[MK]

When searching this forum I only get 1 result for “dyac”.

I had the BenQ XL2411z for a long time and recently got the Viewsonic XG2402 since it was $100 cheaper than the ViewSonic XG240R.

The XG2402 is a good monitor but I’m wondering if the BenQ 24″ 144hz 1080p XL2536 DyAc would reduce the motion blur even further, and not be a significant downgrade in other aspects, and perhaps even an upgrade in some aspects?

I wasn’t able to find much info on this on the main pcmonitors.info site, nor anywhere else on the internet really.

[PCM2]

That’s an excellent question and as such deserves a thorough answer!

DyAc (Dynamic Accuracy) is a rather nice strobe backlight mode, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily “the best”. At least, not the first generation of the technology I’ve briefly tested and received feedback on. There are many different strobe backlight technologies and they’ll be called many different things. As pointed out in the linked article and our reviews of such technologies, they do generally achieve their goal of massively reducing perceived blur. The XL2536 running DyAc would do this. A key complaint with some strobe backlight implementations is that they’re too dim or they are locked at a brightness setting that some don’t like. DyAc is specifically voltage-boosted in a way that maximises brightness and you retain some freedom to adjust brightness. Another nice thing about DyAc is that you can run it at up to the maximum refresh rate of the monitor – which would include 240Hz on a 240Hz monitor.

But there are drawbacks to DyAc and many other strobe backlight implementations. You need to have the monitor running at a frame rate matching the refresh rate, otherwise you get extremely obvious stuttering (or tearing with juddering sensation, if not using VSync). ASUS has a technology called ‘ELMB Sync’ which allows you to use Adaptive-Sync at the same time, but from what I’ve seen the strobe backlight technology itself is usually rich with strobe crosstalk. This is another issue with many strobe backlight technologies. In its unedited state (more on this later), the XL2536 with DyAc shows a lot of this. Repetitions of the object either before or after the object itself. This can occur more strongly at some sections of the screen than others, but it’s generally best if it can be avoided centrally as that’s where your main focus will be. Even better is avoiding it altogether, but that’s rare to see. Some models with wide gamut backlight add insult to injury by adding in a sort of colourful comet-like trailing edge due to the phosphors used. The images below are from the LG 34GK950F, which has one of the weakest strobe backlight implementations I’ve come across. Not all that surprising given it doesn’t have the snappiest pixel responses, but even so the tuning was quite poor. You can see a lot of strobe crosstalk, clarity issues with the main object (clearer than without strobing, but not as clear as it should be) and also a nice red to magenta fringe near the object.

34GK950F strobe backlight

You’ll also notice in the above image a model using Nvidia’s ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur). Quite a few people like this technology as it’s very effective, not usually having issues with strobe crosstalk in the traditional sense. But as you can see in the image you get a lot of overshoot. Some models are better than others, with ULMB. But I’d say the AOC AG251FG in this example is pretty typical. A nice thing about DyAc, which doesn’t apply to ULMB, is that it’s highly configurable using the Blurbusters Strobe Utility. From what I understand you wouldn’t eliminate strobe crosstalk using that, but you can shift its position on the screen with a model like the XL2536 so it’s away from the central region of focus. If you wanted a model with good low strobe crosstalk throughout the screen and nice colour quality to boot then the ViewSonic XG270 is a nice option. The model is carefully tuned by Mark Rejhon, the main man of Blur Busters and fountain of knowledge when it comes to all things monitor responsiveness (notice attribution in our article on the topic). This seal of approval should be seen on other models in the future as well, but I can’t say any more about that at this stage.

