Some people can hardly remember the time before YouTube. The video host was founded in 2005, and year after year the platform got bigger and bigger. As early as 2006, around 100 million clips were viewed there every day. By 2010, this figure had risen to more than two billion per day. Today, users upload around 500 hours of video material every minute. No wonder, really. The largely free service offers almost endless entertainment, how-to and tutorial videos, music, and much more. Of course, users also have the opportunity to upload videos themselves, collect followers, and earn money with them. However, even passionate users often don’t know all the tricks for an optimal streaming experience. You can find such tips in this article: How to use YouTube perfectly on your PC, smartphone, smart TV and co. Further reading: I block every ad on YouTube and I’m not ashamed to admit it General YouTube tips These settings and tricks promise a better YouTube experience across all devices. Create GIFs from YouTube videos You can create GIFs from YouTube videos free of charge – flexible settings included.Foundry Did you know that you can create a compact GIF from a YouTube video with just a few clicks or swipe gestures? It’s even free: Visit the GIF generator at makeagif.com and insert the YouTube link to the relevant video. You can then specify the desired output quality (maximum medium for free use), determine the GIF length, and adjust the playback speed. Note: Free users must tolerate watermarks and a lower resolution. Use dark mode A small setting with a big effect. Dark mode makes YouTube more enjoyable, and not just in the late evening hours. It is particularly pleasant and useful to switch to dark mode when using the app for long periods of time, as it reduces eye fatigue and saves battery power. On the PC, we simply click on our profile picture and then on “Display.” Here you can now select the dark design. Dark mode is also available in the official YouTube app (Settings->General->Display). Variable playback speed In the playback options (gear icon), you can gradually adjust the playback speed of YouTube videos. This allows clips to be played back at twice the speed or up to four times slower. This is super handy if a YouTuber doesn’t want to get to the point in their videos, or if you want to watch a step in a tutorial in detail. Show subtitles If you’ve ever watched a video from the American South or a Seitenbacher advert, you’ll know the problem. Sometimes you can’t understand a word. However, the solution to such language barriers is easy to find, you can simply activate subtitles in many YouTube videos. The button for this can be found directly next to the small cogwheel below the video when using the browser, for example. More fun with YouTube on your smartphone or tablet These tricks and tips make YouTube even more fun on mobile devices. Play YouTube videos in the background on your mobile device (with Android or iOS) You can also play videos in the background on your smartphone with Firefox if you install a free plug-in.Foundry There is one small restriction on YouTube that can be really annoying. If you watch videos on your smartphone where you are only interested in the audio track (such as music or radio plays), you always have to keep the display activated and play the video in the foreground. As soon as you switch to another tab or deactivate the display, the playback also stops–quite annoying. The workaround for Android: A free plug-in is available for the Firefox mobile browser (Android | iOS): “Video playback in the background.” You can find this in the browser menu (three dots) and then under “Extensions” (see image). It also works on iPhone: First, start the video in the browser and then switch to the desktop version of the website in the settings. (You can skip this step on the iPad). Now, leave the website using the iPhone’s home button and open the quick settings using the usual swipe gesture (top right corner). Here you can now simply restart the video with the play button, it will then play in the background and you can hear the sound normally, even if the display is off. Tips and tricks for better YouTube on your PC MP3 download, keyboard shortcuts, or editing playlists together. If you enjoy browsing YouTube on your PC, you should know these practical tricks: Download YouTube music and save it locally as an MP3 You can convert YouTube videos to audio files (MP3) in a flash.Foundry Even beyond YouTube Music, the classic video host has plenty of music to offer from all genres and pretty much every decade since the invention of the sound carrier. And although YouTube itself doesn’t like it that much, you can convert such tracks with various web services in no time at all and save them locally as MP3s. You can do this here, for example. Use keyboard shortcuts There are many practical