Computers, Science & Technology

Lenovo’s monitor master plan hints that your next PC display will blow your mind

2022-03-31 16:58:13 simyang 6

Lenovo’s monitor master plan hints that your next PC display will blow your mind

MINI-LED, OLED, and more.

图片关键词

The monitor market is on the cusp of entering a new era of innovation. After two decades relying on a familiar core technology—an LCD panel with an LED backlight—consumer PC displays are making the leap to MINI-LED and OLED technology ( fave.co/3rdpt6t).


Lenovo is a leader in this space. It was an early adopter of OLED in laptops ( fave.co/3vc9gr1), it was the first to bring a 2-in-1 PC with a folding OLED screen to consumers ( fave.co/34ziuw7), and it is among the few selling a 27-inch MINI-LED monitor ( fave.co/3jkfpff) right now.


I asked Stefan Engel ( fave.co/3hc8dpv), Lenovo’s vice president and general manager of visual business, where he thinks PC displays go from here. The answers will leave you eager for what’s next.


MORE MINI-LED IS COMING TO MONITORS, AND SOON


The Lenovo Thinkvision Creator Extreme is a 27-inch MINI-LED monitor with 1,152 individual dimming zones. That’s more than on Samsung’s top 2021 MINI-LED television, which has 792 dimming zones across a 65-inch display. The dimming zone density of the Lenovo monitor is three times greater than that of Samsung’s 2021 MINI-LED flagship.


It’s impressive but comes with an outrageously high price tag. The Thinkvision Creator Extreme ( fave.co/35ipooj) retails for a truly extreme $3,499, placing it far outside the average consumer’s budget. Luckily, there’s reason to think pricing will come down.


“Lenovo is paving the way for MINI-LED in the monitor market,” says Engel. “For 2022, […] we plan to develop a series of MINI-LED products and monitors to benefit a multitude of commercial and consumer users.”


The key word here is “consumer.” Lenovo’s Thinkvision monitor is a pricey, low-volume monitor for a niche professional market. The same is true of Asus’ high-end Proart MINI-LED monitors ( fave.co/35jrpul). Consumer displays are a different story. Engel wasn’t ready to reveal specifics, but I expect the Lenovo’s future consumer MiniLED displays, while still likely to sell well above $1,000, will be notably less expensive than the Thinkvision monitor.


This isn’t just speculation. Most companies that showed MINI-LED monitors at CES 2022 ( fave.co/3jk2a0t) were unwilling to talk pricing, but two broke ranks: Acer and Monoprice. Acer priced its upcoming Acer Predator X32 FP MINI-LED gaming monitor at $1,799. Monoprice beat that by a mile, announcing that its 27-inch MINI-LED will sell for $999. To be frank, Lenovo must lower its pricing to compete with Acer and Monoprice.


In any case, pricing is headed in the right direction. Asus’ ROG Swift


PG32UQX ( fave.

CO/3BMTYKD), my favorite gaming monitor of 2021, arrived with an MSRP of $2,999. Samsung’s super-ultrawide Odyssey Neo G9 ( fave.co/3p5bawy) hit stores at $2,499. It appears new MINI-LED monitors expected in 2021 will shave a thousand or more off the price.


MINI-LED COULD ALSO BE COMING TO GAMING LAPTOPS (AND MORE)


High-end PC monitors were not Mini-led’s only success story in 2021. They also came standard on Apple’s Macbook Pro 14 and 16. It’s hard to argue with the results. The new Macbook Pro models have a display brighter and more vivid than that of any PC laptop, including those with OLED.


I asked Engel if Lenovo will be bringing MINI-LED to laptops, and though he declined to name any specific models, he hints they’re in the works.


“For what’s next in laptops, Lenovo is dedicated to optimizing its immersive visuals, particularly within gaming markets ( fave. co/3r3txnd),” said Engel. “So, I’d imagine panel improvements, like up to MINI-LED display and performance upgrades for avid gamers, could be offered in the not-toodistant future.”


Engel’s comments focus on gaming, which makes sense. Excellent HDR performance ( fave.co/3qp3f19) is a key advantage of MINI-LED, but the Windows desktop (and everything you do in it) is designed for SDR.


Gaming and streaming are where MiniLED literally shines, leaping ahead of OLED with unmatched brightness. Games also benefit from Mini-led’s improved contrast, which, though not as good as OLED, is far superior to a traditional edge-lit LCD.

BURN-IN REMAINS A LIMITATION FOR OLED


The debate over OLED burn-in remains a controversial topic. It can also be frustrating to cover, as executives often play coy when asked about the issue. I was surprised, then, by Engel’s frank response when I pressed him on how MINI-LED and OLED compare.


“Of note, OLED has low durability, specifically called burn-in,” says Engel.


