LG has released a new addition to their monitor lineup. The 27UK650-W is an interesting monitor, marrying a 27", 16:9 4K (3840 x 2160) IPS panel with HDR 10 support. The static contrast ratio of 1000:1 means the monitor has a dynamic contrast of 5,000,000:1 (not that that particular spec matters much). The maximum brightness, however, leaves much to be desired on a HDR-enabled monitor: the LG 27UK650-W only manage to deliver 350 cd/m² brightness, which is lower than even the lowest HDR standard AMD considers as being HDR capable (a minimum brightness of 400 cd/m² is required for that). The sRGB 99% Color Gamut coverage is good, however, if not that rare a feature nowadays.

The panel features a 5 ms response time, aided by the implementation of AMD's FreeSync tech, which should help gamers achieve more fluid frame-rates. Flicker free and blue-light reduction technologies are also on board. As for connectivity, 2x HDMI and 1x DisplayPort are available on the LG 27UK650-W. This LG monitor gets rid of the company's hallmark glossy black in the color department, and instead adopts a glossy white and gray finish. The LG 27UK650-W will be available from January 26th for an appealing $529.

The ultimate version of the fifteenth Final Fantasy (how many fantasies can really be final, eh?) has been outed, and now PC gamers now when they can expect to go around the most perfect iteration of the Final Fantasy XV game world. The latest, greatest, and heavily graphically-revised Final Fantasy will finally hit the PC platform on March 6.

The PC version of Final Fantasy XV, will include all previously released DLCs (Episodes Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis as well as multiplayer), extra bosses, a new dungeon, an in-game vehicle and a first-person mode (this is the one I really have to see). As previously covered, the new PC version has been developed with heavy input from NVIDIA, offers up to 8K resolution in HDR, and includes many NVIDIA GameWorks technologies, such as NVIDIA Flow, NVIDIA HairWorks, NVIDIA Hybrid Frustum Traced Shadows, NVIDIA Turf Effects, NVIDIA Voxel Ambient Occlusion, and more. With all of that NVIDIA technology being built-in, it's somewhat expected that the game will only run the way the developers envisioned on a green team graphics card. Read on after the break for the latest system specs and the Royal Edition release trailer (a special version that's equivalent to the Game of the Year versions of other video-games, with all the released DLC for console players.)

ASUS today announced ProArt PQ22UC and ZenScreen Go MB16AP, slim and light portable monitors created for designers, video producers and other professionals who often need to create and showcase work away from the office. ProArt PQ22UC features an extremely high contrast ratio due to its OLED panel and exclusive ASUS ProArt Calibration technology for highly accurate, vibrant and undistorted colors. ZenScreen Go MB16AP can be connected to a laptop or Android device, and provides more flexibility with a built-in battery. The new portable monitors will be on display at the ASUS Showcase Room at Wynn Las Vegas, from January 9-12, 2018.

NVIDIA this CES is pushing for a new large-format PC display standard called "Big Format Gaming Display" (BFGD). This is a glorified 4K-HDR living room TV (40-inch and above) that's been tweaked for gaming desktops with G-SYNC-HDR hardware, an NVIDIA Shield in place of the TV's in-built Android-based "Smart TV" OS, and 110-ish ppi pixel-density of conventional monitors, so no software-based HiDPI scaling is necessary. The logic behind BFGD is either more desktop immersion, or better quality living-room gaming.

HP showed off the HP Omen X 65, a massive 65-inch television monitor with 4K Ultra HD resolution, support for HDR10 (1,000 nits brightness), 120 Hz maximum refresh-rate, support for NVIDIA G-SYNC HDR, and an in-built NVIDIA Shield, which you can use for on-demand content, game-streaming from your main gaming rig in another room, or even casual gaming from the Shield library. Somebody forgot to pack its power-brick. Thankfully, any ATX PSU can put out 12 VDC, and the booth staff improvised. Since NVIDIA is targeting this device at serious gamers, expect the Omen X 65 to cost a pretty penny more than that 65-inch 4K HDR TV you probably bought last Black Friday.

Acer today unveils its 65-inch Predator Big Format Gaming Display with NVIDIA G-SYNC, introducing big screens to PC gaming. The supersized Predator gaming display builds on the same top-of-the-line specifications that its smaller cousins boast, and integrates NVIDIA SHIELD streaming capabilities to play movies and TV shows in stunning 4K HDR.

