Best monitors for video editing: Screens that make a splash

Asus’ ProArt PA32DC is best in class if you need a top-tier monitor for video editing. It will set you back $3,499—and it’s worth every penny

This monitor has a 32-inch 4K OLED panel that delivers super-sharp video, excellent color accuracy, and covers a wide range of professional color gamuts including Rec.2020 and DCI-P3. The OLED panel also has superior contrast and looks great in HDR, which is good news if you need to edit HDR content. No other monitor on this list comes close to matching the PA32DC’s HDR quality.

The ProArt PA32DC’s professional focus is obvious from its design. It’s extremely sturdy and includes a built-in handle. The height-adjustable stand can be detached and replaced with a pair of screw-on legs that collapse flat. These features might seem odd for a 32-inch monitor but are great if your work requires that you travel to a client’s worksite or assist filmmakers on-set.

It also packs plenty of connectivity including a total of five video inputs. One is a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts of Power Delivery for charging connected devices. The on-screen menu system is extensive and offers a buffet of image-quality customization. The monitor even has a built-in colorimeter to assist with calibration.

The Dell U3223QE is a 32-inch monitor with 4K resolution and an IPS Black display panel. This panel, which is found in just a handful of monitors, has an improved contrast ratio when compared to older IPS panels. The result is a better sense of realism and dimensionality. The monitor also has a wide color gamut, great color accuracy, and a high maximum brightness.

HDR is supported and looks acceptable, though the Dell U3223QE is significantly behind the more expensive Asus ProArt PA32DC. However, alternative monitors in the sub-$1,000 bracket aren’t any better.

Connectivity is excellent. The monitor has a USB-C port with 95 watts of Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode. It also drives a USB-C hub that expands connectivity to multiple USB-A ports, ethernet, and DisplayPort-out.

Video editors who want a smaller monitor should consider the 27-inch Dell U2723QE. It packs nearly identical features for a couple hundred dollars less than the U3223QE.

Asus’ ProArt PA348CGV is a versatile ultrawide monitor that’s great for video editing—and many other tasks.

This monitor has a 34-inch ultrawide panel with 3440×1440 resolution. The resolution might be an issue for video editors who need to work in 4K, but very few ultrawide monitors offer a higher resolution than this. Video editors will appreciate the ultrawide screen’s improved multitasking and ability to show more of a video timeline at once.

The ProArt PA348CGV’s default color accuracy is superior to all other monitors on this list, despite its reasonable price, and it supports up to 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. This monitor has a standard IPS panel, so its contrast ratio doesn’t live up to the Dell U3223QE, but it otherwise goes toe-to-toe with Dell’s premium 4K monitor. HDR support is a bit better than the Dell, ranking it among the best you’ll find below $1,000.

Asus sweetens the deal with a wide range of features. The monitor has a USB-C port that can deliver up to 95 watts of Power Delivery for charging a connected laptop or tablet. It also supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which makes this a proper PC gaming monitor.

The Asus ProArt PA348CGV retails at an MSRP of $749.99, undercutting alternative ultrawide monitors with similar performance and features.  Its versatility and pricing make it perfect for video editors who work from a home office.

Asus’ current ProArt line is leagues ahead of most competitors, and that remains true even when shopping on a budget.

This is a 27-inch 4K monitor with an IPS panel. The monitor’s contrast ratio, color accuracy, and maximum brightness all rival more expensive monitors on this list. Owners can easily tweak the monitor’s image quality with its extensive on-screen menu options. Its out-of-box image quality is not far behind the Dell U3223QE despite the large difference in price.

So, what’s the catch? This monitor is not a wide color gamut monitor, meaning it displays only 86 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut—however, it handles the entire sRGB color gamut. The monitor’s HDR support is mediocre, too, though that’s to be expected given its price.

The ProArt PA279CV has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts of Power Delivery for charging a connected device. The USB-C port also acts as a hub that extends connectivity to four additional USB-A ports. Asus throws in adaptive-sync support for smooth gameplay, though the monitor doesn’t support a refresh rate above 60Hz.

Asus prices this monitor competitively at $449.99. The Asus PA279CV stands out from other affordable alternatives because of its color accuracy, image customization options, and USB-C support.

That depends on whether you’ll edit projects that need HDR. 

Creators working on YouTube and other online platforms can easily make the choice to ditch HDR: most viewers won’t notice. 

If you’re video editor with clients who need content for HDR, however, then you’ll need a monitor that can properly display it.

Ultrawide monitors can be great for video editing, but they’re not universally better than a widescreen display. 

Going ultrawide is helpful if you work on hefty video edits with lots of extra content thrown into the timeline. They can also be preferable when editing a project in an ultrawide aspect ratio. 

Most ultrawide monitors don’t support 4K resolution, however, which might be an obstacle. Ultrawide is also an awkward fit for widescreen content and especially bad for portrait video: a rare situation, perhaps, but one that’s becoming more common as TikTok and YouTube Shorts gain popularity.