In this article, we will discuss whether a gaming monitor is suitable for video editing. We will also cover the types of monitors that are best for video editing and what to look out for when buying a monitor.
The best budget monitor for video editing 2021 is a question that has been asked quite a few times. There are some monitors that have been specifically designed to be used for video editing, but they can be expensive.
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In this post, we’ll look at whether or not a gaming monitor can be used for video editing. To put it another way, if you want a fast response, you can, but should you?
No way–not if you can avoid it.
While a gaming monitor may be used for video editing, there are a number of minor technical aspects that, when added together, can create a compelling case for why, if you want to go into video production, you should definitely invest in a separate editing display.
We’ll dive into the world of displays in this post, explaining why gaming monitors are usually inappropriate for production work, giving you a comprehensive overview of what various specs imply, and recommending our top three picks for the finest video editing monitors on the market.
Yes, you can–but how much will it cost you?
There are a number of special characteristics that make some displays ideal for top-tier color grading for professional-level video editors that many gaming monitors just don’t have.
Nowadays, the market for ‘gaming’ peripherals like keyboards, mouse, and headphones consists of just taking an existing or generic device, adding a lot of RGB lights, and calling it a day. However, when it comes to displays, the emphasis is on improving the resolution and refresh rate.
When it comes to video editing, neither the resolution nor the refresh rate of a premium monitor are the most essential features. The purpose of the refresh rate is to provide the viewer with a greater number of frames per second, however a video editor who is trying to color grade and process material does not need those additional frames to perform his work correctly. A higher-resolution screen, although desirable, is not the be-all and end-all for video editors.
What distinguishes video editing monitors from the rest of the pack if they are the two major characteristics that frequently entice consumers to purchase a gaming monitor? Continue reading to find out.
BEST MONITOR FOR A THREE-MONITOR SETUP RELATED READING
What to Look for When Purchasing a Video Editing Monitor
To create high-quality deliverables at the next level of content creation, you’ll need a well-calibrated monitor with a high-contrast ratio value and top-tier color accuracy.
This is why, when it comes to utilizing monitors and screens for work, experienced video editors only utilize the best of the best. At all price levels: entry-level, mid-range, and top-tier, many gaming monitors, with businesses understanding their audience, sacrifice color accuracy and shadow-depth for higher resolutions and quicker refresh rates.
As a result, many of the requirements that video editors need are ignored in favor of capabilities that are solely helpful for gaming.
We’ll go over 9 things to look for when selecting a video editing monitor in the following part of this post.
Dimensions of the display
Look for a monitor with a screen size that enables you to comfortably watch and edit for long periods of time. The most popular and frequently utilized screen size for content production, according to consumer surveys, is between 24” and 30”, with 27” being the most popular.
While a 24” screen is definitely functional, you may find that working in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Premier on it for a long amount of time can make you feel cramped.
Larger displays, up to 40 inches, are also available, with curved and ultra-wide screen choices in a variety of sizes. If you intend to work on sets at all, a 19-inch screen may be the best option since it provides ample workspace while being portable.
Resolution of the Display
If you want to edit 4K video and have the financial means to do so, buy a 4K monitor. If your current system is optimized for 1080p video editing and you have a full HD monitor, don’t worry about spending the extra money on memory and storage to accommodate the massive file size and processing requirements–you can edit 4K footage on a 1080P monitor using software proxies, so don’t worry.
If color grading is a big part of your job, you’ll want to purchase the highest resolution monitor possible so you can see all the tiny pixels that need to be fixed.
Types of Panels
When choosing a monitor, there are four major panel types to consider: VA, IPS, TN, and OLED. Because of its high contrast ratios, color gamut support, and brightness levels, VA panels are extensively utilized for color-accurate manufacturing.
IPS (in-plane switching) panels provide much better viewing angles than TN panels and support a wider variety of professional color schemes.
OLED panels, which are usually the most costly, provide the deepest blacks, the widest color spectrum and range, and the best brightness levels for the price.
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HDR Compatibility
HDR technology is fantastic for boosting contrast ratios, as well as the brightness and accuracy of your color output. In these displays, panel brightness levels, which are measured in nits, are very important. Keep an eye out for a display that offers a 1000:1 contrast ratio or above for the highest contrast ratios and the broadest variety of color spectrum compatibility.
Colors galore! Support for chroma subsampling, gamut range, and color depth
A monitor’s color range determines how many colors it can display. Wider gamuts, such as Adobe RGB and DCI-P3, allow for far more color detail than earlier standards like sRGB.
You’ll want a display with a 10-bit color platform, but only if your graphics card supports a 10-bit stream–otherwise, it’ll be like putting a 6.7 V8 in a Honda Civic. It won’t be able to use all of that energy.
If you’re a casual vlogger, streamer, or video creator on YouTube who just requires simple highlight editing and saturation enhancements, an 8-bit monitor will be a much more accessible panel that is also cheap and easy to get.
Connectivity
Higher bitrates and resolutions, such as the previously mentioned 10-bit color scheme, need powerful computers with connection ports that enable data to be streamed effectively and rapidly.
If you’re a professional looking to buy one of the higher-end monitors on the market today, be sure it supports Thunderbolt, Displayport, or Optical connectivity.
Setup with two monitors
If you’re going to utilize a dual monitor setup, make sure you have a dedicated output card to which you can map your color profiles if you’re going to use a main and secondary display for various tasks like color correction and track editing.
Station of Calibration
Finally, some displays come with color and contrast calibration software pre-installed; if not, there are aftermarket software and hardware alternatives that achieve the same results. It’s crucial to have the equipment you need to calibrate your monitor right out of the box (and throughout time), since the rule of thumb is to do so once a month, and at least once every three months.