keyboard shortcuts available for YouTube videos, which promise more convenient operation and can save a lot of time, especially for frequent viewers. Note: If the shortcuts do not work, click on the video once (this will bring the player back into focus). ShortcutsShortcut functionSpace barPlay / PausekPlay / PausemMute videoleft / right arrow keyfast forward or rewind 5 secondsUp / down arrow keyVolume up or down (5 % each)jrewind 10 secondslfast forward 10 seconds.With paused video to the next frame,To the previous frame when the video is pausedShift key .Accelerate playbackShift key (Shift) ,Slow down playbackNumbers 1 to 9Jump to 10 to 90 % of the videoNumber 0Jump to the beginningfFull screen modecSelect subtitles (if available)Shift key (Shift) nNext videoShift key pPrevious videoPOS1 keyJump to the beginning of the videoEND keySkip to the end of the video Link to the exact playback position of a video You can quickly create a link to any playback position.Foundry You want to show a friend a funny moment in a YouTube video, but the clip is 15 minutes long? No problem. You can easily create a link to the exact position of the current playback. To do this, simply rewind to the point you want to link to and right-click on the video. Then click on “Copy video URL at this point” in the small window. The link will then be copied to the clipboard and can be inserted at any time by right-clicking and pasting or by pressing CTRL V. Edit playlists together with friends You can invite friends to edit playlists together.Foundry If you would like to allow friends or acquaintances to collaborate on your YouTube playlists, this is not a problem. First, open the playlist that you would like to share for editing. Note: If the list is not yet public, you still need to select/set this. Now you can select the “Invite employees” function via the Share button and generate a link that you can then forward to contacts. Make sure that the “Edit together” and “Allow new collaborators” functions are activated in the window. Play adverts 16 times faster with Chrome or Edge Gone again: This Chrome extension allows you to play adverts 16 times faster.Foundry If you’re sometimes annoyed by adverts on YouTube, we can understand that: The provider regularly places intrusive adverts in front of us before a video and often in the middle of it. Added to this is YouTube’s increasingly rigid approach to ad blockers. The solution (at least for Chrome users) is called “Ad Speedup – Skip Video Ads 16X Faster” and is available as a free extension for Chrome and Edge. It automatically plays ad sequences at 16x speed and skips them in no time at all. Useful YouTube tips for your smart TV Naturally, YouTube really comes into its own on the TV. The large display offers space for all the details and you can sink into the couch and relax while watching. These tips will make the video service even more fun on your Smart TV. Show or hide subtitles If you don’t know how to show or hide subtitles for YouTube on your Smart TV, it can be quite annoying. Fortunately, the function is very easy to access: Firstly, we pause the video and press the up button on the TV remote control. Here we now select the settings (usually on the far right; cogwheel symbol). In the following window, we can now select subtitles if they are available. In case of playback problems: Use an Ethernet cable This is not just a tip for YouTube, but a useful solution to problems when streaming is jerky or clips are slow to load (and also helps with problems with Netflix and the like). If you connect your smart TV to the internet via Wi-Fi, you sometimes have to deal with connection problems or slow data transfer, depending on the distance to the router. The solution? Lay an Ethernet cable from the router to the Smart TV, then the full bandwidth and unclouded video enjoyment is available there. Avoid adverts with YouTube Premium Google doesn’t exactly make it easy for us to install ad blockers with the app for the Smart TV – after all, this contradicts the business model of the free service. The remedy is to switch to YouTube Premium. This currently costs $13.99 per month (for individuals), deactivates all adverts, and allows uncomplicated background playback and offline music. More options: Stream to the TV via smartphone instead of the YouTube app There are a few advantages to streaming YouTube to your TV using your smartphone. You can also display comments or post them yourself (writing only on your smartphone). You can read how to set up such a stream here. For families: Activate parental control To prevent children from watching inappropriate content on YouTube on the TV (of which there is plenty), you can filter such content directly in the app. To do this, first go to the app settings on the smart TV, search for the “Restricted mode” entry, and activate the function. 