4k monitors clearer than a lcd monitors manufacturer

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Dell’s UltraSharp U2720Q was our main pick in an older version of this guide; compared with the S2722QC, it has a higher, 90 W USB-C charging rate and a slimmer border around the screen. If you can find it for around the same price as the S2722QC, it’s still worth considering. But as of this writing, it’s either out of stock or considerably more expensive than the S2722QC, and it’s just not worth paying extra for.

The Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q was a budget pick in a previous version of this guide, and it’s still a great monitor with decent contrast and color accuracy, an adjustable stand, and FreeSync support.

The biggest failing of the ViewSonic VG2756-4K is its mediocre 949:1 contrast ratio, which is okay in a budget monitor but harder to swallow in a model that usually costs around $500. Its performance in our color-accuracy tests was also mediocre. It has many of the other features we look for in a good 4K monitor, including a USB-C port, a USB hub (along with an Ethernet port), a flexible stand, and a three-year warranty. But its image quality is a step down from that of the Dell S2722QC and the HP Z27k G3.

Lenovo’s ThinkVision P27u-10 was our runner-up pick in an older version of this guide. It’s similar to the Dell S2722QC and the HP Z27k G3 overall, both in design and in the number and types of ports it has (though its USB-C port provides only 45 W of power, rather than the 65 W of the Dell monitor or the 100 W of the HP monitor). When we tested it in 2019, we found its colors to be fairly accurate but its contrast to be mediocre, and we also observed minor image-retention issues. In addition, its stand doesn’t swivel.

The LG 27BK67U-B and the LG 27BL55U-B are 4K monitors with good color that cost less than $400; the 67U-B has a USB hub and USB-C, whereas the 55U-B omits those features and generally costs less. But in our tests both monitors suffered from image retention, leaving behind noticeable afterimages that other budget monitors we tested didn’t have.

We dismissed the ViewSonic VP2768-4K and the BenQ PD2700U for their lack of USB-C connectivity, which is a must-have in $400-and-up monitors these days.

We dismissed the NEC EA271U-BK in 2019. It has handy features like picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture, and its stand and port layout are fine. But it generally costs more than our other 27-inch picks, so we didn’t test it in later rounds.

We also didn’t test the 27-inch LG UltraFine 5K Display, an even-higher-resolution screen for Macs with Thunderbolt 3. It’s very expensive, and getting it to work with Windows is either complicated or impossible depending on the PC you’re using.

Dell’s UltraSharp U3219Q was our upgrade pick in an older version of this guide, and it’s still a great monitor. It has a 90 W USB-C charging limit, and it includes a KVM switch, which makes the monitor easier to use with multiple computers at the same time. But it’s usually either out of stock, back-ordered, or much more expensive than it used to be on most retailer sites.

HP’s Z32 is a good monitor, with a respectable 1250:1 contrast ratio and decent color accuracy. It also offers a good port selection and a 65 W USB-C charging rate, though it doesn’t include an Ethernet port. But the Z32 is often out of stock or back-ordered at many retailers.

The Acer B326HK and the BenQ PD3200U are sometimes cheaper than the 32-inch monitors we considered, but when we tested them in 2017 and 2019, respectively, we were disappointed by their mediocre contrast and color accuracy. They’re also missing newer features that we consider essential in a high-end monitor, such as a USB-C port.

We dismissed some 32-inch monitors without testing them because they were missing one or more of the features we were looking for. The ViewSonic ColorPro VP3268-4K lacked a USB-C port and didn’t cost much less than monitors that had one, and the BenQ EW3280U omitted a USB hub and had a limited stand that tilted the monitor up and down only.

Most companies have stopped making new 24-inch 4K monitors, but we did test the LG 24UD58-B against the Dell P2415Q in 2019. The LG’s screen was less accurate than the Dell’s by a wide margin. This model also had fewer ports (two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort connection), and its stand tilted the monitor up and down only.

We didn’t test the 24-inch LG UltraFine 4K Display, which Apple recommends for Macs that use Thunderbolt 3 ports. It also costs more than our other picks.

The number of 4Kmonitors for PCs is gradually increasing. It may seem a little like speculation, but they solve various problems with displays and are smart and progressive choicesoffering the best display environment. EIZO"s 4K display, the FlexScan EV3237, in particular is a major contender when looking at display choices from a long-term perspective.

Full HDliquid crystaldisplays were once considered high-end, but in recent years, the prices have come down considerably, and today 23" full HD models have penetrated the domestic market to the point of becoming main stream. Around the time of the transition to terrestrial digital broadcasting, the shift to full HD displays accelerated. Although there was a perception of stagnation following that, the next wave has finally rolled in. Of course, this was brought about by the rise of 4K displays.

"4K" refers to horizontal resolutions of around 4,000 pixels. The "K" stands for "kilo" (thousand). As things stand, the majority of 4K displays come with 3840 x 2160 pixel (4K UHDTV) resolution, which is exactly four times the pixel count of full HD displays (1920 x 1080 pixels). There are also 4096 x 2160 pixel (DCI 4K) displays for the film industry that are referred to as 4K displays.

4K UHD is 4K as defined by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). It has twice the horizontaland verticalresolution of full HD and has been adopted by the television industry.

DCI 4K is 4K as defined by DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives). The horizontal resolution is higher than 4K UHD. This resolution is twice the horizontaland verticalresolution of projectors (2048 x 1080 pixels) and has been adopted by the film industry.

Against a backdrop of ever higher digital camera photograph resolutions, higher resolution content of home video cameras supporting 4K, increasingly high definition displays on smartphones and tablets, and other such developments, full HD displays on PCs are becoming less and less attractive. At the same time, interest is increasing in large screens and multi-screen environments that allow larger work spaces to increase the efficiency of multi-tasking, which is essential for PCs.

In the midst of these circumstances, EIZO introduced its much-awaited new FlexScan EV3237 display. Thisnew flagship model witha large 31.5" wide screen (visiblediagonal size:79.9cm) is the first of its universal displays to support 3840 x 2160 pixel 4Kresolution. It"s a high-end display for a new age that meets the two needs of high-definition and a large work space with top-level specs.

That said, there are probably many out there who wonder whether it"s still too early to buy a 4K display. In thisarticle, we"ll take a look at how the FlexScan EV3237 4K display can solve problems and complaints frequently experienced in display environments of late in Q&A format. We think you"ll see that the FlexScan EV3237 should be one of the purchase candidates on your list right now.

QI"ve gotten used to the high-definition display on my smartphone, tablet or laptop, and now the screen on my external display looks rough and dull to me. Is this just how it is?

