By Brady Betzel

The prices are falling for digital pen displays, and the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 is no exception. As an online editor who deals with a lot of masking, blurring, Bezier handles and other intricate details, I love using a good pen tablet or pen display. Not only does it save my hands from aching when using a mouse, but I am much more accurate in my drawing and even quicker working down a timeline or sequence.

The tough part is figuring out which price point you need to look at when shopping for a pen display — and even which ones are actually comfortable to use. So far, pen displays from Huion, Veikk and Wacom all have held up pretty well. From the $799 Veikk to the $3,499 Wacom Cintiq Pro, there are a lot of pricing options.

In this review, you will see why I think the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 may be the most bang for your buck without sacrificing the features you’d get from the most expensive pen displays available.

The Xencelabs Pen Display 24 currently retails for . This is the middle of the road in terms of pricing. Previously, I reviewed another Xencelabs product – the Pen Tablet Medium Bundle — that retails for $359. It is the best price for features and build quality I have used up to now. My favorite part is the wireless Quick Keys control pad, which is also included with the Pen Display 24. You may be asking yourself why I don’t think Wacom is the latest and greatest? I actually do love Wacom, but with that name comes a hefty price tag when compared to newer, alternate brands.

Specs:

• Weight: 13.3 lbs
• Dimensions: 24.4” 15.3”×1.4”
• Xencelabs Tilt stand
• Removable rubber feet
• VESA compliant
• Security: Kensington lock port – MicroSaver 2.0
• Screen size: 23.8”
• Active area: 20.75″x11.7”
• Resolution: 3840×2160
• Pixel pitch: .13725x.13725mm
• Touch: No
• Color gamut: 99% AdobeRGB, 93% DCI-P3, Pantone Validated and Pantone Skin Validated
• Aspect ratio: 16×9
• Viewing angle: 178°
• Display technology: ADS (a type of IPS)
• Battery-free pens: 3-Button Pen v2 + eraser, Thin Pen v2 + eraser
• Pen pressure: 8,192 levels
• Pen tilt angle 60°
• Pen resolution: 5080 lpi
• Ports: 1 x USB C, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort, two USB 2.0 accessory ports

Included in the Box:

• Pen Display
• Tilt stand
• Two pens
• Wireless dongle for Quick Keys
• USB-A to USB-C adapter
• Six standard nibs v2
• Four felt nibs v2
• Pen clips (to attach to display)
• Quick Keys and Quick Keys holder (to attach to display)
• Drawing glove
• USB-C to USB-C L-shaped cable
• USB-C to USB-A 3.0 cable
• USB-C t0 USB-A 3.0 L-shaped cable
• DisplayPort to DisplayPort L-shaped cable
• HDMI 2.0 to HDMI 2.0 L-shaped cable
• AC power adapter and power cords

That’s a lot of info and included pieces, but it’s good to know exactly what you are getting for such a big investment with probably not much hands-on time. What stands out to me are the included heavy-duty stand (which is not always included with other brands), the Pen Display, Quick Keys wireless control and two pen types. I am more of a heavy and thick pen guy, but for those who like the thin and light pens, Xencelabs includes both.

The Xencelabs Pen Display 24 measures just about 24 inches in screen size and sports a UHD resolution of 3840×2160, so it’s ready to go for us video nerds. What really blew me away was the included color gamut profiles; not only does it have the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3, but it also includes settings for Rec. 709, Rec. 2020 and more. The matte finish on the display is comfortable and not sticky. My hands tend to get a little sweaty when working long days, and without wearing the included glove, my hands can start to stick when using pen displays.

The Xencelabs Pen Display 24’s edge-to-edge tempered glass surface with Super-AG etching not only limits parallax errors but also helps me glide across the display. Even in bright rooms, the brightness of the display stays accurate but can be adjusted manually. On the front of the display, there are three digital buttons in the upper right that have customizable ring colors. (I personally like the magenta/purplish color.) The first button launches the Xencelabs settings dialogue box, the second adjusts pen pressure, and the third allows you to switch between displays that the Pen Display will control. Also, with the “virtual tablet” feature, you can alternate between multiple displays that the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 will control.

In the Xencelabs settings dialogue box, you can customize application-specific settings for the display as well as the Quick Keys control pad (including the amazingly fluid dial). The Quick Keys has eight keys that can be cycled through five different setting groups. And if you want to have specific groups of keys active for a specific application, like Adobe Premiere, you can disable certain shortcut sets.

Real-World Testing
I use Adobe Premiere and Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve almost every day. Whether I am conforming a sequence for color correction in Resolve or finishing an hourlong sequence in Premiere, speed, efficiency and accuracy are where I stand out. As a young assistant editor, I noticed that the fastest editors used keyboard shortcuts fluidly, worked a 10-key like it was attached to their fingers, and used pen tablets instead of a mouse. I made it my goal to be as fast as possible using a 10-key when I worked at Best Buy fixing computers (pre-Geek Squad days… yes, I am almost 40). I checked that off the list. Then, as I actually started to group footage and edit, I got faster and more efficient with keyboard shortcuts. But last on my list was the pen tablet. I forced myself to use nothing but a pen tablet for two weeks, and eventually I was moving quicker than with a mouse. Long story longer, pen tablets will help you work faster.

For installation help, I would refer to Xencelabs’ Quick Start Guide, which is put together really well and easy to follow.

In Premiere and Resolve, I had zero problems working immediately. Using the pen display actually freed up another display of mine to be used with Nobe’s OmniScope. In fact, using the display switch button on the upper right of the Pen Display, I was able to easily customize my Nobe OmniScope settings using only the pen; no need for a mouse. Moving clips around in both NLEs was a breeze, and adjusting colors in Resolve’s Color Warper was much easier on the Pen Display than with a mouse or even a pen tablet because I was working on the actual screen. I was really impressed by how fluidly that worked. Even in apps that I am much slower in, like Blender, the Pen Display made me feel like I could actually create without being slowed down by bad mouse-clicks.

Summing Up
In the end, time is money. The faster I can work with things like pen displays, Quick Keys, 10-key, etc., the more money I can spend on myself…  I mean…  baseball bats for my sons or Roblox. Regardless of what I buy, clients respond well to fluid workflows and top-end efficiency. What separates professionals from hobbyists is efficiency, and using products like the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 will increase your speed and accuracy in all applications, whether you’re an illustrator, an After Effects user, an Avid Media Composer editor or a Blender artist. Go grab a Xencelabs Pen Display 24 now.

Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on shows like Life Below Zero and Uninterrupted: The Shop . He is also a member of the Producers Guild of America. You can email Brady at bradybetzel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff.