Monitors

General Tips

Monitor's main job is work, entertainment is secondary and my recommendations are based on work first.

Even though rich kids today^ want to buy a monitor for playing games or watching video entertainment, I strongly believe the main purpose of a monitor is work or career growth. Basically learning something, improving yourself, making money and the like and NOT ENTERTAINMENT.
Even if the monitor is used for entertainment it should only be used for it for very little time as entertainment comes at the end of the day.

My point being, my review for a monitor is first and formost going to be for work and NOT for gaming or watching movies.
This, however, does not mean I prefer 60Hz. Higher refresh rate monitors like 100hz actually helps with work and I suggest 100Hz or above even for work for most people. ^ If you can' buy a PC/laptop, in India, you are rich even if you don't want to admit it

Why you should try to get IPS/VA monitors offline first?

Update: The same backlight glow also affects VA panel.
Ans. Due to dead pixels, a lot of IPS glow which maeks the picutre look bad in dark rooms and these things are inherent in all IPS models and it's hard to so what you will get. Even a few dead pixels is considered alright by companies and they will not replace or refund based on this and hence, you should first try to get IPS monitors offline first.

    The problem which I discovered after making this video was:
  • Many shop owners will give you a sealed box for the monitor after payment and won't take it back if it has some defects like dead pixels and will tell you to contact the manufacturer who will obviously turn you down.
    This is a huge problem in India and might not be a problem in other countries so please visit offline shop first.
  • Many good monitors are not available everywhere and not everyone lives in tier 1 cities.
  • Offline prices are inflated beyond thinking. Even buying directly from manufactureer without involving any third party marketplace like Amazon or Flipkart is cheaper
  • The prices on these third party marketplaces are so good sometimes that you can write home about it.

#TODO: No VA Panels due to bad ghosting

Colors can be really washed out and viewing just from a little side(which matters as you will have to keep adjusting your body to get the best color).
And this becomes even worse if you have a non-curve monitor just looking at the sides.

Even though people prefer them due to higher contrast ratio but in my opinion you lose a lot of good stuff just to get that and now that IPS panels are so cheap there is no point in getting a VA Panel.

Of course, the other thing is horrible ghosting which looks terrible in any game.
But it's not just in gaming, even just scrolling up and down it looks terrible, so due to that, I am not bothering with any VA Panels at all.



References:
IPS vs VA Monitors: The Visual Differences That Actually Matter
DO NOT BUY a VA monitor... You'll most likely REGRET IT!

#TODO: No TN Panels due to bad side viewing

IPS/VA displays are not HDR.

They can accept HDR signal then make it shit and say we can do HDR but for true HDR you either need mini-LED IPS or OLED>

Beware of fake 1ms response times. They are most likely VRB

VRM is turning off and on the backlight to trick your eyes into thinking it's lower response time but it doesn't improve ghosting, smearing, overshoot/coronas and motion clarity without strobing. So it's a great marketing gimmick but it's not real. Always check gray to gray response time.

27" 1440p is more than enough for a monitor that is mainly to be used for work. At screens bigger than 27" it stops being a work monitor and starts turning into a TV

I think that 27" monitor mainly for work doesn't make sense if it's UHD monitor. Even on TVs I feel like above 45" it does make sense for cinematic experience but for something that's used at a table for a work, i feel that 1440p should be the maximum for something that is a few cms from the eyes as if you put the monitor very far away you have to increase the scaling a lot and at that point the eyes might not even distinguish between a 4k or a 1440p display.
Reference

Note: In case you disagree just copy paste this argument into any AI and it will do what it does best, agree with your and reinforce your beliefs so you keep using it.

Cautions

Peel or Not-Peel varies wildly between monitors so please check the installation instructions carefully Should be clear from the markings on the peel itself but do check the instructions with the monitor. On some TVs like my Infinix one required to remove the peel otherwise it would burn it off but the Legion 27Q 10 requires to keep it on and will actually be damaged if you remove the panel.
How to use a monitor for ergonomics - From Lenovo user Manual

Adjusting and Using the Display This section describes how to adjust and use this display.

Comfort and Assistance Functions Good ergonomic designs are important for the comfortable use of your personal computer. Your workplace and the equipment you use should be arranged appropriately for your personal needs and the type of work you do. In addition, healthy work habits can help you achieve optimal efficiency and comfort when using a computer.

