Displays - Page 21

The MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED is a new display from the hardware maker that fully uses the latest QD-OLED technology to deliver a curved ultrawide experience that will undoubtedly be awesome for games.

OLED panels in gaming monitors are still far and few between, but as we've seen in the 4K TV space, they not only deliver crisp and perfect black levels thanks to per-pixel lighting, but the response times are just about non-existent. The MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED features a 0.1ms response time.

MSI's new display features a Quantum Dot layer for more vibrant colors; it's VESA Display HDR True Black 400 certified and has a 175 Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro variable refresh-rate support. And with 139.1% sRGB, 99.3% DCI-P3, and 97.8% Adobe RGB accuracy, it's the sort of display that will be as good for content creators as it will be for PC gamers.

The new ROG Strix XG27AQMR Gaming Monitor features a 300Hz Fast IPS 27-inch display, but unlike other super-high refresh monitors, this one is WQHD with a resolution of 2560 x 1440. Which, for many, is the sweet spot at this size. ASUS calls it a display for professional gamers and those who love to be immersed in games. And it will pair nicely with the latest GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD, thanks to the latest generation of graphics cards actually being able to push 1440p frame rates to 300 fps without having to run things on low settings.

ASUS is backing the immersion claim up with DisplayHDR 600 compliance and 97% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is very impressive. In addition to going up to 300Hz, the ROG Strix XG27AQMR's Fast IPS panel features a 1ms gray-to-gray response time (GtG), with additional NVIDIA G-Sync Compatibility, AMD FreeSync Premium, and ELMB (low-motion-blur technology) support. So not only will it be fast, but it'll look great too. Naturally, as we start to see refresh rates top 300 Hz in the WQHD space, this is awesome for those playing competitive games and immersive cinematic titles.

Connectivity-wise, you've got two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, two USB 3.2 ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Here are the specs.

Cinemas have always been the realm of projectors, from traditional film-based projection to the rise of digital cinemas and digital projection. Some digital projectors in the home theatre space rival what you can find at cinemas with 4K and 8K images and impressive features.

Of course, projector technology fundamentally differs from what we see in the TV and desktop display space, where it begins and ends with LED. From OLED to QLED to VA and IPS, even though there are varying levels of quality and technology and resolutions that also go up to 8K, it's still backlit or self-lit panel technology. Projectors project light onto a screen, reflecting the latest Avatar or Marvel superhero adventure to audiences.

LG Miraclass (a combination of Miracle and Class) are massive LED screens targeting theatres directly. "Ideal for theater operators eager to present moviegoers with new, premium services and immersive viewing experiences, LG's latest lineup of LED screens delivers realistic images with natural colors and deep blacks," writes the press release.

Mini LED is the next big thing in display technology and is the next significant advancement in LCD tech. It improves backlighting by adding thousands of lighting zones, offering a brighter image for things like HDR and superior viewing angles compared to other displays.

Samsung's Odyssey Neo G7 (G70NC) is the company's first flat Mini-LED model for its Odyssey range, with a large 43-inch 4K 144Hz screen that includes VESA Display HDR 600 and HDR 10+ certification. Plus, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for smooth variable refresh rate (VRR) action.

Samsung calls its Mini-LED tech 'Quantum Mini LEDs,' resulting in richer blacks and vibrant colors. As a PC gaming-focused display, it's great to see that it also includes a matte finish, so there are no pesky reflections. There's also the ability to use it in 20-inch mode and dynamically switch between the two. Excellent features, like the Samsung Game Bar, offer complete control over aspect rations, HDR, VRR, response times, and game-specific picture modes.

When we think about product endorsements, it's easy to go the cynical route and think about the monetary and advertisement side - like product placement in movies. When it comes to the sporting world, though, it's pretty much the opposite, where an endorsement is often a sign of quality.

Competitive League of Legends is one of the most watched and celebrated esports, and when it comes to fast-paced gaming played at the level, displays need to be exceptional in the critical areas of refresh rate, response times, and support for VRR technology like NVIDIA GSYNC.

