14 DAY TRIAL // Ultra high-definition television sets and monitors are some of the major parts of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2014), which means that the company with the best models and the one with the cheapest will gain fame. In the case of the latter, it's Dell.
The other day, we went on record to say that Vizio and Polaroid had made history by being the first to unveil UHD TVs with a price of under $1,000 / €1,000.
Sure, the final tally, per product, will probably be higher, what with VAT and shipping costs, but the MSRP is of $999 / €999.
Meanwhile, Lenovo introduced a 28-inch display with a native resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, but gave it a price of $799 / €799.
Thus, Dell is in a unique and advantageous position, having released a 28-inch monitor priced at $699 / €699.
It bears the name of Dell P2815Q and, admittedly, cuts a few corners in order to make that price possible, so gamers might want to think twice before getting it.
Why? For one, the refresh rate is limited to 30 Hz. In a world where all Full HD 1080p monitors manage 60 Hz or more, that's pretty harsh for something that, presumably, should do well in games.
We won't even go near the subject of 120 Hz gaming monitors and television sets.
Granted, in Full HD mode, it can go above 30 Hz, but that kind of defeats the purpose of it being a 4K panel.
Potential deal breaker aside, though, the newcomer is otherwise decent, with HDMI 1.4 support, several DisplayPort inputs, some USB connectors and MHL support.
MHL, mobile high-definition link, allows you to display a smartphone's content wirelessly on the larger screen.
The only other so-called drawback is the TN panel, which has narrower viewing angles than are strictly ideal. Fortunately, people usually sit right in front of their monitors anyway.
Finally, the Dell P2815Q has a stand with tilt, swivel, lift, and pivot adjustment. Sales will start on January 23.