Monitors and Eye Strain

[Igor]

Hi,

I have very sensitive eyes and probably my experience will be useful for other users who have eye strain.

1. Choose flicker free display

Many LCD LED displays flicker (at 180-270 Hz) when you set brightness lower than 100%. It causes eye strain. Usually users don't see this flickering, but it greatly affects to eye strain.

Read more here about LED flickering:

http://carny.hubpages.com/hub/led-backlight-flicker

Fortunately, now the more and more new displays manufactured since 2013 don't flicker (Dell, BenQ, LG, etc). Also all Apple devices and displays (since 2009) do NOT flicker at any brightness.

Check the list of flicker free displays here:

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/flicker_free_database.htm

I found that new Dell P2314H, P2414H are pretty good (no flickering).

2. Brightness and Color temperature

Right colors require to set high or medium brightness and calibrate your displays. It's good for the work with photos and videos.

But if you mainly work with text on white background or read websites I recommend the following:

Set as possible low comfortable level of brightness, especially if you work at night.

I set 0% on my displays.

Set warm colors (6500K) in the menu settings of your display.

Cold picture (7000K-9000K in the menu of your display) affects to eye strain, because LED backlite emits blue light. And more warm picture reduces a level of blue light. Low brightness also greatly reduces a level of blue light.

3. Web browser

Additionally you can set warm color temperature only for your web browser.

I use Chrome browser and I installed very good extension - G.Lux:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/glux/hinolicfmhnjadpggledmhnffommefaf

Yes, the picture looks yellowish, but it helped me to vastly reduce eye strain:

[tom95521]

Hi Igor,

I installed f.lux free software on my PC. It might cause problems with slideshow color balance but at least I will have less eyestrain.

https://justgetflux.com/

Thanks for the information,

Tom

[Lin Evans]

I noticed in the text explanation of G-lux that you could even make your screen "pink or green." My suggestion is to not to make it "pink" or "rose" colored because that color light in any significant amount for long durations is very bad for the human psyche per John Ott's studies of light on human and animal behavior. There are several differing opinions about this and not all agree. Much of the disagreement stems from a bit of jealousy primarily because John Ott was not an academic, but a very practical and very intelligent person who not only developed the full spectrum light, but wrote what may be the definitive text on light and behavior called "Health and Light."

Having spent many years teaching at the university level, I've come to realize that not all significant knowledge comes from academics at all. There are myriad examples of non academic and even relatively uneducated (formally) people making giant contributions to our knowledge base. John Ott was one of these people.

Here's a little synopsis:

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/full_spectrum_sunlight.html#.VFrABTTF-So

Lin

[Igor]

Thanks, Lin, interesting comment!

[Lin Evans]

Hi Igor,

There is a very interesting interview with John Ott by Mother Earth News from back in 1986 (John died at 91 years of age in 2000). In this interview he explains some of the difficulties he encountered with academics even purposely publishing false information to discredit him. It's a really interesting interview. There are small numbers at the bottom of each page to advance to the next page in the interview here:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/john-ott-zm0z86zhun.aspx?PageId=1#axzz3IQ

Best regards,

Lin