AThe detail on displays is expressed in terms of pixel density or definition, and the numerical representation of that degree is expressed in ppi. Ppi stands for "pixels per inch." Reducing the distance between pixels (pixel pitch) without changing the screen size of the LCD panel increases the ppi, and the higher this number, the higher the definition of the display.

Pixel density on smartphones is increasing at a furious pace, and many smartphones today have pixel densities of 300ppi or more. The display is so smooth that even if you look closely at the screen you cannot see pixel grains or jagged diagonal lines. There are also some high-end devices that are almost overkill and exceed 500ppi.

When it comes to PC displays, most products have a pixel density of about 96ppi to match the display density of 96dpi (dots per inch) which has been the standard for the Windows desktop UI. The standard for the new Start screen and other aspects of the Modern UI of Windows 8 and later is 135dpi (automatically switching between 100%, 140% and 180% depending on the pixel density of the display device), but the standard for the desktop UI is still 96dpi. So it"s no surprise that the display looks rough in comparison to smartphones.

Different pixel densities create differences in appearance. The image on top is of an enlarged 10pt font, and the image below is an enlarged thumbnail of a photograph. At 96ppi, the roughness of the pixels is apparent, but at 192ppi, the quality is greatly improved. At 384ppi, the image is smooth, and the pixel grains and jagged edges of diagonal lines are no longer visible.

However, the display density (dpi) of PCoperating systemsis now variable, so smooth magnification is now possible with scaling according to the pixel density of the display. Since Windows XP, it has been possible to change the display density on Windows OS, but it wasn"t until Windows 7 that it could be done at a practical level where the screen layout did not break down significantly.

Since Windows 8.1, it has been possible to apply different display density settings to different displays when multiple displays are connected, and the sense of incongruity experienced in a multi-screen environment with displays of different pixel densities has been reduced (however, the number of setting levels is limited, so the combination of display densities cannot be elaborately customized).

Mac OS X has also adopted a design even before Windows that allows display density to be changed on high-definition displays (referred to as "Retina displays" by Apple). Since OS X Mavericks 10.9.3, this support has been available for external displays.

Support for the high pixel density display environment in the PC OS is called HiDPI support. Along with support on the OS side, support by applications is also progressing, and the PC environment surrounding HiDPI has risen to a practical level. Accordingly, high pixel density PC displays are on the rise.

The FlexScan EV3237 is one of those products, and as a large-screen external display, it has a high-definition pixel density of around 140ppi. This is quite low in comparison to the pixel density of smartphones mentioned earlier, but note that the distance at which smartphones and PC displays are used is quite different.

In the case of the 31.5" FlexScan EV3237, people use it from a distance of around 50-60 centimeters, so the display appears as smooth as that of smartphones. Moreover, the display size is dramatically larger than that of smartphones, so a lot more information can be seen at once. Photographs and movies are more impressive, too.

The 31.5" FlexScan EV3237 is viewed from a much greater distance than smartphones, tablets and laptops, so even with a pixel density of around 140ppi, the display appears smooth and high-definition. It"s hard to tell from photographs, but watching a high-definition video at 4K resolution on a 31.5" wide screen (roughly 80 centimetersdiagonallyfrom corner to corner) is an amazing experience that cannot be enjoyed with a full HD display.

QI"d like to increase my work efficiency, but I don"t have enough space for a multi-display setup. I also don"t like having a frame between the screens. Is there a way to increase work efficiency with a single screen?

AThere are basically two patterns when it comes to environments where multiple displays are lined up side by side. One is where multiple displays are connected to make more work space for a single PC. The other is where information is displayed from multiple PCs to work in parallel.

The FlexScan EV3237 can be used for either purpose. First, in the former case, the 31.5" wide LCD panel with 4K resolution offers a large work space (however, magnification via scaling also has to be taken into account; more details are provided later).

In the latter case, image input from four systems (DisplayPort x 2, HDMI x 1 and DVI-D 24-pin x 1) coupled with PbyP (Picture by Picture) and PinP (Picture in Picture) functions, which can simultaneously display multiple image signals, comes into play.

FlexScan EV3237 input terminals. From left to right: DVI-D, HDMI and two DisplayPort 1.2 terminals. To the right of these are the USB 3.0 hub’supstreamport and line input. There is a built-in power supply unit, and it is also equipped with a main power switch to cut power consumption when not in use. It"s also equipped with three USB 3.0 downstreamports andaheadphone ojackon the left side.

Using thepicture-by-picture (PbyP)function, images from multiple sources can be displayed side by side on the large screen. PbyP supports many display modes:horizontal split (two 3840 x 1080 pixel screens), vertical split (two 1920 x 2160 pixel screens), horizontally splitting the left (or right) half (1920 x 2160 pixel + two full HD screens) and splittingboth horizontally and verticallyinto four screens (four full HD screens).

There are never any lines dividing the screens with any of the settings, which means that the multi-display setup is completely frameless, so it"s easy to use. Incidentally, with four-screen display, it"s like having four 15-16" full HD displays side by side without any gaps between them.

With the PbyP function, image signals from multiple PCs can be simultaneously displayed side by side on a single screen. There are five layouts to choose from. It"s also conceivable that it could be used like digital signage for simultaneous display of videos, advertisements and other information.

With the PbyP function, image signals from multiple PCs can be simultaneously displayed side by side on a single screen. There are five layouts to choose from. It"s also conceivable that it could be used like digital signage for simultaneous display of videos, advertisements and other information.

Three image signals displayed side by side using the PbyP function. The left half is 1920 x 2160 pixels, and the top and bottom of the right half are both 1920 x 1080 pixels. Taking advantage of the large 31.5" screen and high definition 4K display, a multi-display setup can be achieved with no frames between screens.

On the other hand, if a small sub-screen is enough, using thepicture-in-picture (PinP)function, you can do parallel work while taking advantage of the large display area. There are two sizes of sub-screens to choose from, and they can be placed in any corner.

The PinP function is also available, allowing a small sub-screen to be overlaid on the main large screen. One way it might be used is to play a streaming video of a general meeting of shareholders in a sub-screen while day trading in the main screen.

Sub-screen displayed in the upper right corner using the PinP function. The sub-screen is smaller than the minimum size offered by PbyP, allowing more of the main screen to be used, so it is suited to uses like working while playing a video.

QFull HD(1920 x 1080)and WUXGA(1920 x 1200)leave something to be desired when editing high pixel photographs and videos. Should I go with WQHD or ultra-wide (CinemaScope)? Or should I choose 4K already?

