[Rubbi]

Hello, I came across your site by chance looking for information on a monitor a while ago and I love what you do! Your work must just be huge and for that I thank you very much!
I had a quick question, I looked a little bit on the forum and I saw that you recommended the BenQ EW277HDR as a powerful monitor to watch movies. The situation has changed since then? Or you have another monitor that you think is better than the BenQ and that you would recommend for almost exclusive use to watch movies ? (I look one for an aproximatly 250€ budget)
Thanks you a lot,

a Frenchman who loves this site.

[PCM2]

Hi Rubbi,

Thanks for the kind words, it’s nice to see so much enthusiasm for the website. 🙂

I still highly rate the BenQ EW277HDR and feel it gives a very enjoyable movie watching experience. It’s probably one of the longest-running monitors that’s been in the recommendations section, simply because there isn’t an alternative product I’d recommend in its place. Such as a newer version of that monitor. With your budget in mind and assuming most of the movie content you wish to watch is Full HD (1920 x 1080) at most, I feel this would offer you a very nice experience.

An alternative I’d mention for this thread, but one which would come way beyond your budget so is probably not for your consideration would be the Philips 328E1CA. This model delivers a similar sort of experience to the BenQ but has a higher resolution, making it more suitable for ‘4K’ UHD movie content. That would only be worth considering if you watch a lot of UHD movie content and this may well not be the case. It seems quite competitively priced in some regions (such as the US), less so in Europe at the moment unfortunately.

[Kwit]

What about 24 inch Full HD monitors? It seems like most monitors for movies are 27 inch or higher which is quite unfair 🙁

[PCM2]

Hi Kwit,

Most of the newer panel developments, particularly for VA models, are focused on larger panels. But the good news is that there are some good smaller models that I feel work nicely for Full HD movie viewing. Newer revisions of the BenQ GW2470H are quite similar to the EW277HDR. The colour gamut isn’t as generous, but sRGB coverage is still good with a bit of extension beyond. Contrast is strong and unlike earlier revisions of the panel, a similar screen surface to the EW277HDR is used.

A very different alternative to consider is the Dell S2419H. The main feature there is the glossy screen surface, coupled with the IPS-type panel. Provided you’re viewing in reasonable lighting conditions, you should find this works quite nicely for movie viewing.

[Kwit]

Thanks for your reply!
My Dell S2419H have just arrived today, but I feel quite disappointed with the backlight bleed, overall level of blacks and with the glossy screen surface. The colors are richer than on AOC i2490PXQU but the latter has better blacks and negligible backlight bleed.
I think I’ll be better off trying VA.

[PCM2]

I think so.

[MosesO2]

Hey PCM2, I’m trying to pick up a BenQ EW277HDR in Australia, but it looks like its pretty much impossible to find unless I import which will add atleast 100 to the price. Are there any alternatives you can recommend which are similar quality and panel type?

[PCM2]

Hmm. Not really, no. The EW277HDR is pretty unique. There’s the BenQ EW2775ZH if you’re happy with a narrower colour gamut.

[MosesO2]

Well, in that case I would like to ask for your help.

I’m trying to choose between the AOC C24G1 and the AOC Q3279VWFD8 right now. I already have a AOC AGON AG241QX (1440p, 144hz, TN).

Pros of the C24G1:

– Much better ergonomics
– VA panel (preferable to me since I want the superior contrasts for movies and general use)
– cheaper by 20AUD
– 144hz (I dont care about this since I wont be using this monitor for gaming most of the time)

Pros of the Q3279VWFD8:
-QHD (I dont really care since most media I consume will be 1080p)
-32″ is much larger than 24″, which will be nicer for movies
-I’ll be paying only 20AUD more for larger screen and higher resolution

I really want the VA panel but wouldn’t it be better to enjoy the larger screen and higher resolution for essentially the same price?

Are there any other VA panels I can check out maybe that doesn’t compromise on screen size, or is substantially cheaper?

