3 ms·

You know they make 4K screens that are the same size as regular 1080p right? The point of 4K is clarity and legibility of text (at > 1.5x scaling), not size.

by sph 3y ago

You know they make 4K screens that are the same size as regular 1080p right? The point of 4K is clarity and legibility of text (at > 1.5x scaling), not size. I don't get people who say 1080p is good enough for coding. They must have eyes at a lower resolution than mine not to being able to tell that text at 2x scaling is so much more readable and pleasant.

dailykoder 3y ago
That's what I just wanted to say. I basically had the same opinion as the OP for years, but just because I had nothing else than 1080p (usually 24"). About 3 years ago I finally bought a 27" 1440p screen and it felt incredibly much easier on my eyes, instantly. I don't know how much of a difference actual 4k would make right now, that's why I won't make such a broad statement that 1440p is my sweet spot, but it's better than 1080p@24", for me personally.
- sph 3y ago
  Legibility follows an exponential curve. The improvement will be noticeable up to smartphone densities (~220 dpi). After that, I don't think text can get any better. I won't be upgrading to 8K (384 dpi) anytime soon, but I have no intention to go back to 1080p even if they tend to have better refresh rates and are much cheaper.
- tym0 3y ago
  I may be wrong here but I always thought that 1080p at 24" is about the same dpi as 1440p at 27"
  - scns 3y ago
    1440p at 31.5" is around the same dpi.
quickthrower2 3y ago
But as you say if the same size then it is just about “readability” but I am probably used to the lower resolution. I never have issues reading.
- sph 3y ago
  I never had issues reading on a 1080p screen either, but it doesn't mean that you can't improve upon it. The legibility increase between 96dpi and 192dpi is massive.
  - postalrat 3y ago
    Higher dpi looks pretty but isn't easier to read.
    - sokoloff 3y ago
      I think it’s massively easier to read as dpi increases, at least into the 150-200 dpi range. (I won’t claim that 1200 dpi is easier than 600, but 200dpi is definitely better than 100dpi.)
      - postalrat 3y ago
        Massively better? Like 2% better?
        sokoloff 3y ago
        More like 25% better
hakfoo 3y ago
It feels like a fundamental paradigm shift. From 14" CRT at 640x480 to 17" at 1024x768 or 1280x1024, to typical widescreen 1920x1080 LCDs, and finally to 2560x1440: most screen upgrades were about more "screen space" so you can display more content simultaneously. This might mean that 4k never becomes a dominant factor in the desktop display market. There are too many corporate desks where they can say "You don't get any more Excel columns by going from 1080p or 1440p, so we won't spend the premium on a 4K monitor (or more GPU performance to feed it)"

by sph 3y ago

dailykoder 3y ago

That's what I just wanted to say. I basically had the same opinion as the OP for years, but just because I had nothing else than 1080p (usually 24"). About 3 years ago I finally bought a 27" 1440p screen and it felt incredibly much easier on my eyes, instantly. I don't know how much of a difference actual 4k would make right now, that's why I won't make such a broad statement that 1440p is my sweet spot, but it's better than 1080p@24", for me personally.

sph 3y ago
Legibility follows an exponential curve. The improvement will be noticeable up to smartphone densities (~220 dpi). After that, I don't think text can get any better. I won't be upgrading to 8K (384 dpi) anytime soon, but I have no intention to go back to 1080p even if they tend to have better refresh rates and are much cheaper.
tym0 3y ago
I may be wrong here but I always thought that 1080p at 24" is about the same dpi as 1440p at 27"
- scns 3y ago
  1440p at 31.5" is around the same dpi.

quickthrower2 3y ago

But as you say if the same size then it is just about “readability” but I am probably used to the lower resolution. I never have issues reading.

sph 3y ago
I never had issues reading on a 1080p screen either, but it doesn't mean that you can't improve upon it. The legibility increase between 96dpi and 192dpi is massive.
- postalrat 3y ago
  Higher dpi looks pretty but isn't easier to read.
  - sokoloff 3y ago
    I think it’s massively easier to read as dpi increases, at least into the 150-200 dpi range. (I won’t claim that 1200 dpi is easier than 600, but 200dpi is definitely better than 100dpi.)
    - postalrat 3y ago
      Massively better? Like 2% better?
      - sokoloff 3y ago
        More like 25% better

hakfoo 3y ago

It feels like a fundamental paradigm shift. From 14" CRT at 640x480 to 17" at 1024x768 or 1280x1024, to typical widescreen 1920x1080 LCDs, and finally to 2560x1440: most screen upgrades were about more "screen space" so you can display more content simultaneously. This might mean that 4k never becomes a dominant factor in the desktop display market. There are too many corporate desks where they can say "You don't get any more Excel columns by going from 1080p or 1440p, so we won't spend the premium on a 4K monitor (or more GPU performance to feed it)"