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LG DualUp review: a high-end, cost-effective display with a focus on efficiency | Jobs Vox

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There’s no shortage of super-wide screens, but LG’s $699 27.6-inch DualUp is the oddest. It’s a relatively simple USB-C display with a unique approach: taller than it is wide, with a 16:18 aspect ratio. In other words, it’s like stacking a 21.5-inch QHD display. If you experienced a strong emotional reaction when you first saw DualUp, you’re not alone.

Just like a taller phone or laptop screen, DualUp lets you see more at once with less scrolling. Plugged into a single computer, I can see more windows than a typical widescreen monitor being arranged in a Brady Bunch-like grid arrangement. One DualUp display can replace two separate 16:9 monitors, which is great. I was able to test two DualUps side-by-side, and reader, I left the window before I fully utilized all that space.

I usually use two 27 inch monitors side by side on the monitor keyboard. To replace them, DualUp couldn’t unlock a secret pocket of productivity (hell!). But it made me to feel more effective. I wouldn’t call my usual desk arrangement an irredeemable mess, but sometimes it’s not ideal. I also tend not to use every inch of my screen at home so I can see as much information as possible at any given moment. The DualUp’s design helps take out some of the clutter and keep everything in view, and it’s probably worth the $699 price tag.

Whether or not it’s compatible with your tiger depends on what you do for work and play. Its high aspect ratio is great for reading, coding, and creating content, but you won’t need Become a professional of any kind or work at all to enjoy the real estate that DualUp provides.

LG DualUp photo in photo mode featuring The Verge and Sonic the Hedgehog

In each image mode, you can work and relax at the same time.

Almost everyone has worked on a 16:9 screen at some point. They range in size from small flat panels to gigantic curved screens. DualUp takes the trend of laptop manufacturers using taller-than-average 3:2 and 16:10 aspect ratios and then flips it. In the case of the 27.6-inch DualUp, it’s similar to using a 16:9, side-to-side display, but with more horizontal screen real estate. It’s only 19 inches wide, which is five or six inches narrower than a typical 27-inch 16:9 display. But it’s almost 22 inches tall, which is just a few inches longer than a 16:9 27-inch screen. Mount the DualUp on the included monitor arm to take it even higher. It creates a unique display that no other display can match.

In addition to normal use, DualUp can display two sources simultaneously, whether it’s a computer, game console, or other type of gadget connected to USB-C and HDMI. Through an interface that’s a bit easier to navigate than most monitors I’ve used (and similar to other modern LG monitors), you can activate a picture-by-picture mode that overlays the two inputs. You can switch which one is on and choose which source you want to play through the DualUp’s speakers.

LG DualUp ports

The DualUp includes HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C cables for each video output, which is great.

The DualUp has two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort v1.4 port, a USB-C port with video capture, 90W of streaming power, a headphone jack (for use in place of the available but not great speakers) and two. USB-A 3.0 bottom ports for accessories. In addition, the DualUp has a built-in KVM switch that allows one keyboard and mouse to control two computers connected to the monitor via USB-C and DisplayPort (with a USB overhead cable connected to the computer connected via DisplayPort). After installing the dual-controller software and setting up my work MacBook Pro and Dell laptop to connect via IP addresses, switching between the two inputs in picture-by-picture mode was essentially seamless. When I mouse over the split line, the computer I was controlling will switch. There’s also a keyboard shortcut that lets you change the source you’re controlling. You can transfer up to 10 files (no more than 2 GB) at a time in this mode.

Similarly, USB-C monitors are usually associated with Mac computers, but controlling Windows is always easier and better on Windows thanks to built-in window closing features. Basically, macOS allows you to navigate to the left or right side of the screen with most apps, but there are a number of third-party tools that bring some of Windows 11’s control functionality to the Mac. I tried a free option called Rectangle, which offers macOS users a number of different sizes, such as where to place the window on the screen. Great. If you’re a Mac user interested in a DualUp monitor, Rectangle is an almost indispensable companion.

Two LG DualUp displays

I’ve had the luxury of testing two DualUps and I’ll admit (it’s obvious Sonic the Hedgehog) I left the window to show.