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At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Included stand supports landscape and portrait mode Easy wireless setup with modest input lag Decent bundled speakers Cons Moderate brightness Very limited color performance Battery life is limited at higher brightness levels Our Verdict The ViewSonic VG1656N offers a simple, reliable wireless connection, but disappointing color performance holds it back. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Portable monitors are a dime a dozen (almost literally, if you buy them on sale). But what if you want a portable monitor that’s also wireless? That’s exactly what the ViewSonic VG1656N offers at an affordable price. Unfortunately, ViewSonic sacrifices the monitor’s image quality to make it happen. ViewSonic VG1656N specs and features The ViewSonic VG1656N’s basic specifications are identical to dozens of competitors. It has a 16-inch IPS display panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, and a 60Hz refresh rate. None of these specifications are remarkable on their own, and the VG1656N’s nearly $300 MSRP would be hard to justify without its unique features. ? Display size: 16-inch 16:10 widescreen? Native resolution: 1920×1200? Panel type: IPS? Refresh rate: 60Hz? Adaptive sync: None? HDR: None? Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 60 watts Power Delivery-in? VESA mount: None? Speakers: 2x 2-watt speakers? Wireless display: Yes? Price: $299.99 MSRP Wireless connectivity is what sets the VG1656N apart. Though not uncommon, wireless portable monitors tend to be expensive, with many models sold above $300. That makes the VG1656N relatively affordable. Further reading: See our roundup of the best portable monitors to learn about competing products. ViewSonic VG1656N design Unboxing and setting up the ViewSonic VG1656N was a bit confusing, due to the fabric-covered magnetic stand that attaches to the portable monitor. I was able to set it up without consulting the manual, but it took me a few minutes to puzzle out the right orientation. It’s a good thing I didn’t need a manual, because my review unit didn’t have one in the box. The bundled stand is decent. It looks flimsy but proved remarkably stable—it takes significant force to knock it over. The stand can be folded to support several tilt angles and is stable once in place. The detachable stand also helps ViewSonic keep the VG1656N’s weight and bulk to a minimum: The display panel weighs 1.8 pounds and measures only 0.38 inches thick. The stand supports both landscape and portrait orientation. That’s a big perk, as portrait orientation is often a better use of a portable monitor’s real estate, and the VG1656N’s 16-inch display panel is the perfect size for portrait-mode placement next to a 27-inch monitor. Matthew Smith / Foundry The VG1656N is a wireless display with a built-in battery, so it can connect to a PC or Mac without any wires. This is made possible with a bundled Wi-Fi dongle. The monitor and dongle pair automatically, and I had no trouble with interference or mixed connections. The dongle connects to your PC over USB-C. It’s large—about twice the size of most USB flash drives—so it’ll be a tight squeeze if your computer’s USB-C ports are close together. You’ll also want to keep track of the dongle, since it’s required for a wireless connection. ViewSonic VG1656N connectivity The ViewSonic VG1656N’s wireless connectivity is clearly its headline feature. As mentioned, the monitor connects wirelessly to a USB-C dongle that you’ll need to plug into your PC. There’s no setup required; so long as the input mode is set to Wi-Fi, the VG1656N will automatically search for and connect to the bundled dongle (though a pairing mode is included if you need to pair with a different dongle). Matthew Smith / Foundry The monitor’s wireless connectivity is fine, but it’s no miracle. Wireless displays tend to suffer noticeable input lag, and the VG1656N is no exception, though it’s not too bad. Slow-motion recording at 240 frames per second showed input lag of around 100 to 200 milliseconds. I couldn’t visually notice a delay in real-time, but the monitor felt a little sluggish. Even so, most people looking for a wireless monitor will find the lag acceptable, and I suspect less critical owners won’t notice it. Wired connectivity is still available, through two USB-C ports. Both support DisplayPort Alternate Mode and USB Power Delivery, so either can be used for video input or to power the monitor. There’s one port on each flank, making the monitor easier to use with short USB-C cords. The VG1656N’s 16-inch display panel is the perfect size for portrait-mode placement next to a 27-inch monitor. ViewSonic VG1656N features There’s not much to talk about when it comes to the VG1656N’s menu system. Controlled by the power and