Murideo is teaming up with different distributors and AV experience centers across America to deliver an easy way for integrators to test their products and cables with Murideo's Fox & Hound.  The Test & Tune station will have an active Fox & Hound in a dedicated space where integrators can bring in cables and products that they are having problems with, they can determine if the product is functioning properly. 

Reach out to Murideo today to find out where the Test & Tune locations are going to be installed first, and we hope to expand this throughout all our sales partners over the next couple years. 

Find more on the Fox & Hound here.

​Tracking down issues in an AV system can be a headache inducing nightmare for integrators.

In the past AV integrators have relied on primitive troubleshooting skills, such as the pluck and chuck method. This is a method of troubleshooting that involves an installer to continuously swap out components in a system because the system isn’t performing as expected. Maybe the system is supposed to be 4k, but the display is only producing a 1080p image. Maybe the system is supposed to display HDR content, but it comes through as SDR. Maybe there is no signal at the display, or the image is flashing. These are just a few of many potential issues with any system.

Tracking down these HDMI related issues end up costing tons of time. At Murideo we understand that time is money, and we do not want you to waste either!

​Murideo built a tool to help out in this frustrating situation; Fox & Hound HDMI troubleshooting kit. This kit consists of a generator and analyzer, designed with ease of use in mind. The generator/analyzer are small, portable, and give you the valuable data that you need to set up or troubleshoot a system, all in a simple menu system. This is a true point-to-point troubleshooting kit, and although these are techy tools you do not have to be an engineer to use them.

One of the most popular features of the Fox & Hound kit is the ability to use several built in EDIDs to emulate a display or repeater device. You can even copy the EDID from a display to troubleshoot at the rack which could be in a completely different room. Another great feature of the Fox & Hound kit is the ability to test HDMI cables for functionality and bandwidth. Defective and/or low bandwidth HDMI cables are a common reason for many system failures.

The Fox & Hound will help you troubleshoot and fix these issues (and others) as easily and as quickly as possible:

-No Picture –

-How could you use the generator? Using the generator in place of the source, inject a video signal into the system. Move the generator downstream in place of each component until you pinpoint which component is not passing the signal.

-How could you use the analyzer? Using the analyzer in place of the display, check the analyzer’s LCD screen for signal/no signal. Depending on the results you can now make an educated decision on what to troubleshoot next.

-No HDR –

-How could you use the generator? Using the generator in place of the source, inject an HDR signal into the system. Move the generator downstream in place of each component until you figure out which component is not passing HDR.

-How could you use the analyzer? Using the analyzer in place of the display, analyze the signal information. If HDR is not present, move the analyzer upstream in place of each component until you find which component is not outputting HDR.                                        
 
-Image has Banding –

-How could you use the generator? Use the generator in place of the source to inject a video signal of varying bit depths (8, 10, 12bit). Check for banding on the display at each bit depth. If there are still banding issues, move the generator downstream in place of each component, trying each bit depth, until the image no longer has banding issues.

-How could you use the analyzer? Using the analyzer in place of the display, analyze the signal information to verify the correct color bit depth is coming through the system. If not, move the analyzer upstream until you find the component that is not outputting the correct bit depth.

-Discolored Video-

-How could you use the generator? Using the generator in place of the source, inject a video signal into the system. Switch between RGB and YCC (YCbCr) and verify that the image is no longer discolored. If it is, move the generator downstream until you find the component that has the mis-matched color space.
           
-How could you use the analyzer? Using the analyzer in place of the display, analyze the signal info and verify that the signal is either RGB or YCC. If there is a mis-match in color space, move the analyzer upstream until you find the component that is outputting the wrong color space for the system.

-The Image is Flashing

-How could you use the generator? Using the generator in place of the source, inject a video signal into the system with different versions of HDCP encryption (off, 1.x, 2.x). Check to see if the image is still flashing. If it is, move the generator downstream in place of each component to track down the component that is causing the image to flash.

-How could you use the analyzer? Using the analyzer in place of the display, check the signal information to verify the version of HDCP encryption that is coming into the display. If the image is still flashing , move the analyzer upstream in place of each component until you find the component that is outputting an incompatible version of HDCP.

-How could you use the generator and analyzer together? Using both devices, test all HDMI cables in the system for functionality. Also test each cable and verify that the cable can pass the required bandwidth for the system.

-Lots of “sparkles” or noise in the image

- How could you use the generator and analyzer together? Using both devices, test all HDMI cables in the system for functionality. Also test each cable and verify that the cable can pass the required bandwidth for the system.

These are just a few of many examples of how the Murideo Fox & Hound system can save you time and money when setting up or troubleshooting a system. We want you to successful as an integrator, and one big hurdle is spending excessive time and money for truck rolls. With this kit you can leave the jobsite knowing that the system is 100% functional, which always makes a happy client who recommends you to new clients. 

​General changes
 
-More WiFi functionality coming. Soon you will be able to connect the MSTest Pro to the local network and be able to log in to share reports, etc
-Current FW with release notes will soon be on Murideo.com
-User can email reports directly to MSOL for analysis. To email reports to MSOL the unit MUST be hardwired to the network. WiFi capability coming
-To email reports to MSOL the user must include their email address (best done on PC, smartphone, or tablet) so MSOL knows who reports are coming from
-User logo remains the same. 200x200 (must be square) and .png file
-Reports will automatically upload to the cloud if could sync is on in the settings menu
-If cloud sync is off in the settings menu you can still upload reports to the cloud by clicking “sync to cloud”
-You can now hot swap modules EXCEPT 2310 Tx or Rx. Continue to power unit down before when swapping those in or out
-New demo videos coming
               -can be downloaded to memory stick for later viewing, or can be viewed on screen. Unit has no speaker so you must connect headphones or audio system via 3.5mm connection
-Remote monitoring is now available. Contact MSOL to open account to access portal. Currently this is a free service
 
General GUI changes
 
-New Link icon at the top of the screen is colored based on link quality
-Link quality test has higher tolerances than before. Orange means there is not much headroom so treat it as a caution warning
               -Green still means PASS
               -Red still means FAIL
-New icon at the top of the screen indicating if LAN is connected or not
-Red “moving line” at the top of the screen indicates that the unit is “thinking”
 
