# Looking for 32inch monitor screen recommendations



## creativeforge (Feb 15, 2022)

I've been using a 32inch TV (LG) as computer screen for 3 years, and I'm starting to feel the pain in my eyes, along with headaches and blurry vision. The technology changes so quickly, I thought I'd ask here from those who are more tech informed what they use or recommend? 

Budget is a consideration, but also reliable colors (I do graphic design as well, Photoshop). No need for a camera or speakers on it but it's OK if they come with it. 

Thanks!


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## MartinH. (Feb 15, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> and I'm starting to feel the pain in my eyes, along with headaches and blurry vision.


Any idea what's causing it? How bright is your screen and how bright is the area around your screen?


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## creativeforge (Feb 15, 2022)

MartinH. said:


> Any idea what's causing it? How bright is your screen and how bright is the area around your screen?


I'm 38 to 40 inches from the screen. I wear prescription glasses. The screen settings. I never really revisited this. But looking at it today I saw the "Temp" value was at Warm. Which makes it brighter. So I changed it to Medium and that seems to have minimized the tension with my eyes, a bit.

I always have a light in the room, behind me, not glaring into the screen.

But I assume certainly using a TV screen as opposed to a computer screen makes a difference for eye strain.

▼


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## Delboy (Feb 15, 2022)

My son uses Dell and has 2 x U2719H and 1 x S3221QS depending on his project ... the U (Ultra vision) versions have far better definition but they are the most expensive from 32 inch upwards but guess you know that anyhow .... he bought the 2 x 27inch off Ebay and the latter 32 from a warehouse deal from Amazon as that came with a warranty ... the ebay one's didnt. I'm sure others will repond with other makes. I have to agree that a TV is not ideal as a monitor unless the are the OLED/QLED versions.


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## creativeforge (Feb 15, 2022)

Delboy said:


> My son uses Dell and has 2 x U2719H and 1 x S3221QS depending on his project ... the U (Ultra vision) versions have far better definition but they are the most expensive from 32 inch upwards but guess you know that anyhow .... he bought the 2 x 27inch off Ebay and the latter 32 from a warehouse deal from Amazon as that came with a warranty ... the ebay one's didnt. I'm sure others will repond with other makes. I have to agree that a TV is not ideal as a monitor unless the are the OLED/QLED versions.


Thanks, how does he find it working with a curved screen?


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## creativeforge (Feb 15, 2022)

Delboy said:


> My son uses Dell and has 2 x U2719H and 1 x S3221QS depending on his project ... the U (Ultra vision) versions have far better definition but they are the most expensive from 32 inch upwards but guess you know that anyhow .... he bought the 2 x 27inch off Ebay and the latter 32 from a warehouse deal from Amazon as that came with a warranty ... the ebay one's didnt. I'm sure others will repond with other makes. I have to agree that a TV is not ideal as a monitor unless the are the OLED/QLED versions.


Well... refurbished, and in Canadian dollars...


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## MartinH. (Feb 15, 2022)

Delboy said:


> I have to agree that a TV is not ideal as a monitor unless the are the OLED/QLED versions.


Don't OLEDs still suffer from bad burn in? They do look great though. 




creativeforge said:


> But I assume certainly using a TV screen as opposed to a computer screen makes a difference for eye strain.


I don't know, does it? I believe the pixel pitch is worse on TVs but otherwise I'm not aware of any technical differences. I wouldn't just assume this must be the reason if you aren't sure yet that this is the likely reason. 



creativeforge said:


> The screen settings. I never really revisited this.


Then the TV is almost guarantueed to be too bright as far as I know. I think as a start you should set that brightness to about 120 cd/m² ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candela_per_square_metre ) and you'd need to either have a display calibration sensor to measure that or google a review of your TV that measured out a graph of what brightness setting gives you roughly that 120 cd/m² brightness. I expect it to be below 50, but there is no way to know for me. Brightness settings have no standard. 

Then adjust the room lighting so that your screen is slightly brighter than what you see around/behind the screen. The glowing rectangle that you stare into should not be that much brighter or that much darker (only happens if it's in front of a window) than the rest of your field of vision. 



creativeforge said:


> But looking at it today I saw the "Temp" value was at Warm. Which makes it brighter. So I changed it to Medium and that seems to have minimized the tension with my eyes, a bit.


