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Matte display panels are ruining my gaming experience

Cherrypepsi

Member
This is probably an unpopular opinion but I wonder who else feels that way

What are really the advantages of having a matte coated panel?

+ there are less reflections

I really can't think of any other advantage.

While this is a preferable thing for office monitors, there are in my opinion more disadvantages...

- the colors look worse
- everything looks less sharp
- viewing angles are suffering a little more
- screen pops less

refcoat.jpg


I have a dual monitor setup in my room right now

DELL 144hz 1440p IPS
Alienware 240hz TN

while both are fantastic in motion, comparing them to my old Samsung SA950D from almost 10 years ago, the image quality looks... kinda worse in many ways.
So why are there no glossy options for gamers? The industry is producing matte panels only at the moment. I am not aware of a glossy high refresh rate monitor.
The only company in the industry that has no matte panels is Apple.

There are tutorials on youtube on how to remove the anti glare coating on a monitor, maybe I will give it a try.

TLDR: matte panels suck unless you only use word and excel and have no curtains.
 
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gypsygib

Member
I maybe understand matt coating for office monitors, visual fidelity isn't important for MS office tasks or coding but for gaming it's a major part of the experience so I can't understand why any gaming monitor would be matt.

All gaming monitors should be glossy with the same anti-glare used on TVs. If someone needs more anti-glare protection monitor makers should just sell an anti-glare filter like 3M does. That way you can still take it off at night and monitor makers can make an extra $20 while pleasing everyone. Win win.
 

jaysius

Banned
Yikes, I think your issue with shitty colors and everything else is the TN panel.
The old samsung that you're talking about might not have been a TN panel.

Matte is hard to find in TVs these days, not sure about monitors, but Matte is definitely the way to go, also don't impulse buy things, if you don't like matte then don't buy the panel with it. Be a more informed consumer.

This is buyer's remorse turned up to 10.
 
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Cherrypepsi

Member
Yikes, I think your issue with shitty colors and everything else is the TN panel.

Matte is hard to find in TVs these days, not sure about monitors, but Matte is definitely the way to go, also don't impulse buy things, if you don't like matte then don't buy the panel with it. Be a more informed consumer.

This is buyer's remorse turned up to 10.
This isnt buyers remorse, this is an industry rant. if you think there are glossy options for gamers, show me one :)

Oh and I also have an LG B9, that image quality is on another level anyway but a lot of it comes from the beautiful glass front
 

gypsygib

Member
Nice bit about matte is that you don't have to look into a fucking mirror most of the day.
Those samsung tv's dear lord dude
Does your glossy phone or TV bother you? Phones are viewed in the sunniest conditions and no one complains that they're not matt. I'd even guess that most people would complain about how crappy their screen looked if a phone maker released a matt screen.

You can combat glare with a separate anti-glare filter but you can't fix that lack of clarity on a matt screen. If PC gamers are all about options, control, and customizability, it would be nice to be able to choose matt or glossy for our gaming monitors.
 
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junguler

Banned
glossy panels used to bother me a lot in the past because of the fucking reflections but after using a matte va panel i realized the alternative was not that much better either. i've setteled on a 42 inch 1080p60 ips tv as monitor and it's been good to me so far, it has good colors and the response time is very good once i turned off all the effects it has. i'm not a pro gamer to pick tn or a fucking artist to go super anal on the colors and those retarded stuff so a cheap ips tv was all i needed.
 

Ivan

Member
Sony's version of glossy is the best IMO... It is not like a mirror like some others while having all the benefits.

Perceived contrast is so much better on glossy screens. I hate anti-glare too,except for office use.
 

soulbait

Member
Does your glossy phone or TV bother you? Phones are viewed in the sunniest conditions and no one complains that they're not matt. I'd even guess that most people would complain about how crappy their screen looked if a phone maker released a matt screen.

You can combat glare with a separate anti-glare filter but you can't fix that lack of clarity on a matt screen. If PC gamers are all about options, control, and customizability, it would be nice to be able to choose matt or glossy for our gaming monitors.
Most of the time you are not looking at a dark scene on your phone though. Try looking at a dark scene on your phone, during mid day outside. It is awful. However, in most use cases, the glossy screen is fine.

Matte monitors are like that due to yes, even gaming monitors, are used for more than just gaming. Being that close to a monitor for hours at a time, while reflecting your image back would get annoying quickly.

You may not mind, but I am guessing the majority of consumers would, which is why they are matte.
 
matte > gloss

i have a matte IPS display and let me tell you the issues you have i don't. colours/contrast/viewing angles are great. i use my monitor not just for gaming but video/photo editing and web design. my other displays (phone/TV) are OLED and i have no issue going between them.

maybe your display just has an aggressive coating on it? some are really bad.
 
