Packaging, Physical Layout & Accessories
The UHD Matte ships with everything you need to run at 3840x2160 pixels. In addition to a compact external power supply you get a high-speed HDMI cable. With its version 2.0 interface you can run at the panel's full resolution as long as your video card also supports HDMI 2.0. Also included is a printed quick-start guide. A full user's manual can be downloaded from Monoprice's website.
No tools are required for assembly. Simply snap the base onto the panel, make your cable connections and you're ready to go. We used HDMI for our pattern generator and DisplayPort for full-resolution content from our test system.
Product 360
The UHD Matte is named for its matte anti-glare layer, which is one of the best coatings we've seen recently. Only the brightest light will create a reflection and there is no loss of clarity from graining or other artifacts. The air gap to the LC layer seems tight but our sample had no visible light bleed. Uniformity tests confirm that the panel is of high quality.
The chassis and base are made from plastic with a gloss finish. Peel-off film protects the surfaces from scratches during shipping. The only adjustment is tilt, which moves through an 18-degree arc. Comparing this screen to the CrystalPro UHD we reviewed almost a year ago, the stand is a step down from that product. There's a bit of wobble and no metal inserts to make things more rigid. And we miss the aluminum bezel of the older model.
Controls consist of seven buttons that require a firm press to operate. You can see the icons denoting their functions on the front bezel but the keys face downwards. We found them a bit awkward but admittedly we're spoiled by the joysticks that come on many monitors nowadays. Despite this, OSD navigation presented no trouble.
The UHD Matte presents a fairly slim side profile with a large flat area for the 100mm VESA mount. You won't find USB ports or a headphone jack on either side. Here you can see that the stand hinges at the bottom so when you tilt the panel, its top moves away from you and the bottom stays put.
Only smooth straight lines and large flat surfaces adorn the panel's back with the VESA mount holes conveniently exposed. Ventilation is more than up to the task of providing cooling for the display's innards and we detected no signs of hot running. Hiding behind the grills are two speakers that present the tinny sound typical of built-in monitor audio. They'll play signals from the digital video inputs or an analog stereo jack provided on the bottom panel.
Inputs face downwards and are extremely close to the chassis. We had a little trouble plugging in a thick DisplayPort cable because the port is directly above the monitor's base. Also provided is HDMI 2.0, DVI and VGA. Audio is supported digitally or via a stereo analog input. The far-right connection is for the power supply.
