The 5 Best Multimedia Monitors - Winter 2023 Reviews

The best monitor we've tested for consuming multimedia content is the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It has a QD-OLED panel that also makes it the best monitor for movies, especially if you watch them in dark rooms. This type of display is even better than LED-backlit monitors because it combines the perfect black levels of an OLED with the wide range of colors from a QLED display. It means that blacks look deep and inky in the dark, and colors look vivid and full of color thanks to the remarkable color volume.

It's an ultrawide display with a 21:9 aspect ratio, which is ideal for watching ultrawide movies as it fills out the screen, but you'll see black bars at the sides if you're watching 16:9 content, like some shows. It also has wide viewing angles that make the image remain consistent from the sides, which is great for sharing your screen with someone. Sadly, its main downside is that it has raised black levels in bright rooms, so blacks look closer to purple in a well-lit environment, but that just means it performs best in dark rooms.

If you find the Dell Alienware AW3423DW too expensive or aren't a fan of the ultrawide display, then check out an upper mid-range model like the Gigabyte AORUS FO48U OLED. While it delivers the same perfect black levels as the Dell thanks to its OLED panel, it has a larger 48-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, so it's more like a small TV that's designed to be used with a PC. It doesn't have a quantum dot layer like the Dell either, so it has worse HDR color volume as colors aren't vivid and highlights don't pop as much in HDR, but it still delivers an amazing HDR experience.

The main advantage of a traditional OLED display like this one over QD-OLED on the Dell is that there aren't any issues using it in a bright room, as the black levels don't raise with light shining on the screen. It also has fantastic reflection handling if you have some light sources on it, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight intense glare. The Gigabyte also has a higher 4k resolution than the Dell, letting you watch your favorite content in 4k.

If you still find that the Gigabyte AORUS FO48U OLED is too expensive or simply too big for your liking, then consider an option like the Dell U3223QE. It has a smaller 32-inch screen, but with the same 4k resolution it has a higher pixel density and the images are sharper because of this. It doesn't have an OLED panel like the Gigabyte either, meaning it doesn't deliver the same perfect black levels, and instead, it has only a decent contrast ratio with a terrible local dimming feature that isn't effective at improving the contrast. Still, there isn't much blooming around bright objects, which is great for watching content with dark scenes.

It has remarkable color accuracy before calibration, which is important if you want to see life-like images without having to calibrate the monitor. It also has alright HDR peak brightness and it displays a wide range of colors in HDR, but those colors are undersaturated. If that bothers you, there's a smaller variant, the Dell U2723QE, that doesn't undersaturate colors in HDR, but because it has a smaller screen it doesn't deliver the same immersive viewing experience.

Should you want something cheaper in the lower mid-range price category, then check out the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 S32BM80. It has the same 4k, 32-inch screen as the Dell U3223QE, but it's very different because it has a built-in smart system, essentially making it a 32-inch TV without a tuner. You don't even need to use a computer to watch your favorite content because the Tizen OS built-in smart platform is easy to use and has a ton of apps you can download. It even comes with a remote to navigate the menus, and it has a mic you can use with Alexa and Bixby voice assistants.

In terms of picture quality, it's a great choice for watching movies because it displays deep blacks thanks to its high native contrast ratio and has good black uniformity with minimal blooming. It doesn't have a local dimming feature like the Dell, but it at least displays deep blacks without one. While its accuracy before calibration is just acceptable, it has more picture settings than most monitors, allowing you to adjust the picture settings to your liking.

If you're looking for the best monitor for watching movies and you're on a budget, then the Dell S3221QS is a good choice. It costs more than some other budget-friendly monitors, but if you spend less you'll get worse performance for watching content, so this monitor offers the best value. It has the same 4k, 32-inch screen as the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 S32BM80, but the main difference is that it doesn't have a smart system. Although this is a neat feature on the Samsung, it doesn't make a difference if you're just going to connect your PC and stream content from it anyways.

It also has a VA panel with a high native contrast ratio, and while it doesn't have a local dimming feature to further improve it, it still looks good in dark rooms, and the black uniformity isn't bad. It has a subtle 1800R curve which helps bring the edges of the screen more within your field of vision if you sit directly in front, but with narrow viewing angles, the image looks washed out from the sides, so it isn't an ideal choice for watching content with a friend.