Coming back to DyAc on the XL2536, you’ve got a nice strobe backlight mode that greatly reduces perceived blur and can be configured to offer good brightness levels with low strobe crosstalk in the centre of the screen. But coming back to the negatives, aside from the fact your frame rate needs to be matching the refresh rate exactly for it to all work properly, you will also get a flickering of the screen at a frequency matching the refresh rate. The entire premise of a strobe backlight mode. Not everybody finds this an acceptable trade-off, either because they’re sensitive to flickering or because they dislike the additional eye fatigue it causes. The XL2536 uses a similar panel to the AOC G2590PX, where our main complaint was ‘interlace pattern artifacts‘. These come out very strongly when using DyAc on the XL2536 – some people are more sensitive to them than others. But I personally find them too obnoxious. That’s not a fault of BenQ’s, it’s just how the panel is. I’ve noticed this quite a bit on other models which use a panel that doesn’t have such obvious artifacts during normal ‘sample and hold’ usage. This isn’t as bad as the obvious colourful flashes that I’ve noticed on many wide gamut models with strobe backlight technologies, again related to the phosphors used for the backlight. But it’s quite annoying to me, personally.

So you’d need to weigh up the positives and negatives to work out whether the XL2536 with DyAc would offer you the sort of experience you’re after. Have you used a strobe backlight settings before? The XL2411Z had a ‘Blur Reduction Mode’ (similar to XL2420Z we’ve reviewed) which is a pretty reasonable strobe backlight mode all things considered. One of the models I’d quite like to look at in the hopefully not too distant future is the BenQ XL2546S, which employs a new generation of ‘DyAc+’ technology. Early reports I’ve received from Asian testers suggests this may be one for people who love strobe backlight and very high brightness levels, as it seems it can pulse to ~500 cd/m if you want it to. Completely unheard of for other strobe backlight technologies I can think of and far brighter than most would like. But as long as the flexibility is there it could be a nice option, it’s also nice for competitive gamers who like strobe backlight technologies to be able to use them at 240Hz – something DyAc will allow, whereas most strobe backlight technologies on 240Hz monitors are limited to 144Hz or lower. It remains to be seen how well it all works in practice, but given DyAc is generally one of the better strobe backlight implementations it’s certainly got me and many others pretty curious about it.

[MK]

Thank you so much for the detailed reply! Extremely helpful!

Have you used a strobe backlight settings before?

If I recall correctly, I was told that the Blur Reduction Mode in the BenQ XL2411z added some form of lag/delay, and significantly reduced the brightness, so I didn’t use it. I can’t remember seeing the option in the OSD though, so maybe it was greyed out/unavailable due to me choosing another option it was incompatible with. I had the “Picture Mode” on “Movie Mode” because it had nice colors. Sounds like I may have needed to have it on “Standard” + “Color Mode” set to “User Mode” https://archive.vn/GE70i. I may have also gotten an earlier version that didn’t have the updated firmware required to use the Blur Busters Strobe Utility. I do remember messing around with that stuff when I first got the monitor many years ago, but likely the downsides weren’t worth it. It sounds like even after 6+ years the downsides of MBR technology are still significant, which is really a shame, because I think I’d really appreciate less blur than what this XG2402 has.

I found this discussion where a somewhat tedious trick/tweak for the XL2411z is described: https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=2693

It unfortunately sounds like these technologies still have a long way to go, and thus we still have to settle for less-than-ideal, and choose between one problem or another, and/or pay a lot more for Nvidia (I have AMD 5700 GPU).

Good to know that the BenQ XL2546S might finally be free of these issues! Hopefully they’ll release a lower-cost 144hz version of it.

I guess in the meantime I might have to be content with the motion blur on the XG2402. It’s possible that I’d like another monitor better, but the options are overwhelming, and it’s difficult to know without trying many monitors yourself, and the significant variation between even the same model, all make it quite a challenge. Thanks for your very helpful website and forum!

[MK]

Based on your reply.

I’m now thinking that the best current option would be to get a 240hz monitor to reduce motion blur instead of getting a monitor that strobes (DyAc).