AThe spread of 4K may be faster than expected. From a broadcasting standpoint, there are major movements underway in the United States, South Korea and other countries. In Japan, there is an accelerated road map being worked on for 4K/8K broadcasts. In the PC world, the environment has been prepared for HiDPI, and products have been hitting the shelves all at once. Additionally, game manufacturers have begun talking about 4K support with new games (even though the required specs are shockingly high). In the coming months, there will be increasing demand for 4K displays, and manufacturers will likely accelerate their production.

Going one notch down and choosing WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) or casting aside versatility and going with ultra-wide (e.g.21:9 aspect ratio/2560 x 1080 pixels) would not be ill-advised as an "in-between" until 4K becomes main stream. These do not have the pixel density of 4K displays, so magnification with scaling is not required, and it"s easy to secure a large work space. At this point in time, they also have an advantage in terms of cost.

However,if youalreadyhave aPC environment for 4K display at this point in time,andwant a high-definition display that you will use for many years to come, there is no reason to hold off on the FlexScan EV3237. Conversely, displays under 4K may quickly become obsolete, so if you are thinking of medium- tolong-term use, a 4K display may work for you longer and, as a result, pay for itself over time.

EIZO"s 27" FlexScan EV2736W wide LCD. The resolution is WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels/109ppi). Before the FlexScan EV3237, this was the flagship model of the FlexScan EV series, but if you are just now starting to look at different products, you should include 4K displays in your consideration.

QI bought a laptop with a super high pixel density display, but it"s not practical unless I use scaling to magnify the display 150-200%. Won"t a 4K display ultimately be the same?

AAs mentioned earlier, today as HiDPI has reached a practical level, more and more laptops are being equipped with high-definition LCDs. These products offer high-definition display as the selling point with the assumption that scaling will be used for magnification, so high resolution does not mean a large work space as it did when display density was assumed to be fixed.

Visibility and legibility are greatly affected by pixel pitch, but the distance at which laptops are viewed is closer than it is with external displays, so pixel density is higher (approx. 220ppi on a 13.3" 2560 x 1440 pixel display), which means that pixel pitch is that much narrower (approx. 0.12mm). At 100% magnification without scaling, text and icon display is too fine.

At the same time, the pixel pitch on the FlexScan EV3237 is also narrow owing to the high-definition display. For example, if you wanted to keep the same pixel pitch (approx. 0.27mm) as a currently main stream 23" full HD display with a 4K resolution display, you would need to double the screen size with a 46" display. This is crammed into a 31.5" display, so the pixel pitch is naturally narrower.

That said, the large 31.5" screen means that it"s not so extremely fine as it would be on a 23.8" or 28" 4K display. The pixel pitch is about 0.18mm, so if you pick the right installation location and adjust the viewing distance, it"s usable without scaling. However, when using a large 31.5" screen up close, it places more stress on the eyes and neck, so it"s advisable to use the scaling feature.

The pixel pitch is not too narrow, so not much magnification is required. Under the Windows DPIDisplay Sizesettings, it"s pretty usable from around "Medium - 125%" and up, so you can have both high-definition display and a large work space. If you want to have it around a standard 23" full HD display (approx. 96ppi), you can set it to "Larger- 150%" to get the display to about the sametext size.

On the left is "Larger- 150%," and on the right is "Extra Large - 200%." When set to 150％, the Windows desktop UI is close to the standard 96dpi (103% compared to the standard 96dpi).

Display area at "Smaller- 100%." This is normal magnification, and the 3840 x 2160 pixel 4K resolution can be used to the fullest. The pixel density is about 140ppi, and the pixel pitch is approximately 0.18mm. This setting is not unusable, but the screen is easier to see at "Medium - 125%" or "Larger- 150%."

Display area at "Larger- 150%." Scaling is used for 150% magnification, so the work space is smaller, but the textand icons are that much more visible. This setting is optimal if you want the Windows desktop UI at around the standard 96dpi. This setting offers a balance between definition and work space.

On the left is the FlexScan EV3237 (31.5"/3840 x 2160 pixels/approx. 140ppi), and on the right is the FlexScan EV2436W-Z (24.1"/1920 x 1200 pixels/approx. 94ppi). When the FlexScan EV3237 is set to 150%magnification, the appearance of thetext and icons is about the same as on the FlexScan EV2436W-Z at normal magnification. Even at 150%magnification, taking advantage of the 31.5" wide screen, you can secure a large work space.

Although the viewing distance also comes into play, if the pixel pitch is narrower than around 0.2 mm, regular use becomes more difficult at normal magnification, so the magnification has to be increased with the scaling setting.

AIt"s necessary to be mindful of various things to mitigate the burden placed on the eyes, neck and shoulders by working on a PC. The minimum requirement of displays is that the LCD panel surface is non-glare to minimizereflectionand that the brightness, height and angle can be adjusted.

Generally speaking, large-screen, high-definition display environments tend to place stress on the eyes and shoulders, but the FlexScan EV3237 has many features to reduce that stress. The FlexStand is familiar to EIZO users and features a large range of motion, allowing tilt, swivel, and up-and-down adjustments. The significant adjustability and smooth movement makes it suited to any usage environment.

The same goes for brightness adjustment. It starts from very dark display, so it can be matched to the brightness of the environment. However, the most effective feature is "Auto EcoView." The built-inilluminancesensor detects ambient brightness and automatically adjusts the display to the optimal brightness, so even in an environment where brightness changes, the user does not have to bother with it.

It also has various other features such as "Paper Mode," which substantially reduces blue light, and "EyeCare Dimming," which controls flickering caused by the LED backlight, so a major advantage is that the stress on the eyes can be mitigated without conscious effort on the part of the user.

The height is highly adjustable, and the screen can be lowered just above the installation surface, so even the large models can be set up so that you naturally look down at the display.

The Auto EcoView feature offers both energy savings and relief for tired eyes. It is easily configured using the OSD menu from the button on the front of the LCD (left). Starting with this new model, users can customize the maximum and minimum values for automatic brightness adjustment (right).

When the button on the front is pressed, the menu appears right above, so it"s easy to use. This menu enables a simple appearance with no markings over buttons other than the power button.

ALarge-screen displays in this class are not cheap, so it"s only natural that you would want to choose a reliable one that you will be able to use for a long time. The FlexScan EV3237 meets this requirement solidly as well.

It comes with a long, five-year warranty. Five years from now when the warranty period is up, a 4K display will still be usable and will not be obsolete.

It"s not that difficult to connect PCs to a 4K display. If your PC has an HDMI port that supports HDMI 1.4 or later, 4K display is possible at a refresh rate of 30Hz.