“OLED quality may be degraded, with a shadow on the image, after long-time usage.”


Engel was quick to clarify that this problem doesn’t invalidate OLED, as should be obvious from Lenovo’s early and continued commitment to the technology ( fave. co/3h3fojb). Instead, Engel believes use case is key when deciding which is best.

“As a rule of thumb, I’d say if you’re a designer and work with rather stable content on your screen, go with MINI-LED. But if your world is all ‘moving content’ like video, go with OLED,” says Engel.


He also points out that MINI-LED isn’t perfect. The technology’s critics often leap on its “blooming” or “halo” issue, which causes a halo of brightness around small, bright objects on a dark background. This downside will remain a trait of MINI-LED for the immediate future. Enthusiasts must decide for themselves if long-term durability or pixelperfect contrast is the priority.


WHAT ABOUT OLED, ANYWAY?


Engel’s most revealing comments were about MINI-LED. When asked whether Lenovo plans to bring a QD-OLED display to market in 2022, as will Dell and Samsung ( fave. CO/3KVKHKO), Engel declined to offer specifics, saying only that Lenovo adds new options when it can “find the right space” in its product line. Engel was similarly vague about the future of Lenovo PCS with flexible OLED displays, a category Lenovo pioneered with the X1 Fold ( fave.co/3jnxwne).


Does that mean Lenovo will focus less on OLED in the future? I doubt it. OLED has proven successful in Lenovo’s laptops, offering a high-end display option that’s superior to a standard edge-lit LCD display. Instead, I read Engel’s lack of comment on OLED to mean the company will move forward on multiple paths.


This will be true of the entire industry. As I wrote in November of 2021, OLED displays face headwinds due to high production costs ( fave.co/3qn7bwg), especially for the 24-inch to 32-inch panels in desktop monitors.


However, this issue will ease into 2024 and 2025 as a new generation of OLED fabrication comes online, giving OLED the opportunity to strike back. By then, consumers will likely have dozens of MINI-LED and OLED monitors to choose from.


A MONITOR REVOLUTION?


Engel’s comments show the PC monitor display market is headed in a new direction. Change won’t happen overnight, and pricing for new MINI-LED and OLED monitors will be relatively high for the foreseeable future. Still, it’s obvious monitors are about to become much, much better—and Lenovo hopes to be a leader in this revolution.


联想的显示器总体规划暗示,您的下一台PC显示屏将让您大吃一惊

迷你 LED、OLED 等

显示器市场正处于进入创新新时代的风口浪尖。在依靠熟悉的核心技术(带有LED背光的LCD面板)二十年后,消费类PC显示器正在向MINI-LED和OLED技术(fave.co/3rdpt6t)迈进。

联想是这一领域的领导者。它是笔记本电脑(fave.co/3vc9gr1)中OLED的早期采用者,它是第一个将带有折叠式OLED屏幕的2合1 PC带给消费者(fave.co/34ziuw7),并且是目前为数不多的销售27英寸MINI-LED显示器(fave.co/3jkfpff)的产品之一。

我问了联想副总裁兼视觉业务总经理Stefan Engel(fave.co/3hc8dpv),他认为PC显示器从这里开始。答案会让你渴望下一步是什么。

更多的迷你LED即将进入显示器,而且很快就会

联想Thinkvision Creator Extreme是一款27英寸MINI-LED显示器,具有1,152个单独的调光区域。这比三星2021年顶级MINI-LED电视还要多,该电视在65英寸显示屏上具有792个调光区域。联想显示器的调光区密度是三星2021年MINI-LED旗舰产品三倍。

它令人印象深刻,但价格高得离谱。Thinkvision Creator Extreme(fave.co/35ipooj)的零售价为3,499美元,远远超出了普通消费者的预算。幸运的是,有理由认为价格会下降。

"联想正在为显示器市场的MINI-LED铺平道路,"Engel说。"对于2022年,[...]我们计划开发一系列MINI-LED产品和显示器,使众多商业和消费用户受益。

这里的关键词是"消费者"。联想的Thinkvision显示器是一款昂贵的小批量显示器,适用于利基专业市场。华硕的高端Proart MINI-LED显示器(fave.co/35jrpul)也是如此。消费类显示器则是另一回事。恩格尔还没有准备好透露具体细节,但我预计联想未来的消费者MiniLED显示屏虽然仍然可能远高于1000美元,但将明显低于Thinkvision显示器。

这不仅仅是猜测。大多数在CES 2022(fave.co/3jk2a0t)上展示MINI-LED显示器的公司都不愿意谈论定价,但有两家公司打破了排名:宏碁和Monoprice。宏碁将其即将推出的宏碁Predator X32 FP MINI-LED游戏显示器定价为1,799美元。Monoprice比这一数字高出一英里,宣布其27英寸MINI-LED的售价为999美元。坦率地说,联想必须降低价格才能与宏碁和Monoprice竞争。

无论如何,定价正朝着正确的方向发展。华硕的ROG Swift

PG32UQX ( 最喜欢的.