If you want to do graphics work with it you really should look up in the manual what these are supposed to mean. Color temperature settings are not for adjusting the brightness, they are for setting the whitepoint to a warmer or cooler or (ideally) neutral color. Look for 4-digit values measured in Kelvin. I think my screens are profiled to 5800k with a 160cd/m² brightness target, though I don't know if they are actually that bright or if this just was part of the profiling settings, which can't really make the monitor brighter.


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## Loerpert (Feb 15, 2022)

I'm using 2x the LG 32UN880-B. They are excellent.


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## Delboy (Feb 15, 2022)

I asked him last night after Uni and he says that if one is looking at it straight on one doesnt really notice the curve but the screen is wide enought to have 2 window/apple projects open alongside each other - obviously a 34 or bigger would give more space. Guess they are not really suited for dual set up and why he has the 2 x 27 setup. We did consider 2 x 32 U range but they were so so expensive and not many at all being sold second hand here in the UK at the time. Hope that helps. On Amazon UK a used Dell 3219Q is around £750-£850.or on Ebay from £500 to £1000


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## liquidlino (Feb 16, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> I've been using a 32inch TV (LG) as computer screen for 3 years, and I'm starting to feel the pain in my eyes, along with headaches and blurry vision. The technology changes so quickly, I thought I'd ask here from those who are more tech informed what they use or recommend?
> 
> Budget is a consideration, but also reliable colors (I do graphic design as well, Photoshop). No need for a camera or speakers on it but it's OK if they come with it.
> 
> Thanks!


How into the graphic design part are you with regards to monitors? Do you colour profile your screen (with a puck) etc? Or are you just wanting a relatively stable colour balance that doesn't shift much when you move around?


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## liquidlino (Feb 16, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Well... refurbished, and in Canadian dollars...


The thing with the cheaper monitors is that they're VA tech. VA suffers from a lot of colour shifting as you move left/right and up/down. I saw OP is also into Graphic design. At a minimum, that says it has to be IPS. And even then, there's various grades and types of implementation of IPS to consider, depending on how seriously one takes colour management.

Looking at Dells line up, you have the following IPS options at 32"

Very High End ($6000) https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/del...21q/apd/210-axvu/monitors-monitor-accessories

Mid Range ($1200): https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/del...3qe/apd/210-bebu/monitors-monitor-accessories

But they do a great 43" 4K ultrasharp, latest model is ($1500) https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/del...20q/apd/210-avoz/monitors-monitor-accessories - I have a two year version of this on my desk right now, it's fantastic. No visible blooming, really stable colours across the screen, can't see the pixels (the gaps/grid between pixels is very small). Once you go big, there's no going back, it's awesome.


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## Delboy (Feb 16, 2022)

Wow a 43 Dell Q .. lucky man ... that looks awesome ... about £900 over here


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## liquidlino (Feb 16, 2022)

Delboy said:


> Wow a 43 Dell Q .. lucky man ... that looks awesome ... about £900 over here


Even luckier, I didn't pay for it! It's a work monitor that I *ahem* borrowed for work from home. I'm dreading them wanting it back, I have a 10 year old Dell 27" Ultrasharp 1440p that's awesome, but the size is going to be a real step backward, especially for DAW use.


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## liquidlino (Feb 16, 2022)

MartinH. said:


> Don't OLEDs still suffer from bad burn in? They do look great though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


One of the less obvious problems with using TVs as monitors is connectivity. Carefully research if your computer will be able to connect to the TV at the required resolution and refresh rate. Often TVs only take HDMI inputs, and so you have to confirm your computer can put out the required version of HDMI. Monitors often take DisplayPort, ThunderBolt or USB-C, depending on make and model, which again, make sure your computer has the matching output ports and version to get the resolution and refresh rate. And, despite it sounding like a con-job, the 4K HDMI cables are actually worth it. When you look at the data rates required for 4K signals, you soon realise it's basically high end networking speeds:









__





understanding-4k-necessary-data-rates


4K has made some hefty promises to provide better detail, texture, clarity and resolution by quadrupling the number of pixels being delivered.




www.belden.com


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## Delboy (Feb 16, 2022)

Only other thing to consider is the fact Apple have still not sorted out the multi screen use if using a macbook and it is a bit of pain trying to get 2 - 3 monitors working in tandem. I think we were all hoping this would have been resolved before the 2020 years but alas not. But the I am no tekky so what do I know


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

liquidlino said:


> How into the graphic design part are you with regards to monitors? Do you colour profile your screen (with a puck) etc? Or are you just wanting a relatively stable colour balance that doesn't shift much when you move around?


Thanks for the helpful comments! I have a bit of reading I need to do then... 