volume rocker, it offers just a few image quality adjustments: brightness, contrast, and four preset image quality modes. Matthew Smith / Foundry The 2-watt speakers are decent, with good volume and clarity. However, there’s no bass, so games, movies, and music sound thin, though they’re acceptable in a pinch. The monitor’s built-in battery claims up to 3.5 hours of battery life. This varies widely with brightness settings—at full brightness, I saw it drain in about 1.5 hours. The battery can only power the monitor and can’t be used as an external battery for other devices. Viewsonic VG1656N SDR image quality The Viewsonic VG1656N isn’t a portable monitor that’s marketed on image quality. A look at the company’s official web page shows little information about image quality aside from resolution. Instead, the VG1656N is marketed mostly for its wireless connectivity and support for both landscape and portrait mode. A quick note: I tested the monitor’s image quality when it was connected to power and again on battery power. It appeared to operate identically in both situations. Matthew Smith / Foundry First up is brightness. This is an area where portable monitors tend to post mediocre results, and the Viewsonic VG1656N is no exception. It achieved a maximum brightness of 251 nits, which is similar to most competitors. This level of brightness is fine for use in a room with a few shaded windows but can look a bit dim if sunlit windows are nearby. Matthew Smith / Foundry The VG1656N’s contrast also falls in line with the alternatives, such as the Asus ZenScreen MB16HG. A contrast ratio of 1260:1 is fine for a standard portable monitor. However, as the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED makes plain, OLED portable monitors can provide a richer, more immersive image. Matthew Smith / Foundry Color performance is where the VG1656N runs into trouble. The monitor displayed only 64 percent of sRGB and 49 percent of DCI-P3. Most portable monitors can display a far wider range of colors covering up to 100 percent of sRGB and 74 to 81 percent of DCI-P3. The Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED once again takes things to another level, hitting 100 percent of both sRGB and DCI-P3. Put simply: The VG1656N’s range of colors is relatively narrow, which means colors can look dull and muted. It’s fine for office productivity and web browsing but not great for entertainment or content creation. Matthew Smith / Foundry The VG1656N’s color gamut disqualifies it for use by photographers, videographers, artists, and other content creators, so it’s no surprise to see that it also falls short in color accuracy. The monitor’s accuracy is still okay, but it’s nowhere near the best portable monitors on the market. The color was most obvious in cyan and green, and I felt each shifted slightly, but noticeably, towards yellow. While the VG1656N’s color accuracy wasn’t the best, it did well enough in gamma and color temperature tests. The monitor hit a gamma curve of 2.3, which is just a tad off our target of 2.2 and means the image looks very slightly darker than it should. The color temperature was spot-on our target of 6500K, so the image doesn’t look warmer or cooler than preferred. Sharpness is solid, too. 1920×1200 isn’t remarkable, but it works out to about 142 pixels per inch, which is much better than a 27-inch 1440p monitor’s pixel density of about 109 pixels per inch. Overall, the VG1656N’s image quality is a weakness. It’s fine for writing in Word, surfing the web, and sending emails, but otherwise won’t stand out. Content creators like photographers, videographers, and digital artists will need to give the VG1656N a pass. ViewSonic VG1656N HDR image quality The ViewSonic VG1656N doesn’t support HDR. That’s good, as any attempt to support HDR would fail. A wireless monitor with built-in battery has little hope of competent HDR. That’s because HDR requires high brightness, and higher brightness means higher power draw, something that doesn’t go well with a wireless display designed to function on battery power. ViewSonic VG1656N motion performance Much like HDR, motion performance isn’t a priority for the VG1656N. It sticks to a 60Hz refresh rate and quotes a high gray-to-gray pixel response time of 9.5 milliseconds. Motion blur is obvious when playing fast-paced games or even when scrolling a window across the monitor. Is the ViewSonic VG1656N worth it? The ViewSonic VG1656N is a reasonable choice for shoppers prioritizing wireless functionality over image quality. Its wireless setup is easy and reliable, and input lag is modest enough for productivity. Battery life is limited but usable. However, its subpar image quality and narrow color gamut hold it back. Still, if you just want a wireless portable monitor and aren’t too worried about image quality, the VG1656N makes sense. Read...

