Monitors

Resolution

The resolution is the amount of pixels displayed onto a screen. The higher the resolution, the more that can be displayed.

Common resolution sizes [15]:

Abbreviation

Width x Height

Megapixels (MP)

Name

720p

1280 x 720

0.9

High Definition (HD)

768p

1366 x 768

1

1080p

1920 x 1080

2.1

Full HD (FHD)

1440p

2560 x 1440

4

2K

2160p

3840 x 2160

8.5

4K Ultra HD (UHD)

4320p

7680 x 4320

33.2

8K UHD

The full human eye can see up to 576 megapixels. [16] However, a human can actually only consciously comprehend up to 15 megapixels. [17]

Size

Each resolution has an optimal monitor size. Below lists the recommended size to buy and the maximum size where a difference will be noticed when sitting 24” away from a monitor. All sizes are in inches. [5]

Resolution

Recommended Size

Maximum Size

1080p

24

23

1440p

27

30.5

2160p

32

46

4320p

48

92

For laptops, 1080p is the ideal resolution. 4K and even 2K resolution makes the text too small and the screen sizes are not big enough to take full advantage of higher resolutions. The higher the resolution, more battery life is also drained. [6]

Panel Technology

Every monitor uses a panel technology. This is a large factor in determining the quality and features of the monitor.

Panel Technology

Price*

Viewing Angles

Contrast Ratio

Color Accuracy

Response Time*

In Plane Switching (IPS)

High

High

Medium

High

High

Vertical Alignment (VA)

Medium

Medium

High

Medium

Medium

Twisted Nematic (TN)

Low

Low

Low

Low

Low

*= Lower is better.

[7]

Color Accuracy

The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) 1976 chromaticity diagram is used as a standard for digital color spaces. It represents all visible colors that a human eye can see in a three-dimensional diagram. Different color spaces exist that cover a percentage of the CIE 1976 standard. [1]

Color Space

Percentage of Human Visible Colors

Use Case

Adobe Wide Gamut RGB

77.6

Professional film recorders

Rec. 2020

75.8

Professional movies

Adobe RGB

52.1

Printing

DCI-P3

41.7

HDR movies and video games

sRGB (Rec. 709)

35.9

Digital photos and videos

For color accuracy, it is recommended for the general consumer to buy a monitor with 100% sRGB coverage. For HDR content, near 100% coverage of DCI-P3 is desired. Rec. 2020 is slowly becoming more popular for HDR content but is not widely available.

[2][3][4]

Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratios are the difference between the darkest and lightest color a monitor can produce. There are two types: static and dynamic. Static ratios are the most important. It represents the difference with the monitor settings unchanged for checking the darkest and lightest color. Most monitors that do not use OLED cannot reach higher than a 1000:1 static contrast ratio. Manufacturers normally use dynamic ratios in their marketing which provides an inaccurate view. Dynamic ratios unfairly compare the brightness difference with the monitor set at two different settings. [8]

Brightness

The brightness of monitors and TVs are measured in nits (cd/m^2). The higher the nits, the higher it’s brightness is. A bright monitor is easier to see in a well-lit room or outdoors. [12] When buying a TV, it is most important to consider the brightness level when seeing if it supports true HDR. That feature usually requires at least 1000 nits. [9]

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

HDR provides a standard for color accuracy and high contrast. Only video games and movies created with HDR can fully utilize all of the features of a HDR TV. For official qualification, a TV must at least meet these minimum requirements: [9]

  • 4K Resolution

  • 10-Bit Color Depth

  • Wide Color Gamut (WCG)

    • >= 90% of DCI-P3

  • Brightness

    • Over 1000 nits (and have better whites)

    • Or over 540 nits (and have better blacks)

Only mid- to high-end TVs support the brightness and WCG. Most low-end TVs do not meet all of the requirements to display true HDR content. Many companies have their own technology for helping to deliver WCG colors. [10]

Proprietary WCG backlight technologies:

  • Nano Cell (LG)

  • QLED (Samsung)

  • Triluminos (Sony)