Log Analyzer
-Log Analyzer can now be scheduled for a specific start/stop time. Max is still 24 hours
-HDBaseT 2.0 – Log Analyzer not available to this time
-While using Log Analyzer you cannot do anything else with the unit
-When uploading csv files from Log Analyzer you can email them straight from the unit or you can email to [email protected]. Analysis of csv files by MSOL is currently free
 
HDMI Generator
-HDMI Generator patterns now stay up until user changes it (old GUI had a timer for how long patterns would stay up)
-HDMI Generator  - has a new button for scaling. Using this, parameters stay the same. Only difference is patterns will now fill the screen entirely. If this is off, patterns will show natively
 
AvioP/Network Analyzer
-AVOIP/Network Analyzer – can buy and activate from unit
               -MXNEXT switch coming
-IP Analyzer is included in all Murideo units. License can be obtained from Murideo or MSOL. License can be activated by contacting MSOL
 

Whether it’s 2 channel or a fully immersive sound system, audio is one of our favorite topics at Murideo. One of the most significant misunderstood aspects of audio is how vital the room itself is and its impact on an audio system’s overall sound quality. This can present a problem with integrators, especially when a system doesn’t meet theirs or the client’s expectations. Maybe there isn’t enough (or too much) bass. Maybe cymbals from a drum kit are lacking clarity during an epic movie scene or a favorite album. Maybe dialogue in a movie or the vocals of a live performance are muffled or too quiet. So the question now is, how can we make it better?

​The #1 issue is, you can’t fix what you don’t measure. So how do you measure an audio system? We introduce to you the Murideo Audio Calibration Kit. The kit consists of 4 high-quality Dayton EEM-6 microphones, our own Murideo multiplexer, an iAudioInterface2 that will allow you to control everything with a PC or iOS device, high-quality cables to connect the mics, a carrying case, and more! Using this kit will tell you everything you need to know about a room or any other acoustic environment so you can make informed decisions on speaker placement, audio levels, and equalization, just to name a few.

​As an integrator, the last thing you want is an unhappy customer due to an underwhelming system. Use this kit to ensure that all of your customers are happy with their audio system and increase your revenue stream. Video calibrators often overlook audio, and adding audio calibration is a great way to expand on your service offerings and generate more revenue. For more information on the Murideo audio calibration kit, visit the MU-TEST-AUDIO webpage or send us an email at [email protected]. We are also available for a live chat at Murideo.com, or you can speak with a Murideo representative at 605-330-8491. 

This month our featured partner is Kevin Miller. Kevin provides professional calibration services and technical consulting in the New York tri-state area and we are proud to call him a customer and a friend! Check out what he had to say about his experiences in the industry and with ISF.

I was involved in the creation of the ISF with Joel Silver dating back to the spring of 1993 when working at The Perfect Vision as the Publisher and CEO. The idea that Joel so eloquently described was spawned over cocktails one evening at an InfoComm show in New Orleans. A little over a year later, in February of 1994, Joel launched his company with the first ever ISF seminar at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. I was at that seminar as a student with my Philips color analyzer in hand.
 
I started my company, ISFTV, in February of 2001. Later that year, I co-instructed a seminar with Joel that followed the CEDIA show in Indianapolis. Day two of the seminar, as fate would have it, was on 9/11/2001. We had a very large group of nearly 60 students who were all quite shaken by the morning’s events. Our great friend Stu Kobak, who ran a DVD review web site of his own called Filmsondisc.com, got Joel on the phone and encouraged him to have us finish that seminar even in the face of the horrific events of that day. We did persevere and got the class to the finish line.
 
Following that 2001 seminar, I spent many years co-instructing ISF seminars with Joel all over North America, which was a great learning experience. Joel helped launch my company as he has done for many small businesses all over the world. I am proud to have been a part of the creation of the Imaging Science Foundation, and continue to work closely with Joel and a number of talented technicians all over the country, furthering the goal of delivering the artist’s (Director’s) intent to consumer’s television screens. I have also been heavily involved for many years on the professional side of our industry, now supporting over 60 Post Production facilities with my professional calibration services and technical consulting in the New York tri-state area. I have also been providing technical and product development consulting to TV and video source manufacturers since 2003.

Thank you Kevin for sharing your experiences with us!

How could that little word (metadata) cause havoc for so many Audio/Video manufacturers and integrators trying to line up the audio and video signal? Why? Because our industry has gone beyond traditional 2 channel, or 6 channel, or even 8 channels of audio. Dolby Atmos and DTS HD are perfect examples of audio signals that rely on metadata to distribute audio through many channels. This invisible code runs alongside the audio signal that tells your audio products to distribute the specific sound to a specific channel; this code is metadata. 

Why would metadata cause lip sync issues?
When dealing with metadata, it takes time to decode the signal, and this can cause delays in your audio delivery. You may find your audio signal is coming in after your video. This is a new problem as integrators have always had the opposite problem, audio coming before the video and needing to delay the audio to line it up. How many of the tools you use to line up that audio have a video delay option? Almost none! 

​Testing your products to see how they react with different types of audio and video combinations will allow you to deliver a superior installation or product to your customer. The Murideo method enables you to test these signals via HDMI, ARC, or even the HDMI 2.1 specification feature eARC. 

The Murideo SEVEN Generator is a scientifically accurate audio video testing device that allows you to select thousands of combinations of signals, including Dolby Atmos audio and HDR resolutions. As you test your product with various signals, you can measure the lip sync down to the millisecond, allowing you to make adjustments as needed.

If you would like more information on the SEVEN Generator, give us a call at 605-330-8491 or email us at [email protected].

Our featured partner this month is Jay Stanley & Associates out of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Arising from the work of Stanley Sound Systems during the early era of sound technology and the decades that followed, Jay S. Stanley & Associates was founded in 1978 and has become Arkansas’ premier, performance-proven audiovisual solutions provider. In more than 40-years of connecting presenters with audiences, they have provided solutions for organizations all over the state.

​Their clients include nearly every government agency, university, and college in the state. In addition, you will find our systems in the boardrooms, meeting rooms, large venues, and presentation facilities throughout our state’s most well-known and respected companies and non-profit organizations.

They had this to say about using Murideo products in the field:

​6 months ago Jason calibrated the Hisense 55H9G and got pretty decent results. Some of the calibration controls didn't work which limited the TV in accuracy and performance. We made that video back in August and the TV has a lot more hours on it and it has had at least one firmware update.

