What’s hot and what’s

not in screen tech in

2020? Jeremy Laird

takes a deep dive into

the PC monitor market

SCREENS TODAY OFFER more innovation,
wider choice, and better value than ever.
But, by some metrics, PC displays are
disappointing. By other measures, though,
marketing madness is starting to take hold.
How so? On the one hand, you can now
choose from a huge array of form factors,
sizes, and aspect ratios, many of which are
more affordable than ever. Innovations such
as high refresh rates and adaptive sync have
entered the mainstream. Support for HDR
or high dynamic range content is becoming
widespread, too. Connectivity solutions such
as USB Type-C make it simpler than ever to
hook up displays to PCs of all kinds. And
p a n e l te c h i s i m p r o v i n g , w i t h b e t te r c o n t r a s t ,
lower response times, and technologies
such as local dimming contributing to
dramatic improvements in image quality.
On the other hand, some elements of
screen tech refuse to move forward. The
most obvious involves pixel density, an

issue that’s related to screen resolution.

But outright screen resolution is also stuck,

with few monitors breaching the 4K barrier.

Even where there has been progress, the

benefits are not always clear cut. Significant

confusion surrounds the implementation of

HDR support in PC monitors, for instance.

That’s the polite way of describing a

huge amount of HDR marketing FUD

(fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Likewise,

refresh rates continue to escalate despite

diminishing returns. And the price of USB

Type-C connectivity remains painfully high.

In hindsight, it’s also disappointing that

LCD technology remains dominant. Five

years ago, you’d have put good money on

OLED achieving at least some significant

penetration into the PC monitor market.

Save for some limited appearances in laptop

PCs, it’s virtually non-existent.

If that’s a helicopter view of screen tech in

2020, it’s time to swoop down into the detail.

2020

VISION

maximumpc.com MAR 2020 MAXIMUMPC 45