tru-vu 15 color tn lcd panel led backlights monitor supplier

The TRU-Vu Monitors VMTR-15C-24 15 inch touch screen monitor is available with 5-Wire Resistive or Projected Capacitive touch screen technology.  The image quality is exceptionally clear and bright; the contact activation point is extremely accurate and features a USB touch interface.  The TRU-Vu Monitors VMTR-15C-24 offers a 1024 x 768 resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio. This LCD Monitor is ideal for use with analog cameras, BNC cameras, and many legacy machine vision systems alike.  The TRU-Vu Monitors VMTR-15C-24 is built with true industrial-grade components for long-term reliability. Receiving TRU-Tuff treatment includes RTV silicone on all connections and critical components, all wires are dressed, tie-wrapped, and secured, finally ThreadLocks are applied to all screws to ensure they remain secured. Most importantly, this results in a rugged, dependable LCD monitor you can rely on. The VMTR-15C-24 can operate on  12-24VDC or 12 VDC (2.1 mm Barrel Plug); 90-240 VAC via Included Power Brick and within a +32° to 149° F temperature range.

The TRU-Vu Monitors VMTR-15C-24 monitor provides a brighter-than-normal, with up to 350 nits brightness. The result is crisp, vibrant video images. This TRU-Vu industrial LCD monitor is specifically designed for use in demanding industrial, commercial,  and A/V applications. The VMTR-15C-24 industrial 15″ LCD touchscreens offer a variety of video inputs and are available in standard, open frame, rack mount, panel mount, NEMA/IP waterproof, and touch screen configurations. An extensive list of available OEM options enables you to customize a solution to your specific needs.

TRU-Vu industrial LCD monitors and industrial touch screen solutions are designed and built with industrial-grade components. Our rugged TAA compliant LCD displays deliver the highest level of quality and reliable performance both indoors and out. TRU-Vu Monitors provides rugged displays for the most challenging  environments.

We are based out of Chicago with over 30 years  experience in the video industry.  All of our monitors are TAA Compliant as well as NDAA Compliant. Learn more Reasons to Choose TRU-Vu!

TRU-Vu Monitors offers over 200 industrial rugged TAA-Compliant monitors and industrial touch screen displays. Therefore, selecting the ideal monitor or touchscreen solution may sometimes be a bit overwhelming.  Use our Advanced Search Tool to help narrow down your choices. Just enter your project specifications.  The Search Tool will filter the choices to show only those computer monitor models that meet your criteria. Or just give us a call! Learn more About Us, or view our full site map.  View all of our informative VIDEOS on our tech center page.

The VMT-15 Series 15 inch touch screen monitors are available with 5-Wire Resistive  touch screen technology.  The image quality is exceptionally clear and bright; the contact activation point is extremely accurate, and features a USB touch interface.They offer 1024 x 768 resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio.  Additionally, the panels offer between 250 and 350 nits brightness, depending on the model chosen. They are ideal for use with analog cameras, and BNC cameras. Likewise, many legacy machine vision systems benefit. Furthermore, we build them with true industrial-grade components for long-term reliability.

For example, they receive our exclusiveTRU-Tufftreatment. Moreover, theTRU-Tuffprocess includes RTV silicone on all connections and critical components.  Additionally, all wires are dressed, tie-wrapped and secured. Lastly,  we apply ThreadLock to all screws to ensure they remain secured. Most importantly, this results in a rugged, dependable monitor you can rely on. They can operate on  12-24VDC or 12 VDC (2.1 mm Barrel Plug); 90-240 VAC via Included Power Brick. The operating temperature range is +32° to 149° F (0° to +65° C)

The VMT-15 Series also provide a brighter-than-normal, with up to 350 nits brightness. The result is crisp, vibrant video images.TRU-Vu industrial LCD monitors are specifically designed for use in demanding industrial, commercial,  and A/V applications. For instance, every TRU-Vu monitor utilizes industrial-grade components and high-end LCD panels not found in retail or consumer-grade monitors. This ensures superior image quality, improved performance and greater durability.

The VMT-15 Series industrial 15″ LCD touchscreens offer a variety of video inputs and are available in standard, open frame, rack mount, panel mount, NEMA/IP waterproof, and touch screen configurations. An extensive list of available OEM options enables you to customize a solution to your specific needs. We offer numerous other monitors in similar sizes and brightness levels from which to choose. They can also be private-labeled with your company name and/or logo on the front bezel.

The VMT-15 Series 15 inch touch screen monitor with 4:3 aspect ratio are deployed in many industries and applications. This includes manufacturing plants, machine vision inspection systems, and food and beverage plants. They are also found in surveillance systems, specialty vehicles and museums.

TRU-Vu monitors are backed by our full 3-year warranty. Consequently, this ensures you of many years of reliable service.  All of our touch screen monitors are TAA Compliant, making them ideal for government use.

With over 200 LCD monitors and touch screens on our site, selecting the ideal equipment, or touch screen solution may be a bit overwhelming.To help narrow down the choices, check out ourAdvanced Search Tool.For example, this enables you to filter by your own specific search requirements.  See our full line of standard brightness monitors and 13.3″ to 19″ monitors for similar models to the VMT-15 Series.  See our  full line of Touch Screen Monitors, or learn more about the different types of Touch Screen Technology.To help you guide you through the advantages of the 5 most common types of touch technology, see our tutorial ontouch screen basics. Our convenienttouch screen comparison chartwill provide a quick overview of advantages and disadvantages of each type. View all Bezel-less monitors to see similar models.

Finally, our team members are ready to help! We can determine the exact solution that will meet your specific needs . Certainly, TRU-Vu will help provide clear images for your operating requirements . Call(847) 259-2344today to speak with one of our specialists. Above all, we will listen.  It’s one of the things we do best.  Our professional advisors will ensure the monitor or touch screen you receive will be and do everything you had hoped it would!

The VMT-15.6 Series are 15.6″ Touch Screen monitors.  The VMTS-15.6C is a S.A.W. (Surface Acoustic Wave) touch screen. It is designed for maximum light transmission and superb image quality. It has a durable glass surface with the highest level of scratch-resistance of any touch technology. The VMTC-15.6C utilizes a Surface Capacitive touch screen. It also features excellent image quality and a durable glass surface. The screen can only be activated via a bare human finger. This can prevent accidental false-triggering.  State-of-the-art LED backlights produce images that are exceptionally clear and bright.  An extensive list of OEM options enables you to customize the VMT-15.6 Series 15.6″ touch screen monitors to meet your exact needs.