Massive yet Nimble
At 65-inches, the Predator Big Format Gaming Display (BFGD) features ultimate gaming specifications that consumers have come to expect from Predator gaming displays. It sports NVIDIA G-SYNC Variable Refresh Rate technology which provides a buttery-smooth, tear-and-stutter-free gaming experience, as well as ultra-low latency at 4K 120Hz. A full-array direct backlight delivers up to 1,000 nits peak luminance, and local dimming provides higher contrast, deeper blacks and brighter whites.

Lenovo announced the addition of two new monitors to its ThinkVision lineup. The X24 and P32U are distinct in both diagonal sizes and feature-sets, so let's start with the bigger of the two. The P32U is being touted as a professional-grade display, featuring a 32" diagonal, 4K resolution IPS panel with a maximum 300 cd/m² brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, a 6 ms GtG response time, 178°/178° viewing angles as well as a 60 Hz maximum refresh. The monitor covers 99.5% of the AdobeRGB color space, which means that its capabilities exceed those required to display 100% of the sRGB spectrum. Another interesting feature is the support for Thunderbolt 3 daisy-chaining of multiple monitors, external storage sub-systems, or any other TB3 devices. Connectors on this display include 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x Thunderbolt 3 input, and 1x Thunderbolt 3 output.

AJA Video Systems today announced the availability of the Io 4K Plus, a Thunderbolt 3 capture and output device, as well as free Desktop Software v14 for its family of KONA and Io products.

Io 4K Plus
Io 4K Plus brings post production professionals flexible 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 I/O connectivity and advanced audio. Harnessing the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3, Io 4K Plus supports 4K/UltraHD and HD large raster, high frame rate, deep color and HDR workflows. Compatible with the latest 4K/UltraHD devices, Io 4K Plus also includes AJA's proven conversion technology for real time, high quality scaling of 4K and UltraHD to HD for monitoring and output. In addition, it supports Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple FCP X and Avid Media Composer, among other standard creative tools.

At CES 2018 in Las Vegas, LG will introduce upgraded models of its popular monitor lineup with Nano IPS technology that take color reproduction capabilities to a new level. In response to customer feedback, LG added support for HDR600 with even higher dynamic range of peak brightness and new connectivity options with full Thunderbolt 3 compatibility.

LG's new 32-inch UHD 4K monitor (model 32UK950) is the first to offer LG's advanced Nano IPS technology. Nano IPS technology involves the application of nanometer-sized particles to the screen's LED to absorb excess light wavelengths. This greatly enhances the intensity and purity of on-screen colors for a more accurate and life-like viewing experience. This LG monitor can display 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color spectrum, comparable to monitors used to master Hollywood blockbusters. Ideal for media prosumers seeking superb color reproduction with its support for HDR 600 LG 32UK950 users will experience high dynamic range of peak brightness of 600 candela (cd/㎡).

LG Electronics (LG) will introduce its latest LG gram notebooks that deliver superior portability, enhanced powerful performance and convenience features. Since the incredibly lightweight notebook line debuted in 2014, LG has consistently surprised consumers by maximizing portability without sacrificing performance. The 2018 LG gram notebooks push the boundaries of portable computing with improved mobility and durability, as well as upgraded processors and more versatility.

"The new LG gram PCs have been designed for those users who want an all-round, high performance notebook with maximum portability," said Tim Alessi, head of product marketing at LG Electronics USA. "The 2018 gram series ticks all the boxes for users who want versatile and lightweight notebooks with faster processing capabilities."

Magewell - an award-winning developer of innovative video interface devices - is now shipping the Pro Capture HDMI 4K Plus LT, the latest member of the company's popular Pro Capture family of PCI Express capture hardware. The new model extends the powerful feature set of the previously-released Pro Capture HDMI 4K Plus with HDMI signal loop-through connectivity to simplify wiring and workflows.

Like the earlier model, the Pro Capture HDMI 4K Plus LT captures video up to 4096x2160 at 60 frames per second over an HDMI 2.0 input interface, enabling high-quality Ultra HD acquisition for markets and applications including broadcast, medical imaging, gaming, streaming, surveillance, and virtual reality (VR) production. The new loop-through connection reduces workflow costs and complexity by enabling source signals to be sent simultaneously to additional displays or equipment without the need for an external HDMI splitter.

