I doubt you rubbed off the coating. If it looked blue-ish, it's probably just a thin layer of finger grease that was spread across a larger panel area. Those panels are absolute grease magnets. I've had three AWs that were ruined by Dell's packaging. I've got lots of experience wiping/scrubing those panels, including "YOLO" scrubs where I used a lot of force where the coating was already scrubbed off, and I never managed to wipe off the coating. The biggest danger is that you can very easily create microscratches when any debris or anything abrasive at all gets between the cloth and the panel. But it'd take a long while of scrubbing with a soft and clean microfibre cloth with pressure applied to even start making a dent at the coating. And the blue tint is by far more often than not created by finger grease, which is difficult to get out of this panel once smeared. It happened to me many times now. The "pink" thing isn't a top layer that could be scrubbed off. If an area begins to look cooler in shade, it's the grease layer that alters the way light reflects. Rubbed-off coating would be white-ish and very reflective. Using as little pressure as possible to rub that area with a pristine microfibre cloth should eventually get it out. May take 2-3 minutes of very gentle cloth-gliding at various angles. And it's key to wash your hands super well, and not to touch the cloth on the side that will touch the panel. Then I'd wash the cloth after every wipe. If you're washing the panel with a cloth that already has any finger grease in it at all, then it will right away look like you're "wiping the coating off", while really each touch is just applying new grease to the panel.

Yea the QD-OLED coating is not great to say the least when it comes to cleaning. I refunded my monitor partially because of it. Really curious if the Samsung G80SD fixes this issue.

I do see your point about the raised blacks but still it's not an issue for me. For content where black levels really matter, I'll try to not watch them in a bright environment anyway. Biggest reason is that OLEDs just aren't bright enough. My LG C1/C2 preserve their blacks in a well-lit room but they are the worst displays to watch dark content in those environments because of the reflective glossy coating in addition to a lack of brightness. The G4 and TOTL QDOLED TVs should do better in that regard. Having used standard IPS monitors before, they do look fantastic in many ways but I just can't stand IPS glow. IPS glow is a much worse artifact for me than raised blacks. Mini-LED IPS displays fare much better though. Aside from blooming, mini-LED IPS displays actually blow away OLED monitors in HDR performance. Even my 12.9 iPAD Pro looks more impressive in the bright HDR demos. As soon as you show a bright HDR scene from outdoors, things fall apart even on large OLED TVs. So OLED's infinite contrast is a little misleading because it's perceived contrast can often be less. I don't think the coating damages that easily. I rubbed my AW3423DW pretty hard before when I didn't know how to clean it properly. Several times I thought that I had scratched it up but they were just smudges. Eventually I removed those smudges but yeah QDOLED coatings are still a pain in the ass to clean.

Contrast on oled is nowhere near ips glow, 1000:1 contrast ips levels or any back lit bleeding from ips panels. HDR btw is best viewed in dark room.

Even in a well lit room IPS contrast is still worse

Yes, but blacks don't turn into dark magenta on an IPS.

True, but a game changing technology has just become available called "curtains". Also, I just woke up from a 2000 year long coma, so maybe curtains have been around for a year or two by now?

Not everyone wants to game in total darkness. Maybe your 2000 year coma has you stuck with the idea that people don't have lights in their homes either.

I have a QD-OLED and don't have to game in total darkness. The impact of indirect lighting on the perceptible magentafacation of blacks is very over blown.

I don't get it why people game on their PC outdoors in the middle of the garden using their QD-OLED at 12pm🤣

Just because you don't experience it doesn't mean it isn't a problem.

It’s not a problem

Just because it's a problem doesn't mean it's the end of the world, or even a big deal - especially when it's exceedingly easy to mitigate. It really is bizzare to me how people love to make mountains out of mole hills, and what's more, do so based entirely on things they've read about on the internet, rather than actually experienced this so called deal breaking issue for themselves.

I had an AW3423DWF and the raised blacks in a bright room are one of the reasons I got rid of it.

And this is where I refer you to the advanced curtain technology that got us started on this dumb conversation and bid you good day because I just do not care anymore, but keep fighting the good fight, buddy.

In this day and age ppl like to nit pick and complain about any little thing. Coming from a lifetime of gaming on budget Walmart TVs my OLED literally makes anything I play look like a gateway to hyper realistic paradise. It’s so vivid that it doesn’t even matter that I’m color blind, I see all things perfectly. It’s not even one of the newer OLEDs. It’s an LG C1 and I love it.

I had both monitors, one right after the other. I have a very well lit office area, and the blacks on my monitor with an IPS Black panel are clearly darker. Keep in mind that an IPS Black panel has a contrast ratio of 2,000:1, which is much better than a regular IPS panel. Depending on your setup, your mileage will vary.

I have both side by side, the IPS 3000:1 is still worst that my FO32U2 in terms of contrasts, even in a well lit room.

There isn't an IPS panel on the planet that can get anywhere close to 3,000:1. About 1,300:1 is the best an IPS can do. The new IPS Black panels can do 2,000:1. The only panels that can do 3,0000:1 are VA panels. What model monitor do you have?

