Monitor

The Gigabyte G24F and M28U are two new high-refresh-rate gaming monitors. The pair have low response times and USB hubs too, although only the M28U possesses HDMI 2.1 ports and a KVM switch.

Acer and Samsung may claim to have produced DisplayHDR 2000 certified monitors, but VESA thinks otherwise. In fact, VESA has not even created a DisplayHDR 2000 tier and believes that both companies are acting deceptively.

Apple has finally updated its 4K TV box as part of its April 20, 2021 hardware event. This new model is powered by the same A12 Bionic processor found in ex-flagship iPhones. It can also balance the colors of the screen to which it is attached using one of the same smartphones, and comes with a new Siri-enabled remote with improved controls.

It is unclear what this new Diamond OLED trademark refers to since there are so many devices mentioned in the patent. The two best guesses would be TV screens for the upcoming QD-OLED models launching in the second half of 2021 or an upgraded foldable OLED display with Diamond pixels for foldable smartphones like the Galaxy Z Flip 3.

Xiaomi has unveiled seven TVs for 2022, although it will begin selling them on April 25. The Mi TV EA series starts at CNY 999 (~US$153) for the 32-inch model and is also available in 40-inch, 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch screen sizes.

Sony has announced pricing and availability for its 2021 TVs. They include the BRAVIA XR MASTER Series A90J, which, as the OEM asserts, integrates its best OLED panel to date. It also has new LED models with 4K and 8K options, including the 100-inch BRAVIA XR X92 now set at US$20,000.

ViewSonic asserts that its upcoming monitors address the needs of those who work at home. The OEM's new 24- and 27-inch models have inbuilt webcams and the ergonomic stands to keep them at comfortable eye levels. There is also a 34-inch ultra-wide flagship with a USB type-C docking station for charging and connectivity.

Samsung has launched three new gaming TVs under the QX2 series. The South Korea company sells the TVs as 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch models, albeit only in China for the time being. The fact that the TVs combine a native 4K resolution with a 120 Hz refresh rate and Samsung's excellent QLED technology should have all gamers interested.

Apple has been making misleading claims about the Pro Display XDR, according to The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK. Now, Apple can no longer claim that the Pro Display XDR offers 'far beyond HDR' in the UK, although it continues to do so in the US and other countries. The same goes for the company implying that the display covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut.

Gigabyte has released a trio of AORUS gaming monitors, the AORUS FI32U, AORUS FV43U and the AORUS FO48U. All are 4K monitors with HDMI 2.1 ports, but only the flagship 48-inch model has an OLED panel. The three monitors should deliver excellent colour accuracy though, and can output at up to 144 Hz in most cases.

With the rising LCD production costs and the sub-par QD-OLED panels developed by Samsung Display, the Korean giant apparently has no other choice but to sign a deal with LG for 5 million OLED TVs supplied throughout 2022. Quite ironic for Samsung, as it has been trying to prove OLED panels are inferior to its QLEDs for the past few years.

Philips has introduced the 275M8RZ, a new gaming monitor from its Momentum series. The Momentum 275M8RZ has a peak 165 Hz refresh rate, DisplayHDR 400 certification and a native 1440p resolution.

Huawei has launched new smart screens. They are also the inaugural models of a new series by the OEM, and are also the first with speaker arrays tuned by the high-end audio group Devialet. The devices run HarmonyOS out of the box and have 4K LCD panels with a TUV Rheinland low-blue-light certifications.

Eve Devices announced its Spectrum as the world's first monitor with a QHD/240Hz option back in January 2021. Unfortunately, the OEM has also just stated that this SKU will not ship until July 9, 2021. Furthermore, the 4K/144Hz model that was to start shipping in April of this year has also been pushed back again.

An unboxed copy of the game Super Mario Bros for the legacy Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console has reportedly sold at auction for US$660,000. This is the largest final asking price for a video game yet. The item in question was a 1986 release in rare condition and packaging.

Dell has launched four new gaming monitors to complement its Ryzen-powered line of gaming laptops. There four SKUs in total with screen sizes ranging between 24 and 34 inches. The monitors will be available for purchase towards the end of May 2021.

For an announcement that's all about visuals and connectivity, the manufacturers have failed to even release a picture or two of the actual television in all its glory. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no launch window has been provided.