Travelers are invited to embark on a galactic adventure just in time for the holidays with STAR OCEAN - THE LAST HOPE - 4K & Full HD Remaster. The prequel to the franchise is now available for the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system and STEAM. Developed in partnership with tri-Ace, the prequel to the original STAR OCEAN game has been remastered in full high-definition, with added 4K support* and PC keyboard/mouse and controller support. The action-packed role-playing game takes players on an epic journey across the universe in an immersive story of survival. Players can enjoy quintessential STAR OCEAN features, including strategic real-time combat.

HDMI Forum, Inc. today announced the release of Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification which is now available to all HDMI 2.0 adopters. This latest HDMI Specification supports a range of higher video resolutions and refresh rates including 8K60 and 4K120, and resolutions up to 10K. Dynamic HDR formats are also supported, and bandwidth capability is increased up to 48Gbps. Supporting the 48Gbps bandwidth is the new Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable. The cable ensures high- bandwidth dependent features are delivered including uncompressed 8K video with HDR. It features exceptionally low EMI (electro-magnetic interference) which reduces interference with nearby wireless devices. The cable is backwards compatible and can be used with the existing installed base of HDMI devices.

Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification is backward compatible with earlier versions of the specification, and was developed by the HDMI Forum's Technical Working Group whose members represent some of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics, personal computers, mobile devices, cables and components.

Promise Technology Inc., a leading storage solutions provider for creative and IT applications, today announced the addition of a Thunderbolt 3 dock to its comprehensive lineup of solutions for rich media workflows. Through the new dock, users can add two 4K displays, charge devices, daisy-chain Thunderbolt 3 hard drives, connect USB devices, transfer SD card content, and more -- over a single connection. The new TD-300 brings it all together to expand the capabilities of Thunderbolt 3-enabled macOS and Windows 10 platforms. The TD-300 is also an ideal choice for small office/home office users.

An ideal complement to Promise's industry-leading Pegasus3 series of desktop RAID storage solutions, the TD-300 provides several connectivity options that set it apart from the competition, including five USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader and HDMI 2.0. It also features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and an audio in/out port. Creative professionals working with Windows workstations, iMac and MacBook Pro can now simply connect the TD-300's Thunderbolt 3 port to any Thunderbolt 3-enabled PC or Mac. There are no drivers to download or install, and no additional utility software is needed.

Today, Drobo announced two new special editions for the 5N2 and the 5D3 to bring performance and peace of mind to power users. Power users among creative professionals, SMBs and connected homes require increased speeds, data recovery protection, and extended support for their data-intensive workflows. These special editions are best-in-class complements to Drobo's stellar history of delivering award-winning simple, safe, and smart storage solutions.

All Gold Edition Drobos include a premium DroboCare warranty for five years, replacing the standard two-year coverage for uninterrupted protection on Drobo products. Additionally, the Gold Editions include a 128GB mSATA SSD for up to 30% faster access to frequently used files. The Platinum packages also include one instance of a data recovery service within a five year period. This partnership is an industry first and a direct result of our power users' desire to ensure their data will never be compromised. DriveSavers has the highest recovery rate for mechanical, water and fire damage, file corruption, and more on hard drives and all data storage devices. Drobo has an exclusive partnership with DriveSavers for this level of service, potentially saving customers thousands of dollars in recovery fees.

Club 3D as the pioneer of Multi Stream Transport Hubs strengthen our presence in this segment with the announcement of the following products to complement our already established MST Hubs. Since our first introduction back in 2013, we are reaching a maturity level on these product lines and therefore we are introducing a lighter version packed in a polybag and powered solely with USB power. Compared to our further continued CSV-5XXX line of MST Hubs the new items will differ in some major points:

• all models are powered by USB only, no power supply needed
• different packaging: polybag instead of retail box
• no reset button on the product, for repeating digital handshake just plug the MST Hub on/off from the Display Port.
• no MiniDP to DP Adapter included in the box.

At GTC DC 2017, PNY Technologies showcased the PREVAILPRO P4000 Mobile Workstation which premiered last month at SIGGRAPH and received great reviews from customers, partners and the media. With their NVIDIA Max-Q design (P4000), these innovative systems are designed from the Quadro GPU out, to deliver capabilities, compute performance, spectacular simultaneous 4K four-display screen real estate, and immersive VR, to drive next generation digital workflows for design, visualization, and Virtual Reality, from any location.

