New Dell UltraSharp 4K Monitors Have “IPS Black” – What Does It Mean?

On Thursday, Dell announced two new models in its popular UltraSharp monitor line. The displays have been a favorite of office workers, creatives, and—because of their USB-C connectivity—Mac users. Now LG Display is introducing what it calls “IPS Black”to the Dell lineup in the UltraSharp 32 (U3223QE) and 27 (U2723QE) 4K USB-C Hub monitors.

What is IPS Black and should we expect it to give monitors an edge over the competition?

First, what is IPS?

To understand IPS Black, a new type of IPS panel, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of IPS or in-plane switching. IPS is one of three types of LED panels in PC monitors and TVs, along with VA (Vertical Alignment) and TN (Twisted Nematic).

These three technologies work in slightly different ways, resulting in different pros and cons. IPS panels have better viewing angles, which means the screen is easier to see when viewed from the side. They are also known for their exceptional color reproduction, especially when compared to TN panels.

Simply put, IPS panels have liquid crystals aligned parallel to the glass surfaces in between. When an electric charge is applied, the crystals rotate; they remain parallel but let light through and create an image. This technology is different from the liquid crystals in TN panels, which rotate 90 degrees to allow light to pass through. TN panels have historically supported higher refresh rates and response times, but we’re seeing IPS catch up with expensive gaming monitors.

IPS screens also differ from VA panels, which offer better contrast. VA panels have liquid crystals perpendicular to glass substrates and tilt to allow light to pass through. According to monitor maker ViewSonic, this allows them to better block out unwanted backlighting, resulting in deeper blacks and a higher contrast ratio.

So what is IPS Black?

Just as QD-OLED promises to boost the performance of OLED screens, IPS Black is a new type of IPS that is claimed to offer better contrast than standard IPS monitors can provide.

LG Display announced IPS Black in January but did not share details on how the technology works. At the time, LG Display stated that the panels had black levels that were “35 percent deeper than existing IPS products”, and promised that the displays would deliver “exceptional clarity and accurate color fidelity”.

The U3223QE and U2723QE UltraSharp monitors are the first IPS Black monitors available. Dell claims the displays have a contrast ratio of 2000:1, which means blacks look 2000 times darker than whites. This is twice as much as most IPS monitors. By comparison, the UltraSharp 30 U3023E, also announced Thursday, uses a standard IPS panel and has a 1000:1 contrast ratio. (All three monitors have been on the list for a while, according to sites like Tom’s Hardware, but Dell is making its first official announcement today.)

In addition, the 31.5-inch and 27-inch IPS Black monitors claim to cover 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color space and 100 percent of sRGB. In comparison, the 27-inch UltraSharp U2720Q with a high contrast ratio for an IPS monitor (1300:1) covers 95% DCI-P3 and 99% sRGB.

The LG Display IPS Black announcement also states that the technology “significantly reduces blue light levels.”Dell doesn’t say its new UltraSharps have any advantage in combating low blue light beyond the ComfortView Plus hardware that the company introduced in 2020.

LG Display also stated that the IPS Black panels would allow for a “nearly borderless design”. Considering the IPS Black-based UltraSharps continue to use tiny bezels in the series, we’d say it paid off.

Dell won’t be the only company to use IPS Black technology. LG Display is being sold to various companies and LG plans to launch its own IPS Black monitors. There is still no word on whether the TVs will be IPS Black.

As for the recently announced Dell UltraSharps, all three claim 400 nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate. The 27-inch IPS Black monitor is priced at $725, but Dell is already selling it for $625. By comparison, Dell’s 27-inch U2720Q with a standard IPS panel currently costs $590. The 32-inch IPS Black monitor is priced at $1,150 but has now been reduced to $920. And the black U3023E without IPS is $1,050, but it’s $785 at the time of writing.