IE: the Acer Nitro XF252Q, 24″ 1080p 240hz, TN per TFT Central review “The Acer XF252Q was an impressive gaming screen for sure. It’s the fastest panel we’ve tested to date in fact, with the lowest, most consistent response times, no noticeable overshoot”

[PCM2]

The Acer XF252Q uses the same panel as the Acer XN253Q X, but lacks variable overdrive and the same tight-tuning. So it’s certainly a fast monitor, but if you’ve got the budget and an Nvidia GPU the G-SYNC option is superior. You can see from TFT Central’s review of the Adaptive-Sync model that the ‘Normal’ overdrive setting makes sense at 240Hz and provides a nice solid experience. But as refresh rate decreases, some moderate to strong overshoot kicks in. There isn’t an overdrive setting that would be better to use for lower refresh rates even so, unfortunately, so if you’re sensitive to overshoot that model is certainly less enjoyable to use at relatively low refresh rates than the G-SYNC alternative.

The overshoot is only measured for a relatively slim range of transitions in that XF252Q review, which is understandable as it’s very time-consuming and most of the focus is rightfully on 240Hz performance. But I can say from experience that if you’re sensitive to overshoot then you’re going to be noticing overshoot levels picking up as refresh rate dips below about 200Hz on that model. And below 100Hz there’s going to be some particularly eye-catching examples. Including ‘halo’ trailing that is at times much brighter than the background shade and can really stand out for that reason. as refresh rate dips below 200Hz on that model.

[MK]

Ah, ~$500 + requires Nvidia GPU.

Under what circumstances would refresh rate dip below 240hz? Only when using Adaptive Sync? Vsync?

Based on my testing linked in the previous comment, it seems that setting an FPS cap at the right value can negate the need for adaptive sync or vsync, so it should be simple enough to be able to stay at 240hz and get smooth gameplay with no tearing.

[PCM2]

The refresh rate only varies when using a Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology such as G-SYNC or FreeSync – hence the name. Otherwise you’d just be running at a static 240Hz – in which case I agree, no need to pay extra for the privilege of the XN253Q X and its G-SYNC module.

If you cap the frame rate to the right value below the refresh rate that can reduce the need for Adaptive-Sync or VSync, but it doesn’t negate it. You still get tearing or if using VSync stuttering, unless you’re using a VRR technology. Whether you notice this or not is another question and it sounded from your testing that it wasn’t something you were particularly sensitive to.

[MK]

I was looking at your recommendations page https://pcmonitors.info/recommendations/ and I’m wondering why you don’t have any 240hz monitors listed?

I’m thinking about getting a 27″ 240hz monitor, which is why I looked.

[PCM2]

Quite simply because there aren’t any I have experience with that I am happy to flat out recommend. You may notice none have been given our ‘recommended monitor badge‘ either – although that’s slightly separate, the two go hand in hand more often than not. When I test one of the IPS-type models, which I will be doing in the not too distant future, that may change depending on how I find it. I’ve definitely recommended the XN253Q X to quite a few people, although personally I find it a bit steep for a Full HD monitor. I don’t personally like the screen surface (applies to any non-VA 240Hz monitor I’ve come across and this is a personal sensitivity), dynamic ‘interlace pattern artifacts’ or think much for the image quality, either. So it’s a recommendation ‘on the side’ for people who are specifically interested in 240Hz with exceptional pixel responsiveness above all else, it isn’t something I widely recommend alongside other products which I feel are better-rounded and better value for money.

[PCM2]

A fair few people still view this thread, so to give it a bit of a fresh lick of paint for 2021:

1) The recommended gaming monitors section does now include various 240Hz options. Since my last post there are certainly a broader range of models available and I’ve got on better with some of these and gathered plenty of good positive feedback on them. 🙂

2) The ViewSonic XG2431 is due to be released shortly and based on its carefully-tuned ‘PureXP’ strobe backlight setting (‘Blur Busters Approved 2.0’), I expect good things from this one’s strobe backlight setting. It has a regular WLED backlight as well, so you won’t need to worry about red fringing from slow red phosphor decay as seen with KSF phosphors.

