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rdav

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 16, 2007
314
32
So/California.
TVP/Phillips BDM4037UW LCD/W-LED pannel - 3840x2160 (8-bit) 3000R.
http://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/57f86d7

It looks like this monitor being slowly rolled out, Europe first (for once). And it's clear that they've made a lot of compromises in order to keep the prices at "consumer levels" [$630/£599/€589].
http://www.anandtech.com/tag/bdm4037uw

But it does seem to be the first (and only) 4k curved screen available, with reviews still out.
https://pcmonitors.info/philips/philips-bdm4037uw-curved-4k-uhd-va-monitor/

Any of the MacRumors cognoscenti have a view on this thing? Could it be a viable alternative to the Dell P4317Q - for those who prefer their UHD without Scaling, fancy a Monitor over a TV, and don't hanker for perfect Colours /perhaps?
 

rdav

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 16, 2007
314
32
So/California.
So... The reviews are starting to come in. Eg. (27th/Jan/2017).
https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/philips-bdm4037uw/

This aside is quite concerning:
"Calibration - a BGR (Blue, Green and Red) stripe subpixel layout is used, which is less conventional than the common RGB (Red, Green and Blue). Windows users should run through the ClearType wizard to ensure that text is displayed clearly, without fringing. Mac users do not have such a luxury, and even new versions of the operating system are optimised for RGB layouts – so this monitor should really be avoided as a Mac user."

However, if you can get past that.

LCD Flicker? - Not a Problem.
"The monitor does not use PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) at any brightness level, and instead uses DC to regulate brightness. The backlight is therefore considered flicker-free, which will come as welcome news to those sensitive to the side-effects of PWM usage, or simply prefer to know that the backlight is ‘flicker free’."

From the Conclusion.
"The real fly in the ointment for this monitor, then, is the pixel responsiveness. This may well be a deal-breaker for some users [gamers] and depending on uses, may make the monitor less than ideal. Given the obvious strengths in other areas, though, the BDM4037UW could well provide a very enjoyable and practical experience for others."

* It seems odd for the author to write such an extensive and well-researched review, but then devote just one sentence to the fact /claim that it will not work well with any Apple devices! And is it really true that macOS cannot handle BGR screens?

Thou kudos for noticing this arcane technical barrier to Apple users, who may have been considering this "value" monitor.
 
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rdav

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 16, 2007
314
32
So/California.
Even the latest versions of the macOS operating system are optimised for RGB layouts, not BRG – so the BDM4037UW should be avoided by Mac users."

Hundreds of views to this thread, but no comments. So I guess this (still unique) UHD/Curved/LED monitor is of limited interest to MacRumors punters. Did find one possible solution to the sub-pixel sequence problem, thou it may require spinning the screen! Eg.

http://apple.stackexchange.com/a/238523
Flipping the monitor upside down will transform BGR to RGB, and OSX handles that perfectly.
*
 
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