BenQ SW321C Review | Best 4K 32" Photo & Video Editing Monitor?

[@NewLayer]

The 32" version of this monitor is very expensive, but if you don't have the budget for that, do you think the less expensive 27" or 24" versions might be worth it for you?

[@WhenWillILearn]

I just picked one up and the box is no joke!

[@NewLayer]

You got that right! It filled our recycle bin up twice lol

[@luisfaustino]

Can you show the workflow around calibration and share tips?

[@NewLayer]

I've been needing to re-calibrate my monitor for a while, so this is a good idea. If I make a video, it'll be a quick one I post on Instagram and TikTok for sure, but most likely here as well.

[@luisfaustino]

@@NewLayer that’s brilliant A short video can be really useful and direct to the point.

[@williamcarter6374]

For color accuracy you should not be using HDMI cables. BenQ has a video discussing why, but bottom line is HDMI was created with video and audio in mind.

[@NewLayer]

Do you have a link you can share? Both cable types and ports support the same resolutions, refresh rates, and color spaces, so I'm curious to hear why!

[@williamcarter6374]

@@NewLayer I couldn’t find the same video I referenced, but this one also mentions the same thing, albeit with much less detail around the 2 minute mark. Same guy though and very knowledgeable as a BenQ ambassador. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYfQnWuGhpl5aMk. Maybe it’s okay for rec 709? I’m not knowledgeable enough there to speak to this though. Hope this helps.

[@NewLayer]

@@williamcarter6374 Interesting, although I wish you could find the original video you mentioned that had more details, because I've never heard of this. I know HDMI might require different settings Vs. DP, but as long as everything is set up properly, I've never heard of HDMI not being able to display the exact some colors/color space range as DP. Let me know if you ever come across it again!

[@WanderlustWonderscape]

@@NewLayer DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 support for VESA Display Stream Compression (DSC), a visually lossless compression algorithm with a compression ratio of up to 3:1. This is not needed until you reach much higher resolutions and frame rates, like 8K at 60 Hz, or when you shove multiple streams (monitors) into one cable. The standard DisplayPort connection can support 4K at 60Hz with HDR and 30 bits per pixel color depth without using compression (32.4 Gbps).

[@techlyn]

"Paying for me this video..." was priceless! Thanks for the info!

[@NewLayer]

Me fail English? That's unpossible!

[@techlyn]

@@NewLayer 🤣🤣🤣

[@joenicklo]

If someone's a professional photographer or videographer, they need a professional monitor. Great review man.

[@NewLayer]

Thanks! The 27" and 24" versions are more affordable (especially the 24") and would do someone extremely well, especially if they are just dipping their toes into calibrating monitors for professional use.

[@FTGTapGod]

This has been my main photo editing monitor for a while. I'm super happy with it. It's Adobe RGB coverage is insane and I've always liked BenQ's interface. That, paired with a calibrated LG Oled for Video Editing/Grading, has been my best-of-both-worlds setup in my little home studio.

[@NewLayer]

Forrest Gibson 😳🤯👍 I was initially disappointed because I wanted the factory calibration to be better, but then realized that was dumb because you should absolutely calibrate it yourself no matter what. Since then I’ve been extremely happy with it 😁

[@theqazman]

Thank you for the shout out brother. Great monitor. BenQ is an excellent brand. Exciting setup, brother. Great video 💪🏽

[@NewLayer]

No thanks necessary, your videos are simply awesome! Thanks for the comments :)

[@sheldonpaul7138]

I am interested in the SW240 model

[@FatalOnion]

A good mention how much time we spend staring at our monitors. Put my mind at ease to spend a few extra dollars on a monitor.

[@NewLayer]

I doubt anything I own gets as much use as this monitor! Still have it and love it, going strong!

[@gibblsworthiscool]

Could you do a video of the hardware calibration process?

[@NewLayer]

Good idea, I'm due for a recalibration, so I'll see if I can fit it in. It's been a while since my last video so hopes aren't high, haha.

[@sheldonpaul7138]

I am anxious to get my SW240. I am even more interested in seeing whether or not I will notice the difference between 8bit and 10bit display.

[@NewLayer]

Nice! I'm excited for you. Let me know what you think when it arrives :)

[@IkerBSparkle]

I just got one of these and it’s insane how much I love it and how long I was able to go with out it

[@NewLayer]

Iker Same! I forgot what it was like having a killer monitor.

[@5bind]

How does it stand up to nec's pa302-bk as far as color gamut though?