The VMT-15.6 Series are industrial 15.6” touch screen monitors.They offer 1366 x 768 (WXGA) (Will Accept Video Inputs up to 1920 x 1080 resolution) Input and a 16:9 aspect ratio.  Additionally, the panels offer 300 nits brightness. They are ideal for use with analog cameras, and BNC cameras. Likewise, many legacy machine vision systems benefit. Furthermore, we build them with true industrial-grade components for long-term reliability. For example, they receive our exclusive TRU-Tuff treatment. Moreover, the TRU-Tuff process includes RTV silicone on all connections and critical components.

Additionally, all wires are dressed, tie-wrapped and secured. Lastly,  we apply ThreadLock to all screws to ensure they remain secured. Most importantly, this results in a rugged, dependable monitor you can rely on. They can operate on 12VDC (90-240 VAC via Included Power Brick). The operating temperature range on this series is +32° to 140° F (0° to +60° C)

TRU-Vuindustrial LCD monitors are specifically designed for use in demanding industrial, commercial,  and A/V applications. For instance, everyTRU-Vumonitor utilizes industrial-grade components and high-end LCD panels not found in retail or consumer-grade monitors. This ensures superior image quality, improved performance and greater durability.   The result is crisp, vibrant video images.

The VMT-15.6 Series industrial 15.6″ LCD touchscreens offer  a variety of video inputs. An extensive list of available OEM options enables you tocustomizea solution to your specific needs.They can also be private-labeled with your company name and/or logo on the front bezel.

The VMT-15.6 Series 15.6” resistive touch screens with 16:9 aspect ratio are deployed in many industries and applications. This includesmanufacturing plants,machine vision inspection systems, andfood and beverage plants. They are also found insurveillance systems, specialty vehicles andmuseums.

TRU-Vu monitors are backed by our full 3-year warranty. Consequently, this ensures you of many years of reliable service.  All of our touch screen monitors are TAA Compliant, making them ideal for government use.

With over 200 LCD monitors and touch screens on our site, selecting the ideal equipment, or touch screen solution may be a bit overwhelming.To help narrow down the choices, check out ourAdvanced Search Tool.For example, this enables you to filter by your own specific search requirements.  See our full line of 13.3″ to 19″ monitors for similar models. We offer numerous other monitors and touch screens in similar sizes from which to choose. Browse all of our Industrial Touch Screen selections.We also offer our 15.6″ monitors/ touch screens as Medical Grade Display solutions. Not sure whether you require a saw or surface capacitive touch screen? Read about the types of touch screens.

Finally, our team members are ready to help! We can determine the exact solution that will meet your specific needs . Certainly, TRU-Vu will help provide clear images for your operating requirements . Call(847) 259-2344today to speak with one of our specialists. Above all, we will listen.  It’s one of the things we do best.  Our professional advisors will ensure the monitor or touch screen you receive will be and do everything you had hoped it would!

The ZBVM-21.5 Series 21.5 zero bezel monitors offer the latest look in LCD monitor technology. The Zero-Bezel design removes the front frame (or bezel) used on standard monitors and replaces it with a seamless edge-to-edge piece of glass.  AllTRU-Vuindustrial LCD monitors are specifically designed for use in demanding applications. EveryTRU-Vumonitor utilizes industrial-grade components and high-end LCD panels not found in retail/consumer-grade monitors. This ensures superior image quality, improved performance and greater durability. Our 3-Year Warranty on this lcd display ensures you of reliable worry-free operation.

The bezel is the outside frame or edge that surrounds the monitor’s front glass or LCD panel. For aesthetics or hygiene, many people prefer a bezel less monitor, or frameless monitor.  Theygo by many names: zero-bezel monitors,  or bezel-free  monitor.  These are simply monitors without frames which have a single piece of glass covering the entire front face of the monitor. The glass goes edge-to-edge, in all direction in monitors without bezels. This type of  monitor has no bezel or frame around the front edges, as seen with typical LCD monitors. You’ll love the sleek, modern appearance as well as the hygiene benefits.

The enclosure of a monitor is what surrounds the screen and all other components. Enclosures offer different looks, feels, and advantages and disadvantages.Since monitors without bezels use a single, solid surface, they are easy to clean. You won’t have to worry about contamination or germ build-up. There is nowhere for germs to hide. These hygiene advantages are why so many modern medical LCD monitors and medical touch screens feature a zero bezel monitor design.

This series ofTRU-Vumonitors utilizes industrial-grade components and high-end LCD panels not found in retail or consumer-grade monitors. This ensures superior image quality, improved performance and greater durability.  The ZBVM-21.5 Series industrial 21.5 zero bezel monitor offers a variety of input options and an extensive list of available OEM options enables you to customize a solution to your specific needs. We offer numerous other monitors in similar sizes and brightness levels from which to choose. They can also be private-labeledwith your company name and/or logo on the front bezel.  TRU-Vu monitors are backed by our full 3-year warranty. Consequently, this ensures you of many years of reliable service.

The ZBVM-21.5 Series 21.5 inch monitors with16:9 aspect ratioare deployed in many industries and applications.Coupled with sleek and slim enclosures, the ZBVM-21.5 Series lcd display monitors are an elegant solution for healthcare, kiosks, microscopy, hospitality, A/V, commercial and other markets.  Industrial manufacturing, machine vision systems, museums, and surveillance also benefit.  Furthermore, see our full line ofstandard brightnessmonitors for similar models to the ZBVM-21.5 Series.  We also offer our 21.5″ monitors/ touch screens as Medical Grade Display solutions.

With over 200 LCD displays and touch screens on our site, selecting the ideal equipment, or touch screen solution may be a bit overwhelming.To help narrow down the choices, check out ourAdvanced Search Tool.For example, this enables you to filter by features important to you.  Filter by aspect ratio 16:9 or bezel-less monitors only.

Finally, our team members are ready to help! We can determine the exact solution that will meet your specific needs . Certainly, TRU-Vu will help provide clear images for your operating requirements . Call(847) 259-2344today to speak with one of our specialists. Above all, we will listen.  It’s one of the things we do best.  Our professional advisors will ensure the monitor or touch screen you receive will be and do everything you had hoped it would!