3) The XL2546K has replaced the ‘S’ variant. Again featuring Dyac+.

[Intikhab]

Greetings of Peace PCM2 once again!

Any update to XG2431 that you mentioned? Regarding testing it.

I have read around the internet and blur buster’s forums that you can do strobe at lower refresh rate like between 100~120hz and manually tune the strobing parameters using the software from blurbusters and we can get near perfect picture without blur and no crosstalk etc stuff!

If such can be done for other monitors with 240hz etc, anyone out there testing them for such things since 240hz panel should be able to avoid crosstalk etc at lower refresh rate. I mean there are monitors with 360hz, even 500hz frequency refresh rates. Would be awesome to finally see CRT like clarity since 2010 for me. I hare blurring I can’t play any kind of competitive PvP or FPS even now without getting blur induced headaches, since my eyes might have gone worse with a bleeding within a week I had but not from blur of monitors. My remnants of chemo from 2016, since internal scars reduced suddenly I guess it had still chemo in it pack inside scar nodule.

After all I played nearly 17 years on perfect images, my eyes refused to adapt with blur which people who never played on never missed. My eyes miss them each day! EACH DAY!

[PCM2]

Hi again Intikhab,

I don’t intend to test it, but I feel it’s been well enough covered by other sources (including my friends at TFT Central and TotallydubbedHD on YouTube). And yes, Blurbusters have a plethora of useful information regarding fine-tuning using ViewSonic Strobe Utility. Based on that sort of testing and user feedback it’s a model I’ve recommended for a little while now. In terms of strobe backlight performance it’s really as good as you’ll get (especially if set to 120Hz – even without specific tweaking with the utility), until OLED monitors with pixel strobing (‘BFI’) are released to market.

[PCM2]

The section of video below from the TotallydubbedHD YouTube channel includes a nice set of pursuit photographs using Test UFO at 360Hz, showing the overall clarity plus overshoot and strobe crosstalk levels observed for the test on the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K.

[PCM2]

As noted in our updated G-SYNC technology article, Nvidia has launched ULMB 2 which promotes higher brightness (screens must be able to reach at least 250 nits when running ULMB, brightness can always be reduced by the user) and availability at higher refresh rates such as 360Hz. The technology also incorporates separate overdrive tuning (‘Vertical Dependent Overdrive’) for different sections of the panel, minimising strobe crosstalk not just centrally but throughout the screen. TFT Central has posted a nice video exploring ULMB 2 – this section is particularly interesting as it looks at how well it works in terms of minimising strobe crosstalk throughout the screen, even comparing favourably to BenQ’s DyAc+ on the XL2566K.

Though according to Tim’s testing on Monitors Unboxed, strobe crosstalk is still higher than ideal lower down the screen. The technology is available on screens such as the ASUS PG27AQN, Acer XB273U F and (upcoming) AOC AGON AG276QSG. These models use backlights with KSF phosphors so there are issues with red to magenta fringing and colourful flashes that can be observed during motion. These particular artifacts are quite annoying to some (they are to me) and are absent on alternative backlight technologies, including on the BenQ models which have standard gamut WLED backlights without using KSF phosphors. I’d expect to see ULMB 2 on future models using QD LED backlights, to achieve a wide gamut without KSF phosphor related issues.

[Intikhab]

Thank you for the posts regarding it all. Sorry for late replies I had some things irl come up that delayed me completely. I just checked and it feels good. I am all in for buying viewsonic XG2431. Just saw it’s review on TftCentral as well. I feel like 120 hz strobing on that should be almost without crosstalk and overshoots. Going to read about ULMB 2.0 now. Also saw the review at rtings for 120hz for viewsonic XG2431 I hope it’s that crystal clear for all the screen

Also found Gigabyte M32Q on rtings review. It have quite good mbr on it. At least from the pictures shown. Unsure if that’s the case for whole monitor. I wonder why people avoid showing whole screen’s MBR and let us view it for whole screen. Maybe people will mislead into thinking it’s not great not knowing how it works and where to look for it’s good stuff vs how much it’s upon screen and how much it is not?