[@NewLayer]

The BenQ covers 99% of Adobe RGB and 100% sRGB. The NEC covers 99.3% of Adobe RGB and 100% sRGB. In real terms, they are identical in that sense. The most important thing is to get a hardware calibration device like the Datacolor Spyder X: geni.us/datacolorspyderx

[@mrdavidzoltankiss]

How do you compare it with the PD3200U for a videography workflows? I want to use it with Mac mini M1. Thanks.

[@NewLayer]

The big differences are that the PD3200U doesn't support as many colors. For example, it can only show 73% of Adobe RGB, while the SW321C supports 99%. The PD3200U also (as far as I know) doesn't have a 60 watt USB-C port like the SW321C, which is what enables it to be used as a complete docking station for a laptop with charging, data transfer, etc. Hope that helps :)

[@legitimatejones]

When settings do you use whenever you caliberate

[@NewLayer]

I haven't done it in 6 months, so I need to! With that said, I don't remember off the top of my head. If I recall correctly I just use the defaults in BenQ Palette Master Elements.

[@clarke.inverary]

Thanks for the review, I was wondering what's the maximum brightness of this baby?

[@NewLayer]

It's only 250 nits, but I don't even run it at the highest brightness, and I work with a normal amount of light streaming into the windows during the day, so unless your room is unusually bright, it's plenty. Thanks for the comment!

[@ShotByHex]

I'm having problems with my Mac changing the resolution on my monitor (ViewSonic 38), I just ordered this ben q 32 inch monitor and am super excited. Any known issues from Mac on this monitor? I think the 21:9 aspect ration is what's causing the issue. It going into ypbrb mode instead of staying in rib. anyway thanks for the review and happy new year!

[@NewLayer]

Not that I know of but I’m a Windows user so probably not the best person to ask, haha. Happy New Year, I hope the new monitor works out 👍

[@rezaVfx]

Great video. Thx! Have you compared it with LG CX tv? I've heard it's a good monitor for editing!

[@NewLayer]

I haven't, but I would imagine a TV would only be good for previewing final grades to see what they might look like on a TV. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never seen a "regular" TV specifically made for editing, meaning supporting large amounts of multiple color spaces, etc.

[@rezaVfx]

@@NewLayer yeah agreed. But I see few colorists such as qazi waqas use LG OLED .of course for video not photo! you might need to chk this out anyway: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaibmZSsiLGUb6c

[@cris_photography]

thanks man :) cool vid

[@NewLayer]

Glad you liked it!

[@patfranz17]

What lamps do you have on your desk?

[@NewLayer]

I have them in my studio tour video! Links are in that description: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2Gbd2h3mteUqdk

[@austine6269]

Is it also good for gaming

[@NewLayer]

I definitely use it for playing Warzone, although it's not ideal. If you're a gaming fanatic, you'd probably want a 144Hz or better monitor for best results :)

[@diegochak]

Hi! great video! I want to buy a monitor to use with the davinci resolve, and do color grading. Which one would you recommend, the BenQ PD2720U model or the BenQ SW271? Thank you!

[@NewLayer]

Thanks! There are some things each monitor does better than the other because one is geared more towards design, and the other photo/video, but I chose the SW321C for a few reasons. 1. It's 32" instead of 27". I think 4K at 27" isn't worth it, because you would be hard pressed to tell the difference with a monitor that small vs 1080p unless it's VERY close to your face. I think 32" is where 4K really starts to shine. 2. Although the PD2727U has a bit more brightness, the SW has better contrast. After calibration, I don't use my SW at full brightness, so unless you're working in a very bright room, I'd rather have the better contrast. 3. I think the SW is the only one that offers 60 watts of power via USB-C, as well as data. So you can dock and power a laptop at the same time because of the power capabilities. 4. The panel on the PD is manufactured by LG, whereas the SW is AU Optronics. It could be argued that the LG panels aren't as good because they are IPS whereas the SW321C is AHVA IPS, which is faster, better contrast, and slightly better viewing angles.. All that said, the PD2720U is also a fantastic monitor, but what I said above, coupled with my man Waqas Qazi using it (dude knows good color when he sees it) was enough to sell me :)

[@diegochak]

@@NewLayer Thanks for your time and your answer! I'm going to buy 27 "for the price. I know Qazi, I'm taking his masterclass. Thanks to your advice I now have two purchase options, the benq sw271 and the dell UP2718Q.

[@NewLayer]

@@diegochak Nice! I'm sure you're loving that. If you decide to buy through my link I'll be super grateful because it really does help me a lot :) Either way, let me know how you like it when you get one!

