Friday, June 27, 2014

MINI-REVIEW: NEC’s 4k Display (EA244UHD) & the Intel NUC

NEC MultiSync EA244UHD 23.8" 4K IPS LED Monitor
NEC MultiSync EA244UHD 23.8" 4K IPS LED Monitor

I’ve had the luxury of testing NEC’s first ever 4k display for the last few months, so it is with great excitement that I can FINALLY talk about it!


4K resolution
(courtesy of Wikipedia)

4k in the computer world is most often 3840 x 2160 pixel (aka UHD) resolution which has twice as many horizontal and vertical pixels as your 1080p (1920x1080) display or TV. There are other resolutions calling themselves 4k. For those without calculators handy, that means 1080p is roughly 2 megapixels whereas 4k is 8 megapixels, so photographers should immediately understand the advantage that 4k has to offer!

Show FOUR different 1080p sources at ONCE on ONE of these displays!


6 discrete input ports can with up four 1080p sources visible at one time

While not super relevant for photographers, one of the needs I have at work is to see up to 4 different computer screens at once. In the past that required four different computer displays, but with this display I can show up to four sources at the same time in full 1080p resolution. Of course you can just show one input source, but if you do have a need to show the input from multiple sources at once (i.e., security cameras, laptop and desktop, old computer & new computer, etc..) it supports or several combinations of up to four from the six digital inputs ports.

Yeah, I know this is geeky so scratch it from your mind if you’ll only be connecting one computer to your display.

4k Video Cards

To take advantage of 4k displays you need a video card or computer that supports 4k. Currently few computers meet that requirement, but you might be surprised learn that if you have an integrated graphics chip like the Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4600, 5000 and up that you system might support 4k output. Most often this graphics chipset is found in laptops and small computers that do not have separate pluggable video cards.

If you don’t have one and you have a big computer then you might be able to buy one of the monstrous, yet wonderfully fast 4k graphics adapters like this one:

EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Graphics Card
EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Graphics Card

The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Graphics Card was the video card I used for most of my 4k testing and it was awesome. However it is gigantic so most computers can’t handle cards that large. Click here to see over 600,000 video cards benchmark ratings where this card comes in first in the high end category (at the time this was written), but to also research other cards that are capable of 4k. The key thing to look for are cards that can display a resolution of 3840 x 2160 at ideally 60hz, but 30hz will work.

While I haven’t tested it, in theory this slightly cheaper card should be functionally similar:

PNY Technologies GeForce GTX 780 Ti Graphics Card
PNY Technologies GeForce GTX 780 Ti Graphics Card

Of course the market has plenty now and many coming that are smaller and cheaper, but I didn’t test any so I can only speak to what I actually have used thus far.

4k on the cheap

Intel NUC  Next Unit of Computing Kit - D54250WYK
Intel NUC Next Unit of Computing Kit - D54250WYK

This cool little Intel i5 Haswell based PC can drive up to two 4k displays and boot Windows 8.1 in as under 10 seconds with a fast mSata and DDR3L RAM. I’ve loved this so much that I bought my mom one of the larger Intel D54250WYKH1 Mini PC Nuc Kit so I could put both a 2.5” and mSata Samsung EVO SSD (the fast SSD I’ve tested) in at the same time.

Please note that if you buy one of these that you must buy the RAM, SSD and optionally wireless adapter separately. You must also be VERY careful when ordering RAM. It ONLY takes DDR3L (1.35v) and that L is very, very, very important because most RAM is just DDR3 (1.5v). Here’s one example:

16GB (2 x 8GB) 204-pin SODIMM DDR3L1600 MHz Speed Memory
16GB (2 x 8GB) 204-pin SODIMM DDR3L1600 MHz Speed Memory

but I’ve had good luck with Crucial 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3/DDR3L 1600 MHz (PC3-12800) CL11 SODIMM 204-Pin 1.35V.

I’m very happy with the NUC units I’ve tested and the one I’ve purchased for my mom, so if you are looking for a system that has the power of a good laptop in a tiny 4x4” desktop form factor then I highly recommend the Intel NUC! To learn more about the NUC, visit Intel’s NUC home page.

Oh and in case you are wondering, the i5 here is the same generation i5 found in the latest 13” MacBook Pro Retina laptops, but it is a little slower Ghz version.

Conclusion

Because I was using a pre-release model, I couldn’t use my SpectraView software to calibrate this display so I can’t make any comments at this time as to its color accuracy. I can say it does have a gorgeous image though! Ideally I’ll end up with a 4k for one of my displays and my NEC PA series as my other display for my photography workstation.