Tru-Vu brings you the best LCD monitors available today. Available in a wide range of sizes, Tru-Vu"s standard LCD displays, rack mount monitors, touch screen monitors, medical displays and mobile monitors utilize industrial-grade components and Class-A LCD panels to ensure exceptional image quality and robust, long-term performance. Tru-Vu"s custom LCD monitors enable you to specify the features, size and performance you need in a LCD display monitor in order to meet all of your application requirements. Tru-Vu"s product offerings include LCD display monitors, mobile LCD display panels, touch screen monitors, rack mount monitors, portable LCD display monitors, and sunlight readable monitors as well as our custom LCD monitors. TRU-Vu Monitors can provide the rugged LCD monitor you need at a price you can afford.

The shift to remote work has sent millions scrambling to improve their home office. There are many ways to do this, but the most important upgrade is the most obvious: the monitor.

A monitor is key. You’ll use it hour after hour, day after day, year after year. Monitors even have the audacity to resist obsolescence, so the monitor you buy today might be the one you’re still using in a decade. (My editor and I both have decade-old Dell U2412 monitors that are still going strong.)

It’s an important decision, but not a difficult one, as there are dozens of great monitors to choose from. This guide will help you pick the best for your home office.

I’ve reviewed monitors and laptop displays for over a decade. While different monitors suit different owners, I believe the idealhome office monitor has a 27-inch screen and 4K resolution. It uses an IPS panel, reaches a brightness of at least 250 nits, and can display 99 percent of the sRGB color gamut. Around back you’ll find a USB-C port that can deliver enough power to charge a laptop, along with HDMI and DisplayPort, plus an ergonomic stand that can adjust for height and attaches to a VESA mount.

Finding a monitor that ticks most of these boxes won’t be too difficult. LG’s UltraFine line, Dell’s USB-C hub monitors, BenQ’s PD2720U and PD2725U, and HP’s U28 can check them all. Only the price may be higher than you hope; snagging any of the above will cost at least $450.

But like I said, different monitors suit different owners. These monitors are ideal for work, but they’re expensive. They also lack features you’ll crave when it’s time to clock out and fire up a round of Valorant. This guide will help you navigate the monitor world’s many caveats and find one that’s a fit for you.

Most standard-width monitors come in one of three sizes: 24-inch, 27-inch, and 32-inch. Bigger is not necessarily better. A large display may look more impressive, but I find it uncomfortable when placed close to my eyes. There are also practical considerations like perceived pixel density. A big monitor will look fuzzier than a smaller monitor of the same resolution unless you move it further away — which isn’t always an option.

That’s why a 27-inch monitor is my go-to recommendation. It’s large enough to look impressive on a typical home office desk but isn’t excessive. In my experience, 32-inch monitors should be reserved for unusually large and deep desks, or corner setups where it’s possible to position the display around four feet away from your face. This is especially true for 32-inch monitors with a resolution below 4K, which look grainy to me at a distance of three feet.

For the same reasons, 24-inch monitors work better if you have a small, slim desk (say, around 24 inches deep or less) or otherwise bring the monitor closer to your face. A 24-inch monitor may sound small, but it’ll look reasonably large because it’s so close. They’re also a great way to save money. You can buy a decent all-around monitor like the HP 24mh for less than $200. It won’t wow you, but it works in a pinch.

You can be creative with size if you mount a VESA-compatible monitor to an arm, as this will let you move it to your preference (including the proper ergonomic height). If you’re just doing it to move a large monitor farther away, though, give it a second thought. Why spend more for a larger monitor, and a monitor arm to position it farther away, instead of buying a smaller display to start?

If you’re looking to stretch more screen across your field of view for multitasking, you might consider an ultrawide monitor instead. There, I think the choice is clear: go for a 34-incher.

Smaller models lack vertical space. A 29-inch ultrawide has less vertical display space than a 24-inch widescreen. Larger models generally have the opposite problem. Many are too big for a typical home office desk, not only because of their screen size, but because of the large stands used to stabilize them (some are several feet wide). You might need to rearrange your desk around a 38-inch or 43-inch monitor or add a top-tier monitor arm to make it work.

What about super-ultrawides, like the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 series? These monitors can offer a commanding view and are a good alternative to a double or triple monitor setup but, like big ultrawides, you’ll need to build your setup around it.

4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160) looks fantastic and is widely available on 27-inch and 32-inch displays. It’s not that expensive, either. Budget 4K 27-inch monitors like the Dell S2721QS can get you 4K for $350 or less.

You should probably avoid 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) in a 27-inch or 32-inch monitor, however. It will look grainy and pixelated. Small fonts and interface elements (such as buttons) can become difficult to see.

Twenty-four-inch monitors are a different story; 4K is rare, and 1440p is often the premium option. In fact, most monitors of this size are 1080p. It’s not ideal but it’s acceptable, as decreasing size increases pixel density. A 24-inch 1080p monitor is noticeably sharper than a 27-inch 1080p monitor.

Want a 34-inch ultrawide? Look for 3,440 x 1,440 resolution. This leads to a pixel density nearly identical to a 27-inch 1440p monitor (about 109 pixels per inch). A handful of super-budget ultrawides use 2,560 x 1,080 resolution which, like 1080p on a large monitor, isn’t pleasant. LG’s 5K Ultrawide line is the sole option if you want 4K-equivalent pixel density in a 34-inch ultrawide, but you’ll typically pay $1,500 or more. LG’s well-reviewed 38-inch with 3,840 x 1,600 resolution costs even more at $1,600 and, though it might offer more screen, is equal in pixel density to a 3,440 x 1,440 ultrawide.

Most monitors have HDMI and DisplayPort. There’s no great reason to prefer one over the other for remote work. The huge majority of monitors sold today offer both, so the port you use will likely come down to what’s available on your PC.

What about HDMI 2.1? It’s not necessary for remote work, and productivity monitors with HDMI 2.1 aren’t yet a thing. Be warned that HDMI 2.1 could get messy in 2022 due to the standard’s lax certification. It’s key only if you want to connect a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X game console.

If you’ve got extra cash to spend, the galaxy-brain move is to ignore HDMI and DisplayPort entirely and leap to USB-C and/or Thunderbolt. USB-C and Thunderbolt are great because they allow a single-cable solution for modern laptops that support the standard. You can plug in the laptop and charge it from the monitor while sending video to the monitor simultaneously. The best USB-C monitors even act as a hub with multiple extra ports like USB-A, USB-C, and ethernet.

The underside of this 27-inch Dell USB-C Hub Monitor is bristling with connectivity, much of it accessible via a single USB-C cable that also provides 90W of charging. Image: Dell

But you’ll also need to make sure the monitor you buy provides enough electricity. Power Delivery currently maxes out at 100 watts, so even the most powerful monitors can’t fully power laptops like a top-spec Razer Blade or high-end MacBook Pro 16, but a monitor that delivers 60 watts or even 45 watts might be enough if you have a thin-and-light laptop like a Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Air. The higher the better, but if the USB-C monitor doesn’t deliver as much power as your laptop’s power brick, your battery might only charge when it’s idle or even powered off.