However, if you want a refresh rate of 60Hz (4K@60Hz), there are some limitations. A major precondition is that the interface is DisplayPort 1.2 or later. 4K@60Hz display requires a very large transmission bandwidth of 16Gbps. Neither DVI (including DualLink) nor HDMI 1.4 is capable of this kind of bandwidth.

The HDMI 2.0 Level B standard is capable of transmitting 4K 60Hz signals over the HDMI 1.4 transmission bandwidth, but the color depth is YUV 4:2:0, and colors blur, so it is not suited to displays. So you"ll have to wait for HDMI 2.0 LEVEL A to transmit 4K 60Hz signals over HDMI. For that reason, DisplayPort 1.2 is currently the only means of achieving 4K 60Hz display.

As for other limitations on 4K 60Hz display besides the interface, they vary depending on the display, but there are basically no problems when it comes to the FlexScan EV3237.This is becauseSST (Single Stream Transport) is the method of 4K 60Hz transmission used by the FlexScan EV3237viaDisplayPort, andit is capable of 4K display without any special settings. However, there are some graphics cardsthat supportDisplayPort 1.2butdo not support SST, so it would be a good idea to check at the time of purchase just in case.

Some products from other companies use DisplayPort"s MST (Multi-Stream Transport) as the method of transmission and this creates some limitations. With the MST method, the 4K signal is split in two (two 1920 x 2160 pixel screens), so the graphics driver"sextensionfunction (such as AMD"s EyeFinity) has to be used to combine them into a single screen.

However, whether so much emphasis needs to be placed right now on 4K 60Hz display is open to question. It requires quite a large amount of power to playback 4K videos at 60Hz, and there still are not many 4K 60Hz video sources out there. For game use, performance on the PC side is unlikely to keep up. Still, daily operations like cursor movement and scrolling are smoother at 60Hz than at 30Hz. There are no particular problems with 30Hz display, but thinking about the future, a product compatible with 4K 60Hz display will provide greater peace of mind.

After connecting, the next step is configuring the scaling setting. In the case of Windows 8.1, it goes "Appearance and Personalization" -> "Display -Maketext and other itemslarger or smaller." There are presets to start with: "Smaller- 100%" (96dpi), "Medium - 125%" (120dpi) and "Larger- 150%" (144dpi), but there are also custom sizes: "ExtraLarge - 200%" and "ExtraExtraLarge - 250%." The pixel density on the FlexScan EV3237 is around 140ppi, so we recommend using "Medium" or "Larger."

As explained above, EIZO"s FlexScan EV3237 has a pixel pitch that strikes a good balance between 4K high definition display and a large work space on a 31.5" wide screen, so it meets both needs. It has the perfect screen size for enjoying the high 4K resolution on a PC.

Recently there have been some 4K displays coming out that use TN panels with a narrow viewing angle to provide a lower price, but the FlexScan EV3237 uses an IPS panel with a wide viewing angle to minimize contrast and color changes at different angles. Of course, it"s chock full of EIZO"s proprietary technology for better picture and relief of eye fatigue, so the basic performance as an LCD is high even without the 4K display and large screen.

You"ll undoubtedly enjoy a level of comfort that far surpasses that of full HD class displays in various scenarios, from CAD and day trading that can leverage the high definition and large screen features, to regular business use, creative work that requires a high resolution environment even though color management isn"t quite necessary, and hobby use by intermediate to advanced PC users.

The FlexScan EV3237 is a high-end model, which is good news forthoseusersthat prioritize quality and usability. It"s a high-quality device that comes with all the elements currently required of a 4K display.

If you"re looking for a high-quality, large-screen high-definition display that you will be able to use with peace of mind in the medium to long term, the FlexScan EV3237 is one of the leading candidates for your list.

In addition to the large screen and high definition, it also has high-quality display, featuring an IPS panel with a wide viewing angle and offering smooth gradation with 10-bit gamma correction. The spectrum is equivalent to sRGB.

One of the best 4K monitors is probably going to be a must for anyone working in visual design these days. Ultra high-definition (UHD) provides increased pixel density for a cleaner, sharper image with more detail, making it especially sought after for those working in photography and video.

UHD, or 4K as it"s most commonly known, means a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. That"s four times as many pixels as full HD (FHD), providing more desktop workspace and a more detailed image, provided your using at least a 27in monitor (the extra detail isn"t really notable on small screens). The good news is that the best 4K monitors have become a lot more affordable. In fact, 4K is almost the norm these days, so deciding whether to go for 4K or not is no longer much of quandary.

The range of 4K monitors now available is huge, with plenty of budget options around as well as high-end screens aimed at professionals. The vast range of displays available can make it hard to know which is the best 4K monitor for your needs, so that"s what we aim to help resolve in the guide below.

We"ve made our own pick of the best 4K monitors based on our own reviews, on recommendations from working creatives and a full comparison of their specs. We"ve weighed up the pros and cons of each screen and evaluated them for build, ergonomics, image quality, useful features, brightness colour coverage and accuracy and connectivity options. We"ve also considered value for money to provide options for different budgets.

If you"re a professional photographer or video editor who needs the very best, jump down to the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X at number 4 or the Asus ProArt PA32UC-K at number 6 in our list. The reason they"re not at the top of the list because of their price and that they"re overkill for many people. When we factoring in value, cheaper 4K monitors like the Dell S3221QS and Samsung U28E590D have made it higher since they meet most people"s needs at a much more accessible price.

If you"re looking for the best 4K monitor for a specific task, also check our guides to the best monitor for photo editing and the best monitors for video editing. And if you work with multiple monitors daisy-chained and fancy an alternative, see our pick of the best ultrawide monitors.

Pro features for under a grand put this at the top of our list of the best 4K monitors. Following in a long tradition of fine displays from Dell, the UltraSharp U3219Q offers full sRGB covering, 95 per cent DCI-P3 and exceptional colour uniformity, making it ideal for all types of creatives, including those working in photo and video.

Dell takes second place on our pick of the best 4K monitors too, but this time with a much more affordable display. So OK, perhaps it"s not exactly cheap, but it"s a lot more affordable than most good 4K monitors. It looks stunning too. Dell monitors aren"t known exactly known for their sleek looks, but the curved S3221QS is a lot more elegant than its name, standing out from all those black and grey business monitors with its white back and base.

Professional 4K monitors can be massively expensive (just see the stunning Eizo ColorEdge CG319X and the Asus ProArt PA32UC-K below), but there are now some fantastic UHD screens that strike a great balance between specs and price. Our favourite, certainly for photography, is the BenQ SW321C PhotoVue. When we reviewed it, we found it to be the perfect (reasonably) affordable 32in 4K monitor for photo editing for performance and usability.

