Best Monitor for Video Editing and Color Correction

Discover the best monitor for video editing, curated by industry experts.

Elevate your projects with superior color accuracy, high resolutions, and precise post-production workflows.

The world of video editing requires high-quality monitors to bring any project to life, from feature films to social media content. These monitors offer excellent color accuracy, extensive color coverage, and ultra-high resolutions, making post-production workflows faster and more precise. But what makes an excellent editing monitor, and is a standard desktop monitor adequate for content creation? Our team of professionals has conducted thorough evaluations by testing the best video editing monitors with the best video editing PCs and software, analyzing contrast, brightness, pixel densities, and build quality. Our roundup includes a range of options, from inexpensive displays to the best 4K computer monitor for video editing, ensuring that your output is pixel-perfect from initial preview to final export.

Specific parameters must be met when selecting a display for professional color grading. Consumer monitors are designed for office work and web browsing, but color grading monitors require more color precision and customization to fulfil creative objectives. Color accuracy, gamut coverage, bit depth, contrast, and uniformity are all critical factors to consider when selecting the best color grading monitors.

By seeking displays that excel in these performance areas, color professionals can acquire a monitor tailored to their specific grading requirements for efficient and precise workflows.

BenQ PD2725U

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 27-inch
• Resolution: 4K ( (3840 x 2160)
• Panel: IPS
• Response: 4ms
• Brightness: 350 cd/m2
• Color coverage: 95% P3, 100% sRGB, 100% Rec. 709
• Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C

REASONS TO BUY

• Excellent colour accuracy.
• Excellent connectivity choices, including Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C.
• Slim bezels and a sturdy, adjustable stand.
• Multitasking using Picture-by-Picture and Picture-in-Picture modes.

REASONS TO AVOID

• More expensive than other 4K video editing displays.
• Built-in speakers are not outstanding compared to the competition.

The BenQ PD2725U is an excellent choice for professional video editors and anyone seeking one of the top 4K monitors for video editing. The screen is 100% sRGB colour accurate, with a brilliant 4K UHD resolution and a sleek, slim bezel design that complements any setup. Professionals working with graphic design or video editing applications will benefit greatly from the monitor’s dual view capability. The feature improves screen area organisation by allowing you to split the screen and display distinct material on either side.

Useful for previewing work in a variety of colour schemes and screen sizes. One of the most significant problems we encountered during testing was the quality of the built-in speakers. They’re much weaker than comparable displays. Therefore, we recommend using a headset or external speakers.

The BenQ PD2725U has many connectivity options, including HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C. A built-in KVM switch allows you to switch between computers without replacing keyboards and mice. The video editing monitor’s stand is flexible, allowing you to alter the height, tilt, and pivot to find the ideal viewing angles. However, the display comes at a premium price with all these excellent features.

 Asus ProArt PA279CRV

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 27-inch
• Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Panel: IPS
• Response: 2ms
• Brightness: 400cd/m2
• Color coverage: 99% Adobe RGB, 99% DCI-P3
• Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x2, HDMI 2.0 x2, USB-C with 96W power delivery

REASONS TO BUY

• Beautiful 4K IPS panel
• Very well-tuned.
• Great value for money.

REASONS TO AVOID

• Limited HDR support.
• Vesa Display HDR 400
• Lightly plastic construction

Asus’s ProArt panels are usually quite expensive. However, in a surprisingly inexpensive package, the new Asus ProArt PA279CRV delivers the usual ProArt experience, including accurate factory calibration and good colour coverage.
Connectivity is excellent, thanks to not only USB-C with 96W of power delivery and a dual-port USB-A hub but also a downstream DisplayPort output that enables display daisy chaining. The 27-inch 4K form size is also superb, allowing for high pixel density and beautiful, sharp fonts in both Windows and MacOS.

