## Description Computer monitors have come a long way since the cathode ray tube days. There are so many to choose from and they have so many different properties. This makes it so mind-boggling to choose between an ocean of pixels. ## Properties ### Panel Type #### In-Plane Switching (IPS) Seems to be the most common monitor type. Their biggest weakness is the lack of range in blacks when viewing in dimly lit spaces. As someone who works in dark mode without room lights on, this is kind of a bummer. These monitors also have better motion clarity at most price points #### Vertical Align (VA) Offers an improvement to IPS monitors in displaying blacks at the cost of viewing angles. As someone more interested in productivity and not gaming, I won't need to see enemies coming out of the corner of my eye for twitch reflexes. #### Twisted Nematic (TN) TN monitors are good for gamers because their pixels respond faster. However I'm not interested in the same twitch reflexes that professional gamers must hone, so TN monitors are less of an interest to me. #### Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) OLED isn't actually LCD, like the three monitors above. Because LEDs actually turn off to display blacks, OLEDs offer the best dark contrast. The problem with LEDs is that they eventually experience burn-in after thousands of hours. This means that the color will fade over time as the LEDs gravitate to displaying the colors it most often displays. ### Resolution Resolution is the number of pixels a monitor can display. For [[ultrawide monitors]], a high pixel count is key because it improves the sharpness of displayed images. ### HDR Mainly a buzz word that isn't really relevant to productivity. ### Resolution Definitely 4k, so we'll be looking at larger-sized monitors. However 1440p might be a consideration since I don't need gaming-level specs. #### 4K Nuances On Amazon I see that 4K monitors come in a variety of other flavors - 4K UHD 2160p - 4K UHD 1600p Ultra Wide - 4K DCI 2160p - Wider than normal 4K--movies are shot at this resolution I figure that an ultrawide monitor would be better for me since I can dock my IDE at one side and have the rest of the content display either documentation or the application I am displaying. Eventually I would also connect a PlayStation 5 to the monitor. ### Size Sitting too close to a monitor can cause several issues: - eye strain - cannot view all of the content Sizes >= 32 inches need to be placed a decent distance away. With my current setup, I'm pretty close to the monitor. I have a mouse and keyboard which lets me sit a little bit further back. Guides on ergonomics suggest that monitors are at least an arm's distance away from your eyes. Ideally I would have one vertical monitor for my IDE and another oriented landscape to view normal desktop content. That might be possible with my current setup. ### Ports - USB-C can charge a laptop - HDMI and DisplayPorts function as output ### Refresh Rate Anything greater than 60 Hz would make moving windows and CSS animations more smooth, but might not be worth the increased cost. ## Result Considering everything above, the best monitor for me would be - At least 32 inches - 4k - IPS - Vertical Align - No HDR - 60 Hz refresh rate - Adjustable height, angle ## References - [Monitor Buying Guide - PC World](https://www.pcworld.com/article/535837/monitor_buying_guide.html) - [Resolution - Samsung](https://www.samsung.com/levant/monitors/monitor-buying-guide/how-to-select-by-resolution/) - [How to Pick a Monitor - The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/22877788/best-monitor-work-from-home-screen-choice-4k-qhd-refresh-rate-ultrawide)