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At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Extremely crisp 5K panel Great color performance Includes USB-C with 96 watts Power Delivery Lots of menu options and image customization Cons Contrast ratio is fine, but not great Only 60Hz; motion performance suffers HDR performance doesn’t stand out Our Verdict The Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV delivers excellent image quality and an ultra-crisp 5K image (with 218 pixels per inch) for about $800. It’s hard to beat on value and an easy recommendation to anyone who wants a 5K monitor. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today 5K monitors aren’t new, but they haven’t proven especially popular (in the Windows world, at least). Price is one big reason, as most 5K monitors available in the past have sold for $1,000 or more. The Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV, which carries an MSRP of $799.99, changes the equation. And, despite its low price, this isn’t some cut-down 5K monitor built to fit a price but instead a thoroughly modern monitor that beats the pants off its predecessors. Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV specs and features The star of the show here is obviously the 5K panel, which offers a “proper” 5K resolution of 5120×2880. This is much higher than 5K ultrawides, which have a lower resolution of 5,120 x 2,160. Asus is also packing an IPS Black panel capable of better contrast than typical for the category (though still far short of OLED). Display size: 27-inch 16:9 widescreen Native resolution: 5120×2880 Panel type: IPS Black Refresh rate: 60Hz Adaptive sync: VESA MediaSync HDR: Yes, HDR 10, VESA DisplayHDR 500 certified Ports: 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 96 watts of Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 downstream, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 downstream VESA mount: 100x100mm Speakers: 2x 2-watt speakers Price: $799.99 MSRP The monitor’s MSRP of $800 is affordable for a 5K monitor, yet Asus doesn’t hold back on features. The monitor supports VESA MediaSync, HDR10, and USB-C with DisplayPort and USB Power Delivery. While it does miss a few features, like Thunderbolt, it’s certainly the most feature-packed 5K monitor available below $1,000. Further reading: See our roundup of the best monitors to learn about competing products. Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV Design The look of the ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV isn’t exciting, but that’s not to say it’s bad. Asus has solidified the language of its ProArt monitors in recent years, opting for a simple but attractive black-and-silver design with a faux-heatsink look on the rear panel. The ProArt monitors are different enough to feel distinct but will still blend in with your home office. Matthew Smith / Foundry Looks aside, the ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV is functional but simple. It has an ergonomically adjustable stand that adjusts for height, tilt, swivel, and can pivot 90 degrees into landscape mode. The stand is sturdy, moderately sized, and flat, so it doesn’t take up much space. A hole in the stand neck provides cable management and is large enough to accommodate the power cable and several video inputs. While the default stand is good, a 100x100mm VESA mount is available for connecting a third-party monitor stand or arm. While the ProArt Display 5K does miss a few features, like Thunderbolt, it’s certainly the most feature-packed 5K monitor available below $1,000. Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV connectivity and menus The Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV has one HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode, for a total of three video inputs. That’s fine, though many similarly priced monitors will up the video input count to four. Connecting via the USB-C port will also provide access to 96 watts of USB Power Delivery. That’s enough to power and charge most mid-range Windows laptops that lack discrete graphics, as well as all modern Apple MacBook computers. Additional downstream USB-C connectivity includes three USB-A ports and one USB-C port, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s a good range of USB connectivity — though, once again, the monitor isn’t a leader. Dell’s Ultrasharp U2724DE is a direct competitor with far more connectivity. But that comes with a significant trade-off: The Dell only supports 1440p resolution. I might’ve liked to see Asus squeeze in even better connectivity, such as Ethernet or Thunderbolt. To be fair, this monitor is already a great value, so I understand why these features didn’t make the cut. Still, some