The US' Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conferred a Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Electronics Challenge Award (Gold Tier) on the electronics giant LG. It has earned this accolade thanks to the recycling programs instituted by the OEM's division in this country. They are credited with keeping tons of old devices out of landfill and, thereby, preventing the concomitant carbon dioxide emissions.

The electronics giant Huawei launched its first PC display in 2020. This 23.8-inch peripheral has an FHD IPS panel, and is mostly directed at enterprise-grade customers. It is also now available in a new market: the UK.

MSI has unveiled the OPTIX MAG301RF, its latest ultra-wide gaming monitor. The MAG301RF has a 29.5-inch panel that runs at 2,560 x 1,080 pixels, with a 200 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response times. The MAG301RF should be available in a month for about US$399.

According to some recent leaks, Huawei is about to launch a new series of TVs. The OEM is also now said to have partnered with the sound specialist Devialet for these putative 2021 smart screens' audio solutions. This collaboration has, apparently, results in inbuilt speakers that might make the user forget about an external set-up.

LG has announced that the release of its latest A1-, C1- and G1-series of 4K OLED TVs to the US market has begun. They start at US$1,299 for a 48-inch model, although the highest-end 83-inch C1 variant is $6,000. Most models are available from now, although the OEM is holding back on some until April to June 2021.

ViewSonic has introduced five VX18 series gaming monitors with 165 Hz refresh rates and 1 ms response times. The series ranges from the 24-inch and 1080p VX2418-P-MHD to the 32-inch and curved VX3218-PC-MHD. All five gaming monitors rely on ViewSonic's SuperClear VA panels that provide high contrast ratios and wide colour space coverages.

Panasonic announces three OLED TV models that come with the 48-inch size option. These keep the HCX Pro AI Processor and custom color profiles from the flagship JZ2000 screens, but also come with Game Mode Extreme that lowers input lag down to 2.5 ms for 60 Hz signals.

FreeSync, 4 ms response times, HDMI, integrated speakers, and even VGA — the Lenovo Q24i offers tremendous value at its new sale price that gamers and graphics editors on tight budgets may want to consider.

The Lenovo ThinkVision T24t-20 is a FHD touch monitor primarily aimed at the education market. The ThinkVision T24t-20 offers a 60 Hz refresh rate, covers 99% of the sRGB color gamut, and comes with an ergonomic tilt stand. The monitor offers a decent port selection including a USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging connected devices.

LG has aimed its latest 27-inch 4K monitor primarily at professionals who want a colour accurate monitor. However, the monitor should be suitable for some gaming on the side too, thanks to the tearing and input lag reduction technologies that it supports. The LG 27UP850 retails for US$549.99.

Huawei has recently certified a monitor at the 3C, and now renders of it have started circulating online. The so-called Huawei MateView has slim bezels, a 3:2 aspect ratio, and a built-in wireless charging stand.

Samsung has launched its new S8, S7 and S6 monitors for businesses. Depending on the model, you get a 4K/1440p HDR10 screen that covers 99% of the sRGB gamut, up to five USB Type-A ports, a USB Type C port that can charge devices at 90W, an RJ-45 Ethernet jack, and more. They are expected to go on sale sometime in April 2021.

LG has added a feature called Fine Tune Dark Areas to over 70 TVs as it aims to reduce raised black levels, especially on OLED panels. LG intends people to use the feature when using VRR on an enabled PC or games console.

LG added a few new sliders that are meant to fix the near-black gamma problems reported on last year's models. Thus, we have the Black Stabiliser and Fine Tune Dark Areas sliders that can deal with the elevated black, but we also see features like White Stabiliser for bright highlight details in HDR and a Prevent Input Delay toggle that helps reduce input lag with 60 Hz signals.

The MSI Optix MAG272CQP is a 27-inch curved gaming monitor with a native WQHD resolution and 165 Hz refresh rate. The VA panel has 1 ms (MPRT) response times, a 1500R curvature and supports AMD FreeSync Premium. The Optix MAG272CQP has a USB hub too that includes a Type-C port with support for DisplayPort Alternate.

The Redmi Smart TV X50, X55 and X65 have been unleashed onto the Indian market. Their 4K LED panels are enhanced with MEMC, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. The series also features dual 15W speakers, and will start at INR 32,999 (~US$455) on their March 26, 2021 release.

