Choosing a monitor for work in the office or for home needs, one cannot but pay attention to such a critical moment as the diagonal. Monitor resolution, matrix type, manufacturer and other characteristics, of course, are no less important, but in this article we will start from this indicator.
The computer market, without exaggeration, is oversaturated with displays of various types and sizes. Therefore, it is sometimes very difficult for the average user to make the right and balanced choice. Let's try to figure out how the diagonal of the monitor screen affects the other characteristics of the device, and discuss which models are better to pay attention to.
What are we looking for?
To begin, consider the state of affairs in the modern computer market. Very often, when choosing these types of devices, the question of where exactly the monitor will be used (which diagonal we need - more on that below) does not stand upright. In the understanding of most users, a good device is simply obliged to be universal: you can work with it around the clock, play until late at night, comfortably surf the Internet, as well as watch your favorite TV shows and movies.
These desires are quite understandable, but then why, instead of several universal monitors, on the market do we see a whole bunch of devices that differ very little well? The answer is quite simple - to increase sales. Agree that you will choose the devices and the same diagonals of monitors from the manufacturer that presents its brand with dozens of models, and not from a company whose range is limited to three devices, even very good ones. In addition, almost any more or less significant brand is not averse to creating an illusion of choice for its future consumer.
But among all this diversity, there is definitely that device and that diagonal of the monitor screen, which is considered the best in its segment. We will talk about how to find them among all this heap in this article. It’s worth mentioning right away that the diagonal of the monitor is measured in inches. Some manufacturers, for some reason, are not completely understood, are trying to measure the size in feet, centimeters or anything else, but the international computer market stands firmly at inches, as does our article.
Diagonal monitors
The diagonal of the screen is one of the critical characteristics that helps to distinguish one device from another and significantly affects the price tag. In principle, you can determine the diagonal of the monitor screen by eye. Judging by the reviews of most owners, 18.5-inch devices are considered to be small devices, 19-21.5 ”as usual, large 23-24”, huge 27 ”, and more than 30” - this is something from the “ Wow!"
Diagonal of monitors (sizes)
Let’s try to somehow systematize these general data into a more or less nice picture, where everyone can choose some optimal option. We are talking about ordinary monitors that you can buy in the store, that is, not claiming to perform any specific or extremely complex tasks.
18.5-20 inch
This niche can be called budget or office. Due to the low cost, this kind of equipment is snapped up by the organization, as well as by customers who, for whatever their fundamental reasons, prefer small diagonals of monitors (this will work for a child, I only need to look at the photo on it, etc.) or just limited in funds.
21.5-24 inch
Judging by the bare statistics, then about a little more than half of all monitors purchased this year are in this category. Naturally, all creators of games, sites, videos and other content for a personal computer know this, therefore, most developers test their products before release on this particular group. The universal type of device in this case is the IPS / * VA monitor (24 ”diagonal).
27 inch
This is a rather promising segment with its own nuances. If you buy an inexpensive model with such a diagonal, then at a standard working distance, which is about 70 cm from the eyes, you can see the individual pixels in the image, and the overall picture will seem a little rough. Therefore, if you are limited in funds, it is better to take a more sensible matrix, but with a smaller size, that is, a high-quality IPS monitor (17-24 ”diagonal).
30 inches or more
This is for the most part an exclusive niche with very biting prices. The maximum monitor diagonal in this segment was seen on the Sharp device - 43 inches. Devices with such dimensions are not popular, and they cannot be called mass consumption products due to their high cost and wide width. That is, the opposite edges of the monitor are outside the field of view of the user, and in order to capture the entire useful area of the device, he has to turn his head.
Monitors are even less common, you can even say systems where several devices are installed. They have their undeniable advantages (for example, excellent realism in games), but for the correct operation of such a far from expensive set, you just need a monster, not a computer. High technologies do not stand still, and virtual glasses and other devices that allow you to immerse yourself in virtual reality come to such systems. Nevertheless, they are not able to force out ordinary monitors (at least for now).
Optimal options
Most experts recommend a closer look at the diagonal of monitors from 24 to 27 inches. They have a number of their advantages, which just reflect the work we are interested in at home and office.
Why you should stop on monitors 24-27 ":
- on a screen with a larger diagonal, much more data is available and there is no need to actively use scrolling;
- massive objects (maps, complex tables, drawings, etc.) on small screens are very poorly visualized;
- modern games on a large monitor have more realistic notes, because all the visual space is occupied by the screen;
- the average “life” of today's monitors is about 10-12 years, and buying an inexpensive and small device is not very reasonable in terms of practicality.
There are many myths that devices with a diagonal of 24 inches or more tire the nerve retina and spoil the vision (the “run your eyes" effect). In fact, this is nothing more than a strange legend, because you get used to a good and large screen pretty quickly, but on the contrary, it’s a terrible discomfort.
