BenQ Launches the SW320: a 4K Display with HDR for Professionals

BenQ this week introduced its new SW320 display designed specifically for professional photographers and other people who require 4K/UHD resolution, the sRGB and the Adobe RGB color spaces, and support for HDR10 capability. The monitor is calibrated directly at the factory on a per-unit basis.

The BenQ SW320 is a 31.5-inch display featuring a 10-bit IPS panel, which can reproduce 1.07 billion colors and covers 99% of the Adobe RGB, sRGB, and 87% of the DCI-P3 color spaces. The Adobe RGB color space is important for professional photographers that need to edit their photos for publications, whereas the sRGB and the DCI-P3 color spaces are crucial for video editors and animation designers who do post-production work. One of the interesting features of the SW320 is the ability to display content in different color spaces simultaneously side-by-side in PIP/PBP modes (two inputs are required).

It is worth noting that when it comes to the DCI-P3, the SW320 covers 87% of the color space, which is below 98%-99% covered by numerous displays aimed at video professionals. Meanwhile, the BenQ SW320 supports 10-bit HDR along with a 14-bit 3D LUT (look-up table) and is calibrated to  DeltaE ≤ 2 in both Adobe RGB and sRGB. The support for HDR10 with proper blending accuracy is needed for those that work on adding HDR to various content, including photos and videos. BenQ cite that users involved in post-production for UHD movies (for streaming services or for Ultra HD Blu-ray media) will take advantage of the SW320.

As for the other specifications of the BenQ SW320, they look pretty standard for a high-quality 4K display: a 3840×2160 resolution with a 60 Hz refresh rate, 350 nits typical brightness, 1000:1 static contrast, 5 ms response time in fast mode and 178° viewing angles. The monitor uses a CCFL backlighting with brightness uniformity feature to ensure consistency. As for input/output capabilities, the display is equipped with one HDMI 2.0a, one DisplayPort 1.4 as well as one mDP 1.4 header (all of them support HDCP 2.2 required for various content). In addition, the SW320 is equipped with a dual-port USB 3.0 hub and a card reader that may be useful for photographers.

BenQ SW320
Panel		31.5″ IPS
Resolution		3840 × 2160
Refresh Rate		60 Hz
Response Time		5 ms gray-to-gray
Brightness		350 cd/m²
Contrast		1000:1
Viewing Angles		178°/178° horizontal/vertical
Color Saturation		100% sRGB/REC 709 99% Adobe RGB 87% DCI-P3
Display Colors		1.07 billion
3D-LUT		14 bits
Pixel Pitch		0.233 mm
Pixel Density		unknown
Anti-Glare Coating		Yes
Inputs		1 × DP 1.4 (HDCP 2.2) 1 × mDP 14 (HDCP 2.2) 1 × HDMI 2.0a (HDCP 2.2)
USB Hub		2-port USB 3.0 hub
Card Reader		Integrated
Power Consumption	Idle	0.7 W
	Active	50 W

Just like many other professional displays, the SW320 monitor has an adjustable stand that allows rotating the panel clockwise or counter-clockwise to view the screen in portrait orientation. The BenQ SW320 comes pre-calibrated, just like competing devices, with users able to further calibrate it using the appropriate equipment.

BenQ plans to start selling its SW320 professional display in January 2017. Pricing is unknown, but since we are talking about a high-end monitor that has its own peculiarities (support for HDR and the Adobe RGB), so expect an appropriate price.