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Monitor

Last Updated: 2022-01-16

OLED vs QLED vs MiniLED vs MicroLED

OLED is a fundamentally different technology from LCD: OLED is "emissive", meaning the pixels emit their own light.

QLED, MiniLED, MicroLED are "transmissive", rely on an LED backlight.

  • QLED is a variation of LED LCD, adding a quantum dot film to the LCD "sandwich." A QLED TV is just an LCD TV with quantum dots
  • Mini LEDs are smaller than the average LED, with diodes that measure in the 0.008-inch (200 microns) range, or about a fifth the size of what a standard LED measures.
  • MicroLED has the potential for the same perfect black levels as OLED, with no danger of burn-in. It can deliver higher brightness than any current display technology, wide-gamut excellent color and doesn't suffer the viewing angle and uniformity issues of LCD. micro-LED sizes are as small as 50μm — about 0.002 inches across — making them 1/100th the size of a conventional LED.

Interface: VGA vs DVI vs HDMI vs DisplayPort

  • VGA is deprecated
  • DVI is still alive but being replaced by HDMI and DisplayPort
  • HDMI: currently most popular are version 1.4 and 2.0. Both standards can deliver 4K video to a display, HDMI 1.4 is limited to just 30Hz, meaning it can only display 30 frames per second, HDMI 2.0 can handle 4K at 60Hz.
  • DisplayPort: often found in high end graphics card and displays. It can support 4K at 120Hz, and 8K.

IPS vs VA vs TN

  • Twisted Nematic (TN) monitors: the oldest LCD panel type, cost less than IPS and VA.
  • Vertical alignment (VA) monitors: improved upon the drawbacks of TN; offer much higher contrast, better color reproduction, and wider viewing angles than TN panels.
  • In-Plane Switching (IPS) monitors: best for color performance and super-wide viewing angles.Leverage liquid crystals aligned in parallel to produce rich colors; defined by the shifting patterns of their liquid crystals.

Glossy or not?

  • glossy
  • anti-glare: smooth surface but reduced reflection
  • matte: rough surface and no reflection

Portable Monitor

Good for traveling.

iPad can be extended monitor for Macbook.