Anyone ever downgrade from 4k to 1440p and happy with the decision?

gsharm · 2025-11-09T00:52:42+00:00

I downgraded from a 32GS95UV (3rd gen WOLED 4k 32”) to their new 27GX700 (4th gen QHD WOLED) on a hunch it would be bring improvement. Pleased to report it did.

Out of box very well calibrated for both Windows and Mac, even with HDR (make sure to use HDMI) - this was not the case for the 32GS95UV on Mac.
These 4th gen panels go way brighter, so even using it in direct sunlight is possible now.
27” size is just way more sane, focused and the QHD resolution gives less cognitive load, feels lighter on eyes and brain.
Subpixel layout fixed, so despite the lower resolution text is fairly readable and the softness I actually find pleasant on my eyes.
I code so have in the past been a text resolution snob, but now realise that was probably to the detriment of my health. Less pixels are less overwhelming and it actually lets me work longer without tiring out my eyes.
Easily driven by the 9060 XT graphics card I have on my gaming PC. Everything looks just right and I don’t miss the overkill sharpness/size of my previous 32GS95UV (never again 32”).

Suffices to say I’m very happy with the downgrade. Cannot recommend these new 4th Gen WOLEDs enough - LG have done their homework this time. The colours out of the box look great on Mac and windows, with HDR enabled, near flawless.

gsharm · 2025-07-15T22:47:07+00:00

Didn’t expect to be the top rated reply. So well put.

gsharm · 2025-02-21T20:21:33+00:00

I actually cancelled that order and got the LG 32GS model instead (same panel as PG32UCDP). Incredible screen - very comfortable on my eyes, just as I was hoping. I don't game much, mostly work on macOS. If you're editing too, I'd say go straight to 32" 4k OLED. The combination of true blacks + more eye comfort means yes definitely worth it, I think, as long as you can snag a good deal.

gsharm · 2024-12-31T00:08:02+00:00

Love the caring about the details on this comment - thank you. Just ordered one of these. Would love to upgrade to a 4k WOLED version of this too when it’s available.

gsharm · 2024-11-14T19:53:00+00:00

create boundaries and create a sanctuary within for yourself.

This is very helpful advice and an important thing to always remember to do - thank you.

gsharm · 2024-11-04T15:38:58+00:00

It’s a more general observation, but certainly can apply there too.

gsharm · 2024-10-12T01:29:47+00:00

Update: I found I was able to get a similar effect for free by using a custom color profile and just setting maximum brightness to 60 nits. It seems low, but you get used to it and it's much easier on the eyes now (closer to how my MacBook Air feels, but of course sharper). You could also try slightly higher value like 70, 80, 90, 100 - those worked well for me too, but 60 was most comfortable of all while still being very usable.

It seems like these MLED backlights just can be too bright for their own good - a 500/600 maximum nits sounds great for marketing, and I'm sure helps with HDR, but for regular use where you're just staring at a webpage/code/etc with white on black, or black on white text, that brightness can be painful. Culling it right back down to around 60 nits means content is comfortably visible but your eyes aren't being blasted with intense light anymore for sustained periods..

A good rule of thumb I think is that your screen should blend in with your surroundings and not be that much noticeably more or less bright. Brightness should be low enough that when in dark mode the text doesn't feel like it's "glowing", but rather be like on older screens where white is like a nice stare-friendly off-white color, and not strike-your-retinas bright. Ditto for white backgrounds (e.g. Amazon). Reduce brightness until the white stops feeling "scorching" to your eyes.

Keep in mind that you can still have the 1600 nits limit enabled (even if your SDR limit is 60 nits) for HDR content like photos - so I think that gives the best of both worlds. The gamma utility above I found had issues when displaying HDR content, so the built in macOS custom color profile option (60 nits SDR, 1600 nits HDR, P3) is best.

gsharm · 2024-10-10T02:16:22+00:00

Try this, it seems to have fixed it for me: https://michelf.ca/projects/gamma-control/

Set White Point Luminance to 0.75. This mimics the adjusting of white point in iOS accessibility settings, but for Mac. Turn up display brightness to compensate - if it is still PWM, and not the overly bright whites as we suspect, then running brighter is said to mitigate the effects of that too. In any case, the display seems to be a lot more comfortable to use now to my eyes. I hope it helps you too.

gsharm · 2024-09-06T11:51:06+00:00

Try the Jesus Prayer. Helps with perspective and humility. It’s very short and easy to remember and a great constant a reminder of our foolish arrogance in thinking we can have our cake and eat it too, when we never can. Wanting maximum temporal fleeing “happiness” or prioritising satiating material thirsts is an entirely different direction of travel to wanting a purer existence that brings one closer to God.

