HP Spectre 32 Studio Display - 4k and glossy!

That doesn't look glossy to me. When you look at a screen with mild AG from a top angle you get fairly clear reflections like that screen seems to exhibit.
 
Looks like a low haze semi-glossy coat.

I wonder what panel it is - the 32" UHD panels on Panelook don't appear to have haze listing, unless I'm blind.
 
Isn't the glossy finish only for ultra-cheap bargain-bin displays that don't have the backlight to push through the anti-glare coating? It always reminds me of that cheap glossy plastic they just for garbage electronics.
 
Quix said:
Isn't the glossy finish only for ultra-cheap bargain-bin displays that don't have the backlight to push through the anti-glare coating? It always reminds me of that cheap glossy plastic they just for garbage electronics.
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No... glossy improves image quality... except for reflections obviously... that is why almost all TV's have glossy coatings.. I despise glossy plastic as well, but glossy monitors are sharper, have more saturated colors and better perceived black depth (if it is a good glossy coating like the NEC opticlear)

Also why is this monitor only in white? I would consider it but not if it is only in white...
 
If HP would drop the useless over-sized speakers (who buys a 4K 32" monitor but doesn't invest in good speaker ??) and did a black version I would be all over that.

Here's hoping Benq or other push out a monitor with the same panel but a better package...
 
Quix said:
Isn't the glossy finish only for ultra-cheap bargain-bin displays that don't have the backlight to push through the anti-glare coating? It always reminds me of that cheap glossy plastic they just for garbage electronics.
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lol. Another person with NFI.

Guess which one is the glossy panel?

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Does anyone have any more info on this one? PWM dimmed or DC, before and after calibration color and gamma accuracy, input lag, glow, panel uniformity? Only info so far is it's an IPS type panel (AHVA). I can see myself using it as a PC monitor AND a netflix 4k TV with the new roku box since it has HDMI 2.0. Samsung 40" 4k is too big and P/MVA panel's gamma shift is a deal breaker for me.
 
Does anybody has anything additional to say about this monitor? I think I'm going to buy it! It seems to be the first glossy monitor available at a higher resolution than 1080p!
 
The only 4K glossy (actual glossy, not film) monitor that I'm aware of is the Monoprice 4k TN (they have two, one matte, and one glossy). It got pretty good reviews over at Tom's.
 
Daniel_Chang said:
The only 4K glossy (actual glossy, not film) monitor that I'm aware of is the Monoprice 4k TN (they have two, one matte, and one glossy). It got pretty good reviews over at Tom's.
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Well, on the NCX review he stated that the Spectre 32 gives the same benefits of a glossy screen reducing some (of course not all) reflections. That's what I really meant to say when talking about a glossy monitor: a monitor quite close to be a 100% glossy monitor instead of a semi matte or light matte monitor.
 
insoc123 said:
Well, on the NCX review he stated that the Spectre 32 gives the same benefits of a glossy screen reducing some (of course not all) reflections. That's what I really meant to say when talking about a glossy monitor: a monitor quite close to be a 100% glossy monitor instead of a semi matte or light matte monitor.
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I haven't used the Spectre 32, but I've used monitors with film similar to it. It's not real glossy, nor close, but it's not as bad as matte. It's somewhere in the middle, AKA, a semi-gloss.
 
Daniel_Chang said:
I haven't used the Spectre 32, but I've used monitors with film similar to it. It's not real glossy, nor close, but it's not as bad as matte. It's somewhere in the middle, AKA, a semi-gloss.
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I had the 4K 32" Benq BL3201PH and the reviewers said it had a semi glossy screen. In my opinion that was accurate because even though the Benq was not a glossy monitor the coat was not as harsh as other matte monitors I've had. NCX reviewed both monitors, the Benq and the HP Spectre and he said the HP Spectre was "almost glossy" in comparison with the "semi glossy" Benq monitor and that difference provided the HP Spectre more vibrant and clear colors (just like a glossy monitor) than the Benq one.

I hope I'm going to see that difference because I exchanged my Benq for an Acer Predator X34 monitor but now that an opportunity to buy a glossy (or almost glossy) monitor is there with a higher resolution and with a size no bigger than 32" seems to me a great opportunity.