HDR support is limited to DisplayHDR 400, with no local dimming. So, this is not a true HDR panel, and the IPS panel’s inherent contrast is low. It’s also limited to 60Hz, not 120Hz or 144Hz, but that’s typical for this type of productivity panel.
Considering the completely adjustable stand and sleek appearance, this is a great monitor for the price. You’d have to pay significantly more for a tangibly better monitor. If you’re new to video editing or on a tight budget, the Asus ProArt PA279CRV is an excellent choice for a wide range of productivity and content creation tasks.

Apple Pro Display XDR

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 32-inch
• Resolution: 6K (6016 x 3384)
• Panel: IPS
• Response: 5 ms
• Brightness: SDR – 500cd/m2 / XDR – 1600 nits cd/m2
• Color coverage: P3 wide colour gamut
• Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3, 3x USB-C

REASONS TO BUY

• 6K native resolution.
• Multiple colour gamuts are supported.
• HDR performance: +1,600 nits
• Excellent construction quality

REASONS TO AVOID

• It’s not a real reference-grade monitor.
• Expensive
• Mac-only

The Apple Pro Display XDR appears costly at first glance. After all, the stand alone costs an additional $999, not to mention the display’s initial price of $4,999. Nonetheless, Apple is promoting it as a bargain. How is this so?

The concept is that it’s far less expensive than actual reference-quality monitors. However, rather than adopting a dual-LCD technology, which allows the best displays to manage lighting at the pixel level, the Apple Pro Display XDR uses mini-LED backlighting with 576 zones of local dimming.

That provides up to 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness, which is excellent. Even with 576 zones, the backlighting is rather inaccurate. To put that into perspective, each zone lights up over 35,000 pixels.
If the Pro Display XDR’s lighting precision falls short of the full pro grade, it still has a very powerful feature set. The natural resolution of 6016 by 3384 pixels allows you to view 4K at full definition while also displaying toolbars, menus, and timelines.

It also includes various reference mods to support a variety of processes, such as P3-DCI, P3-D50, P3-D65, and many others, as well as genuine 10-bit colour. The HDR options include HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG. In terms of connectivity, you get Thunderbolt 3 with power supply to keep MacBooks charged, as well as a couple of USB-C connectors.

Of course, it’s built like no other display, with exquisite aluminium crafted in the way that only Apple can do. So, while the Pro Display XDR isn’t as cheap as Apple claims, it’s still one of the best computer monitors for video editing if you’re a pro.

Asus ProArt PA329CV 4K monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 32-inch (31.9)
• Resolution: 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)
• Panel: IPS
• Response: 5ms
• Brightness: 400 cd/m2
• Color coverage: 100% sRGB
• Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.2 (x1), HDMI 2.0 (x2), USB 3.1 Type C (upstream, 90W power, DP Alt Mode)

REASONS TO BUY

• Excellent colour accuracy.
• USB hub.
• Built-in speakers.
• Stand and g-clamp are supplied to attach it to the edge of the desk.

REASONS TO AVOID

• Lack of space.

The mid-range PA329CV is solidly made and designed. Its comfortable 32-inch screen size and 4K UHD resolution make it ideal for use as a single display or as part of an expanded multi-monitor configuration. Its borderless design means there are no visible edges.
But the quality of its IPS panel caught our eye and will catch the attention of video editors and creators: 100% coverage of the sRGB colour space and Rec. 709 (the HDTV colour standard with a different gamma than sRGB). Calman validated its colour accuracy to be ΔE < 2. A delta value of less than two typically indicates more accurate colours, with anything less than two deemed indiscernible by humans.

It also meets the VESA HDR400 standard, which requires a minimum peak brightness of 400cd/m2. Designed to be one of the best video editing screens, the display carefully controls brightness, contrast, colour saturation and temperature, hue, gamma, and other settings.

Most creative users will appreciate its presets, which include sRGB, Rec. 701, DCI-P3, HDR, Reading setting (a low blue light setting to preserve your eyes), and others. This monitor features a square foot stand rather than the legs frequently found on other large screen monitors of the same type. Its stand allows for height and swivel adjustment, a tilt range of 23 to -5 degrees, and a 90-degree pivot to transition to portrait mode, making it perfect as a secondary monitor or in dual-monitor systems.