competitors offer them, and shoppers looking for the best connectivity might be swayed towards a display like the upcoming BenQ PD2730S, which has Thunderbolt 4. The Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV has both an ambient light sensor, which is common for this category, and a backlight sensor, which isn’t. The ambient light sensor can automatically adjust the display’s brightness as the light in a room varies, which is helpful for keeping display brightness where you need it throughout the day. The backlight sensor, meanwhile, is meant to monitor and adjust brightness when the display is turned on (backlights tend to be a bit dimmer than their maximum until they “warm up”), though I had a hard time noticing that feature with my naked eye. A KVM switch is included, too, with an automatic switch feature based on the active display input. That’s helpful if you plan to have two computers connected to the display and want to seamlessly use a single wired keyboard and mouse with each. Matthew Smith / Foundry The ProArt Display 5K, like other Asus ProArt monitors, has a long list of image quality adjustments and preset color gamut modes. You can adjust color, color temperature, and gamma, or select from sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, Rec.2020, DICOM, or Rec.709 modes. Competitors like the BenQ photography line offer similar adjustment, but Dell Ultrasharp monitors usually have a narrower list of options (Dell really wants creators to opt for the more expensive, less common PremierColor line). A pair of built-in speakers round out the ProArt Display 5K’s features set, but they’re weak and only useful for providing basic Windows system sounds or listening to less dynamic audio content, such as a podcast. This, however, is typical for the category. Most monitors that target professionals assume users will use their own, high-quality headphones or external speakers. Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV SDR image quality The first 5K monitors available for Windows, like the Dell Ultrasharp U2715K and LG Ultrafine, delivered high resolutions but had low-contrast IPS display panels. That was fine at the time, but modern monitors have improved in that area. Thankfully, the Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV provides a modern IPS Black level. Though certainly not as immersive as an OLED gaming monitor, the IPS Black panel delivers respectable contrast and excellent color performance. Matthew Smith / Foundry The ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV packed a real punch in brightness with a maximum SDR brightness of 578 nits. That’s extremely high even among this field, which generally does rather well in brightness testing. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the ProArt Display 5K would appear dim. If anything, the monitor is arguably a bit too bright for its intended use. I found I had to use the monitor at a very low brightness setting (below 20) for it to be appropriate for my room, which has a couple windows facing away from the sun. Still, I’d rather it have the brightness than not, as it makes the monitor more versatile. Matthew Smith / Foundry I measured a contrast ratio of 1610:1 with the ProArt Display 5K at half its maximum brightness. The quality of this result depends on your perspective. It’s much better than conventional creator monitors, like the BenQ SW272U and Asus ProArt PA278CFRV. However, the ProArt Display 5K’s contrast is not as high as some other monitors with IPS Black panels, such as the Dell U2724DE. Still, this is a good result for the category, and the boost in contrast will be noticeable if you’re upgrading from an older productivity monitor with a contrast ratio around 1000:1 (or less). Matthew Smith / Foundry The ProArt Display 5K provided a great default color gamut that covered 100 percent of sRGB and DCI-P3 as well as 91 percent of AdobeRGB. While PCWorld has tested some monitors with a wider AdobeRGB gamut, the ProArt’s result are generally excellent and should be enticing for most content creators. The monitor can display an extremely wide range of colors. It’s also a native 10-bit panel, which will please picky creators. Matthew Smith / Foundry Next up is color accuracy, where the PA27JCV provides a modest result.  This, however, is still a fine number for a monitor in this price bracket (or any bracket, really) and similar to other mid- to high-end content creation and productivity monitors. The monitor’s image accuracy is helped along by good gamma and color temperature results of 2.2 and 6600K, which is close to our targets of 2.2 and 6500K. The monitor’s multiple gamma and color temperature modes allows adjustments to target different settings, if desired.   