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RoboFu

One of the green rats
I agree with the op. You do lose some clarity with a lot of antiglare coatings. It use to be much worse than today’s coatings though. I still prefer none on my monitor.
 
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rofif

Can’t Git Gud
This is probably an unpopular opinion but I wonder who else feels that way

What are really the advantages of having a matte coated panel?

+ there are less reflections

I really can't think of any other advantage.

While this is a preferable thing for office monitors, there are in my opinion more disadvantages...

- the colors look worse
- everything looks less sharp
- viewing angles are suffering a little more
- screen pops less

refcoat.jpg


I have a dual monitor setup in my room right now

DELL 144hz 1440p IPS
Alienware 240hz TN

while both are fantastic in motion, comparing them to my old Samsung SA950D from almost 10 years ago, the image quality looks... kinda worse in many ways.
So why are there no glossy options for gamers? The industry is producing matte panels only at the moment. I am not aware of a glossy high refresh rate monitor.
The only company in the industry that has no matte panels is Apple.

There are tutorials on youtube on how to remove the anti glare coating on a monitor, maybe I will give it a try.

TLDR: matte panels suck unless you only use word and excel and have no curtains.
You are absolutely correct. I've always been telling that.
On matte displays, the light gets diffused and creates big diffused blob instead on sharp but smaller reflection.
Then also there is grain effect which I never liked.
Then it is absolutely ruining perceived contrast due to matte display catching/diffusing more light and looking grey.

The last glossy LCD I've had was HP 27ea. Only 1080p 27" ips but it was the best looking IPS in recent memory. Then I've upgraded to 4k 27" lg 27uk650 which had really annoying matte display. it would've been amazing with glossy coating.
People complaining about "reflections" don't know how to use a damn monitor. You avoid light behind it but keep indirect light ON in the room with ips. With Oled, the darker you can consume your content, the better

NOT GOD OF ALL GODS, Oled 48" lg c1. Amazing glossy display with chemical coating that manages to lower reflections a bit. So it's amazing glossy panel but not a complete mirror. Looks amazing.
 
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MiguelItUp

Member
If I had to choose, I'd say that glare is much more distracting, personally. At least until we can create some kind of new screen tech that isn't impacted by sunlight or reflections whatsoever, lol. Bright colorful screen always, I want dat.

But until then, matte all day. The matte monitors and screens I've had thus far still appear to be very vibrant and strong. So I'm assuming their matte isn't as aggressive as others. Or, maybe that's just my take? Unsure. But I've definitely seen matte look worse, as well as glare.
 

Neilg

Member
Across 5+ apartments and a house, I cant think of a single one where a glossy panel would have not produced horrendous and distracting reflections during any dark scenes.

Maybe in a house big enough for a totally blacked out media room... but then i'd just get a 4k projector instead.
 

Demigod Mac

Member
Viewsonic XG270QG here - has an excellent matte coating, no grainy haze and very clear image. And I'm extremely picky about such things after having used a glossy display for years.
 

Great Hair

Banned
Matte is the best. I hate dark scenes on reflective panels where I can just see my big ugly head reflected in the screen staring right back at me.
1º get some black veil
2º wrap your head around with it
3º get some scissors and
4º cut 3x orifices
5º enjoy, no more big head reflection
rihannas GIF
Cracking Up Reaction GIF by MOODMAN

+1 for glare displays
+0 for matte displays
 

smbu2000

Member
Does your glossy phone or TV bother you? Phones are viewed in the sunniest conditions and no one complains that they're not matt. I'd even guess that most people would complain about how crappy their screen looked if a phone maker released a matt screen.

You can combat glare with a separate anti-glare filter but you can't fix that lack of clarity on a matt screen. If PC gamers are all about options, control, and customizability, it would be nice to be able to choose matt or glossy for our gaming monitors.
Well there are different matte coatings. My old Dell 27” monitor from 2007ish? had a really bad kind of coating and made everything sort of blurry. After I switched to an Eizo flexscan and the matte coating on it was great. My current BenQ monitor looks okay as well.

I do prefer matte though. I have a matte screen protector on my phone and tablet and I put a matte screen protector on my Macbook Pro as well. My LG CX tv is glossy, but it is not facing the window so it’s not so bad. If they had a matte version though I would definitely go for that.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Across 5+ apartments and a house, I cant think of a single one where a glossy panel would have not produced horrendous and distracting reflections during any dark scenes.

Maybe in a house big enough for a totally blacked out media room... but then i'd just get a 4k projector instead.
Em.... Aaa.... Eeee... Fucking shades?!
And it's not a mirror. Once something is on the screen you don't see reflection.
 