I only calibrated one screen monitor, years ago, and it was such a pain to do (even using Spyder) I think I gave up on this task. I may have to find a better way to do this, though.

Cheers,

Andre


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## davidson (Feb 16, 2022)

I used to use a pair of benq 2560x1440 32" monitors and they were brilliant. Basically the same res as the 27" apple thunderbolt displays but much larger and easier to see. I really struggled with the 27" displays, could hardly read a thing, but others seem fine with them.

I've since switched to a single 48" 4k tv and its more or less the exact same ppi as the benq's but with even more vertical height. Will never go back, but the 32's were perfect up until the tv.


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

davidson said:


> I used to use a pair of benq 2560x1440 32" monitors and they were brilliant. Basically the same res as the 27" apple thunderbolt displays but much larger and easier to see. I really struggled with the 27" displays, could hardly read a thing, but others seem fine with them.
> 
> I've since switched to a single 48" 4k tv and its more or less the exact same ppi as the benq's but with even more vertical height. Will never go back, but the 32's were perfect up until the tv.



Can I ask you how far you sit from the 48"? That's for studio work?


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## davidson (Feb 16, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Can I ask you how far you sit from the 48"? That's for studio work?


Yeah sure, 36-40". Yes it is, Im sat here for 12 hours a day


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

davidson said:


> Yeah sure, 36-40". Yes it is, Im sat here for 12 hours a day


Wow, I'm 38 inches from the 32" LG and feel like my vision has been damaged.

THIS JUST IN: I double-checked and the LG is actually a *monitor*, not a TV. I bought it at Costco in the TV area, so I guess they were mixed boxes. 









LG 32'' HDR 10 FHD Monitor | LG Canada


Get more information on the LG 32ML60TM-B. Click for pictures, reviews, and tech specs for the LG 32'' HDR 10 FHD Monitor




www.lg.com





Hmmm...


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## davidson (Feb 16, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Wow, I'm 38 inches from the 32" LG and feel like my vision has been damaged.
> 
> THIS JUST IN: I double-checked and the LG is actually a *monitor*, not a TV. I bought it at Costco in the TV area, so I guess they were mixed boxes.
> 
> ...


Oh wow, so your current 32" setup is 1080 and you're still struggling to see? I finally found someone with worse sight than me haha.


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

davidson said:


> Oh wow, so your current 32" setup is 1080 and you're still struggling to see? I finally found someone with worse sight than me haha.


Maybe? Actually I had eye surgery on my left eye in 2020. And what I'm trying to fix is the tension I feel in my eyes and the headaches that come with that. 

My 27" Samsung monitor (I have two computers) seems to have a tighter image and fuller colors.


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## davidson (Feb 16, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Maybe? Actually I had eye surgery on my left eye in 2020. And what I'm trying to fix is the tension I feel in my eyes and the headaches that come with that.


What are your pc / mac graphic output settings? What resolution?


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

davidson said:


> What are your pc / mac graphic output settings? What resolution?


Resolution on the 32" is 1600 X 900. On the other one (actually 25") is 1680 X 1050 (leaves two vertical black bars on each side, but it's the only resolution that looks tight). Both are LED IPS.


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## davidson (Feb 16, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Resolution on the 32" is 1600 X 900. On the other one (actually 25") is 1680 X 1050 (leaves two vertical black bars on each side, but it's the only resolution that looks tight). Both are LED IPS.


Oh, native res on that monitor is 1920x1080. It looks like you've scaled the settings so maybe it's not scaling well and going blurry which may be causing eye strain?


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

davidson said:


> Oh, native res on that monitor is 1920x1080. It looks like you've scaled the settings so maybe it's not scaling well and going blurry which may be causing eye strain?



Possible? Here's the difference. I think I went with 1600 because it filled the screen a bit more. When I go to the 25" monitor, everything feels compressed, which makes it harder to see.


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## Dewdman42 (Feb 16, 2022)

I have a 32” LG 4K and I view it from around 24 inches and no eye strain at all. It was around $1000. You do get what you pay for.


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

Dewdman42 said:


> I have a 32” LG 4K and I view it from around 24 inches and no eye strain at all. It was around $1000. You do get what you pay for.


Can I ask you which model it is? They change them so fast...

BTW, love that avatar! I had to find one bigger. 

▼


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## Dewdman42 (Feb 16, 2022)

I’ll look it up later. It’s a few years old now


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## Dewdman42 (Feb 16, 2022)

LG 32MU99-W


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## Dewdman42 (Feb 16, 2022)

and actually it was not $1000, I paid $650 for it in 2018


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## benwiggy (Feb 16, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Resolution on the 32" is 1600 X 900.


