Ugee UT3 Review: 14.25″ Matte TCL Tablet

Ugee UT3 Display Review: Large Screen, Limited Capabilities

A new display from Ugee offers a large viewing area and anti-glare properties, but falls short on key features like high refresh rates and HDR support. The 14.25-inch LCD aims to provide a versatile visual experience, though testing reveals some notable limitations.

The Ugee UT3 boasts a sizable 14.25-inch (36.2 cm) screen with a strong contrast ratio.Its matte coating effectively minimizes reflections, making it usable even in brightly lit outdoor environments.However, testers found the display doesn’t achieve notably high brightness levels.

Did you know? – Matte screen coatings reduce glare by diffusing light, making the display easier to view in bright conditions, but can slightly reduce perceived sharpness.

Refresh Rate and HDR Limitations

Unluckily, the panel is capped at a standard 60 Hz refresh rate, a potential drawback for users prioritizing smooth motion. Moreover, the Ugee UT3 does not support HDR (High dynamic Range) content, limiting its ability to display the full spectrum of colors and contrast found in modern media.

Why Ugee released the UT3: Ugee, a company known for its pen displays and graphics tablets, launched the UT3 as a portable, versatile display aimed at artists, designers, and general users seeking a larger screen experience. The company positioned it as an affordable option to higher-end portable monitors.

Who is it for: The UT3 is targeted towards users who prioritize screen size and anti-glare functionality over advanced features like high refresh rates or HDR. This includes digital artists working outdoors, students taking notes, and professionals needing a secondary display for productivity tasks.

What are the key specs: The display features a 14.25-inch LCD panel with a 1920×1080 resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, and a matte anti-glare coating. It offers three display modes: Standard, Color Paper, and Ink Paper. It connects via USB-C.

Pro tip – If you’re sensitive to screen flicker, always test a display at its lowest brightness setting before committing to a purchase.

Brightness Control and Potential Flickering

On a positive note, the display avoids the use of PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) for brightness control, a feature that can cause eye strain for some users. However, analysis with an oscilloscope revealed irregular flickering at the lowest brightness settings.While the source of this flickering remains uncertain, experts suspect it might potentially be related to temporal dithering, though the matte coating prevented definitive confirmation of the sub-pixel structure.

Specialized Display Modes

The Ugee UT3 offers three distinct display modes accessible via a dedicated button. Beyond the standard mode, users can select “Color Paper” mode, which simulates the appearance of colored paper, resulting in a warmer image with reduced saturation and softer colors. A third option, “Ink Paper” mode, restricts output to monochrome, mimicking the experience of an e-book reader. Despite the name, the display is not a true E Ink display, and reviewers noted a need for improved color reproduction calibration across all modes.

How it ended: Initial reviews of the Ugee UT3 indicate a mixed reception. While the large screen size and anti-glare coating are praised, the lack of HDR support, limited brightness, and potential flickering at low settings are significant drawbacks. The specialized display modes are seen as a novelty but require further refinement in color accuracy. The UT3 currently sells for around $250, positioning it as a budget-amiable option, but its limitations may steer users towards more feature-rich alternatives.

Reader question – Would you prioritize a larger screen size with anti-glare,