LG.Display to Produce 144Hz IPS Panels Including 34" 1440p

LG. The display looks to be finally investing in the development of high refresh rate IPS panels. We've seen the odd panel mentioned in their roadmaps in the last couple of years but never seen anything go into final production, or at least be adopted by any monitor manufacturer. Meanwhile, rival panel manufacturer AU Optronics have been developing their equivalent AHVA IPS-type technology with a high refresh rate for a while now, resulting in the World's first 27" 2560 x 1440 IPS-type panel with a 144Hz refresh rate back in Feb 2015 in the form of the Acer Predator XB270HU. Further models in this size have followed from Asus, Eizo, and others. More recently AUO has developed a prototype 27" 144Hz IPS-type panel with 3840 x 2160 Ultra HD resolution, which was shown off at this year's Computex in an Asus display prototype. So it's about time LG. Display joined in the high refresh rate IPS market!

Perhaps the most interesting panel is planned for Q1 production 2017 at the moment. This is a new version of the LM340UW3 panel (revision TBC). This is a 34" curved ultra-wide IPS panel (1900R curvature) with a 3440 x 1440 resolution. It will offer a 144Hz refresh rate as well! Current 34" widescreen displays are making use of a native 60Hz IPS panel from LG. Display, overclocked in some cases to 100Hz maximum where a G-sync module is added to the screen. With the arrival of this 144Hz native panel, we assume it will also need to use DisplayPort v1.3 connectivity but this will allow refresh rates to be significantly improved in this sector. With native support of 144Hz, we may also see some screens paired with blur reduction backlights which would be welcome in the 34" space as well. Nothing else staggering from the currently listed spec which is updated in our panel parts database.

Additionally, there is a 2560 x 1080 resolution IPS panel of this same size (34" ultra-wide, curved, 3800R curvature) planned for production a little sooner, in August 2016. The LM340UW1 (revision TBC).

Just to make the distinction as well, we are talking about LG.Display as a panel manufacturer here, not LG as a monitor manufacturer. Once panels go into mass production it's usually 2 - 3 months before we see them picked up by a monitor manufacturer, and then another couple of months usually before those monitors are widely available to buy. So although it's exciting news that we will see some 34" 3440 x 1440 IPS panels at 144Hz eventually, it won't be until mid-2017 by the look of it - at least based on these LG.Display panels.