When you invest in a technically advanced product that you use daily for work, it’s important to make a well-thought-out choice. Technical specifications and expert advice can often be tricky to interpret and translate into practical benefits. To make your decision easier, we’ve put together a guide that explains common monitor specs and facts in a way that’s easier to understand – and a lot more fun!
The color gamut represents how much of the color space a monitor can display, kind of like how the football federation sets the corner flags to define the field. But just as a large pitch doesn’t guarantee a great game, a wide color gamut doesn’t necessarily mean that colors are handled well within it.
The LUT (Look-Up Table) is like the way the players work together. The more bits, the better the teamwork and precision.A team with a 24-bit LUT is like a top-tier squad with flawless tactics – they almost never misplace a pass!
As the match goes on, the team (your monitor) gets tired. Brightness fades, colors become inaccurate, and mistakes happen. Hardware calibration is like a time-out where the coach resets the strategy, bringing the team back to peak performance – just like it’s the first minute of the game again!
If the team is playing poorly, the coach (software calibration) tries to adjust to their level.The problem? The worse the team gets, the less effective the coach’s adjustments become. Software calibration is like a desperate fix that never quite matches the precision of hardware calibration.
Factory calibration is how "well-trained" the team is according to the coach (the manufacturer) when they leave preseason training (the factory).But even a fifth-division coach might believe his team is in peak form – that doesn’t mean they’re ready for the Champions League!
Profiles work like different game strategies, adapting to field size and conditions (color spaces) based on global standards. A great graphic monitor doesn’t just give you standard settings – it lets you create your own profiles to match unique needs.
For example, you can fine-tune your monitor’s color rendering to mimic how printer ink will appear on matte, glossy, or textured paper. It’s like adjusting your game plan for different stadium conditions!
Delta E measures color accuracy – like tracking how many passes a team makes without missing.Some coaches (manufacturers) love to brag about their team's precision, but reality doesn’t always match the hype!
A monitor’s uniformity is like a team’s ability to maintain speed and precision, no matter where they are on the field.If the players struggle when running towards the sidelines, uniformity is poor. A great team (or monitor) performs consistently across the entire pitch!
When manufacturers talk about brightness and contrast, it often sounds like a coach hyping up his team’s abilities.The numbers look impressive on paper, but real-world performance varies, and these values change with time and monitor quality.
Hertz determines how fast the screen refreshes the image – just like the tempo of a football match. A team playing too fast (high hertz) might rush into situations, leading to sloppy passes and missed opportunities.A balanced pace (the right hertz) ensures both speed and precision.
VA Panel = Backyard FieldUneven grass, bumps, and unpredictable ball bounces make it tough to play properly.
OLED Panel = Pristine but Fragile PitchLike a flawless grass field – until you play too much. It wears out quickly, and exposure to too much sun can create permanent burn spots. OLED needs protection (a roof!) and shorter playtime to stay in top condition.
IPS Panel = The Best Stadium TurfA premium stadium pitch that performs well in all conditions – rain or shine. Whether it’s an amateur game or a world-class tournament, this field always delivers top performance.
HDR is like a player hyped as the next big star, but whose actual skills are often exaggerated. Many monitors claim to support HDR, but most are just spectators rather than true players on the field.Only a handful of monitors can truly handle HDR production, requiring advanced technology to meet extreme brightness, contrast, and color demands. Training a real HDR-ready player takes more than just showing up – it requires dedication.
Regular and designer monitors are like fans in the stands – watching the game but not playing. Some self-proclaimed experts might yell, “I could do that better myself!” but when they step onto the field, they can’t deliver.A true graphic monitor is like a seasoned pro who has trained for years, mastered tactics, and built endurance. It doesn’t just talk about quality – it delivers it.
Some say, “Why use a graphic monitor when we can’t control what screen the audience views it on?”
That logic is flawed. Just like in football, it’s not about the field on the other side – it’s about playing at the highest possible level, no matter where the game is held. A graphic monitor ensures that your work is correct from the start. Without it, colors may look unnatural, details get lost, and the final product suffers. Not using a graphic monitor is like making decisions based on false information – it may feel right at the time, but the result is almost always wrong.As they say: “Rubbish in, rubbish out.”