Join Jason Dustal as he recalibrates the Hisense H9G to see if the results are better, the same, or worse!

With all the questions going around surround the rollout of 8k, the information can be daunting. 

What does this 8k mean to me?
What do I need in order to work with 8k?
How do I make sure it is all working?
How do I explain the difference between 4k and 8k to a customer and why should I do this?
 
At Murideo we are always on the forefront of advanced technology. Customers are beginning to ask for 8k and it is becoming a new hot button.  Our Job at Murideo is to provide you the ability to manufacture, install, and provide to your customers.  Testing and being able to competency test your systems are crucial to make sure you do not have a problematic install.  What is coming in should be the same as what is going out without loss or compromise.

We are here to help, there are products becoming readily available for the manufacturer all the way to the integrator installing these products. More important we are here to assist you in your questions, please reach out to us and we can make sure to set you up for success in the 8k world.
​
Contact us at:
[email protected]

Make sure you are all caught up with the first calibration video, you can watch it again here:

 The monitor is what we’re going to be focusing on in this handbook. Monitors are the window to your PC through which you’ll see what you’re doing, so it’s a purchase you’ll want to get right whether you’re using the desktop for working or gaming. Many people won’t put much thought into buying their monitors, and we don’t blame them, a lot of complicated visual tech goes into making modern screens.

That’s why this handbook exists, we’re going to go over just about everything you’ll want to know about buying a monitor, and we’ll do it in plain English for those of you out there that aren’t tech-savvy. We’ll hammer out some quick buying tips first. If you’re not up for reading so much then maybe you can find what you want to know there. The rest of the handbook will expand on the specs and features mentioned in those buying tips for those who need more info and want to learn about monitors so that they can buy the best models going into the future. Before we begin, you’ll see that we’ve referenced supporting material online when we can to remain as informative and transparent as possible. That way you can verify for yourself that we’re presenting accurate information that can be relied upon, and it adds to the net amount of information that this handbook contains since you can read our sources and learn about monitors at an even more advanced level.

Quick Monitor Buying Tips

To start off, we’re going to go through generalized buying tips that can help you seal the deal on a monitor purchase. If you’re in a hurry or you already know some stuff about monitors and just want to brush up on relevant information, these buying tips might be just what you’re looking for:
Finding The Purpose Of Your Monitor

Monitors aren’t made for the same equal purpose, so the natural first step of buying one is to determine what that monitor is going to be used for. Only you can know that. We’re not mind readers, after all, the best we can do is give some broad suggestions that are in line with what most monitors are used for. Of course, many people who buy a monitor will have some vague, general use in mind that might include work and gaming, along with a myriad of other activities that they’re not too invested in to want the best monitor.

In that case, let us make this easy for you and advise you to look into a 24- to 27-inch IPS monitor.

It can be HD or 4K, depending on how much money you have to spare, but a monitor with these basic specs should do you just fine. The main two specific uses for your monitor, and desktop as a whole, would be work or gaming. There are more practical reasons for considering a desktop PC, too, and you’ll need a monitor to go with it. Just like with the PC itself, there’s a distinct difference between specs that are great for dry performance and specs that prioritize graphical fidelity and a pleasing monitor image. You’ll also want to consider which ports and connection points you’ll need to use. Getting a great high-end monitor isn’t much use if it can’t connect to your desktop in the first place. The main concern here is if your GPU connects via HDMI or DisplayPort. If the monitor and GPU have incompatible ports, there are HDMI to DisplayPort wires available, so that isn’t the end of the world. If you’re using the desktop for work, there’s more of a likelihood you’ll end up connecting a portable device like a laptop to your monitor. In that case, look for alternative connectors like USB-C or their Thunderbolt 3 variants that can translate a laptop display to a monitor or vice versa.
As always, if your monitor doesn’t have USB-C connectors it’s possible to use an adapter for HDMI to USB-C, but it’s always best to buy for the ports you need if you can.

Higher Resolutions Are Better

Even if you’re totally new to computer monitors, you know it’s the detail and visual clarity of the monitor that’s important. One of the main specs that determine this is screen resolution.
A screen with a higher number of pixels is capable of representing a sharper picture of what’s going on in your computer. The first figure of a resolution spec is its number of horizontal pixels and the last is the number of vertical pixels. The current industry standard is 1920×1080 thanks to the dominance of 1080p and HD visuals. As the standard resolution size for HD, we’d recommend getting monitors in this resolution.
Otherwise, 1366×768 has been the most common over the last decade, but these are non-HD visuals that aren’t great for desktop monitors. You’ll notice that 1920×1080 resolutions fall off in 2018 but this is likely due to the availability of 4K resolutions as the best new thing. As a general rule, the higher the resolution the better. From lowest to highest, here are the current resolutions we have in play:

• 1920×1080 – The industry standard for HD monitors that are designed to mimic the 16:9 aspect ratio of your TV screen.
• 1920×1200 – A taller variant of the 1920×1080 favored by businesses.
• 2560×1440 – Twice as many pixels as the 1920×1080, hence why it’s called 2K.
• 2560×1600 – A taller variant of the 2K resolution.
• 3840×2160 – Otherwise known as 4K, this resolution has four times as many pixels as 1920×1080.

There are others too, of course, but they’re either outdated non-HD resolutions like the 1280×800 or they’re very high-end 8K displays that aren’t financially viable for most consumers. It’s also worth noting that, at the moment, high-resolution displays can be difficult for those with seeing issues e.g., farsightedness, since the text will look smaller onscreen.
The last thing that needs to be said for our rundown on monitor resolution is that the monitors work best when they’re showing an image that’s the same as the device’s native resolution. We go into more detail about this later when talking about panels and resolution but the takeaway here is that you shouldn’t have your PC show a lower resolution than your monitor. This can result in aspect ratio issues as well as general blurriness and distortion.