"Despite ever increasing mobility, creative professionals require workstation class performance and features from their mobile laptops to accomplish their best work, from any location," says Bob Pette, Vice President, NVIDIA Professional Visualization. "With our new Max-Q design and powered by Quadro P4000 and P3000 mobile GPUs, PNY's new PREVAILPRO lineup offers incredibly light and thin, no compromise, powerful and versatile mobile workstations."

Elgato Gaming today announced that Game Capture 4K60 Pro, a first-of-its-kind capture card capable of flawlessly capturing 4K footage at 60 frames per second, will be available on November 22, 2017. Originally teased at Gamescom 2017, Game Capture 4K60 Pro will be the first consumer-ready 4K capture card to hit the market. Game Capture 4K60 Pro is ideal for capturing Ultra HD footage from a PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, PC, or any other unencrypted HDMI device. Pre-Orders for Game Capture 4K60 Pro are available from Elgato and Amazon for an MSRP of £359.95 GBP.

"4K content is here to stay and demand is booming. Content creators shouldn't be limited by the constraints of their capture hardware," said Julian Fest, General Manager of Elgato Gaming. "Game Capture 4K60 Pro gives creators the tools they need to stay ahead of the curve and give their audiences nothing less than the best."

Final Fantasy XV has been exceedingly well-received by both critics, consumers, and fans alike, but left out one particular gaming crowd: PC gamers. The original release of November 2016 for XBOX One and PS4 (with PS4 Pro improvements having been baked in the game as well), the game still stands as a showcase for graphics on consoles. However, a true PC, Windows Version of the game is under development in close partnership with NVIDIA, which will see a re-release of the game on PC with many added graphical features, including HDR and 4K resolution support.

Due to its close collaboration with NVIDIA, Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition is expected to be a showcase for NVIDIA GameWorks technologies, such as NVIDIA Flow, NVIDIA HairWorks, NVIDIA Hybrid Frustum Traced Shadows, NVIDIA Turf Effects, NVIDIA Voxel Ambient Occlusion, and more. With all of that NVIDIA technology being built-in, it's somewhat expected that the game will only run the way the developers envisioned on a green team graphics card. However, the system requirements seem to be reasonable - though we expect these to reflect only 1080p gaming, as a 4K presentation fo this game will most likely be a resource hog. As it is, Minimum System Requirements are being listed with DX 11, 8 GB RAM, an Intel Core i5 2400 (3.1GHz) or AMD FX-6100 (3.3GHz) CPU, and GeForce GTX 760 graphics. Recommended System Requirements bring those up: DX 11, 16 GB RAM, Intel Core i7 3770 (3.4GHz) or AMD FX-8350 (4.0GHz) CPU, and GeForce GTX 1060 graphics.

Futuremark is giving final touches to its top-tier GPU benchmark, 3DMark "TimeSpy Extreme." This benchmark tests your graphics hardware's performance at the 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution, with the latest DirectX 12 API. You will need a graphics card with at least 4 GB of video memory to run the test. The benchmark will put not just the fastest graphics cards through their paces, but is also designed to take advantage of today's multi-core processors.

3DMark "TimeSpy" Extreme can take advantage of processors with 8 or more CPU cores, and will benefit from the processors supporting the AVX2 instruction-set. Futuremark claims that the CPU tests of "TimeSpy" Extreme will be 3 times more demanding. The company also mentions that it developed the new benchmark while taking inputs from AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel. The benchmark is expected to launch on the 11th of October as an update.

In an interesting turn of events, AMD's latest flagship videocard, RX Vega 64, has seen a gaming performance analysis from fellow publication computerbase.de, which brought about some interesting - and somewhat inspiring findings. In their test system, which was comprised of a 4.3 GHz Intel Core i7-6850K (6 cores), paired with 16 GB of DDR4-3000 memory in quad-channel mode, and Crimson Relive 17.9.3 / GeForce 385.69 drivers, the publication found that the Vega 64 was outperforming the GTX 1080 Ti by upwards of 23%, and that percentage increases to 32% when compared to NVIDIA's GTX 1080. The test wasn't based on the in-game benchmark, so as to avoid specifically-optimized scenarios.

Synology Inc. announced the official launch of the DiskStation DS418play, a 4-bay NAS ideal for serving as a home multimedia center. The DS418play is equipped with a dual-core 2GHz processor capable of bursting up to 2.5GHz. It comes with 2GB DDR3L memory by default, which is twice the size of its predecessor, and expands up to 6GB to enhance multi-tasking operations. Powered by a new hardware transcoding engine, DS418play supports up to two channels of H.265/H.264 4K video transcoding.

