma level is much more stable across the brightness range. The less stable gamma curve on the GQ900 can cause some minor flashing that can lead to eye fatigue. I know you can turn off the ABL in the service menu on the C3, but I am not sure if you can on the GQ900. On my FO48U it's impossible to turn off the ABL. The only caveat to keep in mind is the C3 has a glossy coating while the GQ900 has a matte AG coating. In my personal experience the glare is a lot more manageable with a glossy coating than the light dispersion with a matte coating. The effect on the image with the latter is a lot more distracting than with the former.
Click to expand...

Is the C3 series the latest? Based on your recommendation, I was thinking of this

https://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-oled48c3pua-oled-4k-tv
 
https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/c3-oled

And its predecessor reviewed specifically as a monitor. (Didn't see this for the C3): https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/lg/42-c2-oled

And I wouldn't always assume the newest is the best. They and other company's de-feature sometimes. (Advanced sub refresh BFI modes most notoriously with LG. And I think also an audio thing, but have to run...)

(I'm using the earlier CX and I love it, but certainly that's because I wanted its other attributes more than I cared about IPS having nicer text quality. And don't care that its stand, which I'm not using, isn't adjustable. And I was willing to go into the service menu to shut off its automatic dimming to make it usable as a monitor. If that's still at thing...)

EDIT: Grammar.
 
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I would either do LG C3 or Sony A90k. More or less end of list.
If you want to save money, LG C2.
 
Armenius said:
https://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-oled48c3pua-oled-4k-tv
he C3 is the 2023 model, yes. The one you linked is what I am running my PC on.
Click to expand...

zandor said:
So I picked up an LG 48GQ900-B. I tried it out for work while I was waiting for table to extend my setup and a floor stand to show up. I think the text on it is actually better than the Samsung off center, but neither of them can touch that 60Hz Dell IPS screen for work & text. The VA Samsung screen really suffers from off-angle viewing, much more so than the IPS screen and vastly more than the OLED. The reason I didn't go with a C3 or a couple of other OLEDs I looked at was the AG coating. Shiny is bad in my office. I like it in the living room, but I get too much glare in my office.
Click to expand...

So its seems im down to making a choice between the LG 48GQ900-B (Monitor) and LG OLED48C3PUA (TV)

Any Pros/Cons between these two models (Gaming is NOT a factor)? Between these two, what I am looking to use for everyday use, occasionally graphics/video editing and music production, so I need less eye strainer and good text quality.
 
Finny76 said:
So its seems im down to making a choice between the LG 48GQ900-B (Monitor) and LG OLED48C3PUA (TV)

Any Pros/Cons between these two models (Gaming is NOT a factor)? Between these two, what I am looking to use for everyday use, occasionally graphics/video editing and music production, so I need less eye strainer and good text quality.
Click to expand...
Both use the same panel, so they have a RWBG pixel structure. This can cause issues when rendering static images and text. You won't notice it with fluid content. A program called Better ClearType will help with the text issue.

As far as eye strain it has never been an issue for me with any of the three OLEDS I have experience with.

For graphics and video editing, the TV version is probably better since it has a glossy coating. The monitor version has a matte AG coating which can interfere with observed color accuracy and image sharpness, especially when viewed from an angle. The monitor version gets half as bright in SDR, which could also be a detriment to this type of editing (120-150 nits vs. 200-300 nits). The counter point to that is the low brightness on the monitor prevents ABL from kicking in, while ABL will kick in on the TV. The ABL can be turned off if you get your hands on a service remote.
 
I went ahead and ordered the LG 48GQ900-B. Just hooked it up today with DP and wow, monitor is def nice... Everything looks great including the text... Only issue I have so far is that HDMI port did not work (which is fine as I didn't want to use HDMI anyways). The second issue is, there is NO sound. I tried using the Digital Optical cable and change mode to optical, but no luck...

LG has a troubleshooting page for no sound (followed instructions ) but no luck... Anyone else have any AUDIO issues with this monitor?)
 