Could it be that this called "almost glossy" coating is the same that HDTV and 4K tvs uses?
 
insoc123 said:
I had the 4K 32" Benq BL3201PH and the reviewers said it had a semi glossy screen. In my opinion that was accurate because even though the Benq was not a glossy monitor the coat was not as harsh as other matte monitors I've had. NCX reviewed both monitors, the Benq and the HP Spectre and he said the HP Spectre was "almost glossy" in comparison with the "semi glossy" Benq monitor and that difference provided the HP Spectre more vibrant and clear colors (just like a glossy monitor) than the Benq one.

I hope I'm going to see that difference because I exchanged my Benq for an Acer Predator X34 monitor but now that an opportunity to buy a glossy (or almost glossy) monitor is there with a higher resolution and with a size no bigger than 32" seems to me a great opportunity.

Could it be that this called "almost glossy" coating is the same that HDTV and 4K tvs uses?
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Having the 3201pt BenQ, and having had a zr30w... I'd be careful wishing for a glossy 30" class panel. The BenQ semi gloss is pushing it with reflection and glare wrt room lighting, having any overhead lighting or lighting behind you is a recipe for reflections happening.

Sure glossy is sexy... But in the gigantic monitor class it ceases working well IRL
 
jmilcher said:
40" is the min. Imo for 4k.
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You know there are GUI adjustment tools for w10 to make smaller size class 4k viable, right?

Granted it is opinion... But it is a silly one. 140dpi makes font rendering far better
 
I am looking at this monitor for an upgrade. I went to Microcenter today and checked the HP Spectre 32 out, and compared it to the Acer XB321HK which they also had at another table. I would have loved to have seen the BenQ 3201 also but that wasn't in. My belief is all three of these monitors use the same AU Optronics 32" panel.

I streamed some Youtube UHD video on both monitors and the HP Spectre 32 definitely looks better. In fact I was not impressed with the Acer XB321HK colors or black levels, and lets be honest the gamer look of the Acer is just goofy. My space at home is light controlled so reflections will not be a problem, so I'm leaning to the HP Spectre 32. My wife also preferred its colors, vibrancy, and design.

Initially I did not like the fact that it's white, but it really does have a unique design that may or may not be your thing. Ultimately I think I can love it for what it is and that is how one must approach the aesthetics I think.

One other thing the HP Spectre 32 has going for it I haven't seen mentioned is the power supply is an external brick rather than being internal to the monitor. I prefer external power bricks because panels often greatly outlast their power supplies and external power bricks are easy to source and replace.

I did not game with either monitor in the store, I know the Acer has gsync, but for 50% more money (near $400) than the HP Spectre I just don't think its worth it. I like to game but mostly strategy and RTS so I will live without I think. The HP Spectre 32 also has more input lag than the BenQ reportedly, but at 20ms does that make a difference in RTS gaming? I just don't know, I've not gamed on that many different types of monitors so I really don't have a good feel for what is important. However I can see what the screen looks like and those praising the glossy look are not incorrect, even in the terrible lighting conditions @ Microcenter.

Can anyone with more experience please comment on whether or not the input lag difference is significant for RTS and strategy gaming? How about the difference gsync makes?

Microcenter's price for the HP Spectre 32 is $799 right now, anyone found a better price?

And finally, anyone know where I can go look at a BenQ 3201 ?

Thanks!
 
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Now that I have these monitor (I ordered it from amazon.com) I must say that this is by far the best monitor I've had and I've have had quite a few. Every word of NCX's review of the monitor is true. I owned the Benq 3201 and though it was a fantastic monitor, these HP Spectre, that uses the same panel, it's, to me, a big improvement because of it's glossy display. The colors rendition is beautiful, breathtaking, watching videos and / or playing gives you a sense of immersion like really being there, like watching images through a windows. Absolutely recommended!
 
Other than NCX's review (great btw), it is hard to find additional information on this monitor. I am a little worried about the input lag and glossy screen, but it ticks all my other requirements (32''+, 4k, IPS, HDMI 2.0).

I want to get into the 4k foray, and after trying (and being dissapointed with) the XBR43X800D, I think this is the monitor to do it. Compared to the BL3201PH (another strong competitor in my search), HDMI 2.0 and reported graphical glitches on the Benq are the deciding factors for me. The monitor is currently $650 on Amazon.

Anyway, I am going to take the plunge and will update with my thoughts.
 
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I've got the monitor all set up.