The Eizo ColourEdge CG319X is the connoisseur’s choice in high-quality displays. Eizo displays are a very familiar sight in professional video and photography studios – and this 31-inch 4K monitor, with a 10-bit display and 24-bit colour look-up table, is a stunner. The CG319X also boasts one feature that sets it apart from competing high-end 4K screens: 4096 x 2160 resolution rather than 3840 x 2160. This reflects the slightly taller 4K standard used in digital video production.

For a more compact 4K monitor, this 28-inch Samsung 4K display follows very closely on the heels of the Dell 4K S3221QS at number 2 on our list of the best 4K monitors above in terms of value. It lacks pro features but there"s still 100 per cent support for the sRGB colour space, a high 300cd/square metre brightness level and support for 60Hz 4K.

Asus"s flagship ProArt PA32UC-K boasts a premium appearance, 10-bit colour, a range of inputs (including Thunderbolt 3), 1,000-nit brightness and great colour accuracy, using a 14-bit look-up table (LUT). Hardware support for colour calibrators is also included out of the box and accuracy can hit 100 per cent of sRGB, 99.5 per cent of Adobe RGB, 95 per cent DCI-P3 and 85 per cent Rec.20. So basically, it"s a solid screen for those who need accurate colours for photo or video editing.

Most displays are 16:9 or 16:10 format, so the 3:2 Huawei Mateview immediately got our attention when we tested it out. This slightly squarer format is good for viewing certain types of content – viewing images and documents in portrait format is easier, and a picture taken on a standard camera can be displayed full bleed. Of course, the flip side is that widescreen video will have big black bars on the top and bottom – so it’s probably not the best choice for movie-watching

The MateView is firmly pitched at working creatives. Its IPS panel is capable of displaying 100 per cent of the sRGB colour gamut, and 98 per cent of the DCI-P3 video colour space. It also has a maximum brightness level of 500 nits, and a 1200:1 contrast ratio. The sleek, slim-bezel design is a nice addition too, and we found the touch-sensitive smart bar to be an ergonomic way to control the monitor. It"s available at a tempting price (although there are some stock issues in the US), and we reckon it"s a solid choice of monitor for creatives.

The BenQ EW3280U is a great all-round display with impressive colour accuracy and coverage is enough and an attractive price. It may be part of BenQ"s entertainment line, but we tested the monitor for different tasks over several days and found it to be good at handling productivity and creative workloads, as well as gaming. The screen size and resolution make it a great option for designers and creators who aren"t ready to commit to splashing out something like the Eizo and Asus options above.

The Samsung M8 is a somewhat novel proposition. It feels almost like its aiming to be an Apple all-in-one, but without quite having the all-in-one bit. I say quite because the monitor can perform some tasks without a PC attached, including browsing, emails, gaming and Smart TV streaming.

Why would you want such features? Well, the Smart TV functionality could save your from buying a TV (it comes with a remote and all major streaming apps already come preinstalled and work like you"d expect on a Samsung TV). You can do quick tasks like send an email or use Microsoft 365 without booting up your PC, saving a bit of time, and you can play games via the Xbox Game Pass if you don"t have gaming-capable PC. There"s also voice assistant functionality, not Google Home Assistant or Siri, unfortunately, but we found that Alexa and Samsung"s own Bixby work well.

As for screen quality, its peak brightness is only 400 nits but we found that the dynamic HDR10+ works well to recover detail in dark and light areas. The contrast ratio as stated is 3,000:1, though the highest we measured was 2,530:1. But based on our test results, the screen offers 100% sRGB, 89% AdobeRGB, and 94% DCI-P3 colour gamuts – pretty good for creative work, although pro video editors and digital artists will be better served with one of the pro-level monitors above. After calibration, we got an impressive Delta-E average of 0.89 for colour accuracym and uniformity was also good.

This 4K display also benefits from an attractive, thin, light design (although the ports and OSD button could be better located and the mount doesn"t offer full articulation). The biggest disappointment is the sound quality – it seems they decided you"ll be using speakers or headphones, so why bother? That aside, there"s plenty here to make this a very interesting 4K monitor.

Compared with some of the pricey high-end colour-accurate Eizo and Asus screens above, the Philips Brilliance 328P (another really catchy name, right?) is an excellent alternative, as it’s great value for money while still offering solid visuals. It’s a 31.5-inch IPS panel with measured 99 per cent sRGB and 73 per cent AdobeRGB coverage, a thin-bezel design and a few extras such as a pop-up webcam that works when the built-in USB hub is connected.

Photographers and videographers who need high resolution may also want to consider this more compact LG option, which offers a 98% DCI-P3 colour gamut, great colour accuracy and typical brightness of 540 nits. The stand is height-and-tilt adjustable so you can find the right position for you, and the Thunderbolt 3 port supports 4K Daisy Chain so you can set this up with another monitor.

Viewsonic has a few colour accurate displays on the market, and the VP2785-4K is the most high-end model in its catalogue. It"s a 27-inch 4K IPS screen, sporting 100 per cent sRGB and quoted 99 per cent AdobeRGB coverage. It’s a bit fiddly to put together, requiring a screwdriver to attach the panel to the stand, but the overall design is extremely svelte, with a thin and light build, near edge-to-edge screen, and only a small bezel at the bottom that accommodates touch-sensitive controls.

With a 14-bit LUT, 700:1 contrast ratio and 375-nit brightness, the picture quality of the VP2785-4K won’t disappoint, although it doesn’t quite deliver the same eye-popping colours of the most high-end 4K displays money can buy.What is a 4K monitor?4K, also known as ultra-high definition or UHD, is a measure of a screen"s resolution. 4K monitors have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which compares to a resolution of 1290 x 1080 for full high definition (FHD). This means that it"s almost four times FHD resolution. What that means in practice is that images look sharper and tighter, which is great for viewing HD video and higher quality video game graphics.Do I need a 4K monitor?There are a couple of main reasons that you might benefit from a 4K monitor. Firstly, for your own enjoyment. Even if you"ll be using your screen purely for entertainment purposes rather than for work, 4K offers a notably sharper picture, which can enhance the enjoyment of watching films, series and playing games. That said, when it comes to PC gaming, 4K UHD resolution is very demanding and many will find that the improvement in image quality isn"t worth the drop in performance.