Arrange Your Working Area Use a work surface of the right height and enough work area so that you can work comfortably. Arrange your work area according to the way you use materials and equipment. Keep frequently used materials neatly organized in your work area, and place frequently used items (such as a computer mouse or telephone) in an easily accessible location. The placement and setup of equipment are very important to your work posture. The following topics describe how to optimize equipment settings to achieve and maintain a good working posture.

Placing and Viewing the Display For comfortable viewing of the display, the following factors should be considered when placing and adjusting computer displays:

• Viewing Distance: The recommended viewing distance between your eyes and the display screen is 1.5X the screen diagonal. Solutions to meet this required distance in a small office include:
keeping the desk a certain distance from the wall or partition to allow space for the display,
using a flat panel or smaller display and keeping the display in the corner of the desk,
or placing the keyboard in an adjustable drawer board to create a deeper work surface.

• Display Height: If your display is not height-adjustable, place your head and neck in a natural, comfortable (vertical or upright) position. If your display is not height-adjustable, you can place a book or other sturdy object under the base of the display to achieve the desired height. The general rule is to sit comfortably with the top of the display screen at eye level or slightly lower. However, it is important to optimize the height of the display so that the relative position between the eyes and the center of the display provides the right visual distance and a comfortable viewing experience when the eye muscles are relaxed.

• Tilt: Adjusting the tilt of your display optimizes the appearance of your screen content and keeps your head and neck in the best possible position.

• Regular Location: Place the display in such a way that overhead lighting or nearby windows do not cause glare or reflection on the screen.

Here are some additional tips for comfortable viewing of your display: • Use adequate lighting for the type of work you do.

• Use display brightness, contrast, and image controls (if available) to optimize the image on the screen for your visual needs.

• Keep the display screen clean so that you can see the content clearly. Long periods of focused visual activity tend to strain the eyes. Be sure to periodically move away from the display screen and gaze at a distant object to relax your eye muscles. If you have any questions about eye strain or visual discomfort, consult vision care professional for advice.

Tips on Healthy Work Habits The following is a summary of some important factors that are useful to keep you comfortable and productive while using your computer.

• Good posture comes from equipment placement: The layout of your work area and the placement of your computer equipment can have a significant impact on your posture while using the computer.

Be sure to follow the tips listed in " Arrange Your Working Area" on pages 2-1 to optimize the placement and orientation of your equipment so you can maintain comfortable posture and efficiency. In addition, be sure to use the adjustment features of your computer components and office furniture to meet your needs, and adjust them over time as your needs change.

• Slight changes in posture help keep you comfortable: the longer you sit in front of a computer, the more important it becomes to pay attention to your work posture. Avoid maintaining one posture for long periods. Regular slight changes in posture can help prevent possible discomfort.

Use the adjustment function provided by office furniture or equipment to adapt to changes in posture.

• Regular short breaks help ensure healthy computing: Because computing is primarily a static activity, it is especially important to take short breaks during the workday. Take regular breaks to stand in front of your work area, stretch your limbs, walk around or have a drink, or otherwise take a short break from using the computer. Taking short breaks during work allows for changes in body posture that can help you stay comfortable and productive while working.

Low Blue Light: The display uses the low blue light panel. lt complies with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light

Monitor Reviews (Mainly those available in India easily)

Acer
Lenovo
LG
MarQ
MSI
Archived

You can change external display's brightness even when connected via HDMI as long as the monitor supports hardware brigthness control(DDC/DI)Changing Brigntess manually on the display is very irritating

Here

Update: Saw in a video while using a Macbook they were able too lower the brightness of the display when it's connected via HDMI cable which is very confusing. Unless Macbook is doing the same trickery used by Dimmer, I need to check, there must be something for Windows too that natively allows you to control brightness of external monitors connected via HDMI.

Most monitors' UI isn't intuitive and no extra remote or connection to PC via which you can chaaange the brigthness of the display. If you want to avoid stress on your body, you need to use PCs in a well lit room and getting natural light in the room is even better for your eyes.
The problem with all this is the brightness of the display needs chaging every few often and of course you can use an app to add a fake dark layer on the display (which has it's own issues) but that's far from the real solutin of lowering the brightness on the display.
And doing every few hours is very very frustrating.