HP z27x Review

by Chris Heinonen on 12/2/2014 4:00 PM EST
Comments Locked

47 Comments

Back to Article

  • bobbozzo - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    Hi,

    It wasn't clear to me which is preferred - using (renting?) a Klein K-10A colorimeter and doing the self-calibration, or doing software calibration?

    Thanks for the article
  • cheinonen - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    Doing it inside the monitor is best, as you don't need to worry about the PC LUT being correct, it will just be accurate on any computer hooked up to it.
  • Samus - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    A worthy successor to my Dreamcolor LP2480, moar resolution and USB 3.0!
  • Oubadah - Sunday, December 21, 2014 - link

    Plus no A-TW Polarizer and inferior backlight array. This monitor isn't in the same class as the last gen Dreamcolor. Not to mention it's bugs and abysmal quality control. http://www.liftgammagain.com/forum/index.php?threa... I wouldn't touch this monitor with a barge pole at the moment.
  • tyger11 - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    When are we going to see monitors with HDMI 2.0 and DP 1.3?
  • cheinonen - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    Once we have chipsets. The issue with HDMI 2.0 is that all the current HDMI 2.0 chipsets with the full bandwidth don't have HDCP 2.2 as well. The HDCP 2.2 chipsets only use a subset of HDMI 2.0 and so they can't send as much data. Hopefully at CES next month we'll see products announced using new chipsets.
  • wolrah - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    Does HDCP actually matter to PC users? Aside from legitimate playback of Bluray/HD-DVD content what else on a PC ever gave a shit about it? I think iTunes did at one point, no idea if it still does.

    I mean there are technically roles a PC can fill for which it matters, but personally even among those I know who have BD-ROM drives in their PCs (a slim number, optical drives altogether are a dying breed) I don't know anyone who actually uses their PC to watch movies from disc. Anyone who uses discs uses a hardware player or more often a console, and anyone who uses a PC just sources from the internet in one way or another.

    For TVs HDCP is a big deal, but for a computer monitor I'm finding it hard to care.
  • cheinonen - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    I don't know that it's a big deal for straight PC usage, but it's also likely to upset people if they buy an HDMI 2.0 monitor, only to discover when they try to hook up their other 4K devices to it that they won't play back a 4K image. Since the chips are expected to be at CES, I don't think we will have to wait too long for them and IMO I'd rather have a display that can do that, without needing MST for a 60Hz refresh rate, than have a monitor today that will be out of date that fast.
  • chaos215bar2 - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    On a Mac, at least, iTunes most certainly still does care about HDCP. Even Netflix manages to check it when using the HTML5 player. HDCP may be silly, but it's still important if you want to watch videos on your computer without the hassle of stripping DRM.
  • DanNeely - Thursday, December 4, 2014 - link

    As of about 8 months ago (last time I tried using it) Amazon Instant Video also required HDCP for higher quality streams.
  • Wwhat - Sunday, December 7, 2014 - link

    It's probably enforced by the damn HDMI consortium. But that's why it's nice to have displayport on monitors eh. Graphics cards use those and computer monitors like this one do.
  • teddyboyd - Tuesday, December 9, 2014 - link

    There are a number of higher rated monitors, I recommend seeing http://www.topreport.org/monitors/ among others.
  • dgingeri - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    I have the predecessor for this monitor, the ZR2740w, and I hate it. I had to have it replaced twice under warranty in three years. The support for it was difficult to reach and difficult to convince I deserved to get a new one because the old ones wouldn't power up at all. (Apparently, they thought I couldn't attach the cable properly, even though I'd worked in IT for over 15 years.) I am simply not getting another HP monitor again because of my experiences. I recommend the same to others.

    Dell makes much better monitors at has better support. Right now, they have the 27" UHD P2715Q for only $700, including a 3 year advanced replacement warranty. That sounds like a much better deal than this to me.
  • cheinonen - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    The ZR2740w, and the Dell, are consumer targeted while the z27x (which isn't a predecessor to the ZR2740w, it's more related to the LP2480zx) is aimed at professionals. Neither the Dell not the ZR2740w have the expanded gamuts or calibration options, they're a different market.
  • fumanstan1 - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    I actually had a different experience with their support for the ZR2740w. Mine started failing where it wouldn't power up either, but they sent a technician out to my apartment to replace the monitor completely and basically came with a brand new warranty without any questions or problems at all. I came away impressed with their support.
  • YazX_ - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    Dell or HP is same rebraded crap originally manufactured in china, you could get same one as these for 300-400$, but the HP logo costs around 1k$.

