This is a review for the ViewSonic VX4380-4K 43" 4K IPS 2160p Frameless LED Monitor.
I've had this monitor for about six months and have been very happy with it. I wanted a bright 4K monitor to update my (Linux-based) home theater, without any 'Smart'. Sitting 5-8 feet from it (I wouldn't want to be much closer given its size), I can use it as a computer monitor for browsing the web (plenty clear), as well as video.
This monitor has incredible brightness if desired, and the blacks are pretty reasonably black as well. Detail is excellent, colors extremely VIBRANT! Of the IPS I've seen, this is comparable. It's like a big smartphone screen, major eye-candy. Good viewing angles. Makes my 24 inch monitor look tiny and dim. It has a semi-glossy surface, so when viewing a dark or black screen, light sources will reflect if behind you, and you can see your reflection somewhat, in a soft diffused, 'anti-glare' sort of way, as opposed to a full-on gloss reflection. I can always see detail so it's minimally distracting, and this gives the screen more 'pop' in terms of color and brightness, imo. I was shopping for more of a matte but I'm quite happy with this - I see why they used the finish they did. But it's glossier than the TV it replaced. I use it in a bright sunlit room with little light behind me, and it is plenty bright. I actually had to turn it down. I use a dark theme, and it does well with that too.
Build quality seems good, is lightweight, and doesn't generate much heat. Well-packed, easy setup, plenty of cables.
I did experience some signal drops, as noted in my uses below, but that was with a 50 foot copper HDMI cable, so not so surprising (the computer driving it is in another room). See below for possible workaround (fiber optic HDMI is a thing).
PROS
+ BIG, BRIGHT, COLOR-WONDERFUL, 4K
+ Lots of inputs
+ Also looks good and clear at 1080p
+ Good OSD, accessible buttons
+ Low heat and lower radiation feel in front of it than a typical TV
CONS
- Occasional signal drop with 50 foot cable (1080p 60 Hz HDMI 1.0)
- No 3.5 mm audio in, but does have 3.5 mm audio out
UNTESTED
* Sound inputs/outputs, speakers
* USB hub
* DisplayPort
HOW I'VE USED IT
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1080p 60 Hz HDMI 1.0 [50 foot copper HDMI 1.0 cable]
I'm in the process of upgrading, so I've mostly been running it at 1080p on my old ATI video card. Initially it looked slightly unclear at 1080p so I made some OSD adjustments and then was very happy with it (changed these from default):
View Mode: Standard
Blue Light Filter: 50 (was 0) not a huge change noticeable
Color Adjust:
Brightness: 60 (was 100)
Manual Image Adjust:
Sharpness: 100 (was 50)
Setup:
ECO Mode: Optimize (was Standard) dims backlight
I put it in ECO mode Optimize because it lowered the brightness. I also made xrandr shortcuts in Linux so I can lower the brightness with a key in the evenings.
Mostly it has been working great in 1080p, aside from dropping its signal approximately once a day. It just goes black for about one second, then comes right back. My cable is an above-average 50 foot HDMI 1.0 cable running at 1080p 60 Hz.
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2160p (4K) 30,60 Hz HDMI 2.0 [50 foot copper HDMI 2.0 cable]
Testing my new ASUS laptop with a GTX 1060 to drive this monitor, I bought a new 50 foot copper HDMI 2.0 cable that was rated at 4K @ 60 Hz. However, this combination did not work - it produced a black screen, or sparkles, or if I moved the cable just so, it would show the screen but with major unusable flicker and image movement.
However, this cable did work okay if I lowered the output to 2160p 30 Hz, no noticeable flicker or issues.
This problem is apparently common with 30+ foot HDMI cables at 2160p @ 60 Hz, so I have ordered a fiber optic 50 foot HDMI cable to replace it. These are supposed to have low signal loss so it should be more reliable than copper at this length (and much thinner). I will update this review, or if I forget then you can assume it worked without issues. [Update: It works fine 4K@60Hz with optical HDMI.]
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2160p (4K) 60 Hz HDMI 2.0 [6 foot copper HDMI 1.0 cable]
Even though the cable is an older pre-4K one, 2160p @ 60 Hz looked great over this cable, very sharp 4K results.
Overall I found the above cable issues understandable and I don't blame the monitor, but I didn't test it much with shorter cables.
5 stars - recommended as a great option in this size and 4K, image quality.
| Standing screen display size | 43 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 3840x2160 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 3840 x 2160 Pixels |