Size Is important

So, we’ve talked about resolution, let’s move onto the size of your monitor. The resolution of a display can have some bearing on the size of the monitor itself, there’s only so much space that you can cram all those pixels into, after all. Otherwise, you should mainly pay attention to the dimensions and aspect ratio of the model you’re going after.  The size of your screen is a purely personal choice so we can’t tell you what to go for here. There’s a practical element here since you need to get a monitor you can actually see. We’ve already brought up the possibility of users with visual issues preferring smaller resolutions if that makes more sense than larger ones, and that applies to the size of the monitor too. What advice we can offer is this: Many find larger screen sizes productive. The same can be said for having multiple monitors. Conversely, those who don’t use their PCs as much can save cash by getting a smaller monitor. Gamers should want bigger monitors, same for visual arts like photography or video editing. If a monitor is more than 35 inches in size, it’s likely too big to be viewed from your desk. Consider this your upper limit.

As for aspect ratio, 16:9 has the overwhelming majority of market representation. This is because 16:9 aspect ratios are the same as televisions, so people are used to this aspect ratio for consuming visual media. It’s also capable of HD while being translatable to all kinds of devices, making it the most efficient option. It’s also the favored aspect ratio of a lot of the sites we use every day.

Like with resolutions, there are older aspect ratios that are roughly square-shaped like 4:3, but they’re so irrelevant that they’re not worth going into detail with. On the other end of the spectrum, ultrawide monitors that use a 21:9 aspect ratio are going to become more popular in the near future when they become more affordable.

These are, well, very wide, making them great for having many windows open or for immersive gaming.

A Note On Response Times

We’ve established that there are a lot of pixels working in tandem to deliver you the best visuals. You’ll want to make sure that your monitor is responsive enough that you don’t see the pixels changing, which would result in a motion blur. All pixels have a lag when changing but you’d be surprised how much difference a millisecond or two can make. This isn’t an important specification, by any means. If your monitor is having blur or any other visual quality problems related to response times, it’s probably damaged or an old monitor trying to run programs that are way outdated. Where response times can be important, however, is when you’re PC gaming. You don’t want motion blur in your games.

It’s even common for gamers to turn off the motion blurs that game developers add for flavor in their games, so why would they tolerate actual motion blur occurring on their own monitor?

Stay under 8 milliseconds and you’ll be fine, anything more and that’s when it’ll start raising some eyebrows.

Image Quality & Panel Tech

Now that we’ve covered the main specs that you’ll find on a monitor’s product listing page, let’s go through some of the secondary and more technical features that you might want to pay attention to.
Image quality is a pretty vague term that’d rely on so many things, the resolution and aspect ratio being some of them.

Of course, without a GPU capable of processing pretty visuals, you won’t be seeing anything at all, so image quality isn’t solely the responsibility of the monitor.

There are three other specs that contribute to image quality that is part of the display device, those being brightness, contrast ratio, and color representation.

Brightness should be self-explanatory and for most people, it wouldn’t even come up when thinking about buying a monitor.

If you’re one of those people then don’t worry, it usually doesn’t matter too much as long as you’re getting the standard HD monitors out there. This is because they’ll be within the 200 to 300 nit range that’s ideal for most.

That’s not as a unit of light measurement, by the way, not the other nits. It means candela per square meter.
All that said, those who work with graphic design or photography might need to pay attention to the brightness of a monitor and how it’ll change their visuals. In that case, you’ll want to look for monitors with over 300 nits for a richer display and more striking colors.

The contrast ratio is just the difference between the lightest white possible and the darkest black possible. Think of it as a gauge of the monitor’s entire color representation since you’re looking at each extreme and seeing the total difference. There’s a problem here, every manufacturer has a different standard for what contrast ratio is and how it can be measured.

This means that ratios often can’t be trusted and even if there was a difference, most of us are laymen who won’t be able to eyeball that difference when the monitor is in front of our faces.

We say to not sweat the actual contrast ratio metrics. If you can bag a reliable 350:1 contrast ratio in today’s market then great, but otherwise just keep an eye out for dynamic or advanced contrast ratio features. These are proprietary technologies that manufacturers use to enhance the contrast ratios of their gadgets.
Color is simple, get a 24-bit monitor. They can report the entire 16.7 million known colors to exist with the RGB spectrum. You can’t do much better than that until we discover another dimension of reality and find the new colors inside of it, which probably won’t be soon.

Last but not least, the panel type is the foundation for your monitor’s image quality. These come in either LCD or OLED, though there are variations for each. For example, LCD is split into twisted nematic, or TN, in-plane switching, or IPS, and vertical alignment, or VA. Going into the technical differences would be its own guide altogether, so let’s settle for this:

LCD-TN
LCD-IPS
LCD-VA
OLED

Cheaper to produce, so less expensive.
Better colors but worse response time.
Combines the benefits of TN and IPS, but it’s new and costly.
Very high contrast and color. Mostly found on TVs, very expensive for monitors.

Curved Or Flat?

There’s been a surge in the popularity of LCD panel screens that have slight curves in them, so nowadays you have to ask the question of which you’d prefer.

Most of the reasons to get a curved screen are for aesthetics and you’d be right in assuming that traditional flat screens are vastly more popular.

Many find them to be more immersive.

A curved screen isn’t necessarily a gimmick, however. There are practical reasons you’d want a curved screen.

To start with, you can get a wider visual with a curved monitor without having to sit back, which you’d have to do with a flat one if it exceeds 27 inches.

Despite how curved screens have become a trend in televisions, this feature makes them more practical when used for desktop monitors. Like any additional or alternative features, you can get from a monitor, it’ll come at a higher price.

If you haven’t got a practical reason for getting a curved screen, we’d advise against it if you haven’t got the cash to spare.

Determining Your Use

Now that we’ve gotten the main tips out of the way, let’s go into some more detail. If you’re not far into the buying process, you might not even know what you’ll be using your desktop for. In that case, you’re probably going to fall under general business or hobbyist but we’re going to go through the main uses so that you can better decide which monitor you want.

General Business

By general business, we’re also going to be including general use altogether.
This is what you want if you want a desktop for the practical applications it has, like admin work, while acknowledging that you’ll watch videos or load a video game with it once in a while.
All you’ll really want to know here is size, resolution, and how much the purchase will set you back.
You don’t need anything flashy to run the Microsoft Office suite, after all.
Fortunately, these can be as expensive or as cheap as you like since they make up so much of the existing monitor market.

Professional 

Professional use will come under one of two broad umbrellas, if not both depending on how much you’ve got planned.