[PCM2]

Very much an apples to oranges comparison and you’ll need to subjective assess and weigh the advantages up for yourself. You’ve summarised some of the key differences well. However; from your posts it seems that:

– You were originally considering the BenQ EW277HDR
– You prefer larger screens for extra immersion
– You prefer the VA panel type
– You have no real use for a 144Hz refresh rate or wouldn’t find it particularly useful

So why not consider the EW2775QZ instead, as suggested in my previous post? It’s really just the same as the EW277HDR with a narrower colour gamut backlight and a lack of (useless) HDR support.

[MosesO2]

Oh, I forgot to mention that. The BenQ EW2775ZH is $340 in Australia, where as the C24G1 is $261 and the Q3279VWFD8 is $280. It’s substantially more expensive, so while I would prefer it in terms of specs, I can’t really justify it.

I’ll just have to think about it some more I guess. Thank you for your input!

Edit: I think I may have found the answer. Seems like there is an ebay store which is selling the older Q3279VWF with the VA panel instead of the IPS for $284. Would you still recommend this monitor?

[PCM2]

Check out the review of the Q3279VWF and see for yourself. Its contrast is exceptionally strong and as noted there it’s really in its element when it comes to watching movie content.

[paweltylman]

I also looking for movie in (1080p, 4k (DSR)) and sometimes games in (1080p) monitor and i consider BenQ EW277HDR or the new AOC 27G2U which 24″ version is recomended and i wonder if 27″ version will have big difference any thoughts?

[PCM2]

I haven’t tested the 27G2U and have no user feedback to share. It of course uses a different panel and there can certainly be some differences. But usually when you compare a ~24″ and 27″ version of a monitor in the same series the differences are fairly minor. There are certainly lots of shared characteristics. I’d expect it to be quite similar in many respects and would be surprised if there were any weaknesses for movie watching that weren’t present on the 24″ model. The vibrant and consistent colour reproduction could certainly appeal for movie watching. Although the EW277HDR still has an edge when it comes to contrast (and lack of ‘IPS glow’).

[Rubbi]

Hello, thank you for all your answers! I come back here because the Benq looks really good but now I hesitate with the PHILIPS 325E1C, some of you could test it? What do you think of that? The problem that makes me hesitate is that the Benq is FHD on 27″ and I’m afraid that the pixels are too big when I surf the internet, is the Philips 325E1C being QHD but on 32″ could improve the problem while having a good quality for movies? Thank you!

[PCM2]

We don’t intend to review the Philips 325E1C. It does offer a generous colour gamut and offers a VA panel, so you can expect strong contrast and fairly vibrant colour output as with the EW277HDR. With respect to movie watching at 2560 x 1440, most movie content is 1920 x 1080 and you lose a little bit of sharpness. But only a little bit. And it’s nothing to do with the monitor, as we cover in our reviews:

“As usual, if you’re running the monitor at 2560 x 1440 and viewing 1920 x 1080 content (for example a video over the internet or a Blu-ray, using movie software) then it is the GPU and software that handles the upscaling. That’s got nothing to do with the monitor itself – there is a little bit of softening to the image compared to viewing such content on a native Full HD monitor, but it’s not extreme and shouldn’t bother most users.”

Something to be aware of, which affects all current ~32″ WQHD curved VA models (and high refresh rate flat VA models), is that there are subpixel related clarity/sharpness issues. This mainly affects text but can also affect the clarity of fine edges elsewhere. Refer to this section of our review of the ASUS XG32VQ for an explanation.

[Mr.Catharsis]

Dear PCM2!

I read a lot review from your site and i always check your tests first if a monitor getting my attention. I would like to buy a modern (4k era movies) monitor for especially movies and a little casual game. I also read a lot of articles.
Im actually sitting close to the monitor (usually around 50 cm but i coming further around 80 if i watching movies). I currently have a Dell P2317H which is….correct but small. 🙂
I would like to buy a 27 or 31,5 inch monitor but i don’t know what to choose. I mean 4K is already here, but a lot of movies still out in fullHD format (especially Criterion-movies from the old times. I adore older movies e.g. the 50’s :)). But i don’t think it’s a problem because madVR can solve the problem and solved it well when someone watch a fullHD movie on a WHQD or 4K monitor. Somehow better then a video-card.
I sympathize with the AOC Q3279VWF–Samsung LU32J590UQU–Benq EW3270U (bigger brother of the honorary EW277HDR) but maybe you have better recommendations. I read the test of the AOC so the main reason why is it here is cos your test. 🙂
My other question is: What would be the 5 most important thing when you looking after a monitor for movies? Contrast would be the top priority, but the over 90% of DCI-P3 or a 10 bit panel also important? I think the over-saturated monitors are cheaters because they show the colours not so accurate and somehow….they lie? For example quantum dot technolgies but maybe i know this information wrong.

