Thank you, mnewsham and Prong. It is a hard to find information so your sharing it is very much appreciated.
I have one side question. What do they mean by "LED" or "LED-lit" when OEMs put that in product descriptions? It confuses me because I thought they ALL used LED by now. For instance, on LG's website:
http://www.lg.com/us/monitors
I cannot imagine all those monitors under the IPS category are using old CCFL lamps. And indeed when I go to the "IPS MONITORS" section, Half the monitors listed are described as "IPS LED Monitor." Even more confusingly, under "LED MONITORS" section they have monitors without "LED" descriptor listed. So sometimes they put "LED" there, sometimes they don't. But I have no clue as to what their qualifications are, at least by LG's standard.
AFAIK there are still some CCFL-lit IPS monitors around, mostly in extreme-high end (e.g. true 10-bit) and extreme budget-end. Strange how such a bimodal distribution has taken place, but whatever the case it is something I would like to avoid if possible. I had one before (HP Dreamcolor) and color management was a hassle because of its wide gamut as well as their tendency to degrade over time. Even a well calibrated one tends to degrade rather quickly in comparison to LED-lit panels. They also seem to consume quite a bit more power, which, I guess, is only natural due to 10-bit reproduction, but for me that is a minus. I have been using heavy, power-hungry monitors and want to switch to a lighter, eco-friendly, and well-calibrated monitor that will maintain the calibration for longer period of time. Which brings me back to the quest of finding a monitor without a power brick.
An ideal monitor for me would be something like (in no particular order):
- NO POWER BRICK
- *2560x1440 / 2560x1600 / 3440x1440 / 3860x1440 / 3840x2160 / 4096x2160
- 27"~34", preferably towards the larger end of size
- IPS, PLS, or VA with true color (8-bit without dithering)
- HDR/10-bit is welcome only if the monitor has accurate color profiles for prevailing standards
- At least 60 Hz, preferably 75 Hz or above
- At least 300 cd/m² in max brightness, preferably 350 cd/m² or higher
- At least 1000:1 static contrast ratio
- Better-than or equal-to average input lag
- Matte or semi-gloss finish with anti-glare coating
- Two or more digital inputs (SST), one analog input (D-SUB, DVI-I, or Component), Picture-in-Picture or Picture-by-Picture support
- Up-to-date digital connectivity standards including *sigh* DRM schemes *sigh*, but HDR/Dolby Vision support is not necessary: That means HDMI 2.0 and DP 1.4, I guess?
- Built-in speaker: Sound quality need not be mind-blowing. As is the case with "no power brick," I want to reduce cable clutter. Speakers contribute hugely to the complexity of an entangled net behind a desk. If nothing else, it should at least have audio pass-through.
- Built-in USB 3.0/3.1 ports: Another help in reducing cable mess
- Low power consumption, e.g. something like <50W at max brightness 350 cd/m² or higher
- No built-in webcam
- Thin bezels
Well, that is it for now. The list is not exhaustive nor do I think it is a realistic one. I just went through my head and scribbled as my train of thoughts lead.
*2560x1440 / 2560x1600 / 3440x1440 / 3860x1440 / 3840x2160 / 4096x2160: I am leaning towards a higher res at the moment but it is likely that my preference will shift as my options become clearer.