There are different certification standards for HDR. The color bit depth determines how many colors can be displayed. Having dynamic metadata allows for different HDR settings on each individual frame or scene for a better optimized viewing experience. Static metadata sets the HDR settings once for the entire video. [20]

Standard

Standard Type

Industry Support

Color Bit Depth

Metadata

Brightness Minimum

Brightness Maximum

HDR10

Open

High

10

Static

1000 nits

4000 nits

HDR10+

Open and royalty-free

Low

10

Dynamic

1000 nits

4000 nits

Dolby Vision

Proprietary

Medium

12

Dynamic

4000 nits

10000 nits

Computer operating systems have partial support for HDR. Most applications do not natively support it. Windows 10 and Netflix require buying Microsoft’s HEVC Video Extension for video playback streaming to work. [11]

Color Depth

Every monitor has a color depth that determines how many colors it can display.

Bits of Color Depth

Bits Per Pixel

Number of Colors

HDR

8

24

16 million

SDR

10

30

1 billion

HDR10 and HDR10+

12

36

68 billion

Dolby Vision

[21][22]

Some monitors use 8-bit color depth with Frame Rate Control (FRC) to provide fake 10-bit support. This is also known as 8-bit with dithering. It smooths the transition of colors from one pixel to the next to make the colors appear more natural and to reduce banding. [23]

Refresh Rate

Most monitors can display video up to 60 Hz (60 frames per second). A monitor with a high refresh rate will have decreased motion blur and lower input lag. The monitor will look smoother and be more responsive. This is most useful when playing competitive video games. [13]

Common refresh rates (Hz):

  • 60

  • 120

  • 144

  • 240

Variable refresh rate (VRR) is when the monitor dynamically changes it’s refresh rate to match the content that is being played. This prevents screen tearing and provides even smoother playback. There are two standards for implementing this: FreeSync (AMD) and G-SYNC (NVIDIA). All FreeSync monitors support both AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards. Most G-SYNC monitors from 2020 and beyond are compatible with both AMD and NVIDIA graphics card. [14]

The human eye can identify objects at 220 Hz. Above that frequency, a human can at least notice flickers. [18] Theoretically, a human can perceive beyond 1000 Hz. [19]

Human Vision

With modern day technology, it is almost possible to reproduce the image quality that human eyes can comprehend. The specifications for a theoretical monitor would be:

  • 8K resolution

  • 100% of the Rec. 2020 color spectrum

  • Dolby Vision HDR

    • 10,000-nit brightness

    • 12-bit color depth

  • 240 Hz

Movie Formats

Here is a comparison between all physical movie formats.

Name

Resolution

HDR Support [24]

Video Codec Support

Maximum Format Size

4K UHD Blu-ray

4096x2160 [25]

Yes

H.265 (HEVC) and VP9

100 GB

1080p HD Blu-ray

1920x1080

No

H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC), H.262 (MPEG-2), and SMPTE VC-1 [26]

50 GB

480p DVD

720x480

No

H.262 (MPEG-2)

8.5 GB

[27]

History

Bibliography

  1. “Understanding CIE 1931 and CIE 1976.” YUJILEDS. April 19, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.yujiintl.com/blogs/understanding-cie1931-and-cie-1976.html

  2. “Color spaces and gamut.” Color Management Guide. October 31, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.color-management-guide.com/color-spaces.html

  3. What is Color Gamut?” Samsung Display Public Information Display (PID). Accessed May 3, 2020. https://pid.samsungdisplay.com/en/learning-center/white-papers/wide-color-gamut-displays

  4. “VISTALOGICS DYE SUBLIMATION AND DIGITAL COLOR TECHNOLOGY.” VistaLogics. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.vistalogics.com/rgb-profiles.html

  5. “Can you see the difference with a 4K monitor?” Puget Systems. November 12, 2015. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Can-you-see-the-difference-with-a-4K-monitor-729/

  6. “4K (UHD) Vs 1080p (Full HD) Laptops: Which One Is Worth It?” tech consumer guide. March 18, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.techconsumerguide.com/4k-vs-1080p-laptop/

  7. “LCD Panel Types: IPS, VA, PLS, AHVA & TN Monitors.” PCHardwareHelp.com. 2016. Accessed May 3, 2020. https://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php