"Mobile devices supporting 4K video recording are becoming increasingly popular. However, since 4K video clips are capacity-consuming and not all TVs at home support 4K video playback, users tend to record videos with lower resolution as an alternative," said Michael Wang, product manager at Synology Inc. "With DS418play supporting up to 40TB of raw capacity, users can store their favorite videos in ultra-high definition, organize and share videos with families and friends effortlessly, and transcode videos on-the-fly to allow video playback on devices that do not support 4K."

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solution products, showcased the company's award-winning line of display products, with the new line-up of professional grade monitors from their VP series. The VP3881, VP2785-4K, and VP3268-4K provide screens with native resolutions of Wide Quad HD and 4K Ultra HD. These monitors from the VP series offer high-impact image reproduction for best-in-class performance. The VP3881, VP2785-4K, and VP3268-4K are ideal holiday gifts ideas for those who work with color-critical applications, from graphic design to video editing.

The ViewSonic VP3881 is a 37.5-inch curved screen display with stunning Wide Quad HD (3840x1600) resolution - providing the perfect combination of stunning detail and large screen size within an immersive curved ID. Featuring a unique ergonomic design, ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio, and integrated speakers, the VP3881 delivers a panoramic viewing experience ideal for video editing, content development, high-end entertainment, and other color-critical applications.

Back at the end of June, Club 3D already announced the next generation of video splitters that are capable of supporting Dual Monitor @ 4K60Hz. Today we are proud to announce our first docking station which supports as well Dual Monitor @ 4K60Hz. And that is not everything. The new model - CSV-1460 - comes with a lot of ports and is a fully hybrid docking station. This means you can either use it with the USB Type-A cable that is delivered, or if you already have one of those ingenious thin Ultrabooks or Notebooks with Type-C Ports, you just choose the Type C cable out of the box.

Former generation USB docking stations based on USB 3.0 or 3.1 suffered from a limitation of 30Hz if you were aiming at using the highest resolutions like 3840 x 2160 (4K). The latest developments from DisplayLink make it possible now that with CSV-1460 the resolutions can be taken to a new level. Not only one time 4K60Hz is possible, the docking station even offers Dual Monitor functionality and each of the ouptuts supports 4K60Hz. The only requirement is to have a free USB Type A 3.1 Gen 1 socket in your device. This new SenseVision product is powered by DisplayLink 6950 SoC.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solution products, introduces the VP2785-4K, a 27-inch 4K UHD (3840x2160) monitor that delivers precise and consistent color representation and performance to ensure incredible image quality. Built to deliver unmatched color accuracy for professional color-critical applications, the ViewSonic VP2785-4K ensures vibrant and intense color reproduction, making this monitor the perfect display solution for photographers, video and content producers and editors.

The ViewSonic VP2785-4K offers 4K UHD resolution, a wide color gamut and consistent performance with 99 percent Adobe RGB and 98 percent DCI-P3 colors and factory calibration to achieve Delta E <2 across multiple color spaces. Hardware calibration capability allows users to ensure best-in-class color accuracy, while the built-in uniformity function guarantees screen consistency. With USB 3.1 Type C, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity options, the VP2785-4K can be used with a variety of external devices. The HDCP 2.2 input provides content protection for 4K content playback, streaming and gaming.

It's confirmed: no 144 Hz 4K gaming with HDR in 2017 for NVIDIA gamers who want to make use of G-Sync t avoid screen tearing in their games. Acer last week announced that its 4K HDR Predator X27 gaming display would be delayed to Q1 2018 (meaning, no such thing below your Christmas tree or on your fireplace sock, sadly.) But it isn't Acer's fault, apparently: ASUS's ROG Swift PG27UQ, which features virtually the same specifications, has also been delayed to 2018. Both these monitors are based of an NVIDIA reference design showcased at Computex 2017 (you may remember a slight foul play there as well.)

The Acer Predator X27 and the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ are based on AU Optronics' M270QAN02.2 AHVA panel, which offers a 3840×2160 resolution and can reach a 144 Hz refresh rate. Something that really should make these monitors shine is the usage of a direct LED backlighting system with 384 zones, which can be individually dimmed or brightened as needed, which allows the panel to deliver much higher levels of contrast, needed for true HDR display. At least until OLED panels make their way to high-performance gaming monitors, these are expected to be the best of the crop.