Higher-quality displays may drift away from their original calibration less often than lower-cost monitors with less sophisticated technology, but they all do it. It’s crucial to have a screen that’s constantly color-accurate and contrast-calibrated so that your material doesn’t seem like it’s using two distinct color profiles–especially for lengthier projects.
READ ALSO: Best Laptops for Video Editing on a Budget
Is it Worth It to Invest in Video Editing Monitors?
Yes, video editing monitors are well worth the investment.
There are a plethora of methods to calibrate your video editing display to get a high degree of color accuracy, which is crucial for having consistent material every time you upload, that you just cannot accomplish on a gaming monitor.
With the exception of a few very high-end choices, most gaming monitors use less expensive panels and less accurate color grades so that manufacturers can keep costs down while still providing gamers with what they want–fast refresh rates, curved displays, and high resolutions.
Investing in a high-quality monitor that is built especially for video editing and content creation may make your life much simpler in the long term. Having a monitor that can do those tasks with ease at the push of a button is a huge benefit, whether you require a portable monitor to carry your screen from set to set or you just have two displays side by side that need to have the same profile.
While they may cost you a few dollars more, individuals who work in the video creation industry will enjoy the additional degree of detail, versatility, and quality that comes with the greater price.
To repeat, you can get away with using a gaming display (or even a normal monitor) for video editing, but you’re losing out on a lot of color and contrast factors that might improve your final product. In the digital age, not having the finest equipment simply means that your work will be much more difficult and that you will overlook a lot of readily changing things.
The Top 3 Video Editing Monitors Available, According to Us
After going through the most essential features to look for when buying a video editing monitor, we’ve compiled a brief list of the best three choices on the market right now.
1. Dell Ultrasharp PremierColor U3219Q (Dell Ultrasharp PremierColor U3219Q)
Dell understands how to make high-quality displays for a number of applications, including the workplace, gaming, and video editing. The U3219Q is one of the most cost-effective models on the market today.
With a mid-range price of about $1,000 USD, this Dell monitor provides excellent value for the money, with features like:
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K)
- Coverage of 99 percent sRGB / 99 percent Rec. 709
- At 32”, there’s plenty of screen real estate.
- Playback with HDR compatibility
If you’re looking for a smaller model with the same features, the PremierColor UP2716D is a 27-inch model that offers the same excellent value as its larger sibling but at a lower price.
Visit Amazon for more information.
2. HP DreamColor Z31X (HP DreamColor Z31X)
HP has created one of the most popular, expensive, and no-compromise content editing displays on the market today.
The HP DreamColor Z31X boasts one of the most unusual and uncommon features we’ve seen on a monitor: native 4K resolution, which means the aspect ratio is 17:9 rather than the standard 16:9. The native resolution was created to correspond to the professional 4K video resolution of 4096 x 2160, rather than the usual consumer resolution of 3840 x 2160.
Here are some of its key characteristics:
- Display quality is exceptional.
- native 4k resolution cinematically mapped
- Color accuracy and gamut range are excellent.
- DCI-P3 coverage of 99 percent
This monitor also has a wide color spectrum, with 100 percent Adobe RGB, Rec.709, and 80 percent of the massive Rec.2020 color gamut covered. Aside from the high price tag, one of the few disadvantages of this monitor is that its screen only has a brightness of 250 nits, which is lower than the average required brightness level for an HDR-compatible monitor.
To compensate for the loss of cd/m2, or nits, this monitor should be used in a darkened environment, preferably without direct light reflections on the screen.
Visit Amazon for more information.
3. Dell U2720Q Ultrasharp
The Dell U2720Q is our last choice for the finest video editing monitors on the market. At this price range, it will be tough to find another monitor with as many features and similar build quality.
While the typical price of $550 USD may be prohibitive for entry-level video producers, this monitor is well worth the money. Here’s a brief rundown of the requirements:
- Contrast Ratio: 1300:1
- Exceptional color space coverage
- The cost is reasonable.
- Resolution: 4K
- There are plenty of input and output connections, including two USB-C ports that can charge a laptop or other portable device with 90 watts of electricity.
While a professional monitor is still expensive, it is necessary to have good color coverage and contrast ratio while editing and color grading. The U2720Q offers many of the features found in more costly monitors without sacrificing pricing or build quality. It nevertheless has excellent brightness, peaking at 350 nits, and an above-average contrast ratio for some ‘true’ blacks.
Visit Amazon for more information.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many specification criteria that must be fulfilled in order to obtain really correct color grading. While it is possible to do more hobby-level (and possibly entry-level) content editing if color accuracy is not critical, professionals who want to do high-level video editing and content production should invest in a monitor that can meet the requirements for producing content with excellent color grading.
We hope you found this information to be useful. Remember that RBG lighting and refresh rates won’t help your oversaturated material appear nice, so do your research and make an educated decision when it’s time to buy your new monitor!
A gaming monitor is a type of monitor designed for use with video games. They are often more expensive than standard monitors and have features that increase the quality of gameplay. The best budget monitor for gaming and editing is a gaming monitor that is affordable, has good reviews, and is able to provide high-quality visuals.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can gaming monitors be used for video editing?
Yes, gaming monitors are designed to be used for video editing. They have a high refresh rate (usually 144Hz or higher), which is required for smooth video playback.
What kind of monitor do I need for video editing?
You need a monitor that has at least 1920×1080 resolution.
Can I use a gaming monitor for work?
Yes, you can use a gaming monitor for work. However, it is highly recommended that you purchase a computer with the most recent hardware and software to ensure that your work will not be affected by any issues related to outdated technology.
