The 5 Best Multimedia Monitors - Spring 2025

The best monitor for movies we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It's a 4k, 32-inch monitor with a QD-OLED panel. It's fantastic for watching your favorite content as its high resolution delivers sharp images, and it also has incredible picture quality in any type of environment. It displays deep blacks next to bright highlights without any blooming, and colors are vivid, so images look life-like and realistic.

Although other 4k, 32-inch QD-OLEDs perform similarly, what makes this better than the competition is the fact that Tizen OS is built-in. This smart platform makes it easy to stream content without needing a PC, making it a great alternative to getting a smart TV if you need a 32-inch display with fantastic picture quality. However, if you prefer something that supports Dolby Vision and you don't need the smart platform, the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is another great alternative. That said, the ASUS tends to cost more, and it's not worth spending extra on for most people.

If the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 is too expensive, an upper mid-range option like the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 is a great alternative. There are a few trade-offs for getting something cheaper, with the main difference in this case being that the Gigabyte has a smaller screen and lower 1440p resolution, so images are less detailed. It doesn't have a built-in smart platform, either, so you need to stream your content directly from your PC.

Besides that, it's still fantastic for watching content as it also uses a QD-OLED panel with deep blacks and vivid colors, so its HDR picture quality is fantastic. Small highlights also pop against the rest of the image, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare in a very bright room. If you prefer a bright OLED that costs less, the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG is a good choice, but colors aren't as vivid as on the Gigabyte.

Although OLEDs generally provide the best picture quality, especially for watching content in dark rooms, they're costly. If you're on more of a limited budget and looking for the best monitor for watching movies, then the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx is a good option. It often goes on sale for a cheaper price than the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3, too. Instead of displaying perfect blacks like the Gigabyte, it uses Mini LED backlighting that gets much brighter. So it's great to use in bright rooms as it fights glare well, and it also makes highlights really pop in HDR.

Although it's great for use in bright rooms, it still performs well in dark rooms, as it has a decent local dimming feature. While it has a low native contrast ratio without local dimming, the local dimming feature helps it display deep blacks next to bright highlights, but there's a bit of blooming. Unlike the Gigabyte, this monitor has a 4k resolution, which means it delivers detailed images and is ideal for watching the latest 4k content.

While most low-cost monitors have limited picture quality and aren't the best choices for watching multimedia content, there are a few that are better than others. If that interests you, the AOC Q27G3XMN is the best monitor to watch movies on a budget. The main trade-off versus the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx is that it has a lower 1440p resolution, so images are less detailed, but it actually has slightly better picture quality, especially for watching content in dark rooms.

It has a higher native contrast ratio than the Acer and uses Mini LED backlighting, which is a nice touch for an entry-level monitor. It has a good local dimming feature that helps it display deep blacks, and it also makes highlights pop in HDR. Colors are also vivid, but not as vivid as on the Acer. However, because it has narrow viewing angles, it isn't ideal for watching content with someone next to you as the image washes out from the sides.

If you're on a tight budget but still want something that's good enough for watching content, look into the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx. It's very similar to the AOC Q27G3XMN in terms of specs and performance, as it's another 27-inch, 1440p display with Mini LED backlighting. Although its local dimming feature isn't as good as that on the AOC, as it has more black crush, it still helps the monitor display deep blacks against bright highlights for a good HDR experience. Like the AOC, it also displays a wide range of vivid colors.

It even gets brighter than the AOC, so it fights glare well, and highlights really pop. Another difference is that it has more smearing with fast-moving objects than the other monitor, which could be distracting in action content, or if you also want it for gaming. That said, it's still fine if you want to watch content with less fast-moving objects, like comedies or sitcoms.