On a single DualUp display, the ideal setup for my workspace includes Slack in the top left (slightly out of sight so I can focus on other things) and Spotify in the top right. I then minimized each of those windows vertically to fit two large Google Chrome windows side by side. I’m using the full screen size when I’m on assignment. Compared to using two 16:9 27-inch screens at home, I was able to see more with less head movement.

Depending on the usage situation, the DualUp’s high ratio can work against you. It’s probably the worst monitor for watching videos. If you thought the black bars on a 16:10 laptop were thick, you’re going to really hate how movies and TV shows look on the DualUp. That is, unless you’re watching a frame-by-frame movie that splits the screen horizontally into two 16:9 screens. Some games (including the Sega Genesis Mini pictured here) will attempt to render at DualUp’s native resolution, which sounds really silly. But it’s the same story with a big black bar around the game if you’re not using the per-image mode. If you have low expectations for visual fidelity, I wouldn’t recommend this monitor for serious gaming. The QHD resolution looks good, but the 60Hz refresh rate doesn’t take full advantage of fast PC hardware or consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X.

LG DualUp Ergo Stand

Unfortunately, two DualUp monitors cannot be mounted on one Ergo Stand. But having two doesn’t require much space.

The monitor is cool, but the included Ergo Stand is close to being my favorite of the bunch. Instead of sitting on top of your desk, it clips to the side or back of your desk and attaches to a slot, so it doesn’t take up a lot of desk real estate. The stand is attached to the monitor with multiple holes to hide the cables. It’s also incredibly flexible, so I wish LG would sell the stand itself.

  • It can be retracted or retracted a total of 210mm.
  • It can be rotated 360 degrees left or right
  • It can be lowered by 35mm and brought closer to your desk.
  • It allows for 90 degree counterclockwise rotation
  • It can be tilted up and down by 25 degrees.

The flexibility of the monitor keyboard allows for more customization than many monitor keyboards on the market. So its inclusion in the DualUp helps justify the high sticker price.

LG DualUp Ergo Stand

The Ergo Stand allows the DualUp to rotate almost 360 degrees.

The DualUp has a matte IPS panel that covers 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and has 300 nits of brightness. To my naked eye, colors are vivid and impressive, not quite as bright as Apple’s 600-nit (and $1,600) Studio display, but bright enough to be easily seen in a well-lit room. LG lists the DualUp as supporting HDR 10, but that light is too low to display HDR content properly.

In the eyes of my SpyderX color adjuster, the DualUp’s actual performance is slightly different from LG’s claims, but not necessarily worse. It recorded 95 percent DCI-P3 (LG says at least 90 percent is normal), 90 percent Adobe RGB, and 100 percent sRGB gamut. In terms of brightness, 324 nits were recorded at maximum brightness, which is higher than LG claims. These results make the DualUp accurate enough for most photo and video editing tasks that require absolutely perfect color accuracy. (You’ll pay more than $700 to get it.)

LG DualUp display

You can see the pixels when you get close enough. But most importantly, there is no ugly line dividing the two sources in picture and picture mode.

It has a resolution of 2,560 wide x 2,880 high, and a pixel density per inch (PPI) of less than 140 for the DualUp’s 27.6-inch diagonal size. That’s the same pixel density you’d get from a 16:9 32-inch 4K display, which means you might want to scale up the interface on macOS and Windows to make images and text more legible. Unless you’re incredibly blind or prefer a low-level interface.

The downside of zooming in on high-resolution monitors is that the visuals appear softer and sharper than native resolution. This is especially noticeable on the Mac, as Windows handles scaling better. However, if you’re using DualUp’s per-image mode, you don’t need to change the scale, and you can keep the brightness it provides unless you want enlarged screen items.

If you plan to use the LG DualUp in a government office, get ready for your desk to become the new water cooler. At some point, everyone passing by will want to do a double take and talk about it. I was most looking forward to all this attention The Verge’s office, especially when I installed two side-by-side (is that called a QuadUp?). For me, all of these conversations helped define DualUp’s elevator pitch, which is:

Compared to almost every other product I’ve tested, the DualUp is more of an experience than what you see: it’s two smaller screens placed vertically without a barrier between them. If you think you might like it, chances are you’re right. I am selling it along with the versatile Ergo Stand and video ports. It’s no gimmick, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for everyone. The decision to buy depends on whether you think its unique dual-screen design will complement your computer experience, and whether you want to attract the attention of everyone who walks by.

Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge

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