Re: sound

idk ... make sure you turn off earc in the sound options on the tv so it's not trying to output audio over hdmi earc port. Go through all of the options in the TV's OSD to make sure you didn't miss anything like that but earc is a big one that has an on/off slider on LG TVs that support eARC. Make sure windows audio option is set to the motherboard or soundcard or whatever your optical cable device your cable is hooked up to, and make sure the audio slider is not muted. Make sure the sound is not muted on the TV as well, and that the sound level is high enough on the TV's OSD.

Note that you can have similarly named audio output devices in the drop down list of audio devices in windows, so if you were for example bypassing a screen and putting optical audio to a speaker system you would have to make sure you are on the optical one and not the analog ports version of a motherboard's sound outputs for example. If using displayport sound (or hdmi sound), make sure that audio device/gpu shows up in the audio options and is the active/selected device. Some motherboard sound devices also work best with or even require in some cases, a sound device software package installed and that software set to the digital audio output if you are going that route. Of course updated drivers and bios updates for the sound device or gpu, motherboard if possible normally helps check all of the boxes in ironing out wrinkles with things.

If you were using hdmi you might be better off for your audio situation as the hdmi cable can carry audio from the video device, where the tv would break it down to the optical audio output. Displayport can carry audio too but I suspect that hdmi audio might be more standard on a tv. I don't use optical audio through my tvs (I used to just port optical directly to speakers/receiver/amp at one point however) - so I'm not sure what exactly you are trying to do. Make sure you are using optical audio INPUTs and OUTPUTS correctly, and aren't trying to pass audio OUT of a device to an optical OUT port on a TV in an attempt to use the TV as a speaker from your motherboard/sound card. The optical audio port on the tv is an OUTPUT only afaik, so it would be outputting sound already input to the screen from hdmi or dp, or cable box etc and the optical cable from the output would therefore have to be hooked up to an external speaker, receiver, amp, etc. to get any sound. I'm assuming you are just trying to get audio from your displayport output but just thought I'd mention that in an attempt to cover all of the bases. I also highlighted some things from the cablematters displayport info quotes below. Notably, not all displayport cables support sound transmission and not all displayport screens do audio via displayport. In that case, there are displayport to hdmi adapters that would probably work if hdmi was unavailable from your device for some reason. You said "hdmi port did not work" on the screen though. It should. In fact you have three hdmi inputs so at least one of them should work? Really all of them should work. I'd try another device like a console or laptop on the hdmi ports to make sure. If not I'd return it.


This is from a reddit reply about your TV/monitor, apparently there is an input compatibility section in your screen's OSD that gives you different options to select from:
Maavrick21
· 8 mo. ago
Had the same thing happen to me and drove me mad. But I figured it out
Switch to the input your Nintendo switch is connected to. In the monitor menu go to general then look for input compatibility version and switch it to 2.1 av
Click to expand...


Some questions:

..What device/gpu are you trying to output dp and alternately hdmi from?
..what cables are you using?
..What exactly is the chain of devices on each end of the digital optical cable?

RTings image from review of your screen:
inputs-1-large.jpg



. . . .

Cablematters: https://www.cablematters.com/Blog/DisplayPort/does-displayport-carry-audio

How to Use DisplayPort Audio​


Although the DisplayPort specification does allow for audio transmission over a DisplayPort cable and connection, it isn't always implemented by device manufacturers. Dedicated graphics cards offer full support for audio-out over their often numerous DisplayPort outputs, but some laptop video outputs (for a second, or more, screens) may not allow it, so check with your device's specifications if you're unsure.


If you have a device that does support audio output, then you need a compatible DisplayPort cable (DisplayPort cables are backward compatible) and a supported display with built-in speakers or a headphone output that you'll connect to separately.