The first is professional business use. This may be the same kind of admin work that we described above except with more advanced programs, plus they may need to host calls with colleagues. The aspect ratio is more important here.

If you’re forever finding that the average monitor isn’t enough to host your multiple open windows and spreadsheets, a 21:9 aspect ratio monitor might be just what you need.
Ultrawide monitors are also an option to achieve the same result.
The second is creative use, which uses equally advanced programs and software that rely heavily on having a good display to see what you’re doing and get the best results.
The resolution, contrast, and color are what’s important when getting a monitor for creative uses.
Touchscreen capabilities might also be a good idea, especially if you’re an artist or photographer who needs to make micro-adjustments.

Gaming

While your computer’s CPU and GPU will go a long way in processing graphics, you’ll need a monitor that’s compatible with your GPU to keep the display running smoothly.
You’ll want shorter response times too if you’re going to be gaming.
In a lot of games, every second counts, so you don’t want to have a slight lag in what you see.
We’d say it’s worth getting a monitor with under 5 milliseconds of response time.

Monitor Resolution: How Big Is Best?

Let’s go deeper into monitor resolution and which ones will fit your needs the best. We’re going to cast aside all the outdated and irrelevant resolutions of the past and focus on the main ones that are still in play in today’s market. Remember that resolutions won’t work as well if they’re used with a screen that’s too small for them.

1080p – We’ve already mentioned how 1080p, specifically 1920×1080, is the standard for monitors nowadays, but it was once the best resolution you could get. As screen technology has advanced, 1080p has become the baseline for monitor resolutions. That isn’t to say you’d be doing yourself a disservice by getting a 1080p resolution since it’s a very popular resolution option that gives many the results they need, especially when paired with a 21 to 24-inch screen. As it’s become less impressive in comparison to larger resolutions, 1080p has also become the budget-friendly option too.

1440p – 1440p resolutions are a nice compromise between 1080p and 4K, and for a 16:9 aspect ratio you’ll likely want the 2560×1440 resolution. 1440p is great for gaming purposes since it’ll get you a better visual than the 1080p without putting too much strain on the GPU, so you don’t need a supercomputer to get a decent image.

4K – You’ve probably seen the hype around 4K in the last few years. The resolution has moved into the consumer market in a big way, with all the high-end tech manufacturers delivering 4K variants of their TVs, laptop screens, and desktop monitors. 4K is popular in home cinema systems and as you’re dealing with a 16:9 aspect ratio, any guide to 4K should have you covered on the intimate details of 4K monitors too.

Using the previous terms that we’ve used to describe resolutions, 4K is 3840×2160 where monitors are concerned. All those pixels need a powerful GPU to run it without suffering from synching issues or low refresh rates, so the higher-end monitor and the possibility of a graphics card upgrade can make 4K a costly prospect.

5K – We’ll mention 5K for posterity but let us say that 4K is usually preferable. 5120×2880 began as an Apple upgrade on 5K that has since spread to other manufacturer products, but you likely won’t notice any difference that makes it worth the higher cost.

8K – If money is no object, there are 8K resolutions available too. At 16:9 aspect ratio, you’re looking at an impressive 7680×4320 display, totaling around 8,000 pixels. It’s a great futureproofing option but as it stands there isn’t much out there to reap the full benefits of what an 8K resolution is capable of. 

There are other options out there, we’ve mentioned ultrawide and curved screens that shake things up already by expanding on how many horizontal pixels there are compared to vertical ones, and there are even such things as 16K resolutions that work best when used with multiple screens.

Which resolution will be the best for you? It depends on the quality of image you need, the quality of image you want, and what you can afford.

Consider your needs the minimum resolution you can support with your current GPU. You can find the supported resolutions of your GPU either in its package literature or online, but if you’re a gamer with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 or higher then you should be fine.

What you want is simply your ideal resolution that you’d be happy with. If you’re new to buying computer parts, you may not have enough knowledge to know what resolution you want to do the job at hand. In that case, it’s best to defer to which resolutions you can afford. Consider this your maximum resolution.
Once you’ve found a monitor with a resolution that’s supported by your GPU, good enough to meet your own standards, and lies within your affordability range, then you’ve found one of the best resolutions for you. This may be multiple different resolutions; in which case we’d say to treat yourself by getting the highest one.

Refresh Rates: Maintaining Motion

Refresh rates are exactly what they sound like, how often the image on the screen refreshes through the change of its pixels. You’ll see it written down in hertz but they’re not the most important metric to keep an eye on. This is because the default for modern LCD monitors is 60 hertz, which is enough to stop you from having issues with general use.

If you’re a gamer, you might want a fresher refresh rate so you can get smoother visuals that help your performance. Gamers should look for 120 to 240 hertz depending on what they want and can afford.
Buying a high-end monitor for gaming can also come complete with variable refresh rates. This just means that the monitor is capable of detecting the desired hertz and adjusting accordingly for different video games, finding the perfect rate depending on what you’re playing. A higher-end monitor means a higher price tag, however.

Ports: What Ports Should Your Monitor Have?

If you’re anything like us, you’ll want your monitor to connect to your desktop so you can actually get use out of it. You don’t want to buy an expensive weight, so make sure that all of your PC parts are compatible. You want a casing that’s large enough, a motherboard that can accommodate all of your parts, and you’ll need the monitor to connect to the GPU properly.
This means you need to pay attention to what ports a monitor has. If you’re working with a GPU, check out the ports on there. The four most common GPU to display ports are:

• High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
• DisplayPort
• Video Graphics Array DE-15 (VGA DE-15)
• Digital Visual Interface (DVI)

Those are the usual ports you’ll use to connect to your GPU. You don’t need to worry about VGA or DVI that much, they’re older formats that are only still relevant in business environments where you may want to connect to a projector or other alternate display system. If that’s what you want, you’re in the wrong place, so ignore VGA ports.

Likewise, DVIs are on their way out but it’s not uncommon to see one on a GPU nowadays. The problem is that newer monitors won’t support it, especially with the more convenient HDMI and DisplayPort options that transfer both video and audio.

Assuming you’re working with an independent graphics card and not an integrated graphics processor, you’ll probably use HDMI or DisplayPort to plug the monitor in. You know HDMIs, they’re everywhere, and they allow for simultaneous video and audio that’s become the standard for electronics the world over.