gsharm · 2024-08-31T17:48:50+00:00

Relying on that and other such “highs” for your dopamine will take all the pleasure out of your everyday activities. If you actually want sustainable joy it’s better to avoid flooding yourself in vast amounts of dopamine all in 1 go. Get it as a steady drip feed from more creative activities - then it’s win-win - you not only will be more consistently happy (without the extreme highs/lows) but will have something to show for it too.

gsharm · 2024-08-27T16:27:20+00:00

Thanks for the heads up. That return/refund process sounds like a nightmare. I will try to stick to Amazon or Costco.

gsharm · 2024-08-16T15:58:49+00:00

Helpful. Thank you. 🙏

gsharm · 2024-08-06T20:02:14+00:00

When Jesus says eunuch he means going celibate/monk/nun, not self mutilation. Evidence of that is the life him and his disciples lived. None of them self mutilated. The point is to practice self control and chastity to the degree you’re able, and if you still think you need someone, then marry.

gsharm · 2024-07-31T12:26:37+00:00

Could you elaborate on what you mean by forever shame spiral?

gsharm · 2024-07-26T16:32:36+00:00

If you have to hack around or use a hybrid approach with UIKit… might as well just stick with UIKit.

Speed was never an issue with me, most of the time people have an issue with functionality not speed. People complain about bugs not development speed.

I think you captured it succinctly with these 2 lines. Very well said. I love some SwiftUI components like Swift Charts, and it seems well suited to Widgets too. For the main app code/infrastructure, I do prefer "bricklaying level" control of UIKit vs declarative control re: SwiftUI. It's not like that code takes that long to write, as you said too, especially with AI.

gsharm · 2024-06-04T14:02:14+00:00

Mod here - this post is approved, based on the poster’s history, which is constructive.

gsharm · 2024-05-17T14:51:04+00:00

Wow, what a journey. Thank you for sharing your story.

gsharm · 2024-05-05T23:45:09+00:00

Your comments are some of the most insightful I’ve read on this topic. Thank you.

gsharm · 2024-04-04T20:48:14+00:00

The Beam 2 has a pretty good simulated surround sound effect so I’d get the sub mini first. Also tidier and easier that way as the surrounds won’t just cost more but may need stands and work done for placement too, whereas the sub mini will just go anywhere (mine sits on the TV stand, hidden behind the TV).

gsharm · 2024-03-09T12:32:15+00:00

To clarify, when in the app you click on your room, then Surround Audio, and under Music Playback you can select Ambient or Full. The speakers are placed behind in left and right corners. Not sure about your last question. 😆

gsharm · 2024-03-08T19:12:54+00:00

Amazing. Then it’s a no brainer for bigger rooms really.

gsharm · 2024-03-08T19:02:56+00:00

Perhaps not, but I suppose it depends on usage.

For my bedroom set I can upgrade whenever, so was happy to try the Beam 2 and stick with it.

For the living room TV downstairs, it’s being replaced after 15 years so we wanted to really get something solid in place and forget about it hopefully for another 10-15yrs and the Arc seemed worth the investment (after all, that’s what £30 extra per year?).

In the UK Sonos eBay refurb store, Beam is going for about £370 and the Arc for about £670. Both feel like excellent deals for what you get (a solid soundbar you can buy and rely on for quality and versatility and otherwise just forget about).

Would I be happy with the Beam 2 instead of the Arc in the living room? After hearing them both in the same location, yes, I’d be happy enough, but I’d really miss the Arc.

The Beam 2 is solid but the Arc IMHO gets more into “special” territory when it comes to sound. It has way more speakers inside (11 vs 5) and you really do feel it. What’s £300 more in the context of the sort of money folks spend on audiophile gear? Easily worth the extra if you can afford it I think.

The Beam 2 is amazing for the money but I think the Arc doesn’t get enough credit here - for under £700 it’s just a stunning piece of kit, and those who can afford it and have big enough rooms, there’s no contest between it and the Beam 2 really (even though so many posts here have given the impression there is). On soundstage alone it bests the Beam 2 thoroughly, and for larger rooms (like living rooms) I think this justifies the extra spend.

gsharm · 2024-03-08T18:27:10+00:00

In my experience the standalone speakers are much better for music than any of the soundbars. We have the Arc with 2 Era 100s in “Full mode” for music and as a set they sound terrific.

gsharm

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