Written by Giorgos
Edited on
4 August 2023
·
14:50
What is an OLED monitor?
An OLED monitor is the next step in the development of screens. OLED monitors don't use backlight, so you can see differences down to the tiniest details. From a dark starry night to all the shades of green in a forest. Read what an OLED monitor is and what you can use it for here.
What is OLED?
Most monitors have an IPS, VA, or TN panel that uses LCD technologies. These panels use backlight to show images. An OLED monitor differs from that, because it controls the brightness of every pixel separately. This allows you to experience much more vibrant and lifelike colors. This advantage of an OLED monitor is especially visible with dark scenes. Shadows are displayed on the screen in more detail. There's more than just one shade of black, which is much clearer on an OLED panel.
Color representation and contrast
The pixels of an OLED monitor produce colors and light themselves. So a glass of red whine actually looks burgundy. With dark images, the difference is even more noticeable. When a pixel shows a black image, it turns off completely. It doesn't slightly light up, all you see is darkness. This provides realistic black levels when you're watching a horror movie or see a starry night on the screen, for example
Design of an OLED monitor
In addition to the image quality, the design of an OLED monitor is different as well. Because an OLED monitor doesn't use backlight, they're thinner than LCD monitors. This means they take up less space and are lighter. Take the LG UltraFine OLED 32EP950 and the LG 32UP550, for example. The OLED version weighs only 3.8kg, and the 32UP550 with IPS panel weighs 8.4kg. So in addition to a high image quality, it also has practical advantages.
Advantages per usage situation
Watch movies
If you're a movie enthusiast, OLED provides an incredible viewing experience. In addition to the sharp images and vibrant colors, an OLED panel also has a wide viewing angle. The images remain sharp, even you're almost sitting next to the monitor. So you can watch a movie with others without someone watching less sharp images. Want to see the power of OLED? Watch a sci-fi or space movie for the best effect.
Image editing
When you're editing photos and videos, you want to be able to edit details as well. Thanks to the high contrast and black levels, you can see even the tiniest details when you're editing. A tree is a great example. The tree isn't as green everywhere due to the shadow, which is clearly visible on an OLED screen. Colors look more vibrant as well. A sea actually looks navy blue and doesn't have a faint color, for example.
Gaming
Do you play many open world games? You'll enjoy incredible sharp images on an OLED screen. Take GTA V, for example. There's a lot of difference in light in the city because of the many skyscrapers in Los Santos. The pixels light up individually when they need to, which provides a realistic effect. As a result, it's actually dark when you go drive through a tunnel. If you want the most realistic effect, we recommend you to play in first-person view.
Article by Giorgos
Monitor Expert.