If you want the highest resolution capabilities, get the latest revision (HDMI 2.1). DisplayPort is more niche but used a lot for gaming. They’re more advanced, supporting higher resolutions, but what really sets DisplayPort apart is its ability to connect to multiple monitors in a sequence and then connect them all to a PC by connecting the last monitor in the chain to your PC.

We talked a little about adapter wires before but it’s worth repeating that there are HDMI to DisplayPort adapters available. This means that if you get a monitor that only supports one and your GPU supports the other, you can resolve that conflict without having to spend the cash to buy a whole new part.

For the sake of future relevancy, we’ll add that USB-C cables are on the rise too. They’re not quite everywhere yet, you’ve likely seen them on the latest smartphones in place of the rectangular-shaped Micro-USB you may have been using. Well, the USB-C, when paired with its Thunderbolt 3 interface, can be used for a connection.

As you can imagine, this puts USB-C cables a few heads above other wires just in terms of versatility alone. At the moment, this is mostly a laptop technology since monitors that can use Thunderbolt 3 are scarce.
Panel Types: TN Vs. VA Vs. IPS

There’s a lot that goes into making LCD monitor panels, so let’s go deeper into what they are and how the main three types of LCD monitors compare. If you’ve been reading through this guide from the start, we’ve talked a little about these already, but here we can go into more detail and really compare and contrast each panel type to convey more information.

So, as we’ve covered, LCDs aren’t made equal, you’re either getting twisted nematic, vertical alignment, or in-plane switching panels that’ll deliver different visuals that work better with certain computer applications. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages, there’s no perfect option here, it’s all about which one is right for you and your machine.

Twisted nematic panels, often abbreviated to TN, are by far the more common LCD type. If you’ve bought an LCD in the last decade, they were likely TN paneled. This makes them the general option that will suffice for those who aren’t too concerned about visuals as long as they’re getting a visual in the first place.
Colors can look washed out and drab, though you’re treated to a light show if you look at the panel from the wrong angle, but they generally have fast response times compared to other types.

Vertical alignment panels have better color than the TN variants, and that color won’t degrade if you look at them from non-standard angles. Ghosting can be an issue, however, especially if you have a lot of on-screen movement. Response times can suffer too, though this can all depend on your usage of the computer and what images the monitor is trying to display.

In-plane switching panels tend to be the most expensive simply because they’re marketed on their very rich colors. If the TN panels are (relatively) bad with colors and the VA ones are a compromise, it’s an IPS panel you want for the best colors. This comes at a cost though, that being response times usually.
This can make them subpar for gaming but, before you ask “why have a great color panel if it can’t play games,” there are IPS displays for gaming.

What Are The Most Important Features?

As we start to bring this handbook to a close, it’s time to start thinking about what we’ve covered here. We’ve gone over a lot of information that can be confusing, especially for the technologically illiterate, so here’s where we round everything off into a few points.
Let’s go back to the original three uses we identified at the start of this guide – general use, professional use, and gaming. These three uses should cover most of you looking for a new monitor out there, so we’ve revisited them and described what you want in as few words as possible.
Remember, no matter which uses you have in mind, a higher resolution means a better picture, and get the largest monitor that your space can accommodate.

For General Business Use

For general admin use, you’ll have lower standards but you’ll want:
A monitor size that’s at least 21 to 27 inches. You can go bigger but know your space and avoid eye strain.
Make sure it’s in at least 1080p at a 16:9 aspect ratio, the optimal size for prolonged viewing.
If you’re not fussy, a TN panel will do. If you want a more vibrant color without breaking the bank, get a VA panel monitor.
Buy within your budget and don’t worry about the unnecessary frills, a computer that does its job is what you want here.

For Professional Use

For strictly business, you’ll want:
A high pixel monitor that can display more complex images at larger sizes and allow you to see them without straining your eyes.
A TN might suffice if you’re doing advanced administration but if you’re working with colors, you’ll want a VA or IPS panel.
Great color accuracy, mainly if your profession revolves around digital creativity like visual art or photography, and HDMI or USB-C ports for collaboration with handheld devices.
Consider multiple monitors or an ultrawide/curved screen alternative that allows you to see more on-screen at once.

For Gaming Use

The highest resolution you can support and afford, 4K is great though 1080p can be just fine.
A monitor that supports HDMI or, even better, DisplayPort cables.
A combination of fast refresh rates and short response times.
Preferably a color-boosting IPS panel to bring your visuals to life.

Conclusion: So, What Monitor Should You Get?

There’s a lot of variables that need solving before you arrive at the best types of monitors for you, but hopefully, this guide has given you the information you need to find the best one for you. Just remember to shop inside your budget, building a desktop setup can be a costly endeavor and you don’t want the most expensive piece of the puzzle to be the monitor if you can help it.
Ask yourself what you want in terms of size, resolution, and color, as well as if response times or port compatibility will be important. Once you have your answers, the corresponding subheadings above should have the information you need.
If you’ve narrowed your options down already, check out fellow reviews of the monitor to see if others have been pleased by the model you want and, if it comes down to it, go for the one that you like the look of best.

​On top of that you can also parse specific data types, view and navigate in “wave view” or “list view” and delve into details of I2C and eARC transactions. If you need to know what is happening to your HDMI pipeline down to the nanosecond? The SEVEN Generator’s Protocol Analyzer software has you covered.

You can download the Software and manual here: Software/Manual

The Murideo Seven G is a powerful piece of HDMI test equipment capable of many different functions for integrators, manufacturers, and engineers, and today we are looking specifically at the device’s Protocol software. This is a very unique and helpful piece of software that will allow you to monitor all incoming and outgoing HDMI protocol traffic. This is especially useful for manufacturers and engineers as the data that is extracted from testing can be used to diagnose HDMI issues, ultimately leading to fixing these issues for a better overall product. The best part is that the Device protocol software is 100% free with the purchase of the Seven G!

