LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 review: productivity has a new shape

You never really know what you’re missing until you try the LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780. Before this brilliant 16:18 monitor hit the streets, we were all under the impression that ultimate multitasking is best done on an ultrawide monitor. But, while many of those displays will have you turning your head and twisting your neck all day, LG has come up with this more ergonomic solution.

The LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 is taller than it is wide, which allows you to stack up your windows horizontally rather than side-by-side (though that is an option as well), which in turn minimizes head and neck movements. And, it is much more comfortable to use for multitasking, whether you’re dealing with just one source computer or two.

Luckily, this monitor is affordable, sitting in the mid-range market at $699 (£549, AU$1,299). If that to you sounds like a lot to pay just for a different aspect ratio, it is. But, the LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 boasts other features as well, including a brilliant fully articulating arm, impressively accurate colours, great picture quality, and a KVM function, making it, among other things, one of the best monitors for programming. With all of that, we can safely say that you’re getting your money’s worth. 

LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 review: Features

In fact, there are quite a few features here that we’ll just stick to mentioning the biggest ones. There’s, as we said, the monitor stand and fully-articulating arm. While most monitors come with just the basic stand and the usual tilt, swivel, and height adjustments, the LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 exercises excellent ergonomics with a top-notch articulating arm that allows the display almost a full range of motion. 

So, not only can you tilt, swivel, and move it up and down, but you can also turn it around completely and pivot it to different angles. And, quite effortlessly, we might add, as LG brilliantly opted for a C-clamp and grommet design instead of the usual stand and base, allowing you to affix the whole thing to a desk to keep it from moving whenever you made adjustments. This clamp also means that you don’t have a base taking up a chunk of your desk space.

The KVM and PBP features here are also key to being able to multitask. The KVM feature means that if you use two computers, you also don’t need to have two keyboard-and-mouse setups. 

Meanwhile, the picture-by-picture (PBP) capability is definitely key to the 16:18 aspect ratio working as intended. Using the LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 in fullscreen mode is definitely possible, but using the PBP function, in effect, expands your desk space if you’re using a single computer source that’s connected to the monitor via two different inputs. Of course, it also comes in handy as well if you’re using two computers or devices.

LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 review: Build and handling

The LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 feels incredibly robust. Although the display itself, which is the lightest part of the whole kit, comes with a plastic back that doesn’t necessarily feel tough, it is well-made. Its weight is on purpose, as it allows the arm to support it and hold its position without requiring you to adjust the tension and you mount it easily during assembly.

The bezels are practically wafer-thin, with the top and side ones well under half an inch, and the ports are easily accessible being placed near the centre. There are several input and output ports on hand, with two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort, and one USB-C, allowing you to connect to four different video sources simultaneously. Meanwhile, there are two downstream USB 3.0 (plus one upstream) so you can connect a keyboard and a mouse directly to the monitor and use them to control two different computers. 

The monitor also has built-in speakers, but we’ll talk more about that in the next section. 

The C-clamp and articulating monitor arm is integral to this monitor’s functionality so it’s only right to talk about them as well. If you’ve never used a C-clamp before, don’t be intimidated. This one’s easy to figure out as well as use, but just keep in mind that the whole thing is on the heavy side so it would be easier for you to secure the whole thing first before mounting the display. Believe us; we’ve also tried it the other way around, and it wasn’t a fun experience.

The C-clamp here is incredibly robust and really keeps the whole thing steady so you can focus on making your display adjustments without worrying about accidents. Meanwhile, the arm is very easy to control and impressive at holding any position steady – even if you set that display at the weirdest, most random position. Out of the box, there’s enough tension there, but an Allen key is included if you want it just a bit tauter.

Finally, the whole thing has its own cable management built-in. It’s not the neatest or the easiest to use, but it certainly works well when you’re repositioning the display.

LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 review: Performance

Touting a nice 2560 x 2880 SDQHD resolution in a 28-inch panel, the LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 offers a 140ppi pixel density, which rewards users with images that are sharper and more detailed. You’ll see it as well, just how crisp the visuals are, even if you’re not particularly savvy with PC displays.

The 5ms response time, 60Hz refresh rate, and missing Adaptive-Sync mean that this isn’t going to be the best for gaming, unfortunately, which puts it out of the running if you’re looking for an all-in-one display solution – although, we have seen gamers on YouTube use it as a gaming monitor. However, it never claims to be that, its focus being on productivity, programming, and, to a degree, content creation.

Its 300-nit brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and measly HDR10 support means that it’s never going to be the ultimate video and photo editing monitor, but it should be enough. After all, its near 98% DCI-P3 gamut is at DeltaE 0.53 accuracy, which is pretty impressive.

If you are just sending out emails and do not need to focus, it also has built-in speakers that are decently loud so you can have a movie playing while you work. The speakers aren’t the best sounding, with the bass largely missing and the audio sounding a little hollow overall, but it’s also rare to see impressive speakers on a monitor.

Luckily, you’re getting stunning image quality. Whatever picture mode you use, you’re getting rich and vibrant colours, and crisp, detailed visuals. 

To get a much more objective view of the monitor’s colour consistency, screen brightness, and colour space coverage, we put our Datacolor Spyder X Elite colourimeter (see our guide to the best monitor calibrator tools) to use. Below are the results.

Colour gamut

While LG says that the ​​LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 boasts a 98% DCI-P3 colour gamut, we measured a 97% DCI-P3 coverage during our test, which really isn’t that big of a drop and is still pretty good for video editors working in that colour space. You’re also getting 100% sRGB coverage, even though LG doesn’t mention that in the specs, as well as 91% AdobeRGB. 

Colour accuracy

Where the LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 shines is in its colour accuracy. During our tests, it delivered impressive Delta-E results, with an average accuracy of 0.44 and a maximum of 1.16 – still within the ideal Delta-E≦2 level. That maximum level does jump up to over 4.0 in the sRGB picture mode, but the average in that mode is still 0.82. More importantly for creatives, it’s got an average accuracy of 0.53, maxing out at 1.19, in the P3 mode.

Brightness and contrast

LG promises a typical brightness of 300cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 1,000:1, and the monitor does deliver on that front. During our tests, it delivered a brightness of 321.6cd/m2 at 100% with its contrast just dropping slightly down to 970:1. Its contrast does top at 1,020:1 at 75%, however.

Screen uniformity

Sadly, screen uniformity isn’t the LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780’s strong suit. With its brightness set to 100%, we recorded a massive deviation in colour uniformity, with the darkest segment recording a Delta-E of 5.2. It’s even worse in terms of luminance uniformity. At brightness set to 50%, we got a massive 20% luminance variation between the brightest and dimmest regions.

Should you buy the LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780?

The LG DualUp Monitor 28MQ780 is a brilliant monitor that’s designed specifically for productivity, programming, and to a degree, content creation. Its 16:18 aspect ratio combined with its picture-by-picture functionality, multiple input ports, and KVM feature allows you to maximize your multitasking prowess. Meanwhile, its articulating arm and c-clamp base deliver excellent ergonomics to see you through your workload in comfort.

Of course, panel performance matters as well, and this one offers a higher pixel density, excellent colour accuracy, and great colour coverage, giving you picture quality that’s sharp, detailed, and vibrant.

Whether you’re a writer, a programmer, or a content creator, this monitor is for you. That’s especially if you’re looking for an affordable display for your daily viewing needs.