So, when LG lets us know that its UltraGear gaming monitor, the 25GR75FG, has been named as the official display of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) in 2023, that means it's an excellent esports display.

MSI is set to release a follow-up to one of its most popular and celebrated 1440p displays, the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD. A wordy product name, sure, but its crisp 165Hz IPS panel, excellent performance, and spot-on color accuracy made it a go-to for a premium 1440p gaming experience.

And now, with the newly announced MSI G274QPF-QD, we've got an affordable follow-up with a few extra features, including HDR support, USB Type-C display and charging, and a modest refresh rate bump to 170Hz. With AUD (Australian) pricing in hand, we can confirm that the new MSI G274QPF-QD is launching at AUD 469 - a price point that's 60% of the popular MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD. And with that, this will most likely be one of the most sought-after 1440p displays for 2023. It's set to launch in late January in Australia, with a wider global launch in February 2023.

In terms of its physical design, it carries the same borderless build of its predecessor, alongside the rectangular and solid base. This is fine because there's no need to mess with what works - and the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is still sleek and stylish.

When it comes to PC gaming, a display or monitor's resolution or refresh rate relates directly to performance. If a display can hit 144Hz, you'll be getting the most out of it if you have a GPU that can push 144 frames per second in games. The immediate benefit you get from a higher frame rate and refresh rate is smoother gameplay and more detail in fast-paced moment-to-moment action.

This makes displays that push super-high refresh rates ideal for esports and competitive gaming. And with ASUS making headlines in 2021 with an impressive 360Hz display, it's set to go even further in 2023 thanks to the new ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP.

A 24.1-inch Full HD (1080p) display built with an Esports TN (E-TN) panel that features an incredible 540Hz refresh rate. As a competitive display, it features a dedicated G-SYNC processor for a smooth VRR experience and a built-in NVIDIA Reflex Analyzer to capture and optimize system latency for mouse input. Plus, an insane 540Hz refresh rate.

OLED display tech is pretty much the go-to for premium big-screen TVs, and it's not hard to see why. Vibrant colors and perfect black levels thanks to millions of self-lit pixels. But, there's also the added benefit of near-instantaneous GTG response times, which makes OLED technology pretty tasty for PC gaming when it comes to latency.

2023 is looking to be the year where PC gaming-focused OLED displays, are designed specifically for desktop rigs. With some impressive OLED gaming displays making their way to market over the past year, these new OLED displays from MSI, ASUS, and Acer are looking to redefine some of the most sought-after gaming monitors.

First up there's the new MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED a curved 21:9 ultrawide gaming monitor that features both a 3440 x 1440 resolution, 175 Hz refresh rate, 0.1 ms GTG response time, and 1800R curvature for total immersion. It features new calibration and even a new QD Premium Color standard exclusive to MSI that will deliver 99.3% DCI-P3, 97.8% Adobe RGB, and 139.1% sRGB. The MEG series represents the high-end, with the addition of a bright QD-OLED display being a natural fit for the best in MSI display tech - and will launch with a price of around USD 800.

Samsung has revealed its new Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor at CES 2023 -- or the Consumer Electronics Show -- which kicked off in Las Vegas a few days ago.

The new Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor is a behemoth new 57-inch monitor that rocks a native resolution of 7680 x 2160 -- so 8K wide, 4K high -- with a 32:9 aspect ratio.

We have a super-smooth 240Hz refresh rate, 1000R curvature, quantum mini-LED technology, and VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. The Matte Display reduces light reflection on the screen, which Samsung says will minimize distractions during the "most intense gaming sessions".

CES 2023 - Tech startup Displace will showcase the world's first 100% wireless OLED 4K UHDTV at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

CES is a mecca for experimental concepts that redefine what's capable in today's high-end tech. In the past, we've seen foldable and rollable displays from the likes of LG, and now we're about to see a completely wireless TV. The unit will be shown off formally on January 5, but a show model was spotted by tech influencer Vincent Tech on Twitter.