How to Connect and Use the Software:

• First, connect the Seven G to a PC using the supplied USB cable.
• Next, download the software from the Murideo website or the link provided above. From here you can download the Software manual and the software.
• Once you download the software, your PC may warn you that the file is “not commonly downloaded and may be dangerous”. You can ignore this warning and keep the file. Go ahead and open the file, and you may have a pop up that says “Windows protected your PC”. Click “More Info”, then “Run anyway”.
• Once the software is open and the generator is connected via USB, click the “Search” button. The software will automatically find the Seven G and will let you know that it has connected.
• Next, connect the HDMI device that you would like to test. You can connect to either the input to test incoming signals, or the output to test how the device you are testing responds. In this example I am going to connect the output of the Seven G to a TV.
• In this example, I want to collect all of the HDMI protocol exchanges between the Seven G and the TV. Choose the amount of time (in seconds) that you would like to run the test for. In this example we are going to run the test for 10 seconds. Then click “Start”.
• Wait for the test to finish.
• Now that the test is done we can look at the results. First let’s take a look at the left side of the screen which can show you each protocol parsed out. For example if I just want to see when the 5v exchanges happened, I can click on “Parse 5V”. This will show me a time stamp from when every 5v exchange happened during the test. I can also click on “Parse HDP Out” which will show me every hot plug event that happened during the test. If you are looking for specific events you can parse out anything that you’d like by clicking any of the buttons in the bottom left of the screen. 
• At the top you will notice 2 buttons…”Wave View” and “List View”. Here you can see every HDMI event or transaction as it happened during the test. If you use the “Wave View” you can see each event that occurred in real time. Use the “Previous Event” and “Next Event” buttons to advance through each event as it happened. To see each event in real time throughout the test, use the “Shift Left” and “Shift Right” buttons. 
• You can also use the “List View” to see the entire list of every event in your test in chronological order. Notice that we can see when each event happened down to the microsecond. If I want to only see a specific protocol, such as 5v, CEC signals, Hot Plug events, eARC signals, or anything that happened within I2C, I can do so by checking or unchecking these boxes. 
• You can see a detailed view of an eARC signals coming in or leaving the Seven G, and you can see all of the I2C information as well. At the top of the page, click on either of the 4 available tabs under “Detailed View” to access this information. You can save these readouts and share them with your clients or co-workers for analysis.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to murideo at [email protected] or call us at 605-330-8491.

Sioux Falls, S.D. - Murideo, the name to trust in HDMI, audio, and video testing and troubleshooting equipment, has officially expanded into the HDBaseT testing market. In a collaboration with MSolutions, Murideo is proud to present the MSol HDBaseT Tester. This is the only device that can officially certify your installed category cables for working with HDBaseT.

This HDBaseT tool features built-in monitoring, logging and diagnostics capabilities, quick and efficient analysis, and troubleshooting tools. It allows A/V installers to test infrastructure, helps manufacturers develop HDBaseT products, and gives A/V testing labs the tools they need to work out customer issues. Each Murideo MSol HDBaseT tester consists of a main unit, Rx module and Tx module. By emulating an HDBaseT transmitter or receiver, operating up to pixel rates of 300MHz, the tester is capable of testing 4K ultra-high definition source or sink devices even when installed up to 100 meters (328 feet) away.

Dustin Stuntebeck, VP of Sales at Murideo, stated, “Murideo has seen nothing but success in the test tool market. We have been instrumental in helping our customers with their needs in the HDMI 18Gbps world. Now, we have partnered with MSolutions, a manufacturer who will take us to the next level in HDBaseT and category cable testing. With the current advances in video distribution, every integrator can attest to the need for the highest capability in their infrastructure. With the MSolutions HDBaseT Tester, installers will have the utmost confidence in installing and deploying every part of the system. Paired with the existing Murideo lineup, this tool can make every integrator an expert in all aspects of their installations.”
  
For more information about the Murideo MSol please visit www.Murideo.com or contact 605-330-8491.
 
About Murideo
Murideo, an AVPro Global Holdings subsidiary, was created to satisfy the need for modern testing tools in the custom A/V market. Through a depth of knowledge brought on from years of experience in the electronics industry, the team at Murideo has brought cutting edge testing equipment to the world that was previously only available to the elite. The philosophy of Murideo is simple, focus on technology, focus on design, and focus on our users. For more information, visit www.Murideo.com or call 605-330-8491.

Shane Martes is the Lead Installer for 255Tech, an Audio Video and Smart Home installation company in Boise Idaho. Shane Martes and 255Tech have been specializing in Audio Video Distribution and Smart Home technology for over 5 years.

As a full integration company, 255Tech is all about making your technology life easier. 255Tech’s message to its customers is simple, “It's a connected world, and a barrage of devices and apps can be daunting. We're here to take the worry away and make your life as easy as possible.”

As a Control4 Certified Dealer, 255Tech can bring whole home control solutions to your home.   
 
If you're in the Boise area, contact 255Tech!
Phone: (208) 871-2655 or Toll Free: (833) 255-8324
Email: [email protected]

Murideo has teamed up with engineering powerhouse MSolutions to bring HDBaseT testing to installers' hands across the United States.

Murideo's MSol is the only HDBaseT tester that is reliable, portable, and affordable, making it an indispensable tool for all manufacturers, installers, and integrators. This unique testing device provides A/V professionals with all the information they need when testing HDBaseT products. It helps A/V installers test infrastructure, helps manufacturers develop HDBaseT products, and gives audio/video testing labs the tools they need to work out customer issues. Moreover, Murideo's HDBaseT tester generates reports, including all the parameters necessary to certify link quality and status up to 4K UHD content. The report can then be transferred to a computer so you can add your letterhead and present the information to your client.

We recently held a product training that takes a closer look at this product. Don't worry if you missed it; you can catch up right now:

If you have any questions on this device, you want to get your hands on a set, just reach out at [email protected] or call 605-330-8491​.

“The Fox and Hound comes to every job site now, whether I think I’ll need it or not.”
​
The Fox and Hound 18Gbps generator and analyzer testing kit was built as the ideal testing unit for all custom and commercial integrators. These tools confirm correct bandwidth, HDCP, resolution, timing, HDR metadata and many more variables that can cause system hiccups if not treated correctly. The Fox & Hound takes the guess work out of where the problem is reducing truck rolls and helping your bottom line. Below we hear from Shane Martes of 225 Tech in Boise, ID on his experience with the Fox & Hound

The Fox & Hound HDMI tester paid for itself on its very first outing.  Despite frequent and specific warnings to other sub-contractors, I suspected that one of the several AVPro Bullet Train active optical cables installed had been damaged. Though it looked merely superficial, it was imperative that I verify its function as replacement would have been arduous and quite expensive. This damaged cable was the primary motivation for the purchase of the F/H. Using it to verify that my cable was in fact damaged beyond repair, I was able to get the cable replaced before walls and ceilings were closed up in this particular 3rd story apartment. 
 