USB-C monitors are also expensive. The benefits often add several hundred dollars to the price when compared to an otherwise similar monitor that lacks USB-C. It’s worth the money, though: in 2019, I purchased a Viewsonic VG2455-2K for a sweet one-cable connection to USB-C capable laptops, and find it ideal for swiftly connecting my laptop to a larger screen.

Any monitor worth your attention will have a stand that at least adjusts for height, usually along a range from 100 to 150 millimeters. Sure, you can stack it on books or buy a plastic riser, but that’s added hassle and clutter.

Many monitors also adjust for tilt and swivel, and some pivot 90 degrees into portrait orientation. That can be particularly handy when a monitor is used as a second display. For example, you could swivel a monitor to directly face you while doing detailed work, like editing a photo, and swing it away when it’s just displaying Slack or Discord. Tilt is similar but on the vertical axis, and especially handy if you have a standing desk, as you may need to tilt the monitor up while the desk is standing.

But if your monitor doesn’t have enough range of motion, or you want to free up space on your desk, you could instead add a VESA-compatible monitor arm to get it off the ground. Look for monitors with a 100mm x 100mm VESA spacing pattern. This is an extremely common feature found in all but the most affordable monitors, and you only need to worry about the 100mm spacing pattern. Others exist, but are relevant to other types of displays (like televisions).

A monitor arm is rarely a necessity, but it’s great for multi-monitor setups that place secondary displays around and above your main monitor, or for positioning an especially large and bulky monitor. Unfortunately, monitor arms can also be a bit expensive. A basic monitor arm off Amazon can run $30 to $50, but I’ve been burnt on their quality in the past. A good arm like those from Jarvis or Ergotron will start around $130.

Larger, heavier monitors will need a beefier, more expensive arm: the model Ergotron recommends for the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is currently $379 (and, at the time I wrote this, sold out!)

Color accuracy is critical to image quality. An inaccurate monitor will look unnatural, flat, and dull, with strange swings in quality depending on what you’re viewing and the precise colors that are inaccurate (it’s common for monitors to be less accurate in blue or cyan than other colors, for example). A monitor with terrible color will disappoint you every time you sit down to use it.

The good news? Accuracy is low-key the greatest advancement in monitors over the last decade. Noticeably inaccurate displays were common when I began testing monitors well over a decade ago. Today, most midrange monitors have reasonable accuracy straight out of the box.

Still, there is a difference between midrange and premium monitors. Those who want great color accuracy should look for a “factory calibrated” monitor, which typically includes a calibration report in the box. This doesn’t guarantee color accuracy is perfect, but it at least shows the company put the monitor through an extra layer of quality assurance. Also check reviewers to see if the monitor lives up to its claims.

Color gamut, which describes the spectrum of colors a monitor can display, is also good enough on most monitors. The majority of content on a computer targets a color gamut called sRGB. Modern monitors display at least 95 percent of this gamut, and many display it all. Other gamuts also exist. DCI-P3 is the most advertised, though you may see Rec.709 or Adobe RGB as well. These gamuts are important if your work requires them, though if that’s the case, I’m guessing you know that. As with color accuracy, buyers concerned about gamut should read reviews to verify a monitor lives up to its claims.

Odds are your home office has some form of light control, whether it’s shades or simply a room that’s naturally a bit dim. The ideal brightness will vary based on the lighting in your home office, but a monitor’s brightness rarely needs to exceed 200 nits. In fact, most monitor calibration tools (like a SpyderX Elite I use) have a built-in luminance sensor used to recommend a brightness based on ambient light. I’ve never seen it recommend more than 200 nits.

That’s not a big ask, but budget monitors can’t always manage it, so be careful if you’re shopping on a tight budget. Manufacturers also tend to choose a best-case scenario when quoting brightness, so the listed brightness may not always be available. Buy a monitor that promises a maximum brightness of at least 250 nits (aka cd/m2).

Why would you want a brighter monitor? Well, if you’re viewing SDR content, there’s no particular reason (aside from using a monitor in a very, very bright room which, though rare, does happen). Viewing SDR content at a high brightness (say, 300 nits or more) might look nice at a glance, but can cause image quality issues like disappointing dark levels and reduced overall contrast.

High Dynamic Range, aka HDR, is a different story. This standard supports a way higher range of luminosity than SDR. HDR10, the most common standard, technically allows for a peak brightness up to 10,000 nits. Brightness does matter for HDR because the content includes additional luminance data that only HDR-compatible displays can show.

If you are looking for an HDR monitor, DisplayHDR certification labels could help, but know that “peak luminance” means “a tiny region on screen can get that bright,” and DisplayHDR 400 is barely HDR at all. Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge

However, HDR is a bit of a minefield on the PC and can be counterproductive for work. Turning on HDR in Windows will often block a number of monitor controls you may need, including brightness, color gamut, and color temperature settings. The resulting image can appear eye-searingly bright and you’ll have less leeway to adjust it to your preferences.

Entertainment and gaming is where HDR redeems itself. Most streaming platforms now offer a method for viewing HDR content on a PC and many new 3D games include HDR support. Windows 11 even has an auto-HDR feature that can add HDR to games that don’t officially support it. This makes HDR a nice addition to a monitor that you’ll use for work and play — though I’d recommend leaving HDR off until you clock out.

Nearly all monitors sold today use an LCD panel based on one of three technologies: twisted nematic (TN), in-plane switching (IPS), and vertical alignment (VA).

The least expensive monitors often use a TN panel. Avoid them. TN panel monitors will display an image, but that’s about it. They look achingly dull next to IPS and have astoundingly bad viewing angles.

Here’s a rough sense of how colors can shift off-angle with a TN panel,from an earlier Verge review. Photo by James Bareham / The Verge and Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

A majority of monitors use IPS. Monitors based on IPS have very accurate color and can support a wide color gamut at a reasonable price. IPS struggles with dark scenes, however, because it can’t achieve a convincing shade of black. This is the dreaded “IPS glow” you may have heard of, which can look unappealing when watching movies or playing games. However, gamers still enjoy IPS monitors because some IPS panels have low response times and very high refresh rates.

What about VA? This panel type has the best contrast ratio and dark scene performance of the three, which makes VA a great go-to choice for entertainment and gaming. This is especially true of high-quality, modern VA panels, which have mostly solved the color accuracy and motion smearing issues of some past VA monitors.