The other reason you might want one of the best 4K monitors is for work. If you work in any visual creative area, a 4K screen can improve your experience by allowing you to see your work in more definition. If you work in video, you"ll almost certainly need at least a 4K monitor since 4K video has almost become the norm. If you"re producing 4K video for a client, then you really need to be able to view it in 4K while you work.Is a 4K monitor worth it?Today, for most professionals it"s almost certainly worth investing one of the best 4K monitors. They"re still more expensive than 1080p displays, but they have come down in price a lot as they become standard, and they"re now so much more affordable than they were that it"s no longer such a big decision.

While 4K doesn"t make a lot of sense for a small monitor, from 27-inches and up, it makes a huge difference from FHD that will be immediately apparent to anyone. Gary Heiting, an optometrist and senior editor of the website AllAboutVision, even says that the increased screen resolution can reduce the risk of eye strain, so working in 4K over long sessions can be more comfortable even if you don"t need to produce 4K video.Is my computer compatible with a 4K monitor?You might hope that buying one of the best 4K monitors will automatically improve your viewing experience, but it"s important to know that not every laptop or PC can support 4K. Most recent PCs or Macs should have no problem displaying 4K resolution, but it"s a good idea to check your screen"s recommended display resolution before you buy a new screen. We have a guide to screen resolution that may help.

To check your device, Right-click your desktop and select “Screen Resolution”. Under display settings, you"ll find a range of screen recommendations. If 3840×2160 is listed, you can be confident that your computer will indeed support a 4K monitor. If not, then you"ll need to upgrade your computer as well as your monitor if you want to enjoy 4K video rendering.

There"s also the issue of ports. You’ll need to make sure your PC has either an HDMI 2.0 port or DisplayPort 1.4 port that can support 4K since earlier versions of these ports do not. Your CPU And GPU also have an impact on your device"s ability to run 4K, because 4K is more demanding.

If your device uses Intel integrated graphics, you"ll want to have at least a 4th generation (Haswell) processor core processor. If you have Ivy Bridge or earlier, you"ll need to have a recent graphics card installed (if you"re unsure, you can check your processor at ark.intel.com to find out what the motherboard or integrated CPU graphics is capable of.How do I choose the best 4K monitor?You can now go 4K without spending a fortune, but the best 4K monitors can still be very expensive if you want pro-level calibration and the best colour accuracy. If you"re going to be using your screen for any kind of colour work, then you want precise colour accuracy. Most entry-level 4K monitors actually do a fairly decent job, but the best 4K monitors for designers will have full coverage of the AdobeRGB or DCI-P3 colour space.

Investing in a colour-accurate display will get you an excellent screen for black levels and brightness that will serve you well whether you"re working on images or video. You"ll want to invest in the best monitor calibrator too unless the monitor you choose comes with one of its own.

After colour, size is obviously another major factor in choosing the best 4K monitor for you. The most popular choice is 27-inches but 32-inch screens are becoming more common and get the most out of the 4K resolution.

You"ll also want to check what ports a monitor has before you buy it. The two cheapest options in our list of the best 4K monitors don"t have a USB-C connection, something that many creatives will want for hooking up devices quickly and easily. Most monitors have DisplayPort and HDMI ports, but this can"t be taken as given either – the LG Ultrafine 24MD4KL is well kitted out with USB-C and the faster Thunderbolt 3 ports, but skips the older ports.

With a significant improvement of optical technology, 4K applications have become more and more popular. The 4K video has become synonymous with "high-definition."

The 4K LCD monitors are the most common 4K devices. Both professional video producers, as well as consumers, use 4K monitors.    However, there are many different types of 4K LCD monitors on the market. Many of us may ask why some 4K monitors offer a horizontal resolution of 4096 pixels, and some offer 3840 pixels? And what are the differences between "Real" 4K and "Fake" 4K monitors? In this article, we will answer all those questions.

4K UHD is the most common abbreviation for the 4K applications. But initially, 4K and UHD are two different standards developed for various industries. The term "4K" originally derives from the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), a consortium of motion picture studios that has developed a standard for 4K video content, applying 4096 x 2160 pixels as the resolution standard.

UHD stands for Ultra High Definition, a standard for broadcast and consumer display. UHD is four times the resolution of Full HD. In other words, compared to the Full HD resolution, which is 1920 x 1080 pixels, UHD features a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.

The 4K in cinema standard (4096 x 2160 pixels) and the UHD in consumer display standard (3840 x 2160 pixels) are different in horizontal lines. The aspect ratio of videos for TV broadcasting is 16:9; however, the standard aspect ratio is 1.85:1, equivalent to 4096 x 2160 pixels in the cinema industry. Although the overall pixels of 4096 x 2160pixel and 3840 x 2160pixel are slightly different, the horizontal pixels are both close to 4000 pixels. Thus, 4096 x 2160pixel and 3840 x 2160pixel are generally referred to as "4K Standard ". Additionally, the 4K standard is more commonly known as 4K UHD to emphasize the difference between 4K and Full HD.

The RGB color space is a common technique applied in the panel. The RGBW technology is another technique that uses four sub-pixels comprising red, green, blue, and white in the panel. In an RGB panel, each column has 3840 pixels, and each pixel consists of three independent sub-pixels – red (R), green (G), and blue (B), so there are 11520 sub-pixels (3840x3) in each column. The RGBW panel comprises four sub-pixels: red, green, blue, and white (W). Each pixel is made up of four sub-pixels: red, green, blue, and white. And for every pixel, there are only three-color pixels, thus resulting in 3840 x 3 x ¾ = 8640 color sub-pixels in an RGBW panel. The total numbers of sub-pixels are only 75% of the RGB panel. The competition among the panel manufacturers is very intensive, some RGB panel manufacturers would like to advertise their RGB panels as superior to the competitors" RGBW panels, so call the RGB panel is the "Real 4K" panel which compares to the RGBW panel as "Fake 4K panel".

Because the RGBW panel has the white color sub-pixel, the white-color light results in the image"s color saturation not being as high as the RGB panel. However, the RGBW panel also has features that the RGB panel doesn"t have. The white-color sub-pixels of the RGBW panel provide better transmittance, yielding a better color transparent image. Also, as the panel"s light transparency improves, the RGBW panel can achieve the same brightness as the RGB panel by using fewer backlight modules. As a result, the RGBW panel consumes less power, and the manufacturing cost of the RGBW panel is also lower than that of RGB panels.

