Best Monitor for all day viewing

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johnsheppard
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Location: Cairns Australia

Hello there,

I was curious as to what kind of monitors you guys use?

I am hitting my 40's now and now have reading glasses advised by optometrist because I have lots of screen time. I currently have TN panels in my monitors (they are apparently the cheaper kind vs IPS or VA panels). Of what I read, IPS panels are the best for general purpose use and better viewing angles (if you have multiple monitors).

I just now tried a curved 23.5" VA panel monitor. It's brighter, and nicer than my existing TN panel ones... took me a while to get used to the feeling of being in a glass bowl....but *I think* I will keep using it and buy another to compliment it... but I also wonder maybe I'd be better off with 2 smaller flat panels with IPS or something instead...

The other thing is there doesn't seem to be any smaller 4K monitors on the market. They are all big 24" or bigger... It'd be really nice to have super crisp text... dare I say...like apple monitors...

Anyway, just curious what you guys do, like...you're vision is pretty important thing to look after in this line of business...

Thanks for any thoughts
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Kai
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144hz refresh rate or above and f.lux all you need for smooth viewing all day long.
fahivechh
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Personally I use LG 34WL500-B, but I use it more for games and movies)
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johnsheppard
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 6:00 am
Location: Cairns Australia

Kai wrote:
Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:58 pm
144hz refresh rate or above and f.lux all you need for smooth viewing all day long.
Thanks Kai, I wasn't aware about the benefits of refresh rate. I thought it was just gamer peoples into that....I read this article below which also backs it up as a good idea;
https://blog.commonwealth.com/sitting-i ... n-the-eyes ... they mention f.lux too....

Three people saying it's a good to have 144 refresh rate (Kai counts as two :)).. Can anyone else vouch for the benefits of a higher refresh rate?

Not so sure I am sold on f.lux...the windows 10 auto light setting thing I found to be a bit annoying :)

Thank you
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Kai
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johnsheppard wrote:
Wed Feb 26, 2020 3:20 am
Not so sure I am sold on f.lux...the windows 10 auto light setting thing I found to be a bit annoying :)
Think I've mentioned f.lux before, you can see the comparison in that screenshot example : viewtopic.php?f=20&t=18212&p=199714&hilit=f.lux#p199714

Jumping from 60hz to 144hz is pretty noticeable, your mouse will glide across the screen, from 144hz to 240hz not so much. But refresh rate is not as big as f.lux (or similar apps) for eliminating eye strain in general, eyes get used to it pretty fast. That little app actually started the whole trend, so nowadays Win 10, iPhone, Android etc all have their own versions of it built in, but aren't as good imo.
marketraisen
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Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:41 am

johnsheppard wrote:
Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:34 pm
Anyway, just curious what you guys do, like...you're vision is pretty important thing to look after in this line of business...
Maybe this is an impossible solution but positioning this workstation infront of a window (with a nice view over the sea) has helped me a lot and has done wonders for my eyesight.

I used to have everything on the other side of the room, with the monitors up against a wall, so the natural light from the windows was coming from behind. Now I have the workstation placed right against the windows and I've gone from needing a pair of reading glasses after a few hours to never, with no eye strain, headaches or fatigue at all.

In the past I've tried everything technical, switched out a few monitors, used dimming software, tinted glasses and tried all sorts of artificial lighting but just having a window right beside me has worked.

During winter and overnight, I always plan my work on the computer around daylight more strictly but if I have to be here, I have a table lamp that sits out of sight to my side and a few candles around to see what I'm doing, at night the monitors are the brightest thing in the room but with the soft natural candlelight my eyes are never strained.
sniffer66
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I've got 2 old bog standard 1080 widescreens side by side, not even the same make.

I'm a videophile as far as AV kit is concerned - Ultra HD TV, ceiling mounted projector, Lumagen video processor etc. I invested in a probe and screen calibration software a while ago and the biggest difference you can make for recent (or even old) kit is to get everything correctly calibrated - colour temperature, contrast, brightness etc.
The amount of screens I see with eye searing colour and contrast is huge. You are inviting eye strain and over tiredness using default settings.
I'm in IT as well as trading and can sometimes sit in front of mine for 12 hours a day. And get a decent chair and desk !
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johnsheppard
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Location: Cairns Australia

marketraisen wrote:
Wed Feb 26, 2020 12:26 pm
Maybe this is an impossible solution but positioning this workstation infront of a window (with a nice view over the sea) has helped me a lot and has done wonders for my eyesight.
Hmm, I'm set up in a shed with gyp-rocked walls and no windows. LED downlights. Completely artificial... The beach is 100 meters ^ way...behind a wall...dang...

Unfortunately not an option, but thank you I appreciate the awareness....I have in the past contemplated setting my office up on the back of a trailer, so I can drive to the beach every day...or perhaps to the busy central business district where they all drink the premium coffee...so I can feel like I am doing some real work ya know? .... if all else fails, maybe I'll think about that again...
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johnsheppard
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sniffer66 wrote:
Wed Feb 26, 2020 1:43 pm
I invested in a probe and screen calibration software a while ago and the biggest difference you can make for recent (or even old) kit is to get everything correctly calibrated - colour temperature, contrast, brightness etc.
How do you know what to calibrate it to tho? I see a kit on ebay for $60....think I'm gonna try the easy pickings first...of going to a 144hz ...
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johnsheppard
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Location: Cairns Australia

I can also report to other reading this that f.lux is much better than the windows 10 auto light handling thingy. It does however make me sleepy in the wee hours of the morning.... which I guess I probably should force upon myself...circadian rhythm and all...shouldn't be beaten...
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Kai
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That's probably a good sign, you can customize f.lux however you want according to time of day. I use a flat value of 3600K.
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johnsheppard
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Location: Cairns Australia

Kai wrote:
Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:00 pm
That's probably a good sign, you can customize f.lux however you want according to time of day. I use a flat value of 3600K.
Yeah, I would probably agree... the desire is never to have to sleep tho....one must temper that...

I tells ya what tho...it's hard to find a monitor that ticks all the boxes...just spent the last 2 hours hunting...

I have my main two monitors in portrait orientation, because I like a big long ladder and graphs underneath the ladder...it's really hard to find a 144hz, IPS, that isn't too big...might have to go VA panel... or perhaps I should be sensible and just accept landscape...we'll see...
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