Innocn 48Q1V: Immense, Beautiful, and Immersive Gaming Monitor
Innocn 48Q1V
If desk space is no concern, then the Innocn 48Q1V is one largest, fastest, and best-sounding gaming monitors you can buy in 2023. It may not be as fast compared to smaller gaming monitors, but if you want incredible immersion when playing games like Tomb Raider, then this can transport you into those worlds in a way other monitors don’t even come close to.
The Innocn 48Q1V OLED gaming monitor is a unique and impressive addition to the world of gaming displays. With its massive size, this monitor is more akin to a TV than a traditional gaming monitor, taking up a significant amount of desk space. However, the Innocn 48" OLED gaming monitor’s size is also its greatest strength, providing an immersive experience that simply cannot be matched by smaller displays.
With a fast 138Hz refresh rate and support for FreeSync technology, this monitor can be an excellent choice for gaming, delivering fluid and responsive gameplay with stunning visuals. Competitive shooters may not be the best on a monitor this size, as it’s difficult to see everything on screen all at once, but if you want to experience a beautiful 16:9 display that transports you to the world of your games that you can get lost in, then the 48Q1V is worth checking out.
Who Is This For?
The Innocn 48Q1V uses a stunning 48-inch LG OLED display, which boasts a 3840x2160 resolution and a 138Hz refresh rate. Its powerful built-in speakers might make its design a bit controversial, but it is undoubtedly the best-sounding 48" monitor. Fans of RGB will appreciate the 14" long LED strips built-in on each side of its back panel. Unfortunately, its lighting effects can only be turned on or off, but it still looks really nice, especially in darker rooms.
With support for FreeSync technology, the Innocn 48Q1V delivers incredibly smooth and responsive gameplay, while its OLED technology provides very deep blacks and vibrant colors that are simply unmatched by traditional LCDs.
The monitor also comes equipped with two built-in speakers that are surprisingly powerful. It’s also VESA mountable if you want to ditch its included stand and save some desk space. However, this is large, and its high-end features come at a cost. The Innocn 48" OLED gaming monitor is priced around $1,499, which although about average for this category, is more expensive than a 49" Ultrawide or smaller gaming monitors with faster refresh rates.
With its 16:9 format 48" display, the Innocn 48Q1V positions itself as a gaming monitor and TV replacement. While this is very expensive, it’s not just for gaming, as its accurate colors make it great for video or photo editing, and some other productivity tasks, too, including working with large spreadsheets or even having two browsers open side by side. It’s also the perfect size to double as a 4KTV too.
While it may not be the most practical choice for everyone, especially if desk space is limited, the Innocn 48Q1V OLED gaming monitor is one of the largest and fastest 4K displays you can buy for under $1200 when found on sale.
Connectivity
The Innocn 48Q1V OLED gaming monitor comes equipped with one DP 1.4 port, one USB-C port, and three HDMI 2.1 ports, as well as a 3.5 mm audio jack.
There is no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or wireless casting feature, which means you need a connected device in order to use this monitor.
The Innocn 48Q1V OLED gaming monitor’s USB-C port is one of its standout features. It supports 65W charging and 120Hz. When we tried connecting the monitor to our Samsung Fold 3 via USB-C, we were impressed by how easy it was to set up. The monitor was automatically detected as an external display, and the Samsung quickly switched to its DeX Mode, giving us a desktop-like experience from our phone. This allowed us to use our phone as if it were a computer, with the added benefit of the large 48" display, making for a very minimalist setup.
Installation
Setting up the Innocn 48 was a breeze. Despite its large size, I was able to assemble the base and attach it to the monitor arm by myself, even though it’s recommended to have two people. I kept the monitor in its protective Styrofoam while doing this. The monitor has a built-in adjustable arm.
The base connects to the arm using large screws at the bottom. Additionally, the monitor comes with an integrated power supply unit, keeping things clean and tidy.
