Why Eye Health Should Influence Your Monitor Selection?

Early concerns about screen use and eye health usually resulted in a recommendation to limit exposure times – particularly in the case of children – but the impracticality of this advice in our increasingly online world demands an alternate approach.

As more becomes known about the impact of screens on visual health, technology advances that lessen detrimental effects have emerged. The result is the availability of products designed specifically with eye health and a rich user experience in mind.

Low blue light monitor technology which means the blue light filter for PC/screen allows the user to control emissions, while still preserving image quality and sharpness – a key consideration for content-rich experiences like movie watching and gaming.

A true low blue light solution doesn’t just remove the blue, which can result in a yellow-toned screen, e.g. a mobile phone switched to a ‘night’ setting.

Monitors with low blue light technology come complete with pre-set modes that match lighting levels to common user behaviours, such as reading, web surfing, or multimedia access.

Find more about BenQ Low Blue Light Solution

Flicker is caused by the technology used to control backlight dimming of LCD monitors. Most monitors offer user control of the backlight intensity through brightness control capability, allowing the user to set a preferred luminance. A common dimming technique used to achieve this is rapid on/off control of the backlight to simulate a lower perceived luminance – a process known as Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). Lowering the brightness setting when PWM is used extends the ’off’ period, resulting in a more pronounced flicker. Even when not easily perceived (when brightness is at 100%), flicker has been linked to eye fatigue, eye strain, headaches and nausea.

Learn more about BenQ Flicker-Free technology

More advanced monitors utilise an alternate backlighting system that delivers constant illumination at any brightness level, eliminating flicker and associated health risks.

Shadows and reflections produced by ambient light cause the eye to work harder to avoid glare, as does any noticeable difference between ambient light and the monitor display. Intelligence is increasingly being built into monitors, enabling automatic detection and adjustment of brightness based on ambient light levels and colour temperature – how ‘warm’ or ‘cool’ available light appears.

Get ideas from how BenQ builds intelligence into monitor

HDR (high dynamic range) monitors are delivering improvements in monitor brightness, contrast and colour range, ensuring fine visual details are not lost. Superior HDR monitor options offer multiple modes, allowing users to select optimum display levels based on varying viewing conditions.

Recommended Reading: 3 Weapons that BenQ Reveals Unmatched HDR Picture Quality on Monitors

The new wave of 4K technology has dramatically improved resolution and is delivering ultra-high-definition (UHD) content with a sharper picture, greater colour depth and fine detail, vastly enriching the gaming and streaming experience. 4K-ready monitors are built to deliver the crystal-clear and vibrant images demanded by an increasing amount of content.

If monitors are used extensively for reading, there are accessories available to improve the experience. Clip-on e-reading lamps can provide the perfect light levels thanks to auto dimming functionality and zero reflective glare, providing an easy-on-the-eye solution.

With home monitors poised to deliver a cinema-worthy viewing and gaming experience, it’s important to understand the potential impact on eye health that increased viewing time may have. Monitor selection should be based on more than resolution and frame rates, as today’s technology delivers solutions designed specifically with optimum eye care in mind.