Sharpness is a major strength and, for some people, will be the obvious reason to buy the monitor. The 5120×2880 resolution on a 27-inch 5K amounts to a pixel density of 218 pixels per inch (ppi), which is close to the highest possible pixel density on a modern computer monitor. The only monitors that reach higher are 6K and 8K display. Shoppers should also keep in mind that the ProArt Display 5K’s pixel density is much higher than 5K ultrawides, like the LG Ultrafine 34WK95U-W. A 34-inch 5K ultrawide has a pixel density of only 163 ppi, so it’s nowhere near as sharp. A 40-inch 5K ultrawide, like the Dell U4025QW, has just a pixel density of 139 ppi, which is less than a 27-inch 4K display. This is an important detail to note, as it’s otherwise easy to assume all 5K displays are the same. They’re not, and the ProArt Display 5K is much sharper than some others sold with 5K branding. The ProArt Display 5K includes a matte panel coat that Asus calls LuxPixel. It’s meant to provide a paper-like screen effect, like BenQ’s monitors with a Fine Coated Panel. Subjectively, I feel that BenQ’s coating is a bit more “paper like,” but LuxPixel remains effective at reducing glare. Overall, the Asus ProArt Display 5K provides excellent image quality across the board. It scores well by every metric and does especially well in brightness and color gamut performance. It’s important to note that the ProArt Display 5K is price-competitive with some OLED monitors, like the Alienware AW2725DF, and those will deliver a deeper, more immersive image with far superior contrast. However, OLED monitors stick to 1440p resolution in a 27-inch size, and the difference in sharpness is obvious. The ProArt Display 5K is not the best display for playing games or watching Netflix but, when it comes to productivity, it’s hard to beat. Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV HDR image quality The Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV supports HDR10 and is VESA DisplayHDR 500 certified. That’s a step higher than the more basic VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification found on many similarly priced monitors, but it’s still not great. Contrast is the real issue. The Asus ProArt Display 5K can get bright in HDR, sustaining well over 500 nits fullscreen. However, the monitor lacks a dynamic or per-pixel lighting technology (like Mini-LED or OLED), so an increase in brightness also increases the brightness of dark areas of the display. That results in a flat, washed-out look. Asus makes a small effort to combat that with a dynamic backlight feature, but the edge-lit lighting zones on the monitor are massive. Because of that, any scene that displays a small, bright object on an otherwise dark scene will lead to obvious, distracting halos and pillars of light as different segments of the backlight turn on and off. It’s distracting, and I recommend turning it off. It could be worse, but it’s not good, and I don’t recommend relying on the monitor’s HDR for games or entertainment. Still, it might be passable if you need a way to quickly preview HDR video and can’t afford a second, better HDR display for that purpose. Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV motion performance The Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV isn’t meant for gaming and entertainment, so it’s no shock to see the monitor stick to a 60Hz refresh rate. It also claims a modest gray-to-gray pixel response time of five milliseconds. What does that mean? Put simply, motion performance is mediocre, at best. Don’t get me wrong: It’s fine for most situations, including games that don’t have a lot of fast action. However, viewers with a critical eye for motion blur will absolutely notice it. It’s not all bad news, though. The ProArt Display 5K supports Adaptive Sync through VESA MediaSync, a standard focused on variable refresh rates in a tight range of 48Hz to 60Hz. Though that narrows the feature’s use in games, it’s helpful if you can use V-Sync or a frame limiter that can keep a game running at or near 60 FPS (or anywhere between 48 and 60 FPS, really). MediaSync is also designed for smooth playback of 24 FPS video, which is handy if you want to use the ProArt Display 5K to edit for film or TV. Should you buy the Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV? The Asus ProArt Display 5K PA27JCV sets the new bar that all 5K monitors must clear. It’s not the best high-resolution display on the market (that honor goes to more extreme displays, like the Apple Pro Display XDR), but it delivers a gorgeous 5K image and long list of features at a reasonable price. Any new 5K monitor looking to compete needs to make sure that it’s at least as good as, or less expensive than, the ProArt Display 5K. Read...