The choice between IPS and VA has no clear answer, as both have their perks. When it comes to work, though, you may find the choice is made for you. A huge majority of productivity monitors use an IPS panel. VA is an option, but you’ll want to lean your search toward gaming monitors if you crave the high contrast a quality VA panel can provide.

AMD and Nvidia have successfully convinced gamers that a 360Hz monitor is ideal. But what if your day includes more Excel than Counter-Strike? You might still see some benefits from a refresh rate higher than the traditional 60Hz.

Gaming is often thereason to buy a monitor with an enhanced refresh rate. Higher refresh rates lead to smoother, more fluid motion and reduces input lag. That said, the benefits of refresh rate are not restricted to games. Higher rates make motion feel more fluid on the desktop as well, which is why Apple’s newest MacBook Pro 14 and 16, and many Windows laptops, now offer a refresh rate of 120Hz or more.

I feel it’s nice to have, but far down on the list of features you need to consider. Also, you probably shouldn’t pay extra for a 75Hz monitor — it’s not much gain over 60Hz.

High-refresh gaming displays aren’t especially expensive, with 24-inch, 144Hz models sold for as little as $200. But you’ll typically trade something away for refresh rate: that $200 monitor might use an iffy TN panel (rather than IPS or VA) or feature a low resolution. It’s possible to snag a 4K display for a reasonable sum, or one with a high refresh rate, but going for 4K at 144Hz means looking at monitors that cost as much as big televisions.

Also, USB-C with Power Delivery is rarely found in gaming monitors, and I haven’t seen a USB-C gaming monitor that doubles as a USB-C hub. That could be an issue if your work setup involves a lot of wired peripherals.

Mini LED adds a twist. The fundamentals remain similar, but the backlight is divided into hundreds of zones that can turn on and off independently. This allows extra brightness but also convincing contrast in shadowy scenes. Mini LED is also outstanding for HDR movies and games, where its class-leading brightness provides an edge.

OLED? It flips the table, using an array of organic elements that create their own light. This provides pixel-level lighting control for truly unparalleled contrast you have to see to believe. OLED is also susceptible to burn-in, though there are ways to mitigate it from affecting a display prematurely.

Neither of these are necessary for working from home, and you’ll likely have to spend thousands to snag a monitor with either tech. Alternatively, you could buy a television with Mini LED or OLED technology, but televisions still have their downsides as monitors.

If you demand the very best from a monitor, however, I recommend Mini LED. OLED’s burn-in worries are legitimate on the PC which, compared to a television, will display static images more frequently. Mini LED can’t match OLED’s contrast, but it’s still a major upgrade over a backlit LCD screen. There’s also the emerging category of quantum dot OLED (QD-OLED) screens, but manufacturers haven’t announced prices for those yet.

Webcams are small, easy to move, and can be used with multiple devices. Attaching a webcam to a monitor removes these perks. It also means you can’t upgrade your webcam in the future; you’ll have to replace the entire monitor.

An LED-backlit LCD is a liquid-crystal display that uses LEDs for backlighting instead of traditional cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) backlighting.TFT LCD (thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display) technologies as CCFL-backlit LCDs, but offer a variety of advantages over them.

While not an LED display, a television using such a combination of an LED backlight with an LCD panel is advertised as an LED TV by some manufacturers and suppliers.

Unlike OLED and microLED displays, LCDs cannot achieve true blacks for pixels which are illuminated by the backlight. Some LED-backlit LCDs use local dimming zones to increase contrast between bright and dim areas of the display, but this can result in a "blooming" or "halo" effect on dark pixels in or adjacent to an illuminated zone.

A 2016 study by the University of California (Berkeley) suggests that the subjectively perceived visual enhancement with common contrast source material levels off at about 60 LCD local dimming zones.

LED-backlit LCDs are not self-illuminating (unlike pure-LED systems). There are several methods of backlighting an LCD panel using LEDs, including the use of either white or RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) LED arrays behind the panel and edge-LED lighting (which uses white LEDs around the inside frame of the TV and a light-diffusion panel to spread the light evenly behind the LCD panel). Variations in LED backlighting offer different benefits. The first commercial full-array LED-backlit LCD TV was the Sony Qualia 005 (introduced in 2004), which used RGB LED arrays to produce a color gamut about twice that of a conventional CCFL LCD television. This was possible because red, green and blue LEDs have sharp spectral peaks which (combined with the LCD panel filters) result in significantly less bleed-through to adjacent color channels. Unwanted bleed-through channels do not "whiten" the desired color as much, resulting in a larger gamut. RGB LED technology continues to be used on Sony BRAVIA LCD models. LED backlighting using white LEDs produces a broader spectrum source feeding the individual LCD panel filters (similar to CCFL sources), resulting in a more limited display gamut than RGB LEDs at lower cost.

Using PWM (pulse-width modulation), a technology where the intensity of the LEDs are kept constant but the brightness adjustment is achieved by varying a time interval of flashing these constant light intensity light sources,

A first dynamic "local dimming" LED backlight was public demonstrated by BrightSide Technologies in 2003,Sony in September 2008 on the 40-inch (1,000 mm) BRAVIA KLV-40ZX1M (known as the ZX1 in Europe). Edge-LED lighting for LCDs allows thinner housing; the Sony BRAVIA KLV-40ZX1M is 1 cm thick, and others are also extremely thin.

LED-backlit LCDs have longer life and better energy efficiency than plasma and CCFL LCD TVs.mercury, an environmental pollutant, in their manufacture. However, other elements (such as gallium and arsenic) are used in the manufacture of the LED emitters; there is debate over whether they are a better long-term solution to the problem of screen disposal.

Because LEDs can be switched on and off more quickly than CCFLs and can offer a higher light output, it is theoretically possible to offer very high contrast ratios. They can produce deep blacks (LEDs off) and high brightness (LEDs on). However, measurements made from pure-black and pure-white outputs are complicated by edge-LED lighting not allowing these outputs to be reproduced simultaneously on screen.

