The best 4K monitors for video professionals

A high-quality reference monitor is at the heart of the video production and post-production process. Whether you're shooting for film or broadcast, being able to analyse your captured footage and accurately view the final output is vital. With sizes ranging from 17 to 31 inches, and full support for PQ and HLG, Canon's Professional Displays more than meet the requirements of today's diverse HDR workflows.

Canon's 4K reference monitors have been designed to deliver high luminance and faithful colours, with an innovative Matrix Array backlight control system ensuring uniform colour across the full display. "This Matrix Array consists of multiple backlights directly underneath the panel to reproduce the brightness of the entire scene," explains Matthew Koshy, Product Marketing Specialist at Canon Europe. "By using this system, Canon's professional display products are able to display images with a higher contrast ratio than a typical LCD monitor."

Contrast and brightness levels are, of course, critical when it comes to HDR grading, and in addition to the Matrix Array technology, all of Canon's 4K reference displays offer a consistent level of brightness from edge to edge. Rather than specifying the peak luminance in one specific area of the panel, Canon's displays are rated by their total brightness across the screen.

"In order to accurately understand the brightness information of HDR video, it's important to be able to display the maximum luminance across the entire screen," Matthew confirms. "If, for example, only the peak luminance reaches 1,000 or 2,000 nits, but the maximum luminance that can be displayed decreases as the area of high-luminance increases, the image intended by the creator and the image displayed on the monitor will be different."

As with Canon cameras, futureproofing is assured with free firmware updates that add features and productivity enhancements, enabling displays to evolve over time and putting you ahead of the curve.

Another benefit that's consistent across Canon's professional reference range is the ease with which each of the monitors can be integrated with other production equipment. Every 4K display – from the Canon DP-V3120 to the Canon DP-V1830 – supports all the major formats and HDR EOTFs, including PQ, HLG and Log formats from Canon, ARRI, RED, Sony and Panasonic.

So, what's the best 4K monitor from Canon for your needs? To help you make an informed choice, here's a guide to five popular products from the Professional Display range, with expert insight into their key features from Matthew, plus fellow Canon Europe Product Specialist, Aron Randhawa.

• DP-V3120
• DP-V2730
• DP-V2411
• DP-V1830
• DP-V1711

With its incredible 2,000 nits of full-screen brightness, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and comprehensive HDR monitoring functions, Canon's flagship professional reference display is a compelling choice for 4K HDR productions.

The latest addition to Canon's range of professional reference displays is the 27-inch Canon DP-V2730. "It's a new size category within the industry, and one that we're particularly excited about," explains Aron. "The DP-V2730 is small enough to be used for high-end broadcast, either in studios or adjustment rooms, but large enough for post-production in filmmaking."

As well as making it a true hybrid monitor, the size is also ideal for the growing ranks of video professionals who are now editing and colour grading at home or in other remote locations. "Whereas the 31-inch flagship DP-V3120 caters to the most high-end post-production facilities, the DP-V2730 gives you all of the same benefits in a more manageable size," Aron continues. "It really does cater to the broadest sector of the whole industry."

Featuring Canon's latest processing platform, the DP-V2730 delivers cutting-edge performance. Benefits include fast start-up and intuitive menu operation, alongside all of the advanced features ushered in by the DP-V1830. These include industry-standard 1,000 nits brightness across the whole screen, 12G-SDI connectivity, Dual/Quad Display mode for multi-camera monitoring and remote control from a computer, smartphone or tablet. There's also the same suite of award-winning HDR monitoring tools – see the DP-V1830 section below for full details.

Despite that high-end performance and uniform edge-to-edge brightness, as with the other reference monitors in Canon's range, the DP-V2730 is near-silent in operation. "It truly is incredible how silently this monitor operates, even when performing intensive HDR monitoring and grading sessions," explains Aron. "It's great for the grading room and even better for the broadcast studio, or if you're working at home."

Another bonus that's unique to Canon's current HDR reference monitors is that each is designed with a single LCD panel. "Compared with other monitors that feature dual LCD panels, Canon's single panel design with a local dimming array ensures a great contrast ratio but with a much lower power consumption," says Aron. "That's because the backlight only needs to run at full brightness when displaying a completely white image across the whole screen. Monitors with dual LCD panels need to run at full brightness, all of the time. The design also greatly increases the overall lifetime of the screen."

