Display technologies can be confusing and daunting at times, especially when the market brims with acronyms such as UHD, HDR, FPS, and LCD. Getting the right monitor for yourself means a need to understand different technologies and how they affect the quality of monitors. In recent years, one technology made a name for itself in the world of displays. And that is quantum dot technology. So, you might be asking yourself what is quantum dot technology for monitors?

Continue reading to get an insight into quantum dot technology. Then take a look at ViewSonic gaming monitors, including models decked with quantum dot capabilities.

Before we delve into quantum dot technology, we need to understand light-emitting diodes, or LED. They constitute semiconductors that emit light when an electric current passes through them. An LED display technically means an LCD that uses LEDs for backlighting to project pictures on the screen, which results in darker blacks and more saturated colors. However, LEDs do not glow white naturally. They use blue LEDs coated with a yellow phosphor to produce white.

But how does this relate to monitors with quantum dot technology?

What is Quantum Dot Technology?

Quantum dot LED screens represent a newer type of LED-backlit LCD and make use of tiny phosphorescent crystals to react to light and electricity. Less than 500 nanometers in size, these “nanoparticles” glow in a range of colors precisely determined by the number of atoms within. And instead of using pure white backlights, the quantum dots emit red or green when struck by blue light. This means you see much more highly saturated and accurate colors than with a typical LED screen. In fact, quantum dot monitors give costlier OLED displays a run for their money.

How Does Quantum Dot Work?

Every pixel on the monitor emits red, green, or blue light, or sometimes a combination of all three. Wavelength defines the color accuracy of each pixel. And quantum dots easily tune their size to release different wavelengths for the best color production.

The quantum dots sit in tubes or more commonly arranged inside a film layer. The sheet then goes between a blue LED unit and color liquid crystal display (LCD) filters. When the blue LED shines on the quantum dots, they start glowing red and green. All three colors combine to produce the “purest” white light. The white light offers color filters a more precise source to create the three base colors of red, green, and blue efficiently and accurately. Note that quantum dot (QD) often appears as “QLED” in product-related materials.

The illustration above shows how quantum dots situate in a display. The blue LED source emits light that passes through the film enhancement layer to produce gradations of red, green, and blue. Different color light goes through the LCD panel and color filter glass, and then to the screen for image display.

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Advantages of Quantum Dot Technology

The added quantum-dot layer brings your monitor a whole host of benefits.

Precise Color and Higher Peak Brightness

As quantum dots emit a very precise amount of light, produced color appears very accurate. The nanocrystals render a wider spectrum color at maximum brightness without loss of saturation. This allows pictures to remain clear even in brightly lit rooms. And brightness is critical to high dynamic range (HDR) experiences. It ensures that all details of light and color onscreen seem more lifelike.

Better Energy Efficiency

Quantum dots only require a small amount of energy to work, achieved by a single blue light. In fact, they produce a 30 percent increase in brightness at about 30 to 50 percent less power draw than traditional LCDs. This reduced power consumption results in lower power bills. Unlike conventional LCDs that waste energy combining and balancing different colors, quantum dot screens emit precise colors for improved energy efficiency.

Longer Lifespan and Low Burn-In

As quantum dot display tech extends from existing LCD technology. It benefits from a longer lifespan thanks to improved and energy-efficient backlighting. Quantum dot technology also does not degrade over time, meaning these displays are less prone to burn-in. Burn-in is when part of an image appears like a “ghost” on the screen and refuses to go away. This only happens when each self-lighting pixel dims over time.

Versatile Sizes and Thinner Panels

Since quantum dot technology is easier and less expensive to produce than OLED or even traditional LED, quantum dot displays can be made in a greater range of sizes as large as 98 inches. They can also be applied on large, thin, and flexible LCD panels, making them easy to transport and install.

Quantum Dot vs. OLED: What’s the Difference?

Another display technology you have probably come across is OLED or organic light-emitting diode. OLED uses organic compounds that glow when electricity is introduced. This effect is called electroluminescence.

The image below shows how an OLED display works. The organic emissive layers are sandwiched in between a negatively charged cathode and a positively charged anode layer. An electric current travels through each layer from the cathode to the color filter to produce colored light.

Unlike a quantum dot display, which uses backlights, every pixel in an OLED display is self-emissive. The organic materials in an OLED screen are usually more expensive to produce and have a shorter shelf life due to degradation. An OLED’s self-emitting pixels do not produce the same amount of brightness as a quantum dot, but they can project the blackest black available for deeper contrast. When it comes to screen burn-in, OLEDs are much more susceptible to image retention. However, it is important to note that OLED displays also deliver great viewing angles, fast response time, and almost perfect colors.

Are Quantum Dot Monitors Good for Gaming?

Most displays that feature quantum dot technology are televisions. But the capabilities of a quantum dot screen can also be translated onto a monitor, which makes it ideal for gaming. Especially in the world of esports, gamers prefer to play on gaming monitors that can provide an immersive viewing experience. Quantum dot technology presents games with dramatic lifelike picture quality, more vibrant colors, and sharper contrasts.

Should gamers want to enable HDR, quantum dot offers darker blacks, a wider color gamut, and higher brightness as compared to a regular screen. And quantum dot monitors often deliver better technical performance than televisions with their added features such as sync technology and black level stabilization. This means gamers can blast through graphics-intensive games and still see every single element in captivating detail.

Final Thoughts

Displays with quantum dot technology offer color-rich imagery and many other benefits. From a gamer’s perspective, quantum dot screens elevate the standard viewing experience into a cinematic treat. One thing to note is that quantum dot technology is constantly being refined to bring environmentally friendly displays with better color performance, higher brightness, and perhaps even lower costs. So, it will only be a matter of time before quantum dot gaming monitors become much more prominent in the market.

To learn more about gaming monitors, you can check out our range of esports monitors.

Frequently Asked Questions for Quantum Dot Gaming Monitors