The Samsung S34A650 is a 21:9 curved monitor that operates natively at 1440p. The monitor has a 1000R curvature, a 4,000:1 contrast ratio and a 100 Hz peak refresh rate. The Samsung S34A650 supports AMD FreeSync too and has multiple ports.

Crytek has announced that DLSS can be switched on in Crysis Remastered with the game's latest update. Therefore, its performance while running on NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards with RTX may be boosted considerably. Then again, the new potential advantage is also affected by some initial bugs.

The BenQ MOBIUZ EX3415R is, as its name suggests, a 34-inch curved gaming monitor. The 21:9 monitor runs natively at 1440p with a 144 Hz peak refresh rate and 1 ms response times. The display has a 1900R curvature, is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified and has built-in speakers.

Apple has abruptly updated its current iMac Pro sales page to reflect the fact that apparently only its base model is in stock. This has led to speculation that a new version of this PC, perhaps even with an in-house chipset instead of the last remaining unit's 10-core Intel Xeon W-series processor, is on the way. However, the OEM might be wrapping its product cycle up for some other reason.

The LG UltraFine OLED Pro (32EP950) is one of the most exciting monitors of 2021, as it is the first to bring OLED technology and a 4K resolution to the 32-inch form factor. The UltraFine OLED Pro 32EP950 promises excellent colour accuracy too, but it will retail for €3,999. There are cheaper 27-inch and 32-inch models, but these will still start at €3,000.

Samsung has updated its Odyssey G9 gaming monitor for 2021. The 49-inch curved monitor now uses mini LED backlights for improved brightness and heightened contrast ratios. The Odyssey G9 2021 also has a 240 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response times.

Xiaomi has launched a new Redmi monitor to join the already existing Redmi Display 1A. The latest addition has a larger screen size at 27 inches and offers a 1920x1080 resolution, fast gray-to gray response time, and up to a 75 Hz refresh rate. The 27-inch Redmi monitor has a pre-sale price of 899 yuan (US$139) in China.

Laser TVs are devices much more like ultra-short-throw projectors than conventional big screens. Therefore, they can deliver larger display sizes with less harmful blue light, which is what customers want these days - according to Hisense, at least. This OEM claims that it sold over three times more laser TVs in 2020 internationally compared to 2019.

Xiaomi has officially launched the Redmi Max 86” smart TV. The new television joins the massive 98-inch Redmi Max as part of the affordable range of giant TVs from the Xiaomi subsidiary. For 7,999 yuan (US$1,237) buyers get a 4K TV that is both gaming-friendly and elevator compatible. The Redmi Max 86 also has an HDMI 2.1 port and operates on MIUI for TV 3.0.

HP has just confirmed it has secured "a definitive agreement" to buy HyperX, heretofore best known as Kingston's gaming-accessories division. That company's co-founder and CEO, John Tu, calls the move "a brighter future for HyperX", while its new owner is "thrilled" to admit it to its "family".

The 98-inch Redmi Smart TV Max is soon going to be joined by another monster television set from Xiaomi. The Chinese company has been teasing the fact on Weibo and asking followers what size the new Redmi Max TV could be. While some have their fingers crossed for 120 inches, it seems a smaller 86-inch set is more likely.

The Philips Momentum 559M1RYV is the follow-up to last year's Momentum 558M1RY, which already included plenty of features. However, the Momentum 559M1RYV takes things further with a 144 Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 and USB Type-C Power Delivery. All the good features of last year's model remain too, including 1,200 nit peak brightness, AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA G-Sync and Philips Ambiglow.

Amongst all the laptops, Lenovo has announced the ThinkVision P40w, which they claim is the world’s first professional monitor with both a Thunderbolt 4 connection and support for Intel Active Management Technology. The P40w-20 can act as your desk up with eKVM to switch between connected PCs and multiple peripheral outputs.

It's one of the most affordable 27-inch monitors you can get when considering the size and long list of gaming-centric features included. Hopefully its colors and build quality will be up to snuff.

Samsung has confirmed that its new Neo QLED mini LED TVs support AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which should provide a tear-free experience when gaming. The TVs also support HDMI 2.1, meaning that they can output at up to 120 Hz.

HBO Max is an upcoming streaming service from the TV studio in question, but also offers content from partners that range from DC to New Line. It will replace the existing Go product in many Latin and South America in June 2021, migrating its existing users to the new platform as it does. A similar transition is planned for European customers, although this lacks a concrete roll-out schedule at present.