I hope you can help and correct me if i said foolish things. 🙂 Maybe i should wait the next CES when everyone came out with the newest monitors? Maybe BenQ gonna give a birth to a newer and better EW277HDR? Damm….im confused. 🙂

Best whishes!

[PCM2]

Indeed I do have other recommendations and they’re found in the aptly named recommendations section. 😉 The Philips 328E1CA fits the bill and is superior to the flat models you listed (note the comparisons made to ‘flat Innolux panels’ in the review). You seem to have picked a few models because they ‘support HDR’, but the HDR support is weak and as monitors they are just not as good as 328E1CA for core performance. I suggest you either drop the idea of HDR, or consider more expensive and capable HDR monitors with effective local dimming. The ASUS CQ32UQ we’ll shortly be reviewing could be an interesting option. And there are models like the Philips 326M6VJRMB to consider as well. Although, as covered in the review, dark scene HDR performance is really not wonderful on them so it is unlikely to deliver the sort of cinematic and atmospheric HDR look you’re after.

Monitors are very subjective and the most important factors for movie viewing are open to discussion. It depends on the sort of content you watch and where your own preferences lie. Contrast is important and so is colour-consistency. 10-bit colour reproduction is not put to use outside of HDR content so is a useless addition for the most part, whilst most movies (outside of HDR) are also built around the sRGB colour space. Even if a monitor only supports 8-bit colour reproduction for HDR, it’s neither here nor there as the GPU can very effectively ‘fill in the gaps’. This is covered in relevant reviews of ours.

All having good DCI-P3 coverage will do for you outside of HDR (non colour-managed applications) is improve the vibrancy and saturation of the output – a look some users really like, but others don’t. If you want accurate colour output for SDR content then you want to stick close to sRGB with your colour gamut. But you could argue that that sRGB-restricted output is a “lie” if it’s depicting real-world scenes. Because that colour space is far more restrictive than the real world and you’re missing out on far too many shades that you’d see in real life. In my communication with developers, they’re not really happy about having their content restricted to the sRGB colour space either and are very happy with where things are headed with HDR – but it’s still not something that’s all that widely supported for movie content. And not always well-supported on the hardware side either.

I agree that the AOC Q3279VWF remains a good choice due to the exceptional contrast and glossy screen, if you can get hold of it. And as you’re aware there’s not really a huge amount of ‘4K’ movie content and most is heavily compressed anyway so the real advantages of having a UHD screen for that is debateable. If you don’t mind a bit of extra vibrancy and saturation on top of the sRGB content, but nothing too strong, the colour gamut of that model may also be to your liking. I’m personally disappointed that there aren’t lots of other screens of this sort released – with a key focus on strong static contrast. Because in my view, that’s something that can really make a difference for some movie content and give the sort of cinematic look that works so well there.

[Mr.Catharsis]

That Asus looks insane. :O But i will wait for your test first.
Thanks for your fast and informative response. I learnt from it a lot. I love read about displays anyway. Im also an audiophile. 🙂

[PCM2]

As an unfortunate addition to this thread, BenQ has confirmed that the EW277HDR has been discontinued in some regions. The newer BenQ EW2780 is an apple to the older model’s orange, though, so I think this discontinuation is a mistake. The newer model offers a standard gamut IPS-type panel so is really not comparable. Given the gamut and relatively strong contrast, some of AOC’s 24″ and 27″ G2 models would probably be more appropriate ‘IPS alternatives’ to the EW277HDR if you’re looking for one.

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