The new tech comes from Displace, a startup who plans to change television as we know it with the company's self-powered and portable 4K OLED TV. The wireless TV features a 55-inch 4K OLED LG display and has no built-in ports--no HDMI, USB, antennae, etc--or cables, and is powered by batteries that can be hot swapped in and out of the unit's back panel.

BOE has just unveiled a monster new gaming laptop display, with the introduction of the new 16-inch gaming panel with an absolutely screaming 600Hz refresh rate. Yeah, you read that right... 600Hz.

The new BOE gaming panel was unveiled at the 2022 World Display Industry Conference with its 600Hz refresh rate has an unknown resolution, but I'm confident that we'll see a native 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution. Inside, BOE was using an NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU solution with what looks like a 16:10 aspect ratio.

600Hz isn't exactly some massive achievement, but it's definitely notable... with the last monster gaming display in production being a team-up between ASUS and NVIDIA earlier this year with their new 540Hz gaming display. 540Hz is already insane, but 600Hz is another level.

TIDAU has just announced its new 34-inch Mini-LED curved ultrawide gaming monitor, with a native 3440 x 1440 resolution and super-smooth 165Hz refresh rate.

Titanium (aka TAIDU) is a Chinese monitor manufacturer that has just unveiled its new Titanium M34HWW-Pro gaming display, which is sold exclusively in China for 5799 RMB which converts to around $800 USD. Inside, it rocks a new HVA quantum dot display with a contrast ratio of 4000:1, a 21:9 aspect ratio, and a screen curvature of 1500R.

We have a full-color gamut (DCI-P3) of 97% while the Adobe RGB color gamut is identical -- TAIDU has an independent 2304 partition matrix backlight design, which the company explains with a "light-focused display" that Longli Technology uses for halo reductions, better use of light, and "first-class" energy efficiency.

ASRock has just unveiled something rather new with the introduction of its new Side Panel Kit, which is a 13.3-inch LCD that you can install into the side panel of your PC... awesome.

The new ASRock Side Panel Kit is a 13.3-inch IPS-based display with a native 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, and 60Hz refresh rate. The new side panel kit measures in at 293.76 x 165.24 (H x V) with an anti-glare LED that has a maximum brightness of 300 cd per m2, and a contrast ratio of 800:1.

If you don't have the space for another monitor on your desk and really wanted one, the 13.3-inch IPS panel will be a great addition to your PC, whether it's being used for productivity, or just to show your PC off in a totally new way. If you've got RGB lighting and a wicked gaming PC setup, obviously the new ASRock Side Panel Kit is going to hide that, but you already knew that.

MSI has teased its upcoming Project 491C with a pre-CES 2023 announcement, with Project 491C being a new super ultra-wide gaming monitor.

The new MSI Project 491C is the world's first super ultra-wide curved gaming monitor, with a 240Hz refresh rate and QD-OLED panel. There's nothing else known about the monitor, other than it rocking a huge 49-inch QD-OLED panel at 240Hz, but we don't know the native resolution yet: but we're hoping for 5120 x 1440.

MSI has already secured itself a CES Innovation Award that we'll hear and see more about at CES 2023, which is right around the corner in early January 2023. We should get all of the details we need, but we need to know the native resolution and pricing before we can pass final judgment (as well as the usual hands-on and eyes-on with MSI's upcoming Project 491C super ultra-wide gaming monitor).

If you've been waiting to pick yourself a monitor bargain during the Black Friday sales, Samsung has its gigantic 49-inch Odyssey G9 gaming monitor on the cheap: down from $1499 to just $999.

The Samsung Odyssey G9 gaming monitor rocks a massive 49-inch Quantum Dot-based QLED panel, with a native resolution of 5120 x 1440 and a super-smooth refresh rate of 240Hz. It has the same desktop real estate as two 27-inch monitors side-by-side but in one massive, beautiful gaming monitor.

Samsung has a beautiful 1000R curvature on the Odyssey G9, something that it markets as the "new apex of curved screen technology" and has been designed to match the contours of the human eye for "unimaginable realism". There's some beautiful design work on the back, with Samsung using a sleek matte black exterior that has a gorgeous lighting panel. It will stand out, that is... if it's not pressed against a wall on your gaming desk.