Diagonal, resolution and proportions
In order to find the optimal ratio of the monitor diagonal to its resolution, it is necessary to take into account a number of certain factors. Most media content for personal computers, such as games, Internet resources, video, etc., are developed under standard proportions, i.e. 16: 9.
In addition, the developer designs different resolutions for his products, where for complete balance you need to clearly know: what, where and how.
Monitor resolutions and video stream rate:
- HD - 1368 by 768 pixels.
- Full HD - 1920 by 1080 pixels.
- WQ HD - 2560 by 1440 pixels.
- Ultra HD - 3840 by 2160 pixels.
That is, for each attracted diagonal, you must select your maximum screen resolution. For small devices (see the “Diagonal Monitors” section), an HD-scan is enough, for medium and large screens you need at least Full HD, and noble and expensive models cannot do without WQ HD-resolution.
Ultra High Resolution Features
In general, the Ultra HD format will not be relevant for the mass consumer soon, because there is not so much media content written for it. Many buyers peck at competent marketing moves in stores where they are presented with an ultra-detailed and lively picture on a particular monitor in Ultra HD-format. It is worth remembering that before you is a specially developed advertising trailer, and in everyday life (at work or in games) you will not find such Ultra-material. Therefore, the only way to fully appreciate all the charms of Ultra-technologies is to work with photographs, moreover, taken on high-level equipment.
And by the way, about non-standard permissions. On sale, you can still find square “oldies” with proportions of 5: 4. Due to their distinctive features, as well as their low price, they are very convenient for working in the office with documents and text editors such as Word or Excel. But, for the reasons mentioned above, they cannot be called universal.
Diagonal and grain
A grain is a unit of image, that is, the smallest dot on a monitor. This unit directly affects the quality of the picture: the larger the grain, the more convenient it is to read small text, which is especially important for people with poor eyesight. Nevertheless, the flip side of large grain is a rough display of all other information. That is, on smooth lines or in high-resolution photos, pixels are noticeable.
The lower the granularity, the more realistic the image on the monitor screen looks, but the fine print suffers. And although this moment can be called a double-edged sword, many media content developers are trying to find some balance, that is, correctly display all the information on a fine grain. But in our everyday life there is still a sufficient number of programs where the operation of a non-fine-grained monitor causes discomfort.
Optimum grain size relative to the screen diagonal:
- 0.27-0.30 mm for 18.5-20 inches;
- 0.24-0.25 mm for 21-22 inches;
- 0.265 mm for 23 inches;
- 0.27-0.28 mm for 24 inches;
- 0.31-0.32 mm for 27-28 inches;
- 0.14-0.18 mm for "ultra" monitors.
Many experts, along with buyers, believe that the optimal ratio of diagonal, grain and monitor cost is for 24-inch representatives of devices with Full HD-scans. If you wear glasses or have other vision problems, then you should not buy devices with small or even medium grains, because you will look at system fonts or other small details of the content painfully in your eyes. Of course, you can change the display scale to a larger one, but then the clarity of the picture will suffer greatly and its proportions will be distorted.
Diagonal and matrix
The second most important characteristic of the monitor after the diagonal is the matrix. The complexity of choosing the best option is added by the variety of types of matrices, which have accumulated more than a dozen: TN, IPS, PLS, MVA, PVA, etc. Moreover, each of the types has some distinctive characteristics and remarkable properties.
If you try to simplify this entire assortment, you get the following picture. TN scans are the cheapest and fastest, but with poor viewing angles and mediocre color reproduction. Models with IPS-matrices have the most comfortable viewing angles, a deep gamut of colors, but are distinguished by a high price tag and slower display. MVA- and PVA-deployments best convey the depth of black and white, but there are certain difficulties with halftones and color balance with a slight change in the viewing angle.
By and large, for all the variety that we see on the computer market, the ideal matrix simply does not exist: each has its own fly in the ointment, as well as its own advantages.
Do not get hung up on the study and selection of the ideal type of matrix. The main attention should be paid, in addition to the diagonal of the screen, to viewing angles, maximum contrast and brightness, as well as color saturation. All these parameters are usually indicated in large print on the box of the device or are written in the price tag on the store counter.
The main "disease" of all modern monitors is insufficient viewing angles, that is, distortion of the image when rotating or tilting the screen. This point is especially critical for devices with a large diagonal and working on TN-matrices. Sometimes, even if you look at a right angle to the screen, the picture in the corners seems blurry, which is typical for cheap models. If you want to protect yourself from such discomfort, then it is better to stop on devices with viewing angles of at least 160 degrees vertically and 170 horizontally.