Built-in Speakers
The monitor comes with surprisingly impressive 2.1 speakers. It consists of two 10W mids and a single 20W bass. These speakers had plenty of power and can get very loud while still retaining detail without any distortion. I rarely had the volume set higher than 40.
Bass performance is impressive, and this is the first monitor where I didn’t feel like I need to add an external speaker to my setup. It won’t replace a good pair of bookshelf speakers, but it significantly upgrades almost every monitor and TV. These did a great job at making games like Overwatch 2 more immersive and also were enjoyable when watching videos.
On the other hand, the speakers are a prominent part of the Innocn 48Q1V’s design; perhaps a little too prominent. The large gray fabric cover that adds about an inch and a half to the monitor’s height is hard to ignore. While the gray fabric matches its gray metal stand, it still looks odd on a monitor. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that they’re an eyesore, however, they do take away from the Innocn’s otherwise very sleek all-black and modern design.
More importantly, I found it quite difficult to find a good spot to place it. One of my favorite desks has a built-in shelf above it. Had these speakers not been so large, the monitor would have just barely fit under my shelves. And so if space is already limited, you’ll need to decide if the better speakers are worth the extra height they’ll require.
A remote is included with your purchase, but it’s quite underwhelming. You have buttons for power, inputs, directional arrows, OK, settings, back, home, and volume up and down. Curiously, the volume up is on the left side instead of on the right, which is the first time I’ve ever seen a remote arranged like that.
It’s fine for switching between your inputs or changing volume, especially if you’re using this as a TV. But the all-plastic and lightweight build feels cheap and is slow to register inputs. I noticed that the remote’s signal can easily be blocked and requires you to point directly at the IR receiver to work.
Adjustments and VESA Mount
With its base, the monitor supports tilting forwards by 5 degrees and backward by 10 degrees—which isn’t a lot—but should be enough for most users. Swiveling is not supported, however, so you’ll either need to physically move the entire stand or use a compatible VESA mount.
The Innocn 48Q1V is VESA compatible and comes with a 200 x 200 VESA bracket in the box. Given the sheer size, mounting this is probably your safest option, especially if you plan on also using it as a TV.
48Q1V Display Quality
The monitor boasts an impressive 48-inch OLED panel with a 3840 x 2160 resolution, which delivers crystal-clear visuals with sharp details and vivid colors.
Additionally, as this is an LG panel, its OLED technology provides superior contrast and black levels, resulting in deeper blacks and a more immersive experience.
The Innocn 48Q1V OLED gaming monitor is equipped with AMD FreeSync technology, which helps to reduce screen tearing and input lag, resulting in a smoother and more responsive gaming experience. I played several hours of Overwatch 2 as well as League of Legends. With a powerful enough PC, hitting 130FPS and higher feels incredible. Although it’s not the fastest display around, with a 138Hz refresh rate, gamers should be able to enjoy even smoother and more fluid gameplay than with a 120Hz monitor, and with a 1ms response time, the monitor should be able to keep up with even the twitchiest of games.
As the Innocn is marketing the 48Q1V as a TV replacement, too, its viewing angles are equally important. With 178-degree viewing angles, the monitor delivers consistent and accurate colors from almost any angle. This is particularly important for gamers who play with friends or family members, as everyone should be able to see the action on the screen clearly, no matter where they are sitting.
Split Screen and Multitasking
The Innocn 48Q1V OLED gaming monitor also has features that make it an excellent choice for productivity tasks. The monitor comes with Picture-by-Picture (PBP) and Picture-in-Picture (PIP) technology, which allows you to view two different sources simultaneously. This feature is handy for tasks such as data analysis, photo, and video editing, or any other task that requires multiple windows open at once.
The PBP/PIP technology also makes connecting two computers to the same monitor possible, making it an ideal choice for professionals who need to switch between devices frequently.
16:9 vs Ultrawide: Which Should You Choose?
If you’re trying to decide between a large 16:9 display such as the Innocn 48Q1V over a shorter ultra-wide monitor, there are a few key differences and pros and cons to each.
