Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Computer Monitor - Contrast ration

Jan 19, 2011 1:57AM PST

I have a new monitor with only 10000:1 contrast ratio, but I see there are many avaialable at 5,6,7 times that ratio that are only a few dollars more. I use it mainly for work with Outlook, Excel, Word, etc. Should I return it and get the better contrast ratio?. Maybe monitors will get even better in the next few year, and I should wait and be happy with the smokin deal I got...?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
How does it perform for you?
Jan 19, 2011 5:35AM PST

Obviously we can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do because this is personal preference.

But I would ask how you are getting on with it.

I didn't know what "Contrast Ratio" was, so I looked it up and found this;

"Contrast ratio is the difference between the darkest black and the whitest white that the monitor can reproduce. I highly recommend googling, since lots of people already investigated on this. The market converted it into a "marketing hook", so people think that "more contrast is better". I recommend between 1000:1 and 3000:1, but that depends a lot in the environment where you're gonna put your computer. The darkest the place, the more dynamic range the human eye has. So in those conditions the eye would be capable of differencing between 15000:1 and 20000:1, maybe more."

That was from here; http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/54705-29-what-monitor-contrast-ratio

If yours works for you, then perhaps it is OK?

Mark

- Collapse -
Monitor Contrast ration
Jan 19, 2011 7:12AM PST

Thanks for the insight. It seems to perform fine, and I don't dislike it at all. Images, letters, etc. are crisp, which is what I thouht contrast ratio had to do with. I also thought colors might be more vivid with the higher contrast ratio... Maybe it is simply a "marketing hook" after all.

- Collapse -
Contrast ratio
Jan 19, 2011 11:42PM PST

Mark is spot on, basically GRAY SCALE, the human eye is only capable of seeing so much, as in audio frequencies the human ear is only capable of hearing so much. Now, were we dogs or cats it MIGHT matter. So your point about "MARKETING HOOK" works for me.

- Collapse -
Contrast ratio for monitor
Jan 20, 2011 2:13AM PST

Thanks.