I’ve since used it as a test monitor, HDCP verifier, EDID tester and more. Apart from being a useful on-site tool, when troubleshooting it also helps reassure various manufactures tech support that their equipment is working properly, bypassing troubleshooting steps and saving time. The Fox and Hound comes to every job site now, whether I think I’ll need it or not.

Learn more about the Fox & Hound on the product page or give Dustin a call at 605-740-7326!

Sioux Falls, S.D. - Murideo, the name to trust in HDMI, audio, and video testing and troubleshooting equipment, is proud to announce it has become and independently operated subsidiary of AVPro Global Holdings. This move will place more focus and attention on Murideo’s customers as well as enhancing and refining the product line-up. With this change, Murideo has appointed a new VP of Sales, Dustin Stuntebeck. In this position, Dustin will be responsible for the management and success of the global sales organization as well as oversight and management of customer and distributor relationships.
 
Matt Murray, CTO of Murideo, stated, “In order to better serve the manufacturing, development, calibration and test & measurement communities, Murideo has become a separately operated subsidiary of AVPro Global Holdings. Previously a DBA with blended resources, we saw the need to completely isolate the companies for the benefit of our customers. Murideo customers will now have access to dedicated sales, support and R&D. This new company will continue to specialize in HDMI test & measurement and audio/video calibration.”
 
Stuntebeck added, “With the ever-changing landscape that we all work in, we found it to be more imperative now than ever for Murideo to be a standalone entity. Now we can have just as much rapid expansion and laser focus as we have before with a full backing of sales and support staff clearly focused on the Murideo brand.  This will take us to the next level of capability and keeping us on the cutting edge of test and measurement gear.”
 
For more information about Murideo please visit www.Murideo.com or contact 605-330-8491.
 
About Murideo
Murideo, an AVPro Global Holdings subsidiary, was created to satisfy the need for modern testing tools in the custom A/V market. Through a depth of knowledge brought on from years of experience in the electronics industry, the team at Murideo has brought cutting edge testing equipment to the world that was previously only available to the elite. The philosophy of Murideo is simple, focus on technology, focus on design, and focus on our users. For more information, visit www.Murideo.com or call (877) 886-5112.

​With the upcoming release of all new HDMI 2.1 sources, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X this November, 8k and 48Gbps are a hot topic. But what does this spec mean? In this video, our own Jason Dustal reviews the spec and what it consists of.

The all new Murideo 4K HDMI Rack Mounted Dual Screen Test Monitor is the second in their monitor line-up with the MU-MON-SING, launching last April. Both products make hunting down HDMI issues A LOT easier. 

This dual screen monitor comes with two seven-inch monitors built to display and test 4K signals up to 18Gbps. This compact device fits perfectly in the rack with its HDMI loop out port that will pass along any 4K signal. This means integrators can install it at the rack, loop out to different zones, and ensure the source is working properly by visually seeing the signal being distributed. It also gives your rack a high-end, finished look for your client.

Like the single monitor version, these monitors can analyze resolution, frame rate, HDR, EDID, HDCP and more! Learn more about this all new product here.

Murideo expands test monitor options with a dual screen, rack mounted version ready to test 4k signals up to 18Gbps. 

Sioux Falls, S.D. - Murideo, an AVPro Global Holdings company, is excited to announce a new product, the MU-MON-DUAL, 18Gbps 4K HDR dual screen input, rack mounted field test monitor with analyzer functions. This product is ideal for integrators to analyze resolution, frame rate, HDR, EDID, HDCP and more directly from the rack.

Murideo’s Dual Screen Field Test Monitor comes with two seven-inch monitors built to display and test 4K signals up to 18Gbps. This compact device fits perfectly in the rack with its HDMI loop out port that will pass along any 4K signal. This means integrators can install it at the rack, loop out to different zones, and ensure the source is working properly by visually seeing the signal being distributed.

Matt Murray, CTO of AVPro Global, stated, “The MU-MON-DUAL is the ultimate accessory for any rack. It gives the installer an HDMI analyzer in every rack, providing information on resolution, frame rate, HDR, EDID, HDCP and more. It really allows the integrator to keep a permanent piece of test equipment on the job site, while giving their end user an amazing visual of their own hardware. It adds that extra “pop” when showing off an equipment rack!   Customers love it and dealers can send techs to a job site knowing they have analysis monitors in every rack.”

For more information or to purchase MU-MON-DUAL, please contact Murideo at 605-330-8491 or visit www.Murideo.com.

About Murideo
Murideo, an AVPro Global Holdings brand, was created to satisfy the need for modern testing tools in the custom A/V market. Through a depth of knowledge brought on from years of experience in the electronics industry, the team at Murideo has brought cutting edge testing equipment to the world that was previously only available to the elite. The philosophy of Murideo is simple, focus on technology, focus on design, and focus on our users. For more information, visit www.Murideo.com or call (877) 886-5112.

​Setting yourself up for success is essential, and showing up on-site with pre-tested products is always the safest bet.
 
A non-functioning HDMI cable can truly shut down an entire video distribution system, the last thing you need when timeframes are tight, and the pressure to finish is on. Be prepared for your installation by testing your cables before they leave the shop. No matter if you are handling an installation inside a school, conference room, or hospital. Time is money when you are on location, don’t waste it by installing cables that will give you problems down the road.
 
Murideo is known for HDMI testing and troubleshooting. In this video, HDMI expert Jason Dustal shows you exactly how and why to test HDMI cables. We hope you enjoy!

​Testing Audio Video Sync for Broadcast Booths
 
Broadcast is a fast-paced, no time for delays, no mistakes industry. When the backbone of the broadcast system not perfect, the small errors create a ripple effect, getting bigger, and more noticeable for the audience. Testing the audio/video distribution infrastructure thoroughly allows you to operate at the highest level. With the Murideo SEVEN Generator, you have a complete audio video testing package in one small form. You can test bandwidth, color spaces, audio sync, video sync, and test for latency between any source and sink.