The Canon DP-V2411 is a 24-inch Native 4K reference display that offers 1,000 nits edge-to-edge brightness in boost mode. "Utilising Canon's excellent 10-bit IPS panel, the DP-V2411 ensures outstanding colour and detail," Matthew says. "Portability is a huge benefit of this model too as it weighs in at just 12kg and has a removable carrying handle."

The Canon DP-V2411's Matrix Array LED backlight has been optimised for the LCD panel, and it delivers a uniform, wider colour gamut for accurate image quality. The monitor supports 4K, UHD, 2K, HD and SD with various frame rates, as well as a wide range of colour gamuts, including BT.2020, BT.709 and DCI-P3.

It was the first Canon monitor to support four 12G-SDI input for four-channel 4K inputs from a variety of sources and, like all of Canon's Professional Displays, it also includes an HDMI terminal. This enables users to not only receive 4K YCC/RGB video signals but also receive and display HDR formats.

The Canon DP-V1830 is a compact 18-inch 4K monitoring solution, built to meet the increasing demand for HDR workflows in live broadcasting. Its wide colour gamut, plus its portability – it weighs in at just 7.5kg – also make it a reliable partner for on-set monitoring and colour grading.

"The DP-V1830 provides exceptional image quality, HDR performance and connectivity, all in a compact and lightweight form," says Matthew. "The outstanding contrast levels, Quad View capability in up to 8K and plethora of monitoring tools make it ideal for a variety of production requirements."

With 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness, the DP-V1830 is the brightest display in this size range, offering detailed shadows even during high-contrast scenes. "This is achieved without any additional upgrades or modes being applied and is due to the advanced local dimming technology featured in the display," explains Matthew. "It is a significant improvement on previous generation products."

As well as introducing Canon's next-generation processing platform, the DP-V1830 features the same professional input/output and monitoring tools seen in the Canon DP-V2411, DP-V2730 and DP-V3120, including waveform monitor, false colour, range check and HDR/SDR comparison. It also supports four 12G-SDI connections for four-channel 4K inputs from a variety of sources and, like all of Canon's professional displays, includes an HDMI terminal. This enables users to not only receive 4K YCC/RGB video signals but also receive and display HDR formats.

"In Dual/Quad Display mode, you can mix and match SDI and HDMI inputs, simultaneously viewing two or four feeds in segments of the display," says Aron. "If you're outputting SDR and HDR for a live sporting event, for example, you can analyse them at the same time and adjust the camera feeds for optimum quality."

Additional monitoring tools include the Frame Luminance Monitor, which displays the peak and average luminance transitions over time. "Imagine shooting an indoor scene where the camera pans past a very bright window," Aron continues. "Instead of the brightness value being lost as soon as the moment has passed, you can instantly refer back to the monitor. It's especially beneficial when you're working in HDR."

Designed for filmmakers who require a highly mobile monitor, the 17-inch Canon DP-V1711 has a robust and compact construction and is compatible with EIA 19-inch rack mounts. The IPS LCD panel has 4K UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160, with a full-screen brightness rating of 600 nits in boost mode that can be upgraded to 1,000 nits if required.

"The Canon DP-V1711 has excellent all-round features for productions and workflow that need to be on the move," Matthew confirms. "It is the epitome of portable, with a weight of just 8kg and the capability to be run off a V-Lock Battery. The Canon DP-V1711 also comes equipped with 12G-SDI, meaning connectivity is seamless."

Despite its smaller proportions, the Canon DP-V1711 packs the same industry-leading image quality technology as larger Canon Professional Reference Monitors, including Canon's advanced LED backlight system. The wide 89-degree viewing angle afforded by its IPS panel, combined with the screen's anti-glare coating, ensures the Canon DP-V1711 gives a clear view whether it's being used on set or for monitoring in a studio or OB van.

The Canon DP-V1711 also comes with a rich collection of features to support 4K HDR production, including an HDR capable waveform monitor, HDR range adjustment and a split-screen function that enables an HDR image and false colour image from a single 4K input to be displayed simultaneously.