  8. “How monitor makers are pixelating the truth to fake you out.” Digital Trends. March 28, 2016. Accessed May 11, 2020. https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-monitor-makers-exaggerate-to-sell-more-screens/

  9. “UHD Alliance Defines Premium Home Entertainment Experience.” Business Wire. January 4, 2016. Accessed May 11, 2020. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160104006605/en/UHD-Alliance-Defines-Premium-Home-Entertainment-Experience

  10. “‘Fake HDR’ TVs are giving HDR a bad name.” Hardware Zone. February 18, 2018. Accessed May 11, 2020. https://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/blog-fake-hdr-tvs-are-giving-hdr-bad-name

  11. “How to Play Games, Watch Videos in HDR on Windows 10.” PCMag. March 24, 2020. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-play-games-watch-videos-in-hdr-on-windows-10

  12. “What Are Nits of Brightness on a TV or Other Display?” How-To Geek. January 25, 2019. Accessed May 12, 2020.

  13. “Do you need a high refresh gaming monitor?” Digital Trends. May 7, 2020. Accessed June 13, 2020. https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/do-you-need-a-120hz-or-240-hz-monitor/

  14. “AMD Graphics Cards Will Work With Future G-Sync Monitors.” Tom’s Hardware. November 25, 2019. Accessed June 13, 2020. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/gsync-monitor-with-amd-graphics-card-nvidia

  15. “What Is an 8K Camera?” Lifewire. March 2, 2020. Accessed June 28, 2020. https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-an-8k-camera-4587731#:~:text=8K%20resolution%20consists%20of%207680,times%20the%20pixels%20of%201080p.

  16. “Notes on the Resolution and Other Details of the Human Eye.” Clark Vision Photography. December 28, 2018. Accessed June 28, 2020. https://clarkvision.com/articles/eye-resolution.html

  17. “CAMERAS VS. THE HUMAN EYE.” Cambridge in Colour. Accessed June 28, 2020. https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/cameras-vs-human-eye.htm

  18. “How many frames per second can the human eye see?” 100fps. Accessed June 28, 2020. http://www.100fps.com/how_many_frames_can_humans_see.htm

  19. “Frames Per Second and Refresh Rates: Understanding the Tech.” Scholarly Gamers. June 18, 2019. Accessed June 28, 2020. https://www.scholarlygamers.com/top-news/2019/06/18/frames-per-second-and-refresh-rates-understanding-the-tech/

  20. “HDR10 vs HDR10+ vs Dolby Vision Which is better?” RTINGS.com. March 20, 2019. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/hdr10-vs-dolby-vision

  21. “What are 8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, 4:4:4, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0?” Datavideo. January 7, 2020. Accessed March 31, 2023. https://www.datavideo.com/us/article/412/what-are-8-bit-10-bit-12-bit-4-4-4-4-2-2-and-4-2-0

  22. “AMD’s 10-bit Video Output Technology.” AMD. Accessed March 31, 2023. https://www.amd.com/system/files/documents/10-bit-video-output.pdf

  23. “What Is 10-Bit (And 12-Bit) Color?” Tom’s Hardware. June 23, 2022. Accessed March 31, 2023. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/what-is-10-bit-color,36912.html

  24. “Is HDR Available on Regular Blu-ray Discs?” Sound & Vision. September 25, 2017. Accessed September 2, 2023. https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hdr-available-regular-blu-ray-discs

  25. “What does UHD mean? What is the difference between UHD and 4K?” DEXON Systems. November 22, 2022. Accessed September 2, 2023. https://dexonsystems.com/blog/what-is-uhd

  26. “What audio and video codecs are supported on Blu-ray Disc media?” Sony. May 25, 2022. Accessed September 2, 2023. https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/home-video-blu-ray-disc-players-recorders/ubp-x800/articles/00029663

  27. “4K UHD VS Blu ray VS DVD Comparison: Top Differences and Advantages.” MacX DVD Ripper Pro. January 13, 2021. Accessed September 2, 2023. https://www.macxdvd.com/mac-dvd-video-converter-how-to/bluray-vs-dvd-vs-4k-uhd.htm