[@Blybnet]

Great vid. Really bothered by your speaker placement though. ;)

[@NewLayer]

You and me both, haha. This was before my setup was complete. I've also moved since if you want to see my "final" setup here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIHWpqF-npemjqc

[@El_Titoo]

I never had a 4k monitor and i wanna know your opinion does it worth it for editing to have a 4k monitor?

[@NewLayer]

I would say it's not worth it at 24", maybe worth it at 27-30", depending on how close you sit to it, and definitely worth it over 30". When the monitor is small, you can't really perceive a difference. And the main benefit to having a 4K monitor is that you can view 4K footage at 100%, whereas on a 1080 monitor, viewing 4K footage at 100% is not any better than 1080 footage, so you simply can't edit 4K video properly on monitor that's not 4K itself. I also find editing photos much better on a 4K monitor for the same reason.

[@ColbyBrickwell]

Any idea why my BenQ Pd2700U is making a loud occasional clicking noise?

[@NewLayer]

Sorry no, that’s super weird! I’m sure BenQ can get to the bottom of it.

[@ColbyBrickwell]

@@NewLayer Appreciate the reply! I've already sent back one and the replacement has the same issue as well as screen retention problems but it isn't a huge deal.

[@michaelmitchell9850]

So if you calibrate the monitor with an external device do you still keep it in adobe rgb mode?

[@NewLayer]

You can store 3 custom calibrations, so you're not in Rec.709, Adobe RGB, or sRGB per se. You set the color space you want to work in via software when you calibrate. For video editing you can have 1 calibration in Rec.709, for photo/design work you can have the 2nd calibration as sRGB or Adobe RGB, etc. Hope that helps.

[@jennifermedia6288]

Which one mate? I’l l watch this video later but ordered the 32 graphic design model. But wishing I bought this now. I’ve time to return it which do you think is best. It’s an extra £400 ! I do video graphics and mainly photography. J in think your reply in these comments made it for me. That colour expert uses this. I feel that says it all. I’ll send back the pd3220u back to Amazon and order this. It’s not as pretty with the bezels bit thats not the point is it.

[@NewLayer]

I think if you strictly do graphics the PD is fine, but for hybrid design, photo, and video, the SW321C is killer. If you order one I’d greatly appreciate if you used my links. It really helps keep the channel running 😁

[@miguelangelcalderon3315]

Great review man! The SW321C seems amazing as well, although pricey 😁 hehe I'm deciding between the SW240 and the PD2700U. The first one covers 99% Adobe RGB, but it's only Full HD, while the PD2700U is 4K (but no Adobe RGB). Also, the SW240 lacks speakers and has only HDMI 1.4, which I don't know if it makes much difference actually. Do you have any thoughts for someone doing photo editing and color grading? I'm leaning towards the 4K for future proofing my purchase, but not sure if it makes difference on this size of monitors, especially since I'll be using it on my MacbookPro 15". ps: I pulled the trigger on the Godox ML60 thanks to your previous video. ;)

[@NewLayer]

In my opinion 4K isn't really worth it until you go to 32". At 27" it COULD be worth it, if you sit really close to your monitor, but at 24", 1080P is totally sufficient and 4K would be a waste. Again, my opinion and others may disagree, but I think the vast majority of people couldn't distinguish 4K from 1080P on monitors 24-27" from a normal viewing distance. As far as speakers go, I prefer monitors not to have them since I use external speakers, and internal speakers never sound good. Hope that helps, and thanks for the support :)

[@ColbyBrickwell]

I have the pd2700u and it looks beautiful and is definitely color accurate. However, I’ve already had to return 1 and get a replacement because the monitor was making a pretty loud, occasional but pretty frequent clicking noise after shutdown, as well as occasionally when having the computer on.... and the replacement one still has the same problem

[@rottenapplestudios8006]

Do you have any advice on what external speakers are nice to pair with this monitor for video editing or CoD?

[@NewLayer]

@@rottenapplestudios8006 I do music production as well as video editing, so I have some legit midrange audio monitors: geni.us/krkrokit5g4pair I have them sitting on these stands too: geni.us/speakerstands And I use this audio interface (albeit an older generation one): geni.us/focusritescarlett2i23 I prefer headphones for CoD, but playing with these speakers is very immersive too!

[@wendygarfinkelgold]

I have a macbook pro I now have this monitor and I don't understand why I can't switch to the adobe RGB selection on the OSD. It is staying on color mode hdr, why?

[@NewLayer]

Sorry that question would be better directed at BenQ themselves. I would guess that your Macbook is set to output only in HDR perhaps, but that could be totally wrong.

