Review: Steve Jobs Raved About IPS Technology, Now LG Has Delivered A Slick 27″ IPS Monitor

I was first drawn to the LG IPS 277 monitor when I saw what was labelled a “consumer warning” on YouTube for the new LG display, it turned out to be some dumb Wally from Europe who had a problem working out the 1.2mm bezel size and then tried to give the monitor a bad name on YouTube when he found out he had purchased a wrong sized monitor.

IPS (In-Plane Switching technology) is a technology used for liquid crystal displays (LCDs). It involves arranging and switching the molecules of the liquid crystal layer between the glass substrates in a plane parallel to the glass plates.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs adopted the technology two years ago when he praised the new 9.7-inch iPad which used  In-Plane Switching display technology to deliver a superior display screen, which just happened to have been made by LG.

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This technology has led to companies like LG being able to deliver superior picture quality to traditional monitors and tablets. It’s also facilitated stylish new designs such as lightweight thin monitors.

LG claims their IPS technology delivers vivid and lifelike picture quality that is free from colour distortion through the combination of LED backlighting, Full HD resolution, and a smooth colour exchange.

When we first installed the 27″ LG IPS 277 monitor we instantly noticed that it delivered a significantly superior picture. The matt screen made a big difference over the LED monitor we had connected to a workstation PC prior to connecting the LG monitor.

Using a HDMI cable we were able to produce consistent colour and contrast. When running a YouTube video we also got excellent colour reproduction. We did however have a problem getting the monitor to recognise the HDMI connection when we first plugged the monitor in with the auto input detector claiming that we had a D Sub connected despite the monitor not having any D Sub connector.

The new LG IPS panel is available in the IPS7, M52 and D43 range. The hero series IPS7 offers LG’s Cinema Screen design.

Out of the box you get a flat display screen base and arm. The display screen is thin and extremely light. It’s also easy to connect.

What is a weakness is the arm with the display screen wobbling when touched because the arm is not wide enough to deliver rigidity to the large 27″ display screen.

The incorporation of LG’s Cinema Display technology in the IPS7 has allowed the designers to deliver a 1.2mm thin bezel despite what the Wally Sebastian Schneider had to say on YouTube.

When using the screen with a desktop PC or notebook, the image on the screen is impressive with only a thin black line separating the content from the narrow edge of the screen.  

The overall depth of LG’s IPS7 monitors has been reduced to 14.1mm.
 
The clean lines and modern, minimal design basically hides the screen being 27″ inches of dynamic content. It is as if one is not using a monitor, more a large flat screen of glass with a black edge.

Where this monitor excels is when you connect a games console.

The monitor comes with a Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) which allows users to easily connect mobile devices to the monitor with a single cable to the HDMI port.

This allows photographs and videos stored on smartphone or tablet to be viewed on the larger monitor screen. The IPS7 also charges connected mobile devices.

For sub $500 this is an excellent monitor, it is even more impressive when you connect a media player like the WD Live that gives you access to TV programs and movie content.

The only weakness is the mount, it needs a redesign.