HP U28 4K HDR Monitor Review : 28″ IPS 4k Monitor With Type-C Port | Tech Reviews
This HP monitor features 4K resolution and is compatible with HDR content. It has the HDR400 display standard and is very suitable for editing photos and videos.
After several weeks of use, I tell you my opinion of the HP U28 4K HDR, a monitor that has a large number of ports, HDR400 Display and a series of features that make working on a day-to-day basis quite comfortable.
Not so long ago, choosing a monitor for your setup was a headache . There were many models, yes, but either you invested a lot to get a really good one, or you had to settle for a mid-range one that really ended up disappointing.
The TN and VA did not comply, the low priced IPS had light leaks, the refreshments were perhaps not what you wanted, the color depth was not either, they used to come with their own mounting systems… well, a bummer.
However, for some time now monitors have been coming out that, in various ranges for more or less affordable prices, are offering very good features . And in that little group this HP U28 4K wants to enter which, for about 430 euros , offers a good design, a good panel and a large number of ports.
| Inches | 28″ |
|---|---|
| resolution | 3,840 x 2,160 pixels | Format 16:9 |
| panel type | IPS 8 bits + FRC |
| Soda | 60 Hz |
| Brightness | 400 nits |
| color space | DCI P3 | Display HDR400 |
| Arm | VESA100x100 | Height, swivel, tilt and swivel control |
| Connection | DisplayPort 1.2. | HDMI 2.0 | 3 x USB-A | USB-C with 65 W | Jack for earphones |
Sleek design with all the ports you may need
Something that draws the attention of this model as soon as you take it out of the box is the ease with which you are going to have it operational.
The trend of not using screws to mount many of the latest monitors is great and here we have a base that attaches to the arm with a built in thread and an arm that attaches to the monitor with a simple ‘click’.
It has the VESA 100 x 100 standard and, although I like both the base and the arm because of the movements it allows, if you already have a monitor mount that you don’t want to change or a wall arm, you will be able to reuse it.
Speaking of movements, you will be able to lower and raise the monitor easily thanks to a very smooth system, but you also have a tilt of -5º to -23º, a rotation of 90º and a rotation of 35º left and right .
It is a very complete set of movements that will make things easier on a day-to-day basis, but also when setting up a setup with two identical monitors, since you will be able to adjust them quite flexibly.
From the front it is a fairly normal monitor, with nothing that attracts attention beyond the HP logo, but I really like the base to leave objects, or the mobile, but from behind it is much more interesting.
The control of everything is done through the classic -now- joystick , so everything is quite easy and from there you will be able to quickly control something as important as the brightness.
However, the best thing is the number and capacity of its ports. In addition to the power one, we have 3 USB-A, an HDMI 2.0, headphone output, DisplayPort 1.2 and a USB-C . This is the one that interests me the most, because if you have a compatible Windows laptop or a MacBook, it will make your life easier .
It supplies a power of 65 W, so you will be able to connect the laptop and have it receive power, but at the same time it also transmits data, so by connecting the laptop, in addition to receiving a charge, it will emit a video signal.
This is very comfortable because the monitor itself acts as a dock and together with a MacBook Pro with M1, which is the one I was testing next to the monitor, it works really well.
oh! The cables are included. We have a USB-C, an HDMI and a DisplayPort, which is great (ahem, Sony, take note for the next Inzone ).
A good IPS panel to work with an image in P3, although not so much for HDR
But hey, let’s go to the panel because here, the truth is, the good news continues. It is an IPS panel that has quite normal technical characteristics in terms of figures.
It’s 4K, which is great for the 28” diagonal because we have a very good pixel density, it has a gray to gray ratio of 4 milliseconds, the aspect ratio is 16:9 and the contrast is 1,000:1, which is typical in an IPS.
I would have loved the format to be 16:10 , since we are not going to use this monitor to play (although you can, obviously, and the experience is correct), but for work it is a format that I like better.
But hey, that is a very personal preference and the truth is that it is a suitable size for practically any space and if you are going to edit video, in the end you will appreciate that it is 16:9.
Something that is significant is that it has DisplayHDR400 certification . This means that it has a minimum brightness of 400 nits and it is something that, according to our tests, it fulfills perfectly.
I was using it in the living room, next to a window, and the truth is that together with the anti-glare panel, I had no problem seeing the content correctly . Not too long ago, monitors weren’t particularly bright, and I’m glad that’s finally changing.
And yes, it has HDR, but I recommend you not to use it. Right out of the box, the monitor comes set to the photo profile and P3. You have several image modes available in SDR mode, but I prefer the photo mode that comes from the factory for color accuracy.
It seems to me a very good mid-range monitor for editing photos and video, something that, in the end, is part of my workflow and, the better the colors of the monitor, the more “realistic”, the better they adapt to other screens such as TV, mobile, etc.
You will be able to watch movies and play games perfectly in SDR, but if you activate HDR mode, you will have a higher dynamic range , obviously, but at least on my unit the experience is not better, with colors that fade at times and seem more washes.
If you buy it, I recommend that you do the test because one thing is what may seem better to me and another is what you like more, so… try for yourself and decide, but if you want advice and you use Windows, Turn off system HDR mode from display settings for a better experience.
If you don’t want to play, it’s one of the best monitors in its price range
And in the end, it is a monitor that, for a relatively low price, offers very good imaging characteristics for both video and photo editing, as well as for day-to-day work.
For a profile like mine who works with images or who is simply an amateur, for those 430 euros you have a very good monitor with a good design and, in addition, that single USB-C cable that can make the monitor work as a dock together with to a compatible laptop .
The design is quite clean, the mobility of the arm is one of its strong points and I like the quality of the panel. I have not noticed light leaks in the corners and, honestly, in SDR mode the experience has been fantastic.
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