First thing: Zero dead pixels. I am seriously blown away as I have never had this experience before.

On to other important points:

+ Input lag is unnoticeable as far as I can tell
+ Viewing angles are crazy good
+ Text is sharp
+ The screen looks great due to the glossy coating
+ 32'' is a good size for 4k / immersion / media consumption
+ HDMI 2.0

- Glossy screen
- Graphical glitch on half the screen every few hours for one frame
- The speakers are an afterthought

I would recommend this monitor for someone looking to get into 4k for productivity and some gaming on the side, if you have used glossy screens in the past and can live with them. I really wanted to like this monitor, but the glossy screen, in the end, forced me to look for another.
 
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breve said:
I've got the monitor all set up.

First thing: Zero dead pixels. I am seriously blown away as I have never had this experience before.

On to other important points:

+ Input lag is unnoticeable as far as I can tell
+ Viewing angles are crazy good
+ Text is sharp
+ The screen looks great due to the glossy coating
+ 32'' is a good size for 4k / immersion / media consumption
+ HDMI 2.0

- The reflections look great due to the glossy coating
- The speakers are an afterthought
- The bezel around the screen itself is a little off putting

As you can see, I have not really found any good complaints for the monitor. Some will prefer the glossy coating, I am just learning to live with it. I would definitely recommend this monitor for someone looking to get into 4k for productivity and some gaming on the side.
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Thanks for posting this. I'm considering moving to this to make better use of 4k over my current 27" model, for the glossy coating (prefer it over matte), and for the built-in speakers to unclutter my desktop (game with headphones, so I'm ok with low quality speakers). I'd lose FreeSync, but I seem to be stuck on Nvidia GPUs until AMD can figure out how to be competitive again.
 
Apparently this monitor is plagued by the same graphical or panel glitch as the BL3201PH, where half of the screen flickers with random junk for one frame. At first, it happened twice over three days, but it seems to be getting worse, up to around every two hours. It is jarring when it happens, but it is still fairly rare. I have seen it happen over DisplayPort and HDMI.

I bought a VESA certified DisplayPort cable to test it out, as some people reported a higher quality cable would help this issue, and will update with my results.
 
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After having this thing for two weeks, and really wanting to love it, I have to take it back. While the glossy screen makes images look great, it is just painful with normal reflections in the room. My search continues...
 
That's bad news. I haven't experienced any reflections problems with mine. On the other side, the glossy panel makes wonders image wise. Everything looks more crystal clear and clean!
 
insoc123 said:
That's bad news. I haven't experienced any reflections problems with mine. On the other side, the glossy panel makes wonders image wise. Everything looks more crystal clear and clean!
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It takes a very carefully laid out room to make giant (27"+) glossy panels work...otherwise it is reflection city. Even just having a window in said room is typically enough to make AG coatings a wanted item.
 
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A long time ago, I had a 21'' glossy screen and had no problems, but I lived in a cave. I thought I could get by with the HP because of this, but I started having headaches from the pristine reflections. Unfortunately, this is probably the best 32'' 4k on the market (for me). I do not understand 4k displays without HDMI 2.0, and I think IPS is required for such a big display.
 
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picked one of these up on Amazon last week, its a pretty great monitor outside of the huge white speakers & shit stand

I've used many of the 32" 4k monitors and this one is by far the best. Deep blacks and the glossy screen really make the contrast shine. The difference in PQ between this and the BenQ or Acer Predator is massive just because of the glossy finish.
 
Martha Stewart said:
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picked one of these up on Amazon last week, its a pretty great monitor outside of the huge white speakers & shit stand

I've used many of the 32" 4k monitors and this one is by far the best. Deep blacks and the glossy screen really make the contrast shine. The difference in PQ between this and the BenQ or Acer Predator is massive just because of the glossy finish.
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I'm thinking of picking one up.
do you still like it? any issues?
 
I bought a refurbished one for $429 to use at work. It has one stuck red pixel but otherwise destroys those crap displays they gave me at work. Glossy cannot be beat.
 
Vega said:
I bought a refurbished one for $429 to use at work. It has one stuck red pixel but otherwise destroys those crap displays they gave me at work. Glossy cannot be beat.
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can you share the source for the refurbished one? I'm looking at them on eBay (from refurbforless) and it's @ $499.
 
That's the company I got mine from. They had a sale a few weeks ago.
 
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