CO / 3BMTYKD),我最喜欢的2021年游戏显示器,建议零售价为2,999美元。三星的超宽奥德赛Neo G9(fave.co/3p5bawy)以2,499美元的价格上市。预计2021年的新MINI-LED显示器将使价格降低一千个或更多。

MINI-LED也可能进入游戏笔记本电脑(以及更多)

高端PC显示器并不是Mini-led在2021年唯一的成功故事。它们也是Apple的Macbook Pro 14和16的标准配置。很难与结果争论。新的Macbook Pro型号的显示屏比任何PC笔记本电脑(包括带有OLED的笔记本电脑)的显示屏更明亮,更生动。

我问恩格尔联想是否会将MINI-LED带到笔记本电脑上,尽管他拒绝透露任何具体型号的名称,但他暗示它们正在开发中。

"对于笔记本电脑的下一步,联想致力于优化其沉浸式视觉效果,特别是在游戏市场(最喜欢的)。co/3r3txnd),"恩格尔说。"因此,我认为面板改进,例如MINI-LED显示屏和狂热游戏玩家的性能升级,可以在不太遥远的未来提供。

恩格尔的评论集中在游戏上,这是有道理的。出色的HDR性能(fave.co/3qp3f19)是MINI-LED的一个关键优势,但Windows桌面(以及您在其中所做的一切)都是为SDR设计的。

游戏和流媒体是MiniLED真正闪耀的地方,以无与伦比的亮度领先于OLED。游戏也受益于Mini-led改进的对比度,虽然不如OLED好,但远远优于传统的侧光LCD。

老化仍然是OLED的一个限制

关于OLED老化的争论仍然是一个有争议的话题。报道起来也可能令人沮丧,因为高管们在被问及这个问题时经常表现得很腼腆。然后,当我向他追问他MINI-LED和OLED的比较时,我对恩格尔的坦率回应感到惊讶。

"值得注意的是,OLED的耐用性很低,具体来说就是烧穿,"Engel说。

"OLED质量可能会下降,在长时间使用后在图像上带有阴影。

恩格尔很快澄清说,这个问题并没有使OLED无效,从联想早期和对该技术的持续承诺中可以明显看出这一点( fave. co/3h3fojb)。相反,Engel认为用例是决定哪个是最好的关键。

"根据经验,我想说的是,如果你是一名设计师,并且在屏幕上使用相当稳定的内容,那就选择MINI-LED吧。但是,如果你的世界都是像视频一样的'移动内容',那就去OLED吧,"恩格尔说。

他还指出,MINI-LED并不完美。该技术的批评者经常在其"绽放"或"光晕"问题上跳槽,这会导致在黑暗背景上的小而明亮的物体周围产生亮度光晕。在不久的将来,这种缺点仍将是MINI-LED的一个特征。发烧友必须自己决定是长期耐用性还是像素完美对比度是重中之重。

那么OLED呢?

Engel最能说明问题的评论是关于MINI-LED的。当被问及联想是否计划在2022年将QD-OLED显示屏推向市场时,戴尔和三星也是如此。CO/3KVKHKO),恩格尔拒绝提供具体细节,只是说联想在其产品线中"找到合适的空间"时增加了新的选择。恩格尔对带有柔性OLED显示屏的联想PCS的未来同样含糊不清,这是联想在X1 Fold(fave.co/3jnxwne)中率先推出的类别。

这是否意味着联想未来将减少对OLED的关注?我怀疑。事实证明,OLED在联想的笔记本电脑中取得了成功,它提供了优于标准侧光LCD显示屏的高端显示选项。相反,我读到恩格尔对OLED缺乏评论,这意味着该公司将在多条道路上前进。

整个行业都是如此。正如我在2021年11月所写的那样,由于高昂的生产成本(fave.co/3qn7bwg),OLED显示器面临着逆风,特别是对于台式显示器中的24英寸至32英寸面板。

然而,随着新一代OLED制造的上线,这个问题将缓解到2024年和2025年,这给了OLED反击的机会。到那时,消费者可能会有数十款MINI-LED和OLED显示器可供选择。

显示器革命?

Engel的评论表明,PC显示器显示器市场正朝着新的方向发展。变化不会在一夜之间发生,在可预见的未来,新的MINI-LED和OLED显示器的价格将相对较高。尽管如此,很明显,显示器即将变得更好,联想希望成为这场革命的领导者。


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