The optical technology keeps on improving, and the 4K displays are not the final milestone for the optical industry. The new 8K applications have been on the way. The technical roadmap of the optical industry goes toward higher resolution. The digital resolution will sooner or later go beyond the limit of human eyes. Here we suggest that consumers do not fall into the "Real 4K" or the "Fake 4K" myth when choosing a 4K monitor. Resolution should not be the only determining factor for purchasing a monitor. More essential elements such as screen size, color presentation, viewing experience, price, warranty etc. should be considered before making the purchasing decision.

When it comes to the best monitors, you either go 4K or go home, especially if you"re using the monitor for creative work requiring finer detail than you"d get with a 2K monitor or a 1080p display. And now that we"re heading into the new year, there"s a whole host of even higher refresh displays. We expect to see a good bit of shake up on this list, but unless you"re willing to spend a premium on many of newest 4K monitors, many of the monitors on this list will be even cheaper next year, so it"ll be a great time to upgrade to 4K if you haven"t already.

The best 4K monitors deliver sharp, incredibly detailed visuals that lower-resolution monitors simply aren"t capable of offering. And because they"re now more affordable than ever and come with faster refresh rates, it"s unsurprising that they"re now becoming the new display standard.

If you"re on a hunt for the best monitor, it"s a good idea to future-proof your computer setup with an excellent 4K monitor. 1080p and 1440p monitors are hardly obsolete, but since most content and games are now in 4K, the best way to experience them is with one that"s capable of displaying them in that resolution. You"ll also soon realize that many 4K displays cost about the same as their 1440p counterparts. So, you"re really better off going with the higher resolution.

4K monitors also have the added benefit of having more screen real estate to work with – something that most content creators and multitaskers will find very useful. And, because they come in different varieties, it"s easy to find the most ideal display for you, whether you need a high-refresh rate monitor for gaming, one with wide coverage of the various color gamuts (DCI-P3, Adobe, etc) for content creation, or something for general productivity or to expand the display for your laptop.

We"ve tested many of them, which means we can help you choose an ideal 4K display for your needs. So, we"ve pulled together the best 4K monitors for all the different use cases. If you need something that"s higher than 4K, one of the best 5K and 8K monitors might be a better choice. Otherwise, one of our top picks below should satisfying your viewing needs.

Dell’s 4K monitor is stunning inside and out. We love its woven arctic white design that lends to its unique elegant look, allowing it to stand out against the sea of black and gray monitors out there. Its display is impeccable as well.

On top of that 4K resolution is a contrast ratio of 3,000:1, support for 1.07 billion colors, up to 4ms response time, and a 178/178 viewing angle that altogether produce stunning, crisp and vibrant visuals that are just as excellent for media consumption as they are for productivity.

With the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q, you’re getting a lot of value for your money – especially considering the small price of entry. One of the most affordable 4K gaming monitors right now, this 28-inch display can swivel, pivot and tilt practically whichever way you need (within reason, naturally) to serve your purpose. In fact, this is among the ergonomic monitors we"ve ever tested.

Pro-level displays are no longer the premium-priced, inaccessible purchase they started out to be. At least as far as the BenQ SW321C PhotoVue is concerned. This UHD display designed specifically for photo editing is not just the perfect combination of 4K resolution and 32-inch panel size. It’s also up a step or two in terms of both performance, usability and features.

It boasts an incredibly wide color gamut of 99% of the Adobe RGB color space and 95% of DCI-P3. That’s exactly what you need if you’re in the cinematography or photography sphere. And, that’s on top of all the other features like Delta E ≤ 2 color accuracy in Adobe RGB and sRGB as well as HDR10 and HLG support.

The Gigabyte M32UC curved gaming monitor is the full package and is ideal especially for multiplatform gamers. Not only does it provide 4k gaming at 144 Hz but it provides respectable HDR400 along with just enough curvature for an immersive experience. There’s also a good amount of ports and great color gamut coverage, though we had to tinker with the settings to get the colors to pop.

It also comes with most of the features one could need including a USB-C port – though it doesn’t deliver enough power to charge a laptop – that HDMI 2.1 port that’s critical for 4K gaming at 120Hz with next-gen consoles, and KVM for those who want to connect multiple sources.

4K fans will find a lot to love in the LG Ultrafine 24MD4KL-B. That"s especially if they’re photographers or videographers who need all that prime real estate and high resolution.

It boasts a 98% DCI-P3 color gamut, 540 nits of typical brightness, and a height-and-tilt adjustable stand that makes it easy to find a comfortable workflow that will let you focus on your creative process. When testing, we were also impressed by its color accuracy. That’s besides its Thunderbolt 3 port that supports 4K Daisy Chain so you can have a setup with multiple monitors.

If you’re on the market for one of the best 4K monitors without all the fancy bells and whistles, you’ll want the BenQ PD2700U. Still, it remains to be an impressive 27-inch 4K display.

We found its IPS panel to be color accurate and of high quality. It boasts 100% Rec.709 and sRGB color spaces, which makes it great for photographers and graphic designers. It comes with different modes – Darkroom, CAD/CAM and Animation Mode – for different workloads. It has DualView and KVM Switch for the ultimate multitasking. And, it features BenQ’s AQCOLOR technology, which means every unit is individually pre-calibrated out of the box.

The Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 may be expensive. And, its HDR performance might be a little underwhelming, especially considering the price. But, this monitor is still a stellar option for most people. To start, you don’t have to choose between fast refresh rates and crisp, detailed images with it as it provides 4K resolution at 144 Hz. That alone makes this monitor great for any gamer not too hung up on HDR.

The LG 32UN880 UltraFine Display Ergo has done something cool. Instead of going for the same homogeneous mount and stand that all monitors have, it has opted for a C-Clamp, One-Click Mount that allows it to extend, retract, go high, go low, tilt and pivot like no other. Plus, as it clamps down on the edge of the desk, it reduces the monitor’s footprint somewhat. That’s versatility turned up to 11. In fact, we can safely say that this is the most ergonomic monitor we’ve tested.

If you’re hoping for a monitor that comes with a decent amount of features, that crisp 4K resolution, and a reasonable price tag that won’t have you looking up instant ramen recipes, then consider the Monoprice 28in CrystalPro 4K.

Its under $400 / £400 price is not even the best reason to get it. While Monoprice doesn’t provide concrete numbers, we found the monitor to have good contrast as well as vibrant and relatively accurate colors. We did notice that the backlighting wasn’t uniform which could be an issue for creatives if this is the only monitor they’re using. That said, it wasn’t too noticeable.

Who says monitors have to be boring? The Samsung M8 takes the philosophy of more is better and packs it into an iMac-like package that make most monitors look like they were produced in a mortuary.

