Well led monitors use white leds and blue kind of leds. Then for ccfl there are various coatings. So the really proper way is to measure light spectrum of good bad display. Then measure flicker normally and using microsope at pixel level. Also test dithering same way. With this data one can come to why one monitor is good and another bad.

2 months later
14 days later

I am having the same LED sensitivity issue. A super old LCD monitor is fine, it appears. Did they even use LEDs back then? (2007 mfr date).

So I see there isn't really a solution in the modern day if you want to get something current?

    5 days later

    Hi @Puppy Just like you, I have also found comforts in old CCFL monitors.

    I am feeling better with old Dell U2410 CCFL monitor and able to use them long hours.

    However, I have some doubts about aged CCFL bulbs that they might emit UV lights in higher dose.

    Any thoughts on this?

    Is it safe to use CCFL monitor considering they emit little UV radiations compared to latest LED backlights?

      a month later

      karthi3219

      I bought a used Dell P2450h monitor that had been used for 25000 hours. And I can't look at it anymore, as the display looks yellow and makes my eye blurry after a while.

          7 months later

          caoyirui

          hey not all CCFLs are good. I found Dell U2410 was really good. Unfortunately with recent MacOs update, that is also giving me issues. Exploring what to do next.

              5 days later

              karthi3219

              Connect a Windows PC with Intel graphics to the monitor instead (BTW, best to disable the Intel drivers and use MS Basic Display Adapter if it's still uncomfortable with drivers on. I've actually noticed a difference in how edges of objects look).

              Then, use NoMachine or RealVNC Viewer to connect to the Mac, so you can still use Mac apps on this monitor. NoMachine is best for a consistent smooth framerate with essentially no input lag, but has a slight amount of lossy compression (which thankfully doesn't affect strain, at least for me).

              This is what I do for a long time now, it lets me "virtually" connect my Mac to monitors that are strainy on Mac but fine on Windows, it also allows me to update my macOS (which is where all my apps are) without worrying.

              If using NoMachine, turn off hardware encoding on the Mac server, check all the boxes in the Windows client's "NoMachine menu -> Display -> Change settings -> Modify" menu.

              To obtain the most color accurate image quality on NoMachine, set encoding type on the server to MJPEG, max out the Quality on the client settings. Set the Mac color profile to sRGB. If brighter windows look washed out, use BetterDisplay "overlay dimming" or similar app on the Mac server and slowly move the overlay brightness down until the client looks correct (but not too much that white backgrounds begin to dim). I think this is a bug with the NoMachine server on Mac — this is my workaround 🙂

              Finally, you can use the SharpKeys app on the Windows side to swap the location of Alt/Option and Windows/Command so the keys are in the correct place while using macOS.

                EyeDiscomfortCertificate Note that there are a few LED devices from that time, for example MacBook Pro began using LED backlight in mid-2007. However you're still generally correct that most were CCFL. But it's still good to double-check

                  @DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs Hey update! It was not recent MacOS update that was unexpectedly given me eye strain. It was my new 5G wi-fi router connection. I have moved back to previous 2.4Ghz Wifi connection and all my symtoms disappeared. I am continue to use my existing setup. M1 Macbook + Dell U2410 CCFL monitor + Blue light blocking AMBER glasses.

                  I shared this in a new thread - https://ledstrain.org/d/3146-another-parameter-to-headaches-eye-strain-5g-networks

                  2 months later

                  I am glad I found this forum. I am going through the same thing and it's driving me mad.

                  There is undeniably something happening in newer monitor and possibly GPU's that is increasing eye strain. There are some older monitors that can cause eye strain, but for the most part I can agree that the older the monitor, the less the eye strain. Specifically the early LCD's are the best at reducing eye strain. I am currently using a 2004 Dell LCD 1440x900 resolution VGA ONLY. I had spoken to a tech friend who said it may be the color, increase color clarity causing eye strain due to eyes focusing on brighter colors. I am currently using a MacBook Air with everything set to black and white, brightness all the way down, and STILL have eye strain. I also have an LG Ultragear OLED, which Is an amazing monitor, but I can't use it for long.

                  I am able to use these newer monitors for a few hours, but I had redness puffiness and sore eye bags right after. I Stopped using the newer monitors and went back to my VGA dell, puffiness almost gone completely much better on my eyes.

                  I also have DVI/HDMI monitors from 2008, 2012, 2015 and 2020. Different connections, different inputs, different screen sizes, different panels, different technologies etc. etc. The only common correlation : Newer is worse on the eyes. I don't have a CRT to compare, but I think these early LCD's were extremely good at reducing eye strain. They competed with CRT's which had much more vivid and fluid images, but they helped with office work and long time use. To make these Flat panels better, something changed and got worse over time, at least for me and looks like some of you guys too.

                  I basically use my VGA dell unless I want to game competitively, it's the only way to avoid eye strain. I really have no idea what changed, does anyone know?

                    simplex okay how do you turn it off? Also, I am using a newer GPU at the moment with the older monitor. Significantly less eye strain, so its not so much on the newer GPU's as it is on the newer monitors.

                        JoeMerm I am using a newer GPU at the moment with the older monitor

                        60hz monitors less strain from my experience.

                        Set 6-bit color depth of monitor using EDID change via CRU

                        But all GPU's I tested, turn-on extra dithering in 6-bit monitor. What GPU you use?

                          dev