Luke Smith died after an assault at Wellington`s entertainment strip in the early hours of a Sunday. Read...

As soon as VR headsets started going mainstream, people were wondering if you could use them to replace conventional monitors for an immersive Windows experience. And yes, you can — there are already several ways to do that right now. But starting in December, Meta’s Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets will get official support to stream Windows 11, direct from Microsoft. The capability was announced in a post-Ignite news roundup and shown off in a short video, below: Microsoft’s mockup of the integration between Windows and Quest headsets is impressive. The demo user puts on the headset and almost instantly has access to three virtual monitors floating in space via augmented reality, all wireless and apparently seamless. Alternatively, you can put everything on one giant screen right in front of you. Both use a familiar VR control panel that floats beneath the virtual displays. The whole thing is reminiscent of Apple’s Vision Pro “yes, you can use this thing for work” videos. Again, this core capability is not new. Accessing PC content via a standalone VR headset like the Quest is a pretty common thing, though it obviously requires a little more work than on a headset that directly connects to your PC, such as the Valve Index. But at the moment, you still need a bit of third-party software running between them. (Virtual Desktop is a popular option.) Microsoft baking this capability right into Windows indicates a step closer between the platforms, and it’s a somewhat surprising move from a company that seemed to be stepping back from VR and AR with the close of its HoloLens development. This isn’t just a gimmick, either. Microsoft’s news post says you’ll be able to use the feature with a Windows 365 Cloud PC. So, with a little help from a wireless keyboard and mouse, a Quest headset could essentially be your only PC… if your primary desktop lives in the cloud. Even as someone who’s very bullish on VR for entertainment, I still can’t see myself working for eight hours with a headset on. (If the headset battery could even last eight hours. It can’t.) But combine this apparently instant and seamless connection with less bulky hardware, like, say, video glasses from Xreal or RayNeo, and suddenly you have an option for a massively powerful augmented reality setup that can easily travel in a space smaller than a laptop, as seen in the Spacetop design. Assuming that you have a high-speed, always-on connection to a remote machine, of course… and now we’re talking about a lot of different hardware, software, and infrastructure working seamlessly together. Okay, maybe it’s a little farther away than I thought. You’ll be able to try out this native AR workstation feature on Windows 11 with a Quest 3 or Quest 3S headset starting next month, when it goes into “public preview.” Read...

TL;DR: Get three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (and stack up to 15 months!) for nonstop gaming on Xbox and PC for $36.49 (reg. $50). If you’re ready to dive into a massive library of over 500 games, this 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate code is your golden ticket, on sale for $36.49. And here’s the kicker: you’re not limited to just three months. By stacking up to five codes, you can enjoy 15 months of gaming goodness, all in one go. That’s over a year of access to hundreds of popular titles, from AAA games to hidden indie gems, on both Xbox consoles and PC. Game Pass Ultimate isn’t just about games, either. You’ll get perks like online multiplayer, so you can battle or team up with friends, and exclusive member discounts on games and add-ons. Whether you’re new to Game Pass or a current subscriber looking to extend your playtime, these codes work for everyone. Just make sure to redeem them within seven days of purchase so you don’t miss out. Stock up now and get ready for endless entertainment without ads, limits, or interruptions. Consider this three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Membership for $36.49 as an amazing gift to yourself, or to that gamer friend who’s hard to shop for.    Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: 3-Month Membership – Stackable & Global – (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows – Digital Code) – Final Sale – $36.49 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...