BenQ has introduced a new professional-grade display aimed at designers. The BenQ DesignVue PD3220U monitor supports virtually all color gamuts currently used by professionals, and can even display images in two different color spaces at the same time in BenQ’s DualView mode. Meanwhile, like many advanced LCDs, the PD3220U features Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, a built-in KVM switch, and a hardware hotkey puck.

The general specifications of BenQ’s DesignVue PD3220U monitor are pretty typical by today’s standards. The display is based on a 31.5-inch 10-bit IPS panel featuring a 3840×2160 resolution, 300 nits typical brightness, 1000:1 static contrast, 5 ms response time, a 60 Hz refresh rate, 178° viewing angles, and an anti-glare coating. BenQ does not disclose the type of backlighting it uses, but it must be professional-grade given positioning of the device.

 

Like virtually all professional LCD panels, the one used by the PD3220U can reproduce 1.07 billion colors, but unlike many competing offerings this monitor can cover the sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, and the Display P3 color spaces, hitting 95% on the latter two. Furthermore, the monitor supports HDR10 transport, as well as a specially-tuned Animation Mode (enhances dark areas without overexposing bright areas), Darkroom Mode (for darkened post-processing environments), and CAD/CAM Mode (enhances contrast). One interesting feature the monitor has is ability to display images in two color spaces side by side in DualView mode to speed up productivity. Furthermore, it also has a built-in KVM switch that enables to seamlessly use more than one computer with one or two displays.

 

To ensure maximum accuracy of color reproduction, the display supports BenQ’s proprietary AQColor technology, which BenQ yet has to detail. The DesignVue PD3220U comes factory calibrated, but BenQ does not mention DeltaE accuracy as well as color spaces used for calibration. The company also says nothing about 3D look-up tables (LUTs) for HDR10 as well as blending accuracy, but it is possible that this is because the monitor is yet to be made available and not all details have been finalized. Furthermore, with peak brightness at 300 nits it is unlikely that the monitor will ever be used for post-production of HDR-intensive content.

When it comes to connectivity, the DesignVue PD3220U has two Thunderbolt 3 connectors for daisy chaining (one of the ports supports 85 W power delivery and thus can feed most 15.6-inch class laptops), a DisplayPort 1.4 connector, and two HDMI 2.0 ports. The monitor also has a triple-port USB 3.1 hub (there is a Type-C port too). As an added bonus, the display features two 2W built-in speakers, and a headphone jack.

Specifications of the BenQ DesignVue PD3220U
  DesignVue PD3220U
Panel 31.5" IPS
Native Resolution 3840 × 2160
Maximum Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time 5 ms GtG
Brightness 300 cd/m² (typical)
Contrast 1000:1
Viewing Angles 178°/178° horizontal/vertical
HDR HDR10
Backlighting ?
Pixel Pitch 0.1845 mm²
Pixel Density 138 ppi
Display Colors 1.07 billion
Color Gamut Support sRGB: 100%
DCI-P3: 95%
Display P3: ?
Adobe RGB: ?
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Stand adjustable
Inputs 1 × DisplayPort 1.4
2 × Thunderbolt 3
2 × HDMI 2.0
USB Hub Triple-port USB 3.1 hub
Launch Date Spring 2019

BenQ announced its DesignVue PD3220U fairly recently and it is expected that the product will hit the market in April. In the U.S., the display will cost $1,199.99, which is a pretty much expected price point for a professional-grade monitor.

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Source: BenQ (via Hermitage Akihabara)

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  • jabber - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    Hook this into ao soundbar and a Fire TV box and its my new TV!
  • svan1971 - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    nah a 65 in oled for me.
  • DanNeely - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    If you're doing USB-C/etc power delivery on a large source device I find it really hard to understand why you'd pick a target between 60W (20V 3A - the max allowed on a standard cable) and 100W (20V 5A, max allowed in the spec, and requires a cable with thicker wires). Anything in between is taking on the inconvenience of needing a less common cable version to fully work while still leaving performance on the table.
  • Ryan Smith - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link

    For whatever reason, 85W USB-C charging solutions are fairly common. But full 100W solutions are almost never seen. I have to assume there's a vendor offering a COTS kit that gets used in all of these devices and which only goes up to 85W.
  • GreenReaper - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    Is the Puck a Radial Controller, like the Surface Dial, or does it just control the monitor?
    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/uwp/api/windows.u...
  • GreenReaper - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    Found a blurb: "PD3220U is empowered by the newly designed hotkey puck G2 which allows designers to customize shortcuts to their preferred features through the upgraded OSD. The hotkey puck G2 leaves 3 single function keys as well as a rotation key to let users designate them to features that they require the most at work. Additionally, designers can adjust the brightness, contrast and volume of the monitor based on their preferences through the dial on the hotkey puck. To return to the previous level of the settings, designers can simply press the return key to instantly go back to the previous level."

    There's also a video which suggests that it really is just for the monitor, which is kind of a shame as I think it'd be a great value-add: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTrKs7QhnUk
    There's an older version of the puck here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9U_kAJzruc
  • Samus - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    Haha, I thought it was the KVM control until I read this comment.
  • spooh - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    I don't get why professional lcd's are still 60Hz in 2019.
    Apart of smoother motion 120Hz would handle 24fps without judder.
  • imaheadcase - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    Because no need for it editing. Its not a gaming monitor that it matters.
  • spooh - Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - link

    Did you notice second line of my post?

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