Quantum dots are photoluminescent; they are useful in displays because they emit light in specific, narrow normal distributions of wavelengths. To generate white light best suited as an LCD backlight, parts of the light of a blue-emitting LED are transformed by quantum dots into small-bandwidth green and red light such that the combined white light allows a nearly ideal color gamut to be generated by the RGB color filters of the LCD panel. The quantum dors may be in a separate layer as a quantum dot enhacement film, or replace pigment-based green and red resists normally used in LCD color filters. In addition, efficiency is improved, as intermediate colors are no longer present and do not have to be filtered out by the color filters of the LCD screen. This can result in a display that more accurately renders colors in the visible spectrum. Companies developing quantum dot solutions for displays include Nanosys, 3M as a licensee of Nanosys, QD Vision of Lexington, Massachusetts, US and Avantama of Switzerland.Consumer Electronics Show 2015.quantum dot displays at CES 2017 and later formed the "QLED Alliance" with Hisense and TCL to market the technology.

Mini LED displays are LED-backlit LCDs with mini-LED–based backlighting supporting over a thousand full array local dimming (FALD) zones, providing deeper blacks and a higher contrast ratio.

LED backlights are often dimmed by applying pulse-width modulation to the supply current, switching the backlight off and on more quickly than the eye can perceive. If the dimming-pulse frequency is too low or the user is sensitive to flicker, this may cause discomfort and eyestrain similar to the flicker of CRT displays at lower refresh rates.

Competing display technologies for the best image performance; A.J.S.M. de Vaan; Journal of the society of information displays, Volume 15, Issue 9 September 2007 Pages 657–666; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1889/1.2785199/abstract?

Novitsky, Tom; Abbott, Bill (12 November 2007). "Driving LEDs versus CCFLs for LCD backlighting". EE Times. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 21 November 2020.

LED TVs: 10 things you need to know; David Carnoy, David Katzmaier; CNET.com/news; 3 June 2010; https://www.cnet.com/news/led-tvs-10-things-you-need-to-know/

Method of and device for generating an image having a desired brightness; D.A. Stanton; M.V.C. Stroomer; A.J.S.M. de Vaan; US patent USRE42428E; 7 June 2011; https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=US&NR=RE42428E

LCD Television Power Draw Trends from 2003 to 2015; B. Urban and K. Roth; Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems; Final Report to the Consumer Technology Association; May 2017; http://www.cta.tech/cta/media/policyImages/policyPDFs/Fraunhofer-LCD-TV-Power-Draw-Trends-FINAL.pdf Archived 1 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine

Broadband reflective polarizers based on form birefringence for ultra-thin liquid crystal displays; S.U. Pan; L. Tan and H.S. Kwok; Vol. 25, No. 15; 24 July 2017; Optics Express 17499; https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/viewmedia.cfm?uri=oe-25-15-17499&seq=0

Here we’ll discuss the specifications and features that professional designers need for the work they do. Then we’ll sort through manufacturers’ product offerings to choose their best design monitors on the market right now.

It’s important to note that monitors for graphic design have a few different features than monitors that are meant for gaming. The differences are mainly found in how the LCD panels are put together.

Gaming monitors are built so fast-moving images in high detail appear smooth. Displays are engineered to have high refresh rate (144 Hz or 240 Hz), and low response times (4 ms). Gaming monitors almost always employ a twisted nematic (TN) panel type which is great for fast performance, but has limitations for color accuracy and viewing angles.

In monitors for graphic design, in-plane switching (IPS) paneltechnology delivers color accuracy at wider viewing angles. IPS was developed specifically to address the TN panel limitations. Display manufacturers developed several iterations of IPS technology. Most new IPS monitors developed after 2012 employ plane to line switching (PLS) which lowered production costs and offered a brighter display compared to previous generations.

Color spaces standardize colors for content delivered across specific media. The full range of colors is called a gamut, and is usually greater than the range of colors than the human eye can detect. Having a wide gamut of colors makes images more accurate to true color.

There are several standardized color spaces. Monitors with Adobe RGB color space are built specifically for graphic designers working in print media. NTSC is another color space standard typically used in television and film. sRGBapplies to HD television. DCI-P3 is common for digital movie projection.

Product listings for design monitors have percentage rating that pertains to one of more of these standards. Monitors often list ratings for various color gamut standard. For example, ASUS ProArt PA329Q is rated 100 percent for the HDTV standard Rec. 709, and 99.5 percent for Adobe RGB.

Backlighting also figures into color accuracy. Light emitting diode (LED)-backlit monitors tend to deliver a wider color gamut and color accuracy. Cold cathode fluorescent lamp technology (CCFD) backlighting is older technology, and tends to be more durable and inexpensive. CCFL lighting is a bulkier build and uses more energy than LED, and has been phased out of newer monitor designs.

High-resolution displays which allow them to work in greater detail. Larger screens typically are beneficial for design work, so designers commonly use 27-inch monitors or larger in their desktop PC setup.

VZ27AQ features a high-performance IPS panel that provides a 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Capable of 178-degree viewing angles. Its LED-backlit display covers 100 percent of sRGB color space, ideal for professional-grade photo and video editing. Comes with extra features designed for eye care.

Mid-range specifications at a competitive price point. GW2765HT give you everything needed for professional design work plus ergonomic flexibility—a five-inch height adjustment plus ample tilt and swivel angles. 100 percent sRGB gamut coverage, and extras for eye care. Some reviewers noted panel inconsistency around the screen edges, which you might notice if working in a darker room.

The UP2716D is ideal for design professionals working with a dual monitor setup. The ‘Infinity Edge’ zero bezel design gives it a sleek, clean feel along all four edges of the monitor. The display offers a full range of ergonomic adjustments and raises up to five inches. White LED backlighting and 99 percent sRGB coverage.

One of the best monitors under $300, K272KUL offers a no-frills approach to a design monitor. You get the necessary design specifications—wide viewing angle, wide gamut, and LED backlighting—at a tremendous value. It doesn’t look like much, and has fewer USB ports than most monitors. Reviewers did not like that the stand is tilt-only, meaning you can’t raise it.

Which are the best monitors for graphic design available today? Here we’ll discuss the specifications and features that professional designers need for the work they do.

Display technology has been evolving for more than a century and continues to drive innovations in the electronic device market. IPS technology was developed in the 90s to solve color and viewing angle issues.

IPS display panels deliver the best colors and viewing angles compared to other popular display planes, including VA (vertical alignment) and TN (twisted nematic).

LCDs (liquid crystal displays). IPS changes the behavior of an LCD’s liquid crystals to produce a sharper, more accurate picture. This technique allows IPS displays to deliver a higher quality viewing experience than other screen types like TN or VA.

IPS acts on the liquid crystals inside an LCD, so when voltage is applied, the crystals rotate parallel (or in-plane), allowing light to pass through them easily. By reducing the amount of interference in the light being produced by the display, the final image on the screen will be much clearer.