    Things extra in this monitor:

    LAN: Not important, well external USB 3.0 NIC is for 25$.
    USB Hub: not important, costs around 10$.

    save your money and get Qnix/X-Star, same quality for fraction of the price, also Qnix comes with Samsung PLS which is better than LG IPS.
  • Samus - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    You're forgetting the HP logo comes with an excellent on-site warranty, and Qnix tech support doesn't even speak English (they're Korean)
  • wolrah - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    I think you missed the point on the ethernet port. It's not exposed to the PC, it's a configuration interface for the display itself. Still probably unimportant to you as it is to most, but certainly not equivalent to a random USB NIC.
  • ijozic - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    What are you on about? The z27x is a wide gamut monitor, while the ones you mention are not. Furthermore, IPS screens generally seem to have better color accuracy than PLS ones.
  • Samus - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    I had a ZR2740w, it isn't a "successor" to this monitor. The ZR2740 was never a "Dreamcolor" display. As cheinonen said, it's a cheap consumer monitor. I hated it too. I could never get it close to calibrated. But it was a cheap, name-brand 2560x1440 display, and decent for gaming (other than FPS's)
  • Olaf van der Spek - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    Cheap? It might not be as expensive as this one but the ZR2704w isn't cheap.
  • DiHydro - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    To me, that uniformity error looks like problems I've seen in monitors with bent or squashed frames. Sometimes in shipping, the inner metal frame can bend or get squeezed, and this will cause the diffuser to get moved slightly closer to the screen or away. This will case atypical uniformity along the edges of the monitor. Does this monitor have a very sturdy outer casing? Was it picked up by one side, or maybe bent just a little while unpacking? It's certainly worth investigating for such a strange result.
  • joelypolly - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    Would be interesting if liquidmetal will ever be used as internal framing due to its more crystalline structure which is less likely to bend or warp.
  • anactoraaron - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    I was thinking the same thing, especially since it's in the top corner.
  • mapesdhs - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link


    Amusing that so much is being made of 4K issues for professionals, when studios are
    already working with 8K. :D For example, see the article on creativecow entitled,
    "Quantel Unveils 8K 60p Pablo Rio Workflow" (they use quad-4K monitors for preview,
    three Tesla K80s for processing).

    Ian.
  • tyger11 - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    Maybe _some_ are working with 8K, but most high-end cinematographers say they don't want more resolution than 4K, they want much more dynamic range. I saw a discussion panel with 3-4 very high-end hollywood cinematographers, and every one of them were disinterested in resolutions higher than 4K, but were salivating at next year's big expected jump in dynamic range (in the area of 20-21 stops of DR). If we can get rid of the Bayer sensor once and for all, 4K resolution will have a noticeable amount of increased detail; no need for any more than that, even in a cinema setting. More DR - especially if we can get to 20-21 stops - will be huge.
  • Doach - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    I really dont know what to say. I dont think you realize what display you are reviewing. Or know the history behind the dreamcolor display. Know this. A retina display from a 5k imac cannot come close to the performance of the display you just reviewed. Not even in the same ballpark. Do you even now that this is a dreamcolor display? From the article it appears you do not. They really dont need any introduction as most movie production companies use these displays.

    You just reviewed a display that was damaged in shipping, which would impact all aspects of your review. Black levels, uniformity etc.

    That monitor was damaged in shipping. I work for dreamworks and we have several of these. We had one with the same problem. The box it came in was damaged on one side.

    You should have called tech support before writing this review and got another one. Saying that this shipped from the factory like that to your readers implies that HP has a quality issue is amatuer at best without knowing for sure.

    There is a reason we use dreamcolor displays and not NEC displays. It seems you need to reeducate your self on why rec 2020 is important in a professional display.

    Poorly written review. You guys need to do better if you want to be taken seriously by the professional community. Anand was more through and would contact the company first before writing such a review. You just threw them (HP)under the bus over a shipping error.

    These monitors are calibrated and tested for accuracy and yes uniformaty issues before they leave the factory. If they were not they would not be used very long by the professional community. As it stands now HP dreamcolor displays own the professional market.

    You should know this. If you do not you should not be writing articles for anandtech.
  • Techinator - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    I'm sorry, but there's an awful lot of arrogance in your comment. How do *you* know the box was damaged in shipping? You're making a pretty big assumption there, and you know what they say about those. But let me just make sure you understand what I'm saying: you are being a complete ASS in your comment. There. We're now clear.

    I could say more, but there's not much point. You're so biased that you can't even objectively point out problems with the review and resort to simple blanket statements. "Poorly written" -- what part, the part where he ran all the tests, talked about why Rec 2020 and other wide gamut options matter, and all of the other text? Or just the part where he showed that HP sent a reviewer a display that clearly has a uniformity problem?
  • anactoraaron - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    Yeah, but he may have a point about it being damaged in shipping. None of the other $1k+ displays reviewed here are THAT off in one corner. A quick email to HP about this should have been done.
  • cheinonen - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    If I were to request a new sample from HP, then I'd be accused of having HP pick me out a perfect review sample that isn't anything like what they ship to people buying one. If I don't, then I get these comments. As I said, the only real negative about the HP is the uniformity on mine. This is my 2nd sample, as the first developed a pink stripe and HP replaced it. However, I've not had the same uniformity issues with samples from NEC in their professional lines. Perhaps they hand pick them, or perhaps their packaging (which is the best out there, IMO) helps to prevent these issues.

