The 5 Best Multimedia Monitors - Fall 2019
Reviews

The LG 27UK650-W is the best multimedia monitor that we've tested so far, and the best monitor for movies. This 27 inch, 4k screen delivers an immersive multimedia experience with its HDR support, and although the performance is somewhat hindered by its mediocre peak brightness and the lack of local dimming features, the gradient performance is outstanding, which minimizes banding. It also has wide viewing angles, great for watching the latest trending videos with your friends.

Response time on this monitor is great for gaming and fast action scenes; however, you're limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Given that 4k gaming at a high refresh rate is still uncommon due to hardware constraints, we don't expect it to be an issue. Inputs include two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort, which allows for multiple devices to be connected, such as a gaming console or media streamer.

As expected, the IPS panel isn't ideal for darker rooms, as it can't produce true blacks and has mediocre black uniformity. Overall, though, it's a very good monitor that's feature-packed for its price.

For dark room performance, the Samsung CHG70 is one of the best monitors to watch movies. It has a very good native contrast ratio, delivering relatively deep blacks, but it has poor black uniformity, so you may see some backlight bleeding in dark scenes.

Response time is also excellent on this monitor, with an optional black frame insertion feature to reduce persistence blur. Performance remains great during the day, as it can get bright enough to overcome glare and has very good reflection handling.

Unfortunately, due to the VA panel, viewing angles do suffer a bit, and colors do shift when viewed at an angle. Overall, though, this is the best monitor to watch movies at night.

For those who are more concerned about cost, the Dell U2518D is the best monitor for movies in the budget category that we've reviewed so far. It's a 25 inch, 1440p IPS monitor with wide viewing angles and a great design. The overall picture quality is good but is best suited for a bright room. Response time is also excellent with very little motion blur. Unfortunately, while it does support HDR, the performance is hindered due to the mediocre peak brightness and the lack of wide color gamut.

Overall, though, it's a very versatile monitor that should please most people, regardless of your use, landing it among our best multimedia monitors.