One of the leading advantages that IPS offer is its ability to deliver wide angles while preserving colors and contrast. This means you can view an IPS screen from nearly any angle and get an accurate representation of the image on-screen.

IPS display screens and monitors offer the best quality in different environments (direct sunlight, low light, indoors, or outdoors) compared to TNs or VAs.

IPS LCDs require about 15% more power than a standard TN LCD. OLED displays require much less power than IPS types due to the fact that they don’t require a backlight. The LCD IPS technology is not the ideal solution if you need an energy-efficient display. You’re better off choosing an OLED or TN TFT for a low-power solution.

Because of the newer and more advanced technology found in IPS displays, they’re more expensive to manufacture. For a more cost-effective solution, a TN LCD would be a better choice.

IPS displays provide a huge boost to viewing angles and color reproduction, but they don’t have the same contrast capabilities as some other competing display types. OLED displays are able to deliver true black by shutting off their active pixels completely, resulting in much higher contrast than IPS displays. If you’re looking for maximum contrast in your display, you’re better off with an OLED display.

Because of in-plane switching’s ability to boost viewing angles and retain color accuracy, it allows LCDs to compete with the high contrast images found on OLED displays.

One of the most important aspects of any display you can understand is the panel technology being used. Specifications alone won’t give you the full picture of a displays performance, and we all know that manufacturers can exaggerate specs on paper to suit their marketing. With an understanding of the panel technology being used you will get a feel for the overall performance characteristics of the display and how it should perform in real terms. Our extensive panel search database helps you identify the panel technology (and manufacturer and part number where known) of many screens in the market. This article which follows will help you understand what the different panel technologies can offer you. A lot of manufacturers now list the panel technology as well in their specs, something which wasn’t included a in the past.

TN Film panels are the mostly widely used in the desktop display market and have been for many years since LCD monitors became mainstream. Smaller sized screens (15″, 17″ and 19″) are almost exclusively limited to this technology in fact and it has also extended into larger screen sizes over the last 7 years or so, now being a popular choice in the 20 – 28″ bracket as well. The TN Film panels are made by many different manufacturers, with the big names all having a share in the market (Samsung, LG.Display, AU Optronics) and being backed up by the other companies including most notably Innolux and Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT). You may see different generations of TN Film being discussed, but over the years the performance characteristics have remained similar overall.

TN Film has always been so widely used because it is comparatively cheap to produce panels based on this technology. As such, manufacturers have been able to keep costs of their displays down by using these panels. This is also the primary reason for the technology to be introduced into the larger screen sizes, where the production costs allow manufacturers to drive down retail costs for their screens and compete for new end-users.

The other main reason for using TN Film is that it is fundamentally a responsive technology in terms of pixel latency, something which has always been a key consideration for LCD buyers. It has long been the choice for gaming screens and response times have long been, and still are today, the lowest out of all the technologies overall. Response times typically reach a limit of around 5ms at the ISO quoted black > white > black transition, and as low as 1ms across grey to grey transitions where Response Time Compensation (overdrive) is used. TN Film has also been incorporated into true 120Hz+ refresh rate desktop displays, pairing low response times with high refresh rates for even better moving picture and gaming experiences, improved frame rates and adding 3D stereoscopic content support. Modern 120Hz+ refresh rate screens normally also support NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 and their LightBoost system which brings about another advantage for gaming. You can use the LightBoost strobed backlight system in 2D gaming to greatly reduce the perceived motion blur which is a significant benefit. Some screens even include a native blur reduction mode instead of having to rely on LightBoost ‘hacks’, providing better support for strobing backlights and improving gaming experiences when it comes to perceived motion blur. As a result, TN Film is still the choice for gamer screens because of the low response times and 120Hz+ refresh rate support.

The main problem with TN Film technology is that viewing angles are pretty restrictive, especially vertically, and this is evident by a characteristic severe darkening of the image if you look at the screen from below. Contrast and colour tone shifts can be evident with even a slight movement off-centre, and this is perhaps the main drawback in modern TN Film panels. Some TN Film panels are better than others and there have been improvements over the years to some degree, but they are still far more restrictive with fields of view than other panel technologies. The commonly quoted 170/160 viewing angles are an unfair indication of the actual real-life performance really, especially when you consider the vertical contrast shifts. Where viewing angles are quoted by a manufacturer as 160/160 or 170/160 that is a clear sign that the panel technology will be TN Film incidentally.

Movie playback is often hampered by ‘noise’ and artifacts, especially where overdrive is used. Black depth was traditionally quite poor on TN Film matrices due to the crystal alignment, however, in recent years, black depth has improved somewhat and is generally very good on modern screens, often surpassing IPS based screens and able to commonly reach contrast ratios of ~1000:1. TN Film is normally only a true 6-bit colour panel technology, but is able to offer a 16.7 million colour depth thanks to dithering and Frame Rate Control methods (6-bit + FRC). Some true 8-bit panels have become available in recent years (2014 onwards) but given the decent implementation of FRC on other 6-bit+FRC panels, the real-life difference is not something to concern yourself with too much.

Most TN Film panels are produced with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, although some larger sizes have become available with higher resolutions. A new generation of Quad HD 2560 x 1440 27″ TN Film panels emerged in 2014. We’ve also seen the introduction of 28″ Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 resolution TN Film panels become available, and adopted in many of the lower cost “4k” models in the market. Where used, the Anti-Glare (AG) coating used on most TN Film panels is moderately grainy – not as grainy as some older IPS panel coatings, but not as light as modern IPS, VA or equivalents. Also at the time of writing there are no ultra-wide (21:9 aspect ratio) or curved format TN Film panels in production.

MVA technology, was later developed by Fujitsu in 1998 as a compromise between TN Film and IPS technologies. On the one hand, MVA provided a full response time of 25 milliseconds (that was impossible at the time with IPS, and not easily achievable with TN), and on the other hand, MVA matrices had wide viewing angles of 160 – 170 degrees, and thus could better compete with IPS in that parameter. The viewing angles were also good in the vertical field (an area where TN panels suffer a great deal) as well as the horizontal field. MVA technology also provided high contrast ratios and good black depth, which IPS and TN Film couldn’t quite meet at the time.

In MVA panels, the crystals in the domains are oriented differently, so if one domain lets light pass through, the neighboring domain will have the crystals at an angle and will shutter the light (of course, save for the display of white color, in which case all the crystals are placed almost in parallel to the matrix plane).