While I love the NUC, for I’d classify it as suitable for use with Lightroom and occasional Photoshop work. If you are going to do serious photo editing, you’ll want as much computing horsepower as you can afford so that means an i7 or Xeon processor like that found in the Apple Mac Pro. The faster computer and video cards will give you smoother scrolling and zooming as well as faster save and load times. The NUC can certainly handle any Photoshop task and it exceeds the minimum system requirements by a lot. In fact, it is faster than most desktop systems I’ve ever used, but the i5 processor isn’t going to make the most of the background processing features of Photoshop which would be noticeable if compared side by side to a new PC using an i7 or Xeon processor.

Where to order

Click the links or pics on the article to learn more or order any of the products featured.

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Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

NOTE: This site requires cookies and uses affiliate linking to sites that use cookies.

If you enjoyed this article, please support future articles like this by making a donation or saving money by using my discount coupon codes. Either way, your support is greatly appreciated!

This blog is intended for freelance writing and sharing of opinions and is not a representative of any of the companies whose links are provided on this site.

The opinions provided are of Ron Martinsen alone and do not reflect the view of any other entity

Thursday, June 26, 2014

25% OFF Trey Ratcliff’s Complete HDR Tutorial (NEW)

Until July 6th, 2014 get 25% OFF Trey Ratcliff’s Complete HDR Tutorial by CLICKING HERE and using the coupon code RON25.

This tutorial has all of the following downloadable files which offer over 10 hours of instruction on how Trey creates his incredible HDR images.

  • How to access the Private Clubhouse
  • Trey's thoughts on HDR (218 MB)
  • Getting Your Camera Ready (688 MB)
  • Basic HDR Photo (404 MB)
  • HDR Light Situations (775 MB)
  • Composing Light (335 MB)
  • Sunrise HDR (439 MB)
  • Landscape Movement (1 GB)
  • Composition in The Shire (386 MB)
  • Framing for Landscapes (271 MB)
  • High Action HDR (345 MB)
  • Piecing Together a Sky (429 MB)
  • Extreme Light/Dark HDR (364 MB)
  • HDR in Low Light (520 MB)
  • Interior HDR (520 MB)
  • Panoramic HDR (434 MB)
  • Evening HDR (438 MB)
  • Inside the Yoga Room (554 MB)
  • HDR with Movement (224 MB)
  • Bonus: Extreme Noise Reduction (104 MB)
  • Bonus: HDR Experimentation (581 MB)
  • Raw Source Files (1.5 GB)
  • Bonus: Q&A & Critique Session (927 MB)

40 Minute Video Preview

This is just the tip of the iceberg so if you think that looks good then you’ll love the complete collection. What’s more, this is the best price on the Internet at 25% off when you use the aforementioned link and code!

Conclusion

This is by far the best HDR tutorial that Trey has done to date. He’s also evolved as a photographer and photo editor, so he shares more insight on how to leverage HDR to create both realistic as well as artistic images (whereas previous versions mostly focused on the latter).

If you like HDR, this is worth the cost – especially with this sale. You’ll never get kind of training this cheap and there’s a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

Where to order

CLICK HERE and using the coupon code RON25 as shown below. Offer expires July 6th, 2014!

image

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Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

NOTE: This site requires cookies and uses affiliate linking to sites that use cookies.

If you enjoyed this article, please support future articles like this by making a donation or saving money by using my discount coupon codes. Either way, your support is greatly appreciated!

This blog is intended for freelance writing and sharing of opinions and is not a representative of any of the companies whose links are provided on this site.

The opinions provided are of Ron Martinsen alone and do not reflect the view of any other entity

Monday, June 23, 2014

WEBINAR: From Ordinary to Extraordinary with Topaz Labs Complete Collection on June 24th

Copyright (c) Ron Martinsen - ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDAncient Staircase of Mystery
An image edited live during my last webinar

Join me on Tuesday June 24th at 9:00 AM Pacific Time / 12:00 PM Eastern Time for a live demonstration where I’ll discuss how to apply some often overlooked features in a number of Topaz Labs products. If you are using other photography editing suites and wondering what makes Topaz Labs stand out from the other products on the market, then this is the webinar for you!

Special Offer

Everyone who follows my blog knows about my discount coupon code page where you can save on products that I have reviewed, but if you tune into the webinar there will be a special offer for attendees that’s even better!

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy seeing some of my Topaz Labs product reviews:

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

NOTE: This site requires cookies and uses affiliate linking to sites that use cookies.

If you enjoyed this article, please support future articles like this by making a donation or saving money by using my discount coupon codes. Either way, your support is greatly appreciated!

This blog is intended for freelance writing and sharing of opinions and is not a representative of any of the companies whose links are provided on this site.

The opinions provided are of Ron Martinsen alone and do not reflect the view of any other entity