[@wendygarfinkelgold]

@@NewLayer I remember selecting HDR and now I don't know where to unselect it and I thought that might be the issue. Actually I thought I selected the HDR on the monitor somewhere

[@NewLayer]

@@wendygarfinkelgold I'm a PC guy so I don't know, hope you get it sorted soon though!

[@wendygarfinkelgold]

@@NewLayer ok yes, I thought so as I meant to ask that directly - anyhow thank you for now I am in contact with them

[@cowboyPictures]

Does the Mac air notebook 2020 compatible with the BenQ sw321c?

[@NewLayer]

I am a PC guy, so am not up to date on Apple products, but anything should be compatible with the right cable.

[@denlanydigitalmedia3310]

Intro b-roll 👌

[@NewLayer]

Thanks! It was definitely different filming B-roll for something like a monitor vs. my usual :)

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Nice & Thanks :)

[@NewLayer]

No problem!

[@JoseHernandez-ir2sm]

Just got this monitor and bothers my eyes just after 30 minutes even using the blue filter at 50% brightness. Others having this issue?

[@NewLayer]

Hmmm, that's odd, especially because this monitor is dimmer than most "consumer" monitors, so I can't imagine why this particular monitor would do that, apart from its sheer size. Rather than adjust the brightness on the monitor itself, have you tried calibrating it with a hardware calibration device and specifying a specific brightness in nits? I don't think that would make a difference, just trying to think of a solution.

[@JoseHernandez-ir2sm]

Appreciate the response...will continue to adjust and see if I can reduce the eyes issue. I just got a week ago and did not calibrate based in their statement that it is factory calibrated.@@NewLayer

[@NewLayer]

@@JoseHernandez-ir2sm I had the same thought about calibration when I got mine, but even with the factory calibration, doing your own is a must and makes a HUGE difference.

[@JoseHernandez-ir2sm]

@@NewLayer I will do. Thanks again. It is a complex monitor that I need to learn. Looking forward about the paper profile feature when used with Epson papers.

[@jordanfish]

I just don’t understand the gap in the market for higher res monitors at this size. I’ve had to accept that Windows users think 4k @27” is adequate pixel density, but 4k at 32" is insufficient for production work in 2020. These so-called flagship panels should be pushing 5k resolutions, if not higher.

[@jordanfish]

I should add context that I switched from retina iMac to a PC workstation with an SW271. The 12-bit color rendition is fantastic but I miss the iMac’s screen real estate.

[@NewLayer]

I think it has to do mainly with 2 things: 1. 4K or less TVs make up 99% of the market, so a higher resolution editing monitor for editing over 4K is a super specialty item and prohibitively expensive. 2. A phone has a higher pixel density, but you're typically holding a phone at 9-10" from your face, whereas my monitor is currently 36" from my face. So my monitor only has 137 PPI while my iPhone 11 Pro Max has 458. My monitor is roughly 3.5x farther away, so each pixel appears 3.5x smaller, effectively giving my monitor the same "perceived" pixel density as my phone.

[@jordanfish]

New Layer Makes sense, though I wish your first point were contradicted by market interest following Apple’s lead. To point 2, it’s less about how big the pixels are perceptually and simply how much pixel-by-pixel content I can fit on the screen. So if I’m editing 4k video, ideally I’d like to be able to see a source and program window at full res side by side. So maybe what I need is an 8k monitor, huh?

[@NewLayer]

@@jordanfish Yes, that's a good argument for more screen real estate. An argument for a dual monitor setup is that if you had an 8K display and need a 4K video + other windows, the video would shrink proportionally and only fill 1/4 of the screen. So it makes more sense to have 2 4K monitors in the sense that 1 can display the full 4K video/program monitor, and all the editing windows can be on the other. I mean, I guess you could be referring to an 8K ultrawide, which would essentially be the same thing. In that case, it would definitely be nice. But if we're talking 16:9 or 16:10 monitors, I think 4K is here to stay for quite a while.

[@jordanfish]

New Layer Yeah, I mean it doesn’t exist but my ideal display would be 43" 8k. That’s the same pixel density as the 21.5" iMac 4k, but at 8k.

[@skul_is_live]

This is insane almost 99 % color accuracy

[@NewLayer]

Still using it, still loving it, can't imagine replacing it any time soon!

[@globnomulous]

You mention that the colors are accurate but not exciting/stunning. Can you recommend a monitor that would be good for people who want just very high image quality, but aren't designers or photographers?

[@NewLayer]

Sorry I can't because I haven't used any so can't speak from experience, although, BenQ has always made great monitors all around, and they categorize them by use (video, photo, gaming, etc.) Hope that helps :)