[SOLVED] My 4k monitor, ugly blocks, and grainy

Metatrix

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Nov 11, 2019
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I have BenQ EW3270U 4K Monitor HDR Monitor.

When I play videos (streaming, vlc player, or otherwise)
the dark areas are full of big blocky "pixel-like" patterns.
This is very ugly, it's like their is a contradiction somewhere in the levels of blacks or something.
Like information is missing, of badly translated at some point, so the blacks are really messed up.
I don't know anything about monitors and I don't know the terminology so I cant explain it better,
but that is what I would deduce, although I have no idea if I'm right or how to go about verifying this or anything.

Also, it seems like the texture is much more grainy than it should be, also in the blacks.
But that is almost acceptable (although it is not, a 4k monitor should give you eye-gasms)
The worst are by far the blocky things.

Can someon help me go through what things can cause this ?

I have my monitor set to native resolution, 60hz, full colors.
I don't know what HDR is but I can't turn it off.
Any infor you guys need shoot i'll answer.

Here is a screenshot of how bad it looks.
Do you guys even see it ?


L3Pp4S.png
 
Solution
If filling 8 million pixels with 2 million pixels worth of information is a problematic thing, then how is it that all the image is fine, except the blacks ?
The same thing should apply everywhere, because the differential in information/pixels is not localised in dark areas.
Video compression.
In dark areas you can't see much anyway. So compression algorithms use that to improve compression ratios by stripping information away from dark areas.

Try higher bitrate videos (lower compression).

Metatrix

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Nov 11, 2019
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510
That'll do it, then. Upscaling isn't magic and these are normal things. When you need to fill out 8.3 million pixels with only 2.1 million pixels worth of information, this is what happens.
So basically a 4k Monitor will look like absolute <Mod Edit> on anything that is not a native 4k video ?
I've never heard of that. This is ridiculous. So you saying we end up paying lots of money to have a downgrade on half of the <Mod Edit> we watch ?
Like : Yeah buy a 4k monitor and enjoy an ugly youtube.


Isn't there a way for a 4k monitor to provide descent a image for normal videos ? This sounds incredible, I almost don't beleive this.

Anyone can confirm that a 4k monitor will look like <Mod Edit> on non 4k native videos ?
 
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Metatrix

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Nov 11, 2019
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510
That'll do it, then. Upscaling isn't magic and these are normal things. When you need to fill out 8.3 million pixels with only 2.1 million pixels worth of information, this is what happens.
Also <Mod Edit> I guess your are right because when gaming I dont have this problem.
 
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DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
So basically a 4k Monitor will look like absolute [...] on anything that is not a native 4k video ?
I've never heard of that. This is ridiculous. So you saying we end up paying lots of money to have a downgrade on half of the [..] we watch ?
Like : Yeah buy a 4k monitor and enjoy an ugly youtube.


Isn't there a way for a 4k monitor to provide descent a image for normal videos ? This sounds incredible, I almost don't beleive this.

Anyone can confirm that a 4k monitor will look like [...] on non 4k native videos ?

Watch the language.

A 4K monitor is, ideally, for watching 4K videos. Algorithms are improving with the use of AI, but we're far from it being perfect. Not sure why this is so surprising; where is the extra information going to come from when it's not recorded in the first place?
 
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When I play videos (streaming, vlc player, or otherwise)
the dark areas are full of big blocky "pixel-like" patterns.
Those are called video compression artifacts. It's high compression of video source, that is causing it. Try watching higher bitrate videos (higher bitrate=lower compression).
Here is a screenshot of how bad it looks.
Do you guys even see it ?
Actually I don't see anything wrong in that picture. You probably have brightness/contrast set too high.

Single pixel from 1080p image translates to 2x2 pxels on 4k screen. You won't see any blockiness because of this.
 

Metatrix

Prominent
Nov 11, 2019
13
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510
Watch the language.

A 4K monitor is, ideally, for watching 4K videos. Algorithms are improving with the use of AI, but we're far from it being perfect. Not sure why this is so surprising; where is the extra information going to come from when it's not recorded in the first place?

Well it is surprising for me for 2 reasons.

Because of the way that I understand how displays work. Wich obviously is limited. But here is what bugs me.
If filling 8 million pixels with 2 million pixels worth of information is a problematic thing, then how is it that all the image is fine, except the blacks ?
The same thing should apply everywhere, because the differential in information/pixels is not localised in dark areas.
I dont see how you would have trouble fitting 16 squares in on big square if the 16 squares ar all shades of black, but do it easily when the 16 squares are multicolored.
I understand that a resolution conflict can arise if the differetial in pixels is not a perfect number...
Again, I know my knowledge is limited, wich why I appreciate your help, I love my thinking to be corrected.

Second reason why I find it surprising, is I would think most of the content we have available is not 4k,
So i guess I would've thought that the fact a 4k monitor is a bad choice unless you plan to use it entirely for 4k native stuff, would've been a more popular fact.
When looking to buy a 4k monitor I check reviews about the products and forums about it, like, should i buy a 4k monitor.
Not once did this came out.... :-/

And yeah, sorry for the language, and thanks you for your answers :)
 
If filling 8 million pixels with 2 million pixels worth of information is a problematic thing, then how is it that all the image is fine, except the blacks ?
The same thing should apply everywhere, because the differential in information/pixels is not localised in dark areas.
Video compression.
In dark areas you can't see much anyway. So compression algorithms use that to improve compression ratios by stripping information away from dark areas.

Try higher bitrate videos (lower compression).
 
Solution