best gaming monitors for low flicker

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madbutnotmad
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03 Jun 2019, 2:53 pm

hello
I was wondering if anyone out there who is sensitive to light, including monitor flicker
can give me some advice with regards to what you think are the best types of monitors for people with autism.

I ask this, as some years ago when LED TVs first game out, I brought a 32 inch LED monitor
but when it came down, I found the screen was unbearably bright and I could also see a flicker if I moved my head even slightly.

I asked other people if they could see the problems I could but they could not/
so I am now a bit concerned as to whether LED monitors will be ok for me.

I also thought perhaps the gaming monitors would be better, as they flicker less? as they are designed for this.
would be grateful for any help
thanks



Enigmatic_Oddity
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03 Jun 2019, 10:45 pm

You could just go for any high refresh rate monitor. They should be much better, although they can be expensive.



madbutnotmad
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05 Jun 2019, 5:06 pm

Hey, thanks for the info.
As it happens, i brought a new monitor yesterday.
Before doing so i read a little about the various types of monitor around at the mo.

I read that LCD screens had the fastest refresh rate, and were less prone to screen flicker.
With TN, and IPS also being a type of LCD screen.

I noticed that both TN and IPS are available for gaming applications, again specifically
because they have the quickest refresh rates and thus least amount of flicker.

So least likely to cause problems for people who are hypersensitive such as found in Autism.
The other main types include, CRT, and LED.
With the CRT ones not really used so much, but with the LED ones being very popular and very common.

Also the size of the monitor also has an impact, the smaller the less chance of flicker.
The monitor i settled for was a small IPS.

Interestingly it was an LG. it didn't have the best reviews, but it was a good price, and it had a special
mode for reading. Which was useful for the purpose i am going to use it for.

Apparently the IPS ones are generally better at colour reproduction than the standard LCD or TN.
So all quiet interesting.



Enigmatic_Oddity
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05 Jun 2019, 6:58 pm

Be thankful you didn't use computers decades ago when CRTs were the only monitor type available. Even at higher refresh rates they had an extremely irritating flicker.



SuperEuroNEET
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05 Jun 2019, 7:21 pm

Let me explain the display types in terms of user experience.

TN panels are generally inferior. They suffer from extremely restrictive viewing angles and gross image distortion at a normal viewing distance. They are also cheaper and generally capable of better pixel response and higher refresh rates, so monitors marketed as being for gaming often use this technology.

IPS panels have superior viewing angles and colour reproduction. They tend to look better than TN panels. Their pixel response is generally slower, but not to the point that it is a problem. These are, IMO, the middle-ground between panel types. Most people would be satisfied with this panel type.

VA panels are the most interesting panel type IMO. they have much better viewing angles than TN, but not as good as IPS. Same for colour reproduction. However, they tend to have a much greater contrast ratio; the quick explanation is that the alignment of liquid crystals used is much more effective at blocking light, and this allows for a much greater difference between the backlight brightness and the 'black' as it is displayed on the screen. There's an increased depth to the image that is immediately apparent. Brighter elements seem to 'pop' whereas dark elements are appropriately subdued. That said, VA panels suffer from reduced pixel response compared to the other two panel types, and are less likely to be used in high refresh displays.

Now, regarding LCD, all monitors you can buy are LCD. They use liquid crystals in various alignments to control the passage of light. That is what the names refer to: Twisted Nematic, In Plane Switching and Vertical Alignment.

As for flicker, I'm not sure what you mean. There are multiple sources of flicker. If the backlight uses pulse-width modulation to control brightness, then you will experience flickering, but I haven't used a display that does this instead of DC so I can't explain how this appears or how bad it is (my understanding is that it simply pulses on-off in a pattern to suggest the appropriate brightness). I've always used 60Hz displays and I don't notice anything that I would describe as "flicker". I think that I'm more sensitive to low-resolution images, I can't imagine using a 1080p display and after using a good VA the difference between that and a good IPS is obvious.

Oh, and to supplement this, OLED screens exist to provide the greatest contrast ratio (and energy efficiency). Each pixel is individually backlit, so pure black and pure white can coexist in harmony. It's essentially the holy grail of display technology.



Enigmatic_Oddity
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06 Jun 2019, 1:12 am

I would never recommend an OLED for a monitor. That's just asking for a bad time. OLEDs are notorious for burn in, which is why they're rarely used for monitors and more for TVs, phones and VR displays.