New budget IPS panels have arrived, bringing rich colors and
deep contrast to the mainstream. These 18 models start at just $124 and go
right up to 27in 30 monoliths
Picking the right monitor isn't simply a matter of deciding
how much money you want to spend. At any given price you’ll find a huge range
of displays, from large, basic models with mediocre image quality to smaller
models with more inputs and a stunning image. Here, we'll explain everything
you need to know about choosing a display.
Liquid magic
The various
technologies include twisted Nematic (TN)
There are three different types of LCD panel available.
Twisted Nematic (TN) panels are the most common type of LCD panel. With TN
panels, the liquid crystals in each pixel twist when a voltage is applied,
blocking different amounts of light to produce the desired color. In Vertical
Alignment (VA) panels, the crystals are arranged perpendicular to the screen,
resulting in wide viewing angles and better contrast. Finally, in In-Plane
Switching (IPS) panels, the crystals are arranged parallel to the screen, which
prevents light within the panel scattering producing better viewing angles and
color reproduction.
Sizing up
Customer Reviews
for Dell 23" Full HD Widescreen Monitor 1920x1080 full HD resolution
Every monitor we've reviewed this month has a Full HD
resolution of 1920x1080 at the very least, and anything less is simply not
worth buying. A Full HD resolution provides plenty of desktop space, so you can
easily work on spreadsheets or place two documents side by side. For even more
space, consider a monitor with the higher resolution of 2560x1440.
Full HD has other benefits, too. It’s the maximum resolution
that Blu-ray discs support, which means you can enjoy high-definition movies on
your PC. Many modern graphics cards can render the high resolution of 1920x1080
in BD, too, so if you want to play games at the highest detail settings you
need a monitor to match.
The next thing to consider is the type of inputs you need.
Connecting your PC through a VGA port doesn't always produce the best picture
because the signal has to be tuned, although most monitors now have accurate
auto-configuration.
You can use an adaptor to connect an HDMI device to an
HDCP-compliant monitor, and if your graphics card supports HDCP you can also
play Blu-ray movies; without HDCP, these films will play only over an analogue
connection. For the greatest flexibility, look for a monitor with an extra HDMI
input, too, because it will allow you to connect a Blu-ray player or compatible
games console.
Finally, some monitors support DisplayPort, which is
commonly used by Apple devices and can be used in conjunction with AMD graphics
cards in multi-monitor setups. It has the same benefits as HDMI, but you
typically pay more for a display with this kind of input. Unless you know you
need it, we wouldn’t recommend it.
Samsung S27A95DD
Take a stand
Another feature that tends to increase the price of a
monitor is an adjustable stand. Most displays have fixed stands that only let
you tilt the screen. With a fully adjustable stand, you can adjust the height
of the display to place it in a more comfortable position. Some even let you
rotate the screen from landscape to portrait orientation, which can make it
easier to work on long text documents. Our reviews tell you how adjustable each
display is.
Picturethis
The most important aspect of a monitor is image quality. A
monitor’s specifications tell you only so much about how a screen performs. Our
reviews indicate the quality of the image they produce, but even so, it’s worth
understanding what the different specifications mean.
A screen’s brightness is measured in candelas per square
meter (cd/m2). Most monitors have a brightness of at least 250cd/m2.
Generally, the brighter the monitor, the brighter the whites it produces and
the punchier the colors become. LED backlighting is prevalent these days,
thanks to its lower power consumption and the fact that it allows ultra-thin
monitor designs because it takes up less room inside the monitor.
Contrast is described as a ratio, such as 1000:1, and tells
you the difference between the brightest white and the darkest black that the
screen can produce. The higher the number, the bigger the difference and the
more shades the monitor can produce in between.
Some monitors try to boost their contrast ratio artificially
by using something called dynamic contrast. This measures the brightness
onscreen and adjusts the backlight to increase the contrast ratio. In dark
scenes it lowers the backlight to produce more dark shades, and it increases
the backlight in bright scenes to produce brighter whites. This method can’t
produce bright whites and deep blacks at the same time, though, and often leads
to sudden changes in brightness that can spoil a movie.
A monitor’s response time tells you how quickly, in
milliseconds, a pixel can change color. When the first LCD displays were
produced, some response times were so slow that you’d see ghosting onscreen
during fast-moving scenes in films and games. Today, however, it’s almost
impossible to find a monitor with a response time over 10ms, and the human eye
can’t register speeds below this.
Optional extras
Some of the
monitors here have USB hubs built in
Speakers on monitors tend not to be very powerful. They’re
rarely loud enough to fill a room, and often lack bass and sound tinny. They're
fine for occasional Windows use and the odd film or game, but if you want
high-quality sound you need dedicated speakers.
Some of the monitors here have USB hubs built in. These can
be handy for connecting a webcam or other peripherals without having to reach
behind your PC, but they’re not essential. Choose a monitor with a high
resolution and great image quality before worrying about extras.
Some of the monitors reviewed this month support 3D. This
comes in a variety of formats, from active shutter glasses that support
Nvidia's 3D Vision technology to simpler passive glasses that use polarised
lenses and side-by-side images. Nvidia's system is the most sophisticated, but
replacement glasses cost around $150. Passive glasses are much cheaper, but the
3D effect isn’t as good.
3D-capable monitors are more expensive than regular 2D
models, so it's worth spending some time researching and trying out various
systems before you invest in one.