Alternatively, you can use a passive or active DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to connect your DisplayPort output to a compatible HDMI device. Mini DisplayPort connectors can also be converted to full-size DisplayPort connectors, and DisplayPort audio transmission can even be leveraged over Thunderbolt 3, which incorporates the DisplayPort protocol into its technology. Cable Matters sells DisplayPort cables for every connection.

. . . . . . . . . . .
 
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I appreciate the excellent write-up and the troubleshooting suggestions. During my conversation with LG support, they advised performing a hard reset and updating the monitor firmware. This required connecting the monitor to the computer via a USB cable and downloading their software for the update. Once I completed these steps, the Audio driver became visible (as shown below).


1698765275954.png

Now that I have the sound issue resolved , a new problem has emerged: there is a noticeable delay of a few seconds before the sound activates. For instance, when I watch a YouTube video, the sound only kicks in a few seconds after the video begins. Similarly, when I play an MP3 file, I don't hear anything until perhaps 3 to 5 seconds later. This delay also occurs when switching between applications that produce sound.

This is weird AF, anyone know what could be causing the Audio delay?
 
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Finny76 said:
I appreciate the excellent write-up and the troubleshooting suggestions. During my conversation with LG support, they advised performing a hard reset and updating the monitor firmware. This required connecting the monitor to the computer via a USB cable and downloading their software for the update. Once I completed these steps, the Audio driver became visible (as shown below).


View attachment 610094
Now that I have the sound issue resolved , a new problem has emerged: there is a noticeable delay of a few seconds before the sound activates. For instance, when I watch a YouTube video, the sound only kicks in a few seconds after the video begins. Similarly, when I play an MP3 file, I don't hear anything until perhaps 3 to 5 seconds later. This delay also occurs when switching between applications that produce sound.

This is weird AF, anyone know what could be causing the Audio delay?
Click to expand...
A few things to try:
  • Change the default audio format (sample rate and bit depth)
  • Toggle hardware acceleration
  • Update your audio driver
  • If you're on the latest driver version, try reinstalling it
  • Try a different DisplayPort cable
 
Updated Audio driver, reinstalled it and also reinstalled GFX driver.... I checked the sound properties, and noticed under jack information it says HDMI Digital Jack" (although I'm connected via Display Port)

1698839794058.png


1698839894003.png
 
Have you tried messing with the input compatibility in the OSD? I'd check to see if you changing that setting helps any.

I pasted a reddit reply I found about that in my previous reply to you, where he had to change it to 2.1 av.

..

This is from a reddit reply about your TV/monitor, apparently there is an input compatibility section in your screen's OSD that gives you different options to select from. The guy in the thread had to manually switch it his port to 2.1 av for his gaming console I guess:

Maavrick21
· 8 mo. ago
Had the same thing happen to me and drove me mad. But I figured it out
Switch to the input your Nintendo switch is connected to. In the monitor menu go to general then look for input compatibility version and switch it to 2.1 av
Click to expand...

..

From your screen's manual:

19ENGLISH
[General]
> [General]
• [Language]: Sets the menu screen to the desired language.
• [Hexagon Lighting]: Sets the lighting on the back of the monitor.
- [Static 1], [Static 2], [Static 3], [Static 4]: Sets the lighting to the desired colour.
- [Cycling]: All colours appear alternately.
- [Off]: Turns off the light on the back of the monitor.
• [User-defined Key 1]/[User-defined Key 2]: Allows users to set the desired menu to be accessed directly from
the Circle menu.
The [User-defined Key 1]/[User-defined Key 2] functions are displayed on the right side of the Circle menu.
• [Sound Out]: Changes the desired audio output method.
• [DTS Headphone:X]: Enables the realization of three-dimensional sound with headphones or earphone.
- [Game]: This mode is optimised for Game.
- [Entertainment]: This mode is optimised for Entertainment.
- [Sports]: This mode is optimised for Sports.
- [Off]: Disables DTS Headhpone:X function.
• [SMART ENERGY SAVING]: Conserve energy by using luminance compensation algorithm.
- [High]: Saves energy using the high-efficiency [SMART ENERGY SAVING] feature.
- [Low]: Saves energy using the low-efficiency [SMART ENERGY SAVING] feature.
- [Off]: Disables the feature.
- The value of energy saving data may differ depending on panel and panel suppliers.
- If you select the option of [SMART ENERGY SAVING] is [High] or [Low], monitor luminance become higher
or lower depend on source.
• [Deep Sleep Mode]: When [Deep Sleep Mode] is [On], power consumption is minimized while the monitor is
in standby mode.
- [On]: Enables [Deep Sleep Mode].
- [Off]: Disables [Deep Sleep Mode].
• [Automatic Standby]: If there is no operation on the monitor for a certain period of time, the monitor will
automatically switch to standby mode.
• [Input Compatibility Version]: You can set each input to match the supported version of the connected device.
• [Remote Setting]: Supports only the monitor remote control to operate in case of confusion with other
remote controls.
• [Buzzer]: This feature lets you set the sound generated from Buzzer when your monitor powers on.
• [OSD Lock]: This feature disables the configuration and adjustment of menus.
All features are disabled except [Brightness], [Contrast] in [Picture Adjust], [Input], [OSD Lock] and
[Information] in [General].
• [Information]: The following display information will be shown; [Total Power On Time], [Resolution].
• [Reset to Initial Settings]: Returns to the default settings.

. . . . .

NOTE
• Using a DVI to HDMI / DP (DisplayPort) to HDMI cable may cause compatibility issues.
• Use a certified cable with the HDMI logo attached. If you do not use a certified HDMI cable, the screen may
not display or a connection error may occur.
• Recommended HDMI cable types
- High Speed HDMI®/™ cable
- High Speed HDMI®/™ cable with Ethernet

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Some general displayport audio info from that cablematters link:


Does DisplayPort carry audio? It can do that and more. DisplayPort can carry a video source, audio, and some forms of data too. It can do it simultaneously, though it's not mandatory, and each form of data can be transmitted without the others if a user calls for it.


DisplayPort Audio Transmission Improvements​


Like its overall bandwidth, data rate, resolution support, and features, DisplayPort audio transmission has improved over time. The DisplayPort 1.0 and 1.1 standards had a maximum sample rate of 192 kHz, a maximum sample size of 24 bits, and a maximum of eight audio channels.


In version 1.2 and 1.2a, the number of channels and sample size remained the same, but the maximum sample rate increased to 768 kHz. Version 1.3 made no alterations to DisplayPort audio specifications, but DisplayPort 1.4 took great strides, increasing the maximum sample rate to 1,536 kHz and the maximum number of supported audio channels to 32.


DisplayPort vs. HDMI Audio​


DisplayPort and HDMI are the two most common video and audio transmission connectors for game consoles, PCs, Blu-ray players, and other devices that output media to external displays. As with overall bandwidth and support for higher resolutions and refresh rates, DisplayPort has tended to offer greater support for audio sample rates, but HDMI 2.1 changed that.


HDMI 2.1 is set to be taken advantage of by both next-generation game consoles and graphics cards. It supports the same sample rate, sample size, and a number of audio channels as DisplayPort 1.4. DisplayPort 2.0 may leapfrog HDMI 2.1's capabilities in audio as it is set to do in the video, but that remains to be seen.


One advantage HDMI does have over DisplayPort with regards to audio is with its ARC and eARC technology. This allows an HDMI cable to pass audio from the TV or monitor to an external audio device. It offers much greater bandwidth than more traditional Toslink optical cabling, making it a great solution for transmitting audio in this fashion. ARC is useful when you have a sound system but the TV itself is generating the content; streaming Netflix from your smart TV, for example. ARC is supported on HDMI 1.4 connections and supports stereo and compressed 5.1 channel audio, as well as lip-sync correction on some devices.


Enhanced ARC, or eARC, was introduced with HDMI 2.1, adding support for uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, as well as higher bitrate and object-based audio technologies, like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
Click to expand...
 
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