As MVA developed over the years the problem became that the response times were not as good as TN film panels and was very difficult to improve. Sadly, the response time grows dramatically when there’s a smaller difference between the pixel’s initial and final states (i.e. the more common grey to grey transitions). Thus, such matrices were unsuitable for dynamic games. With the introduction of RTC and overdrive technologies, the manufacturers launched a new breed of MVA discussed in the following sections.

Premium MVA (P-MVA) panels were produced by AU Optronics, and Super MVA (S-MVA) panels by Chi Mei Optoelectronics (now Innolux) and Fujitsu from 1998 onwards. AU Optronics have since entered a more recent generation referred to as AMVA (see the next section) and S-MVA panels are rarely used in mainstream monitors nowadays. When they were launched they were able to offer improved response times across grey to grey (G2G) transitions which is a great improvement in the MVA market. While responsiveness was still not as fast as TN Film panels using similar RTC technologies, the improvement was obvious and quite drastic. This was really the first time that MVA matrices could be considered for gaming, and arrived at the time when overdrive was being more widely implemented in the market.

While some improvements have been made, the color-reproduction properties of these modern MVA technologies can still be problematic in some situations. Such panels give you vivid and bright colors, but due to the peculiarities of the domain technology many subtle color tones (dark tones often) are lost when you are looking at the screen strictly perpendicularly. When you deflect your line of sight just a little, the colors are all there again. This is a characteristic “VA panel contrast shift” (sometimes referred to as ‘black crush’ due to the loss of detail in dark colours) and some users pick up on this and might find it distracting. Thus, MVA matrices are somewhere between IPS and TN technologies as concerns color rendering and viewing angles. On the one hand, they are better than TN matrices in this respect, but on the other hand the above-described shortcoming prevents them from challenging IPS matrices, especially for colour critical work.

Traditionally MVA panels offered 8-Bit colour depth (a true 16.7 million colours) which is still common place today. We have yet to see any new breed of 10-bit capable MVA panel even using Frame Rate Control (8-bit + FRC). Black depth is a strong point of these P-MVA /S-MVA panels, being able to produce good static contrast ratios as a result of around 1000 – 1200:1 in practice. Certainly surpassing IPS matrices of the time as well as most TN Film panels. This has improved since with more recent AMVA panels to 3000 – 5000:1 (see next section).

MVA panels also offer some comparatively good movie playback with noise and artifacts quite low compared with other technologies. The application of overdrive doesn’t help in this area, but MVA panels are pretty much the only ones which haven’t suffered greatly in movie playback as a result. Many of the MVA panels are still pretty good in this area, sadly something which overdriven TN Film, IPS and PVA panels can’t offer. While CMO are still manufacturing some S-MVA matrices, AU Optronics no longer produce P-MVA panels and instead produce their newer generation of MVA, called AMVA (see below).

AU Optronics have more recently (around 2005) been working on their latest generation of MVA panel technology, termed ‘Advanced Multi Domain Vertical Alignment’ (AMVA). This is still produced today although a lot of their focus has moved to the similarly named, and not to be confused AHVA (Advanced Hyper Viewing Angle, IPS-type) technology. Compared with older MVA generations, AMVA is designed to offer improved performance including reduced colour washout, and the aim to conquer the significant problem of colour distortion with traditional wide viewing angle technology. This technology creates more domains than conventional multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) LCD’s and reduces the variation of transmittance in oblique angles. It helps improve colour washout and provides better image quality in oblique angles than conventional VA LCD’s. Also, it has been widely recognized worldwide that AMVA technology is one of the few ways to provide optimized image quality through multiple domains.

AMVA provides an extra-high contrast ratio of greater than 1200:1, reaching 5000:1 in manufacturer specs at the time of writing for desktop monitor panels by optimized colour-resist implementation and a new pixel design and combining the panels with W-LED backlighting units. In practice the contrast ratio is typically nearer to 3000:1 from what we’ve seen, but still far beyond IPS and TN Film matrices. The result is a more comfortable viewing experience for the consumer, even on dimmer images. This is one of the main improvements with modern AMVA panels certainly, and remains way above what competing panel technologies can offer.

AMVA still has some limitations however in practice, still suffering from the off-centre contrast shift you see from VA matrices. Viewing angles are therefore not as wide as IPS technology and the technology is often dismissed for colour critical work as a result. As well as this off-centre contrast shift, the wide viewing angles often show more colour and contrast shift than competing IPS-type panels, although some recent AMVA panel generations have shown improvements here (see BenQ GW2760HS for instance with new “Color Shift-free” technology). Responsiveness is better than older MVA offerings certainly, but remains behind TN Film and IPS/PLS in practice. The Anti-Glare (AG) coating used on most panels is light, and sometimes even appears “semi glossy” and so does not produce a grainy image.

At the time of writing AMVA panels are typically offered with an HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, although some are available in sizes up to 32″ maximum, at a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (Quad HD). At this time there are no native 120Hz+ AMVA panels from AU Optronics in production although at one point AUO were looking into them. Also at the time of writing there are no ultra wide (21:9 aspect ratio) or curved format MVA-type panels in production.

AUO developed a series of vertical-alignment (VA) technologies over the years. This is specifically for the TV market although a lot of the changes experienced through these generations applies to monitor panels as well over the years. Most recently, the company developed its AMVA5 technology not only to improve the contrast ratio, but also to enable a liquid crystal transmission improvement of 30% compared to AMVA1 in 2005. This was accomplished by effectively improving the LC disclination line using newly developed polymer-stabilized vertical-alignment (PSA) technology. PSA is a process used to improve cell transmittance, helping to improve brightness, contrast ratio and liquid crystal switching speeds.

We have included this technology in this section as it is a modern technology still produced by Sharp as opposed to the older generations of MVA discussed above. Sharp are not a major panel manufacturer in the desktop space, but during 2013 began to invest in new and interesting panels using their MVA technology. Of note is their 23.5″ sized MVA panel which was used in the Eizo Foris FG2421 display. This is the first MVA panel to offer a native 120Hz refresh rate, making it an attractive option for gamers. Response times had been boosted significantly on the most part, bringing this MVA technology in line with modern IPS-type panels when it comes to pixel latency. The 120Hz support finally allowed for improved frame rates and motion smoothness from VA technology, helping to rival the wide range of 120Hz+ TN Film panels on the market.

Of particular note also are the excellent contrast ratios of this technology, reaching up to an excellent 5000:1 in practice, not just on paper. Viewing angles are certainly better than TN Film and so overall these MVA panels can offer an attractive all-round option for gaming, without some of the draw-backs of the TN Fi