This video is sponsored by LG.
This is LG's newest 32SQ780S monitor. I've done my fair share of monitor reviews,
yet I've never seen a more impressive all-rounder. This product fits snugly in a niche of its own - a
productive and highly versatile monitor with a surprisingly affordable price tag,
something we'll talk about in a bit. For a start, it's 32 inches, and it's 4K. In the box, it comes
with LG’s Ergo Stand, which is, BTW, absolutely fantastic. It runs webOS, essentially turning it
into a smart TV. It provides power via USB-C, it comes with decent speakers…and much more.
So, let's first unpack this big boy and see what it delivers regarding looks and productivity.
As a start, the box is substantial, and there's nothing in excess. The monitor itself is of
admirable size, and it comes with pretty much everything one might require. I'll talk about the
stand in a bit, but aside from it and the power brick, which is a standard LG size, included,
there's an HDMI cable, a USB-C cable, and an LG remote control. Installing the monitor is a
simple one-man job, where I first had to clamp the Ergo Stand and second snap the display into place.
Now, there are plenty of 32-inch monitors out there. Few, however, come in such an excellent
aesthetics package. Design-wise, it's a plastic shell but with a premium finish. The creamy white
color of the frame, alongside the color-matched Ergo Stand, makes it stand out no matter the desk
you place it on. In my recent desk setup guide (which I'll link at the end of this video),
I've had plenty of people asking me about this display because apparently is that obvious.
Despite being a hefty display coming in shy above 24 lbs with the Ergo Stand,
it is perfectly balanced, making it extremely easy to swivel and rotate in any direction.
Unlike other LG products, the ports are not rear-facing but pointing downwards for that
cleaner and more aesthetic look on the back. The Stand has built-in cable organization, ensuring
the entire product looks as good on the back as on the front. The front bezels are thin and
even except for the chin, which accommodates the speakers…which I'll talk more about in a second.
I'll spend a bit more time on LG’s Ergo Stand because it's impressive. It moves in many
different ways, going forward, backward, tilting, and even pivoting to switch from horizontal to
vertical mode. Rotating 32 inches that easily is honestly trippy and very cool to experience in
person. It swivels up to 280 degrees, so you can swivel it out of the way when you're not
using it to free up even more desk space. If your office space is more consolidated,
this comes in very handy, as you can clear room on the desk when the monitor is not in use,
or you can simply point the display out of the desk and into, let's say,
your couch area as your one and only TV/monitor. I can see offices taking advantage of the Ergo Stand
as well since you can easily rotate the screen to showcase something to your colleagues. The
clamp and grommet on the Stand are dead easy to fix on the edge of any desk requiring no tools.
In terms of ports, it is very well equipped. On the back are 2 HDMI ports, a LAN port, USB-A,
and my favorite USB-C, which, aside from 4K at 60Hz picture, also outputs 65W of power. If you
are concerned if this is capable of charging a large laptop, don't worry. We use it to top up
the 16" inch MBP - no problem. If the computer is not maxing out performance all the time,
65W is good enough to top it up when outside peak power spikes. That's not all, however.
Glancing at the right side of the frame, the Smart Monitor also provides 2 additional USB-A ports,
ideal for connecting hard drives or USB drives without having to reach the back.
With all the ports mentioned above, the monitor can be connected to a laptop, desktop, or gaming
console, but here comes the fun part. Even if it's not linked to any machine, it can still be used as
a standalone device thanks to the built-in WebOS operating system. It's all there: Netflix, Prime
Video, Apple TV, Disney+, and HBO Max, essentially turning this monitor into a 4K entertainment unit
with just a press of a button. The support for the LG voice-controlled Magic Remote is
excellent. Still, even if you don't opt for it, the included one is the perfect companion
for this 32-inch beast because when you are ready to relax, you can kick back, relax and just play
your favorite TV show. As I mentioned a moment ago, a thumb drive can also be used as an input
source as well as sharing your content or music from the smartphone, thanks to the built-in Apple
AirPlay 2 & HomeKit support. When broadcasting from supported apps like YouTube, for example,
you can turn your smartphone into a remote control for more straightforward navigation,
and if that's not enough, you can download LG's ThinQ app and control everything from there.
The display technology is VA which has been going through a renaissance in recent years as it is
being embraced and improved on, allowing for large yet sharp panels in affordable packages like this
very LG. VA or Vertical Alignment panels achieve much higher contrasts than IPS, where the most
significant advantage comes from reproducing deep blacks and overall detail in the shadow areas.
The Smart Monitor peaks at 250 nits, has a 5ms response time, supports 90% of the DCI-P3 color
spectrum, and has built-in color presets for most types of content consumption like Game Optimizer,
Cinema, Filmmaker mode, Expert, and more. If you want to reduce eye strain, the eye comfort mode is
something to relish. Furthermore, it has built-in AI features to recognize the content automatically
and switch the presets accordingly as well. In terms of size, the actual diagonal is 31.5 inches,
and in my monitor guide, which I'll link below, I talk about how this is the new norm. Although
27 inches is the accepted office size, 32 is much more versatile. It's plenty big to move back and
use relaxed even on the largest of desks. At the same time, it is the ideal size for entertainment
like gaming and content consumption, being excellent to watch even from a distance.
When using the monitor from a distance, you can connect Bluetooth devices like a mouse and a
keyboard to take full advantage of the intelligent features and navigate WebOS effortlessly. When I
first did that, I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and responsive the peripherals
work. Connecting a Bluetooth speaker or system is also an option. With them, alongside the Divx HD
Player, you have seamless playback on all popular formats that you might have placed on an external
drive. If the surroundings are not a concern, you can also utilize the auto volume feature.
Even without an external sound source, the built-in speaker system has some nifty AI tricks
to fill a room. For example, AI Acoustic Tuning uses the microphone on the Magic Remote to collect
the ambient sound and analyze and tweak the EQ for optimal performance. The 5W dual speaker system is
punchy, and the presets, such as cinema, music, sports, and others, truly make a difference.
So, when you hear a monitor that is also acts as a TV, that has a 4K 32-inch display with a
built-in ergonomic Stand, integrated speakers, a remote control, and a power delivery system,
you might be thinking that it's very expensive? Well, I am sorry to say this, but you might be
wrong. At just $499, this LG Smart Monitor is a great offer that you should definitely shortlist
if you want to have one display for plenty of needs. To give you a perspective, an acceptable
monitor arm that can carry such size and weight of a display which is also on par with the quality of
what LG has integrated into this Smart Monitor, costs north of $150. I'll just leave it at that.
If you enjoyed this video, check out my monitor playlist and some of my recent desk setup guides,
which I'll place here. Give this video a like and subscribe to the channel as
well as my newsletter as always, it's been an absolute pleasure,
This is E
Over & Out