Sounds to me like you need to switch to an OLED tv for your PC monitor. Glossy, but doesn't lose any of the viewing angle, and also has decent anti glare
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
Sounds to me like you need to switch to an OLED tv for your PC monitor. Glossy, but doesn't lose any of the viewing angle, and also has decent anti glare
Sane people don’t actually use 48 inch monitors on their desk.

tag me when LG releases a 32 inch 4k oled. @120
So i don’t get a neck strain.
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
5af.png

I've used both. I understand why you like glossy, but there's so many advantages with matte.

I wouldn't be able to see anything in my living room if I had a glossy display.

Also, a bad monitor is bad no matter if you have glossy or matte.

I have a matte dell 27 inch ips and I have never seen a more beautiful display in action.

It even sounds wrong on so many levels that you are not able to see from the sides on a ips. Sure you're using an ips?
 

Quasicat

Member
I started last gen with a glossy screen and the PS4 controller light literally reflected back at me. I now have a matte screen, and now the controller doesn’t reflect at all, even in the dark. Maybe I’m not noticing the lower level of quality or colors, but the lack of reflection is a big selling point for me.
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
5af.png

I've used both. I understand why you like glossy, but there's so many advantages with matte.

I wouldn't be able to see anything in my living room if I had a glossy display.

Also, a bad monitor is bad no matter if you have glossy or matte.

I have a matte dell 27 inch ips and I have never seen a more beautiful display in action.

It even sounds wrong on so many levels that you are not able to see from the sides on a ips. Sure you're using an ips?

dell ultrasharp perhaps?
because that line was basically the unbranded thunderbolt display from apple.. 27 inch 1440p 10bit a fuck ton of ports inc ypbr and even composite. Still have it for color grading.. that monitor really is better then most of the shit out these days. Also LOL at those VA displays 🤭
 

Neilg

Member
Em.... Aaa.... Eeee... Fucking shades?!
And it's not a mirror. Once something is on the screen you don't see reflection.

I'm not ripping down venetian blinds to put blackout shades in a bay window. The far easier solution is to just not buy a glossy panel screen in the first place.
It's a solution for a problem that just doesn't need to exist in the first place.

And any time there's more light in the room than there is on screen (say, a dark scene in a game, and playing during the day), then the room reflections overpower what the tv is putting out. it's basic physics... the brightest source wins.
 
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Umbral

Member
I agree. The downsides far outstrip the upsides. I use glossy screens for clarity and accuracy. Put the window behind them, close the blinds/curtains, and dim or turn off the lights.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
I'm not ripping down venetian blinds to put blackout shades in a bay window. The far easier solution is to just not buy a glossy panel screen in the first place.
It's a solution for a problem that just doesn't need to exist in the first place.

And any time there's more light in the room than there is on screen (say, a dark scene in a game, and playing during the day), then the room reflections overpower what the tv is putting out. it's basic physics... the brightest source wins.
How can a reflection can come back brighter to the tv lol.
If You don't want to put your blinds down then even matte display won't help
 

Neilg

Member
How can a reflection can come back brighter to the tv lol.
If You don't want to put your blinds down then even matte display won't help

man alive. you know how if you're standing in a dark room and it's light outside, you can see straight through glass - but if you're in a well lit room and its dark outside, the glass is basically a mirror?
this is basic high school physics. the light source with the most energy 'wins'
if the tv is glossy, and you're playing a game with a nearly dark or black screen, it takes very little light in the room you are in to make the tv very reflective. to avoid this you need to practically black out the room entirely.

have you ever seen what venetian blinds look like?
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
man alive. you know how if you're standing in a dark room and it's light outside, you can see straight through glass - but if you're in a well lit room and its dark outside, the glass is basically a mirror?
this is basic high school physics. the light source with the most energy 'wins'
if the tv is glossy, and you're playing a game with a nearly dark or black screen, it takes very little light in the room you are in to make the tv very reflective. to avoid this you need to practically black out the room entirely.

have you ever seen what venetian blinds look like?
I have a glossy oled. Reflections are not an issue.
Just cover direct sunlight... and at night play... in the dark. What's the big fkn deal.
You can't expect a tv to be extremely bright and matte to fight the sun.
 
I'm with you OP. Matte is dull and boring. Back in the day I bought one of those Korean monitors that used the same panel from the Apple Cinema Thunderbolt display but was way cheaper. It had a glossy screen and looked so good. Of course it was a piece of shit Korean monitor so it died in less then a year and I "upgraded" to an Asus Republic of Matte and it's better for games in refresh rates and response time, but goddamn the colors are lifeless.
 
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