As my daily monitor, I use the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 G95NA, which has a 4K UHD Mini LED Display, 1000R curved Screen, 240Hz refresh, and 1ms response time. With its curved screen measuring 44 inches wide, the Neo G9 is only 3 inches wider than the Innocn 48Q1V. Yet Neo G9 measures a mere 13.5 inches tall—nearly half that of the Innocn’s 25 inches. And so the Neo G9 has been much easier to add to smaller desks, in my experience.
When it comes to multitasking, I find a 49" ultra-wide to be a better choice as it’s equivalent to two 27" monitors side-by-side. I especially love using a 49" monitor for video editing as I can have an extremely long timeline shown in its entirety and still have my tools, folders, and other menus displayed simultaneously.
If, on the other hand, you work with more vertical programs, you’ll appreciate having the taller display of the 48Q1V, which provides the equivalent vertical space of two 27" 16:9 screens stacked on top of each other.
I find the Innocn 48Q1V to be more enjoyable to use for most games, especially as many popular titles such as Overwatch 2 don’t support wider aspect ratios.
Similarly, unless I’m watching content that was filmed in ultra-wide formats, the Innocn is easily the better choice, as well as its entire screen being filled with video. In contrast, an ultra-wide monitor will have large black borders, which can be very annoying.
OSD Menu and Smart Features
While the Innocn 48Q1V has many positive attributes, just as with its remote, another drawback is its complex on-screen display menu (OSD). You’ll find all the usual settings and controls, but the menu itself is small and difficult to navigate if using the monitor as a TV.
Additionally, switching between different video sources is unacceptably slow, sometimes taking 10–20 seconds each time, causing confusion and frustration for users. I frequently thought the monitor hadn’t registered my input or was off. Similarly, the Innocn is very quick to go to sleep when it doesn’t detect an input. I had a loose HDMI cable and the monitor almost instantly decided to sleep.
Another limitation is its connectivity and (lack of) smart features. Since it’s pitching itself as a TV replacement, it would have been nice to see the ability to cast wireless and built-in streaming services. This would allow it to be better used as a standalone device without needing a connected PC or streaming box. These issues may be enough to deter some users, especially those who frequently switch between devices, and may make you wish you had a dedicated TV instead.
How Does the 48Q1V Compare to Other 48" Monitors?
In the wider gaming monitor market, the 48" category is relatively new, so competition is sparse. Although most of these 48" monitors have very similar display specifications, the Innocn has the added benefit of better-sounding speakers, and a lower price tag (at the time of writing, you’ll find a $150 Amazon on-page discount).
One of the main competitors to the Innocn 48" OLED gaming monitor is the ASUS ROG Swift PG48UQ, featuring a 4K OLED panel with a 138Hz refresh rate, HDR support, and G-Sync technology. This monitor is similar in size and refresh rate to the Innocn 48" OLED gaming monitor, but is more expensive at a retail price of around $1,499.
The LG 48GQ900 is another notable option, with a slightly lower maximum 120Hz refresh rate. Like the Innocn 48Q1V OLED gaming monitor, it also features HDMI 2.1 ports for next-gen consoles, with NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync support. LG manufactures the display panel for the Innocn, which might suggest that these two monitors use a similar model. For those willing to make the trade-off for a slightly lower refresh rate, the LG 48GQ900 might be a better choice for its reputation and reliability. When on sale for $1196, the LG 48GQ900 is more closely priced to the Innocn, making it one of the best alternatives.
Next Level Immersive Gaming
Although the remote, fiddly OSD menu, and input switching are disappointing, at its core, the Innocn 48Q1V delivers a beautiful, high-quality display. It’s best suited for gamers who want a large, immersive experience with superior image quality and fast response times.
48" monitors are still relatively niche, but the 48Q1V is an excellent choice if you prioritize sound quality and have the extra space for it. At the full retail price of $1499, it’s still a good buy, but it’s even better if you’re able to grab it in a sale (like right now,with the $150 on-page Amazon coupon!)
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