Of course, there are some caveats as the M8 does feel a bit flimsy. And, when tested, we found its uneven backlighting and slightly underwhelming color gamut coverage to preclude it from gaming or creative work.

But, if you need a solid productivity monitor, it offers a whole lot of functionality including USB-C connectivity with 65 watts of power delivery, a clip-on adjustable magnetic webcam with a security cap, and smart TV functionality that will let you stream Netflix, Disney+ or whatever other streaming service you like when you’re procrastinating from work. Of course, there are some built-in speakers as well though we recommend investing in some external ones instead.

Knowing what to look for in the best 4K monitor is important when choosing the right one for you. You need to know what panel size is ideal for your setup – bear in mind that the best monitor size for 4K is 32-inch – and the panel type (VA, IPS or TN) that"s ideal for your needs, as well as the type of connectivity you require.

Of course, if you plan on using yours for creative workflows, you should consider one with excellent color accuracy, the right color spaces for your work, higher brightness levels and a higher contrast ratio. If you plan on using it for gaming, you"ll want to take a closer look at the refresh rate – some 4K monitors now offer 120Hz and 144Hz refresh rates, response time, and G-Sync or FreeSync support.

Finally, take a look at the price. Many 4K displays are still pretty expensive, but there are also several excellent options out there that are affordable for most people. If you can afford to splurge, however, the kitted-out models are more than worth their steep price.Is a 4K monitor worth it?The best 4K monitors are going to give you incredible visuals that pair well with your gaming PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and the most recent movies and shows filmed with UHD. If you watch a lot of media or play a lot of the newest games, you should definitely consider getting the best 4K monitor so you can play and watch everything as it’s meant to be seen in high-definition.

If you’re not a frequent gamer and are just looking to get a new monitor, it might still be a good idea to upgrade to a 4K monitor. It seems high-definition is where the standard resolution is headed, so it might be best to be ahead of the curve with a 4K display. Even if you only watch the occasional YouTube video when working, a 4K monitor will definitely make a difference.Is 4K good for office work?One of the biggest advantages of 4K resolution is having more screen real estate, which means you"ll have a lot more space to work with. That makes it great for multitasking – the more space you have, the more tabs, windows and applications you can open and make immediately accessible.

4K monitors are not necessary for office work. However, you might find it extremely advantageous to use one, especially if you tend to juggle different tasks at the same time.What is the best monitor size for 4K?

Many say that 4K is great on 24-, 27-, and 32-inch panels while others love it on 43-inch ones. Of course, it all depends on how far you are from your display and how big your desk is.

Just bear in mind that on a 24-inch panel, that 4K resolution will make everything smaller, which in turn makes text harder to read. Display scaling helps improve your experience, but not all apps can be scaled to the ideal size.

Meanwhile, having a massive 43-inch screen is overkill for most people, especially if you"re using your computer mostly for productivity tasks. It also requires a lot of desk space.

This is why most people think that a 32-inch panel is the sweet spot for 4K resolution. It"s the ideal size for enjoying that incredibly sharp and detailed Ultra HD goodness.

Why you can trust TechRadarOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

We test a 4K monitor like we test any other monitor. We start by setting it up and using it as our main monitor for a few days. We utilize it for our day-to-day workloads, streaming movies and shows, and, especially if it"s a gaming monitor, playing our favorite AAA games. This is how we gauge its real-world performance.

We do more than that, however. We also test very specific features like color reproduction, refresh rates and response times. We make sure that the visuals are smooth, clean, and artifact-free. And, we check just how good its marquee features – HDR, adaptive sync technology, RGB lighting – are.

The companies that manufacture computer monitors and high-end televisions are actively seeking ways of increasing the average selling price of flat-panel screens. The recent trend, however, has been going in the opposite direction, with large TVs and a wide range of computer monitors becoming cheaper and cheaper via economies of scale derived through mass production.

New technology often paves the way for increasing prices and profit margins. The first flat-panel computer monitors and TVs were made available roughly 10 years ago and consumers were willing to pay the premium for technology that, compared to traditional CRTs, saved space and offered higher resolutions. A few years later, technology dubbed "Full-HD" or "1080p" became the central message, enticing consumers to spend more for potentially higher image quality.

The next evolution in flat-panel image quality - be it a TV or computer monitor - is known as "4K" or "Ultra HD." The industry hopes that the introduction of such screens will reinvigorate the premium market and convince consumers to spend more for cutting-edge technology, just as they did for Full-HD.

Modern LCD monitors work by packing in a large number of pixels on the screen and then generating the appropriate colours by shining light, usually from LEDs, through colour filters. Each pixel can therefore be set to a different colour, and the combination of different-coloured pixels make up the image you see. Text tends to use black-coloured pixels, the background is usually set to white, and menus are often grey. Look very, very closely at the text and you may be able to identify individual pixels.

A typical Full-HD or 1080p screen has a total of 2,073,600 pixels (1,920x1,080). These are usually present on computer monitors ranging from 22-27in or TV screens from 32in to 60in. As you sit closer to monitors than to the living-room TV, the pixel density - just how many pixels you can fit into a given size - is necessarily higher for the PC monitors, which makes it nicer and easier to read text and view high-quality images.

4K is the industry buzzword that encapsulates greater detail and more lifelike images and video on the next generation of TVs and monitors. An increased number of pixels are at the heart of 4K, too. TVs and computer monitors tend to regard 4K, or Ultra HD, as a screen possessing a 3,840x2,160-pixel resolution - or exactly 4x the available pixels on a Full-HD display. This means there are 8,294,400 pixels (8.3MP) on the screen.

It"s generally accepted that perceived image quality improves as the pixel-count is increased, so having more pixels, if possible, is advantageous. Drawing an obvious analogy, an 8MP digital camera tends to take more detailed, lifelike pictures than a 2MP one; the same is true in terms of display, because an 8MP screen can provide more vibrant and realistic images.

If it is clear and obvious that more pixels make for a better viewing experience, why isn"t the market awash with 4K screens, you may ask? There are significant manufacturing complexities in ensuring screens with 8.3-million pixels are produced in a cost-effective manner. 2013 appears to be the year of 4K, though, as the major TV producers are likely to have premium 4K sets available in the next few months.

The other wrinkle to significant 4K adoption is content. 4K screens work best when fed with video recorded and transmitted in a native 4K format. This is still relatively thin on the ground, especially for live-sports events, and most expert commentators agree that it will take two or three years until there is widespread transmitted and pre-recorded 4K available.

And just as the manufacturing complexity increases with 4x the number of pixels, 4K introduces bandwidth limitations with respect to transmission, as pushing that much data - 4x Full-HD, remember - put