When it comes to buying a new monitor, most people will opt for one that is specifically designed for gaming or other visual tasks. Even with this segmentation, the price gap between monitors and TVs is massive. It’s not uncommon to find an HD TV – with a screen size of around 42 inches – selling at under $300. The same budget won’t even buy you a single monitor, let alone something decent. What is it about monitors that makes them so expensive? Even as prices have come down substantially in the past few years, monitors continue to cost more than TVs of similar sizes because they are fitted with different features. Monitors tend to have higher resolution, better contrast ratios, and more customization options like response time and dynamic range. These features may seem like extras but they make a significant difference in how you perceive images on the screen.
Why Are Monitors More Expensive Than TVs?
1. Technology
Technology is diffusing continuously. You can find a TV today that is better than the one you had five years ago. In the same way, there are TVs today that are better than the ones you had last year. The gap between TVs and monitors is shrinking every year, but it will never be as big as it was five years ago. Monitors are now more expensive simply because they have evolved at a much faster pace than TVs.
2. Gaming
Gaming has become a popular activity for all age groups. People play games such as League of Legends, Overwatch, Fortnite, and more on their laptops, desktops, and even consoles. But some people also play games on their TV screens – whether it’s to watch movies or to play multiplayer games with friends and family members in the living room or on gaming consoles like PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Gamers have been demanding higher quality visuals for several years now – so manufacturers begrudgingly increased resolution up to 4K (4096 x 2160 pixels) in monitors while TVs remained stuck at 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels).
3. Multimedia Content
With all of these changes going on in technology, multimedia content has also been evolving at an incredible rate over the past few years – especially when it comes to movies and TV series which are available as streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. It’s not uncommon to find 4K HDR movies or TV series available for download on your laptop or PC, but you won’t find them on your TV. For example, a 4K HDR movie can be downloaded on your computer as a Blu-ray disc or downloaded via a streaming service. But it will not be available to watch on a TV – at least not without an additional hardware component such as an external monitor.
4. Connectivity
The connectivity options of monitors are also more advanced than TVs – especially in the fields of gaming and multimedia content. The vast majority of TVs sold today come with HDMI inputs and outputs, while monitors have HDMI 2.0 ports that support higher bandwidths such as HDCP 2.2 (High bit-rate Digital Content Protection). You can also connect multiple displays using DisplayPort 1.3 or HDMI 1.4 ports for video mirroring (a feature similar to projectors) which is common in laptops and PCs now but only available on some TVs because it is driven by proprietary chipsets from the manufacturers such as Samsung and LG.
5. Versatility
The versatility of monitors is also much better than that of TVs – especially when it comes to gaming and multimedia content which are often used for streaming or recording video. Some games require extensive graphics processing power which is not possible with current chipsets in most TVs, so gamers need to buy a separate graphics card for their PCs instead if they want to play them on the TV screen directly. This fact has made many gamers opt for high-end desktops instead since they can play games at higher resolutions on a better screen.
6. Price
The price of a monitor is also much cheaper than that of TVs – especially in the case of 4K HDR monitors. You can get a 4K HDR monitor for less than $500, while you will have to spend at least $1,000 for a TV that is not 4K HDR.
7. Design
The design of monitors is also much more minimalist and minimalistic than those of TVs – especially when it comes to 4K HDR monitors. The ultra-thin bezels on 4K HDR monitors are much thinner than that of most TVs, which makes them look much more modern and futuristic.
8. Design Factors
Another factor that plays a major role in the design of monitors is the refresh rate – or how many times per second the screen refreshes. The refresh rate of TVs is usually 60Hz or 120Hz, which means it takes 1/60th or 1/120th of a second for one frame to be shown on the screen. But 4K HDR monitors have a refresh rate of at least 90Hz, which means you can see two frames per second on your screen instead of just one. This is helpful when you are playing fast-paced games such as first-person shooters.
The Difference Between Lcd And Led Monitors
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Screen Size
There are two types of monitors – 17″ and 27″ – and they differ in terms of screen size. The larger 17″ monitors are more professional, while the smaller 27″ monitors are more suitable for home use.
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Resolution
The resolution is the number of pixels on a monitor – measured in horizontal and vertical pixels per inch (PPI). The higher the resolution, the sharper and clearer the image will look on your screen. However, a higher resolution means you will have to sit closer to your screen to see it clearly because it takes up more space.
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Refresh Rate
The refresh rate is how many times per second the entire screen refreshes itself – measured in Hertz (Hz). The higher the refresh rate, the faster your game will be rendered on your monitor. A refresh rate of 144Hz is considered as high-end while a 60Hz refresh rate is considered low-end but most people can’t even tell a difference between these two rates since they both look smooth on their screens anyway. However, some people do prefer lower refresh rates because they don’t want to pay extra money for an upgrade every time their hardware gets new technology that requires an upgrade. But if you’re not one of those people who prefers low refresh rates, then you should get a 4K HDR monitor with a 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate since this is still better than having no screen at all.
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Contrast Ratio
The contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image on your screen – measured in milliohms (mcd). The higher the contrast ratio, the more realistic and clearer your image will look on your screen. It is also very important in 4K monitors because it means you can see darker areas of your images on your screen even when they are at low brightness settings.
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Response Time
Response time is how fast a monitor can respond to movements – measured in milliseconds (ms). The faster the response time, the better it will be at rendering fast-paced games such as first-person shooters. However, response times are usually slower than 60Hz so you won’t really notice a difference between these two rates. However, if you’re using a 4K HDR monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate, then you shouldn’t really need faster response times since this will still be better than having no screen at all anyway.
Differences Between Ips And Va Panels
1. Response Time
Response times are very similar between IPS and VA panels although VA panels have slightly faster response times than IPS panels. However, it is important to note that 4K HDR monitors should have a response time of at least 5ms in order to be able to display fast-paced games at a good framerate.
2. Color Gamut
The color gamut is the range of colors that can be displayed on your screen – measured in percentages (%). The standard gamut is 100% and this means you will see all colors on your screen with no color distortion or banding. The extended gamut is about 96% and this means you will see all colors on your screen as accurately as possible without any color distortion or banding. This means if you want to get an extended gamut panel, then you should look for one that has a response time of at least 4ms since this will allow for fast-paced games such as first-person shooters to look good on your screen without any distortion or banding. If you’re using a 4K HDR monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate, then you shouldn’t really need an extended gamut panel since its refresh rate will still be faster than 60Hz anyway.
3. Viewing Angles
Viewing angles is how wide a screen can be viewed from different angles. The standard viewing angle is between 170 and 180 degrees (in other words, you can view the screen from the top, bottom, and side but not the sides) but it is important to note that 4K HDR monitors should have a viewing angle of at least 170 degrees in order to be able to view your screen from different angles without any color distortion or banding.
4. Response Time
Response times are very similar between IPS and VA panels although VA panels have slightly faster response times than IPS panels. However, it is important to note that 4K HDR monitors should have a response time of at least 5ms in order to be able to display fast-paced games at a good framerate.
5. Contrast Ratio
The higher the contrast ratio, the more realistic and clearer your image will look on your screen. It is also very important in 4K monitors because it means you can see darker areas of your images on your screen even when they are at low brightness settings.
Conclusion
Monitors are more expensive than TVs because they are made with more complex components like LED and IPS panels. This is not to say that cheaper monitors don’t exist, but they tend to cut corners in their design. When you’re buying a monitor, make sure that you read the fine print and aren’t being sold on unnecessary features. If you’re buying a gaming monitor and you can’t tell the difference between an IPS and a VA panel, then it’s best to spend your money elsewhere.