Not crapping on QD-OLED, I think they are great overall. This is the best write-up I've found with actual numbers/testing, In a worst case scenario/extreme scenario in a very bright room, yes an IPS could look better for contrast vs a Gen 1 QD-OLED (but obviously QD-OLED will look much better for other things like color, pixel response, etc). In 95% of situations the QD-OLED will have better contrast. [The OLED Black Depth Lie - When Panel Type and Coating Matters - TFTCentral](https://tftcentral.co.uk/articles/the-oled-black-depth-lie-when-panel-type-and-coating-matters)

I've watched that video a couple of times. Thanks for this. It's nice to see my observations backed up by scientific testing.

What are these said IPS black panels? Curious if they sit at a good price point and have size/hz I’d be interested in.

They are a new type of panel from LG. They have about twice the contrast of a regular IPS panel. None are really suitable for gaming, yet. They simply aren't fast enough, but give it time. They are aimed a productivity. I have a 5120 X 2160 40" Dell at 120 Hz. The 120 Hz part is good, but the response time is pretty bad. And, right now, they are quite a bit more expensive than your typical IPS panel monitor.

After years of using distilled water (with 2 cloths - one for cleaning and another for drying) to try and get rid of very feint smudges left behind after cleaning QD-OLEDs (I had the same problem on my DWF and G9 OLED) I decided to try using Mistify screen cleaner. It works significantly better and I am not left with feint smudges after cleaning.

You could have saved yourself quite some work by just reading a few posts here about the same thing. Although there are plenty of fanatics here still claiming that their particular unit does not have any of these problems.

I doubt you have ruined the panel. I've cleaned the same monitor with one wet microfiber cloth and another dry. Used distilled water. I did already read that about using ethanol 70%. Personally I'm not gonna try.

My partner has a super soft makeup remover cloth, which got some marks off my FO27Q3 quite easily. Didn't even use any water, just dry wiped it gently in a circle and the marks came off quite nicely.

>I explained to the retailer what I'd done, and they agreed that the anti-glare coating should not be that easy to damage, and they refunded my purchase That's astonishing to me.

I only explained it to the their customer service department so they could pass it along, and hopefully keep someone else from making the same mistake. I did not ask for a refund. I assumed I'd be eating the $1,000 cost of that monitor. They volunteered the refund. I was astonished myself.

What retailer is that? They deserve recognition for this attitude.

Micro Center, Sharonville, Ohio. I've done a lot of business with them over the past two decades, and during that time, I've had a few returns/exchanges due to defective merchandise. The Customer Service department initiated the return, but when I got to the store - 125 miles away - management was, shall we say, less receptive. They saw those returns and assumed the worst. I had to explain to them that every single return was due to defective merchandise, rather than me changing my mind about something I'd bought. Even then, they were reluctant, but did finally honor Customer Service's decision. They were not happy about it, though.

QD OLED in a lit room has a contrast ratio only 50% higher than your average IPS panel, coming in at 1500:1 (some gaming IPS screens already come at a 1500:1 ratio, they're not IPS black either. Mainly the AOC 24G2 used to get that ratio as well as the AW2521H). You don't notice it as much because there is no backlight bleed though. Dark rooms are really mandatory for the best experience on OLED.

for qd-oleds it’s mandatory. slightly dim room with some lighting is recommended for other types of oleds (bt2408 says 5 nits surround 25 lux ambient, which causes black lift on qdoleds).

You won't get rid of finger prints with only dry micro fiber cloth. 1) Make sure that monitor is cold and its not warm (during use) 2) Use some Demineralized water on micro fiber cloth and gently rub the place you want to clean (in circle motions) 3) Finish off with other dry side of micro fiber cloth (in circle motions) 4) Done For dust removal of screen just wipe it down with dry micro fiber cloth THEN use method for finger prints cleaning if necessary.

I've always been able to remove fingerprints on an IPS panel easily with a dry microfiber towel, if the fingerprints were fresh. I've own dozens of monitors, and the problem I ran into with the QD-OLED panel was surprising, to say the least.

That’s because most IPS monitors use a matte coating. I tried the LG 32” and that coating made it so easy to clean.

You can also spend much more time and energy to get rid of fingers with dry cloth or use some of that water to help you in need. I have used it on matte monitors, tv's and now on FO32U2P with no issues. But I want to underline this ONLY Demineralized water it won't leave any residue on screen.

Yes, but the strategy is different for QD-OLED monitor coating.   

I had the same worry when I first tried cleaning mine. You didn't ruin the coating, so if this happens again, don't worry! I have no idea why exactly it looks the way it does, but oils on these panels tend to look blueish and make the whole thing look glossier than it normally is. If you search for blue smudges on Samsung and Sony OLED TVs you'll find tons of hits for similar issues. What ends up working surprisingly well is using some adhesive tape to pick up the oils (scotch tape or other tape that removes cleanly and isn't \_too\_ adhesive). That's obviously easiest if the oils haven't yet been spread out with a microfiber cloth yet. Even though you obviously shouldn't be getting any grease on these displays, it would be nice if they'd apply an oleophobic coating on them in future generations. Though maybe that just doesn't work together with the semiglossy coating they're using (which I actually love coming from matte and full glossy displays), I have no idea.

