Glossy/matte and a standalone monitor

So I'm probably getting a matte screen but the big controversy between glossy and matte has got me thinking

I have a standalone Dell LCD monitor that looks perfect to me and doesn't reflect. Is this monitor glossy or matte, or some other kind? How come they can't just do the same thing on laptops?

 

If you want to see what "glossy" looks like, go to any store that stocks a lot of new notebook computers on display (Best Buy, Staples, etc.). Look at the notebooks. The majority have glossy screens.

The majority of stand-alone monitors have matte screens.

It isn't a can or can't. It is a "will they." Some marketing guy who's totally out of touch with what consumers want probably comes up with the specs of notebooks. Of course they sell, but that's because there isn't a better choice and the notebook is cheap (9 times out of 10 a consumer will pick the "cheaper" one if they can't really tell a difference), so the marketing guy sees the sales numbers and figures he's doing a great job.

 

Since it does not reflect its most likely a matte screen like most external screens. However even if its glossy, you may not see reflections depending on lighting (if you are in a dark room or sit facing of a very bright source of light).

 

By the way I have a glossy laptop already so I know what they are. I am planning on buying a matte, however.

My question, to rephrase, is that people complain about dull screens on matte but most LCD external screens look absolutely phenomenal. So why can't they reproduce that quality on laptops?

 

Price. The majority of consumers don't know (or care) any better, and will just buy the cheaper notebook, so they are voting with their dollars on what ends up in the market.

It's almost a running joke over at AnandTech. Almost all their notebook reviews complain about the screen quality.

I think some decent quality notebook screens do exist, but they are rare and usually in the higher priced and premium notebooks. Sometimes you have to do a custom spec, not an off-the-shelf, to get a better screen.

 

Power consumption is a big factor as well. External displays draw a lot of juice to produce their typically better brightness, contrast, and color gamut. Not good for a battery operated device. You really have to compare laptop matte vs glossy or external matte vs glossy and there often significant quality differences even within class. However, generally speaking glossy is better for indoor use while matte is absolutely a requirement for outdoor use.

 

This is an extremely subjective opinion, but aren't they all? LoL

My feeling on it is that many laptop manufacturers are cutting costs using inferior screens. The matte finish exacerbates this. In constrast, a MacBook Pro, which indeed carries a premium price tag, is available with a matte screen that is every bit as stunning as a matte finish external screen. Again, just my opinion there, MacBok pro's have gorgeous screens, glossy or anti-glare.

I believe that a glossy finish creates the illusion of higher contrast and more vivid colors, especially when in a room with subdued light where the darkness of the room is reflected in the glossy screen giving off perceived deeper blacks, whiter whites (in some cases) and bright colors.

I prefer a matte finish myself, because I'm of the opinion that with a matte finish my perception is much closer to reality because reflected light is not distorting the image I see. If you can find a brilliant matte finish screen, what you see is what you get.

That said, many people actually prefer the glossy finish... Perhaps due to the appearance of the picture being behind glass, for a more "framed picture" type of look.

 

As others have said, notebook technology nowadays is a race to the bottom. If a manufacturer can cut costs by $10 on an entry level model, they'll do it without any second thoughts, even if that extra $10 cost could translate into a 25% greater customer satisfaction rate.

But anyways, I digress. In order to get a good screen, you need to do one of the following:

1) If you're only looking at in-store notebooks, look for one with a $1500+ price tag. These usually come with decent quality screens comparable to what you would get on a typical 24" desktop monitor.
2) Custom order a notebook. The price tag will be similarly high, but you can get even an better screen if you go all out on the screen upgrades.
3) If you have extremely high standards, you can custom order a workstation class notebook from Dell or HP. It'll cost you an arm and a leg, but the IPS screens they offer are the best, bar none.

As for the reason why everyone offers glossy on laptops... Well, glossy looks more impressive during the 30-60 seconds the average person spends looking at the screen in the store. It's only when you take the laptop home and try to actually use it under less-than-ideal lighting conditions that it gets annoying. On top of that, glossiness helps hide low color gamuts. If you took a screen from a cheap laptop and removed the glossy finish, it'd look worse than 16-bit color.