Dell UltraSharp UP3218K 8K monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 32-inch
• Resolution: 8K (7680 x 4320)
• Panel: IPS
• Response: 6ms
• Brightness: 400 cd/m2
• Color coverage: 100% sRGB, 100% Adobe RGB, 98% DCI-P3
• Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.2 (x2), Audio Jack 3.5mm (x1)

REASONS TO BUY

• 8K resolution is outstanding.
• Great colour accuracy
• Very good for editing photos.
• Good design and construction quality.

REAOSNS TO AVOID

Even five years after its introduction, the model remains spectacular. However, it remains expensive and has little competition, maybe due to the scarcity of 8K material and everyone’s focus on developing largely 4K video content. However, if you’re looking to future-proof your operations, this PC display for video editing is undoubtedly an appealing option.
With a new generation of high-end smartphones capable of 8K video capture, the deluge of 8K content will likely prompt more monitor manufacturers to join the 8K monitor train.

This beast’s 32-inch size makes it stand out even when switched off. From the outside, you get a rather solid design and impressive workmanship, as expected from Dell, all wrapped up in attractive brushed aluminium. In addition to Dell’s excellent ergonomics, it supports height adjustment, tilt, pivot, and portrait mode capabilities.
Most IPS screens in this lineup have a brightness of about 350 cd/m2, while this one has a 400 cd/m2 brightness. It also has the highest contrast ratio (1300:1) on the list. The panel’s colour gamut is among the greatest, covering 100% of sRGB, 100% of Adobe RGB, and 98% of DCI-P3.

BenQ PD3220U

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 32 inches
• Resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Panel: IPS
• Brightness: 300 cd/m2
• Response: 5ms
• Color coverage: 100% sRGB, 100% Rec.709, 95% P3
• Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3 (x1), HDMI (x2), USB-C (x2), USB Type B (x1), USB 3.1 (x3)

REASONS TO BUY

• High-quality build and appealing design.
• Great 4K resolution, excellent pixel density, and HDR support.
• Multiple connectivity choices, including HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C interfaces.
• Good colour coverage.

REASONS TO AVOID

• The built-in speakers are not fantastic.

The BenQ PD3220U 4K computer monitor for video editing combines elegance and professionalism, proving to be a competent and attractive option. During our testing, we appreciated the high-quality craftsmanship and appealing appearance. The robust metal base, in particular, is well-built, allowing for smooth adjustments in viewing angle. If you work on numerous computers, you’ll love the built-in KVM switch, which lets you switch between machines without changing keyboards and mice.

Even the specifications are impressive. The 4K resolution, high pixel density, and wide colour gamut produced a sharp and bright image. The standout feature was the HDR capabilities, which allow for increased contrast between light and dark in photographs. We discovered that they provided depth and dimensionality for an engaging viewing experience.

Like many displays in this price range, the speakers leave something to be desired. The real standout here, however, is the 100% sRGB colour gamut and 10-bit colour depth, which produce rich, realistic colours that are great for photo and video processing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the many monitor panel types?

Three major varieties of LCD panels are available today, beginning with TN (twisted nematic), which is the oldest and least expensive. Next, we have Vertical Alignment (VA), In-Plane Switching (IPS), and OLED. IPS panels are more efficient for video editing because they provide a wide range of colours. When displaying fast-paced footage, VA panels suffer from motion blur, while OLED panels offer superior blacks but are more expensive and have other issues.

When using a video editing monitor, the most significant factors to consider are brightness, contrast, and colour gamut. The colour gamut of a monitor refers to the range of colours it can display. Although all modern LCDs offer outstanding contrast ratios, brightness levels, and colour gamuts, IPS LCD panels have wider viewing angles and support more colours than their TN counterparts. To achieve colour accuracy, your monitor must also be correctly calibrated.