LG has just unleashed its new 27-inch UltraGear OLED gaming monitor, rocking a native 2560 x 1440 resolution, GPU-punishing 240Hz refresh rate, and ultra-low 0.03ms response time.

The new LG UltraGear OLED 27GR95QE gaming monitor costs just $999 for that OLED goodness, rocks 10-bit color depth, a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio, HDR10 support, factory-calibrated color, pixel-pitch of 110.8 PPI, and a DCI-P3 color gamut of 98.5%.

On the back, the new LG UltraGear OLED 27GR95QE gaming monitor has 2 x HDMI inputs, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 connector, and USB 3.0 connectivity. LG includes a tilt and swivel-capable stand, something that can also be pivoted counterclockwise... if that's something that you want, or need.

Samsung is about to blow gamers away with a monster new gaming monitor in early 2023, with the company teasing its new Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor... the world's "first 8K ultrawide" gaming monitor.

The new Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor will have an 8K resolution -- vertically at least, so 7680 pixels wide -- while I'm sure it'll have 2160 pixels (or so) high. True 8K resolution boasts 7680 x 4320, but "8K ultrawide" will be much less (half the vertical pixels) than native 8K... kinda like 8K wide, 4K high.

AMD's new Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Radeon RX 7900 XT graphics cards both have DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity, meaning they are capable of driving 8K 165Hz and 4K 480Hz, which is going to be absolutely insane.

The world of 8K TVs is absolutely glorious, but it looks like things are going to be changing big time with the European Union making it much harder for TV manufacturers to sell monster 8K TVs starting in March 2023.

There are new rules inside of the 2023 Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) that have a lower maximum level of power consumption for all new TVs that are being produced, with concerns that future-gen 8K TVs and their increased power needs are in trouble.

The 8K Association explains on its website: "Unless something changes, March 2023 will spell trouble for the emerging 8K industry with the 8K EU Regulatory Ruling. That's when new EU power consumption regulations are set to go into effect. The power consumption limits on 8K TVs (and microLED-based displays) are set so low that essentially none of these devices will pass. It not only means a failing grade but a requirement that these devices cannot be sold in the EU. That will have a very chilling effect on all players working to develop the 8K ecosystem, including consumers whose access to devices and innovation will now be restricted".

VIVIFY has just unveiled its new XENOS W35 active fiber optic cable, delivering up to 4K 120Hz+ and 8K 60Hz+ over HDMI 2.1-capable devices.

The new VIVIFY XENOS W35 is an ultra high-bandwidth, super slim (just 3.5mm thick) and flexible 8K HDMI 2.1 cable that was designed by the Taiwanese company with a premium aluminum casing in a silver + black design that should match most devices that the HDMI 2.1 cable is being plugged into. It only weighs a quarter of what copper cables do, and there's no external power source required.

If you are building a new home theater then you will want the most future-proof cable that you can find, where the new VIVIFY XENOS W35 active fiber optic HDMI 2.1 cable is a perfect option. With the help of eARC, the HDMI cable can be plugged directly into a TV and send it uncompressed, and high-resolution audio (including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X) to a soundbar, receiver, or amplifier through an eARC port.

Bang & Olufsen have just unveiled their new Beosound Theatre Dolby Atmos soundbar at IFA 2022, featuring a stylish speaker and motorized stand at a cost... well, at a cost that will hurt.

Inside, the new Beosound Theatre features an all-in-one system with 12 speaker drivers in total, with two custom-made, long-stroke 6.5-inch woofers. If you want even better audio, Bang & Olufsen features seven built-in outputs that support up to an audiophile-worthy 16 external loudspeakers with support for Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 surround systems.

The company says the design is a "sculptural, modular build" with the interface bracket being motorized it allows users to rotate the TV to their perfect liking. The soundbar is available separately from the stand, so you can replace the soundbar (or the TV) in the future. The TV stand, or what is the Beosound Theatre interface bracket, has a cool little compartment that lets you hide your cables and STBs away.