[PCM2]

Yeah, showing just the very centre of the screen can be misleading. Also, the M32Q has a KSF phosphor backlight so suffers those issues highlighted in my previous post. The ‘BFI’ image for the M32U also looks very ‘clean’ on the RTINGS review, but even using Test UFO and looking at the centre there are some strobe crosstalk issues are evident. Not sure why the RTINGS test doesn’t highlight them. Test UFO is more useful in that even with the basic triple row test (not full screen strobe crosstalk) you will get some idea about performance just above and just below centre. They’re still broadly speaking the central region of the screen where your eyes will mainly focus during competitive play, so it’s good to consider all of those rows. Plus it gives a broader range of transitions which can help highlight additional or transition-specific issues. In many cases the top row (displayed just above centre) will appear different to the very central point for example.

[Intikhab]

Looks like I am in the limbo of living in Pakistan. They asking me the price of 700 USD dollars for Viewsonic XG2431 monitor to get it imported from America from Amazon. I guess I need to find some alternate in Pakistan to that since I live next door to China but China only sell us 3rd class stuff online nothing apart from that. Fucking hell!

Any other 240hz IPS monitors with blur reductions? I will try to find those in my market to buy since I will be running them at 120 hz for clean blur reduction. Of course without the KSF phosphors since they are not for blur reduction by their inherent properties. Or maybe I should wait more for them to breach my market in more reasonable price. I don’t know what else to do. I have seen normal 120hz without blur reduction still too much. Those with blur reduction have those double image issues most of them which I saw. Except for those models which have sync and blur reduction on at same time. I have never seen those personally before so can’t say. I am hoping 120 hz blur reduction at 240hz monitor will be way better as far as double image is concerned.

[PCM2]

In my experience the tuning is more important than the refresh rate of the strobe backlight solution neatly dividing into the maximum refresh rate of the display. BenQ ‘EX’ models also offer decent (though not perfect) strobe backlight performance, even if they’re 144Hz – 180Hz models and you’re running at 120Hz (EX2710 and EX3210U for example). AOC models usually have decent and quite flexible (overdrive and brightness control) ‘MBR’ strobe backlight settings as well, but it can certainly vary in how good it is in terms of strobe crosstalk. It’s difficult to give a recommendation for a specific market I’m unfamiliar with, though.

[Intikhab]

Still I am learning most the intricate details with each thing I talk with you about. For instance I was not aware of KSF issues before I might have bought those. And now implementation alongside refresh matters part. I thought most would let you set those things. But reading around I find out that they don’t. I was looking at ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM review just now and it have locked overdrive settings hence can’t even deal in lower rates without overdrive inverse corona colour ghosting. I thought before blur reduction at 120 hz on monitor 240hz should be easy thing to eye for but it’s still too many factors to remember as before. Unfortunately I live in a country where usually if you buy something you are stuck with it and shops etc don’t let you return stuff even though law allows it. People are just lawless. It’s rare to find good people who self regulate in my country.

I will keep a low out if I can find something in my market with 240hz and will ask you for approval regarding basic checks. Because anything you would recommend might not be either here at all after all or 2 times the price.

Thank you so much!

[Intikhab]

Will all ULMB 2 be as good as they are saying? Will monitors be different to each other in terms of only blur reduction?

Backlights being different and panel type that is another thing. But will the blur reduction parameters independent of panel type etc be that good for all monitors for minimal strobe crosstalk? If they are, it might be easier for me to buy a monitor when I get ULMB2 in the market since blur reduction would be good just have to find right combo of the panels then.

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