    There's a very good chance this is just a sample issue and most don't have this problem, but unless I get in 20 samples to test I really won't know.
  • SanX - Sunday, December 7, 2014 - link

    The author has done absolutely right things. HP indeed does not care even to cherrypick. HPs and Dells became more and more a rebranders of Chinese goods. And actually it is not the China the final reason in bad quality control of everything but WE THE BRAINDEAD PEOPLE and of course our croocky american sales/middlemen who exploit this vulnerability of average technically illiterate Joe and are just interested to drop more larger margin shiny crap on the heads of dumb public, on our heads.
  • DanNeely - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    It might've been the 1st time it crossed your desk; but NEC's offered in monitor calibration since (at least) the the Multysync 3090 (released around 2008). I'm not sure how it compares with HP's offering; but they've got something called NaViSet to allow centralized admin of display settings. Lastly, IIRC their internal calibration does have some ability to adjust for uneven backlighting (presumably at the cost of some overall contrast).

    http://www.necdisplay.com/support-and-services/nav...
  • cheinonen - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    I've used and reviewed the NEC PA series, and while they offer an internal LUT with calibration options, it has to be done through the SpectraView II software. The HP allows you to do it entirely inside the display without a PC at all, making it easier to do a large number of them. The NEC PA series also lacks the Ethernet control. The uniformity on the NECs is top notch.
  • baii9 - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    Wide gamut -> GB-r LED -> uniformity issue, why am I not surprised.

    Here is when good warranty kick in, panel lottery.
  • Doomtomb - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    This monitor came out in 2014? This looks like something that would've come out in 2009. The bezel is huge. The body is thick. The resolution is nothing special. I don't care if it has features, and the color gamut. Seriously, this is the mind of the average consumer.
  • D. Lister - Tuesday, December 2, 2014 - link

    This product isn't targeted at the average consumer.
  • DanNeely - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    Although one of the reasons why pro-grade monitors tend to be significantly thicker than consumer ones is to put an array of evenly spaced backlights behind the panel instead of just a few on one or more edges using mirrors to bounce it around; because the former results in more even illumination.

    Something that clearly didn't happen with this monitor; and since AT has proven willing to hold reviews if they see unexpectedly bad results and the vendor says "looks like something broke, let us send you a replacement to test" or "we didn't test that case and need to write a new firmware to fix the problem" I can only assume that HP considers the level of backlight variation Chris saw in this model acceptable.
  • kyuu - Thursday, December 4, 2014 - link

    Based on Chris's own statement in these comments, your assumption would be wrong. It seems that Chris didn't inform HP or offer them the chance to send a replacement in order to avoid the appearance of receiving a "cherry picked" sample.

    ... Seems kinda silly to me. Unless Chris purchased the review unit himself, HP already had the chance to submit a cherry picked sample. Giving them the chance to fix what may very well be damage incurred during shipping does not somehow break reviewer ethics.
  • baii9 - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    average consumer don't drop 1.4k on a 27" monitor.
  • jann5s - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    The ASUS MX229Q is using more power at minimum then at maximum, I guess there is a booboo in the database (LCD Power Draw figure)
  • ant6n - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    @Chris: when seeing this article in rss, it's not clear that this is a monitor review (the word 'display' comes up nearly last).
  • chowyuncat - Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - link

    Could you put Apple's 27" Cinema or Thunderbolt display's input lag in your monitor reviews?
  • cheinonen - Sunday, December 7, 2014 - link

    I don't have one so I can't do that, and they don't have HDMI ports so I can't measure it the same way either.
  • marsupilami - Friday, December 5, 2014 - link

    Am I the only one who thinks this article lacks an introduction?

    Good review otherwise although I agree with kyuu regarding the uniformity issue, unless the monitor was purchased by AT I don't see how requesting another sample would've made a difference. And even then you can publish both sets of numbers and let the readers draw their own conclusions. As it is we have no clue whether the results are due to a damaged sample or simply poor performance.
  • SanX - Sunday, December 7, 2014 - link

    Who needs QHD? Who needs 27"? Are gamut pros happy that they dont have yet 4K minimum 30"- 40" monitors?
  • mtbakerstu - Saturday, May 9, 2015 - link

    Chris, thank you for what I thought was a very good review. My question is not just to you, but to the community that has participated in this forum as well. Is there any new consensus on the uniformity issue that Chris raised? It does seem an achilles heel, if the issue is not specific to the z27x unit that Chris evaluated. Since last comments posted, has anyone purchased (or know anyone that has purchased) a z27x to confirm or disclaim what Chris communicated as a serious issue for the model? There aren't many options that cover the full range of color gamma options at this price point, so I am inclined to buy one, but felt I should first check into the community. As an alternative, I am considering the z24x, but perhaps uniformity is an issue with this model as well. Thanks in advance for the any additional feedback from the community here.
  • kflorian - Sunday, July 12, 2015 - link

    Anybody have an accurate weight for this WITHOUT the base?

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now