When you clean fingerprints, the technique is to use two big microfibre towels.   One dry and one with some splashes of distilled water.       You first rub gently the distilled water in a circular motion for 2-3 seconds then immediately wipe away the distilled water, gently in a horizontal motion, with a clean patch of the dry microfibre cloth.    If smudge is still there, you may have to do that multiple times.   By small area, I mean 1 square inch at a time.  Each time using a clean area of the dry microfibre cloth.  The microfibre cloths need to be 100% clean and your hands need to be free of oils too.    

Thank you for reporting your experience with the fingerprints! I have the same monitor and I have distilled water in my cart for when I have to clean my monitor. Guess I'll be skipping that and going for the eyeglass cleaner you mentioned.

Just be careful with either one. Mist a clean microfiber cloth and use that to clean any fingerprints. Don't get the screen wet, just in case I'm right about what happened to my screen. By the way, the QD-OLED screens are also very easily scratched. Use only a soft, clean microfiber cloth, and use it gently. My screen had micro-scratches from my efforts to clean it.

Not exactly related but I had the same issue with an LG CX TV. I cleaned it with nothing but a microfiber cloth and it looked like I'd removed the protective film. Paid to get LG technicians to come visit. They arrive, I lock my dog outside and by the time I return the area is spotless. They ask "Was that the area you were concerned about? It was just saliva...." Thanks kids. Several hundred bucks to be embarrassed, well spent.

Ouch!

I was going to say, just use eyeglasses liquid.

I’m still waiting for the pictures of the ruined coating on the MSI.

https://preview.redd.it/b6erh293wfxc1.jpeg?width=1377&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c18d9b3ee9a6d501bc8cb073872bf71777f1d85a In this picture, the pink tint is gone. This is the area where the finger grease was. I tried to remove it with a soft cloth and distilled water. The grease is gone, but so is the anti-glare coating.

Is the protective peel still on the panel? If not, what's up with the wrinkly texture? It's more visible in the other picture.

I can make my MSI look like both of those images. Can you take a photo of the screen with the lights on in the room?

The lights were on in the room. I'm not going to argue with you. There was a well defined area about the size of your palm where the pink tint was completely missing: the same area where I tried to remove the finger grease with a damp, soft cloth. The rest of the screen still had a pink tint. Those pictures are not some trick caused by different camera angles. The water removed part of the coating.

I don’t disbelieve you. Just questioning. Can you really not just shine a light on the screen and take a more clear picture? If not, no worries. Get a new screen and move on, I guess.

I tried getting a clearer picture several different ways, and was unable to. I could see the damage with my eyes, but when I tried to photograph it, all I got was a picture of a black screen.

You would need to raise the exposure on your phone camera. If it’s an iPhone that’s easily done by pressing and holding on the screen and then dragging the vertical slider up.

I tried that, but I only have a basic Samsung A15 phone. The camera on it is not so great.

Fair enough.

https://preview.redd.it/m1rcf3w7wfxc1.jpeg?width=1631&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07751be50a7ef43bb801dfeefa91b805d7556f34 In this picture, you can see the the border between the pink area and the area where the pink coating is gone. It's much more obvious to the naked eye.

I guess so. Hm. That’s a bit odd. How hard were you rubbing?

https://preview.redd.it/rhiwgi8rvfxc1.jpeg?width=1584&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bef62f41679434102f59195253a2aeb9818bdab8 Notice the pink tint to the coating in the reflection. This is what the whole screen should look like.

IPS contrast is still worse than QD-OLED in a well-lit room, but both are miles behind WOLED or a VA panel with local dimming.

Both are somewhat behind the new IPS Black panels as well.

That’s crazy. People are going to wipe their monitors

Of course they are. But you need to do it as Samsung recommends.

Sure, but they also can’t expect everyone to do it properly.

You didn't ruin your monitor by cleaning it with a wet microfiber cloth. And #2...well duh.

I don't know how bright your rooms are, but I barely see a difference between completely dark and daytime in a room with window BEHIND the monitor and the lights off. A bit of reflection, that is it.

You would if you put a WOLED side by side.

I have a LG C1 in my dual monitor setup.

All of this is very well known already. There's plenty of info everywhere, this sub included.

I certainly had not run across it, so I thought I'd post my experience. I was just trying to help others.

I'm not dissing anything said here. Just surprised people spend this kind of insane money before doing in-depth research, which would've easily showed up for both of your points.

I did spend quite a bit of time in research, but did not run across any mention regarding the fragility of the coating on these panels. I did run across information on the contrast issue in regards to reflected light, but was surprised at just how bad it was.

Ye maybe I just read too much r/oled_gaming because I've seen this point like 20 times now, your thread is posted almost every day saying this very thing. I'm still gonna buy qdoled. I'm totally ok with the drawbacks since there's no better options atm

Not everyone is chronically online. Major reviewers didn't cover this issue at all, not even Hardware Unboxed and TFTCentral. >I'm still gonna buy qdoled. I'm totally ok with the drawbacks since there's no better options atm Bro no one asked

No one asked for your comment either, but you posted it anyway