 The pixel density of your 32" display at its native 1920 x 1080 is only 69 ppi, and your pixels are 0.37mm! Compare to Apple's 220 ppi or higher.

As I move into my autumn years, high pixel density and refresh rate is more important. Yes, I want to see lots of stuff: but I want it to be sharp and not mess about when scrolling.


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

benwiggy said:


> The pixel density of your 32" display at its native 1920 x 1080 is only 69 ppi, and your pixels are 0.37mm! Compare to Apple's 220 ppi or higher.
> 
> As I move into my autumn years, high pixel density and refresh rate is more important. Yes, I want to see lots of stuff: but I want it to be sharp and not mess about when scrolling.


Yes, I just don't know what to look for, there are SO many different values to understand and consider... At 65 I have limited RAM to process all this...


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## Dewdman42 (Feb 16, 2022)

The main problem you have is that you bought a pretty low resolution monitor. its only 1920x1080 native resolution which at 32" is very low pixel density...which means your eyes can see all the pixels, even from 40" away. 

If you get a 32" 4k monitor, it will have native resolution of 3840x2160 and then you can run your monitor in HiDPI at 1920x1080...you will be blown away by how much more clear it will look. That should be big enough fonts from 40" away.


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

Dewdman42 said:


> The main problem you have is that you bought a pretty low resolution monitor. its only 1920x1080 native resolution which at 32" is very low pixel density...which means your eyes can see all the pixels, even from 40" away.
> 
> If you get a 32" 4k monitor, it will have native resolution of 3840x2160 and then you can run your monitor in HiDPI at 1920x1080...you will be blown away by how much more clear it will look. That should be big enough fonts from 40" away.


That would be great. Thanks for helping me on this.


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## Dewdman42 (Feb 16, 2022)

but also heed some of the words given about which technology you choose, VA vs IPS, etc...do your homework...this does change fast, but look into the differences and choose wisely. My experience is that good monitors cost money.


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## davidanthony (Feb 16, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Maybe? Actually I had eye surgery on my left eye in 2020. And what I'm trying to fix is the tension I feel in my eyes and the headaches that come with that.


Have you had your eyes checked and/or prescription updated post-surgery? Would definitely recommend a trip to a qualified optometrist to make sure if you haven't. 

If you're in LA and want a recommendation I can't speak highly enough about Dr. Brodney https://www.ccoptometry.net/our-doctors.html I genuinely owe him my career -- I walked into his office literally unable to see straight after an injury and now my eyesight is even better than before.


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## creativeforge (Feb 16, 2022)

davidanthony said:


> Have you had your eyes checked and/or prescription updated post-surgery? Would definitely recommend a trip to a qualified optometrist to make sure if you haven't.
> 
> If you're in LA and want a recommendation I can't speak highly enough about Dr. Brodney https://www.ccoptometry.net/our-doctors.html I genuinely owe him my career -- I walked into his office literally unable to see straight after an injury and now my eyesight is even better than before.


Wow, I wish! 

I had new glasses post-surgery. But not sure my opto is very good, or maybe my eyes are on their way out... I live in rural Canada.


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## MartinH. (Feb 16, 2022)

davidson said:


> Oh, native res on that monitor is 1920x1080. It looks like you've scaled the settings so maybe it's not scaling well and going blurry which may be causing eye strain?


You might be on to something. I know someone who can't play games with anti-aliasing because it causes intense eye strain issues for him. He always has super high quality screens and hardware, but has to set things up to be sharp and aliased in games, which normally you'd try to have it smoothed and anti-aliased to the point where you don't see any individual pixels anymore. Running a monitor at non-native resolutions looks very similar to an anti-aliased image.

So, @creativeforge I could imagine part of your eye strain issues are coming from having the screen set up a bit blurry and your eyes trying to focus something into clarity that is already blurred at the source. Might be worth trying to set it to native resolution and just moving a bit closer to the screen if the text gets too small that way.
Another thing... 32 inch is pretty big and looking upwards can strain your eyes too. Is the upper edge of the display roughly at eyelevel or above? I would recommend having it roughly at eye level. Worth experimenting with to see if it helps in my opinion.


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## ZeroZero (Aug 11, 2022)

Just an observation. If I were a fine wine I would be well aged. I use two TV monitors HD and I love them, never had any eye strain. I use glasses with a special coating for glare, maybe that makes a difference? Thye are not expensive they are varifocal and go dark in sunlight


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