[ViewFinity S8] Know Different Types of Glare and How Matte Display Can Help You

We typically associate the word ‘glare’ with an intense light that enters our eyes, which can be quite uncomfortable. You’ve likely experienced this from the headlights on cars passing by or a sudden bright light coming into your view.

However, glare can occur in many circumstances. For professionals like designers or video editors who rely on computer monitors to create their work, glare can be enemy number one. If their screen is constantly disturbed by glare, the colors on their monitor may not be accurately displayed.

So, as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Understanding the types and causes of glare will help you better reduce it. Samsung Newsroom takes a look at the definition of glare, a hidden enemy of creators, and explores ways to solve the problem.

Not All glares Are the Same — Get To Know the Differences

‘Bright light led to temporary blindness,’ ‘My vision is blurry,’ ‘The view was obscured by lights’ — All three scenarios could be caused by glare. But not all glares are the same. Glare can be categorized into three types: Disability Glare, Discomfort Glare and Reflection Glare.

▲ Disability Glare

Disability glare refers to a reduction of visual acuity caused by a bright light in the field of vision in the dark. A classic example is sudden blindness due to oncoming headlights when driving at night.

▲ Discomfort Glare

Contrary to disability glare that causes sudden blindness, discomfort glare does not necessarily impair the vision of objects. However, it can lead to discomfort or eye fatigue. For instance, you might suffer discomfort glare when a soccer or baseball stadium suddenly turns on a strong light. The pain levels vary by where you are and how bright the light is, and even if the light does not directly enter your eyes, it can cause emotional discomfort.

▲ Reflection Glare

Lastly, reflection glare obscures a monitor or a certain object by reflecting light from the ceiling. This includes the reflection of fluorescent light on an office monitor or a situation where you can barely see your screen in sunlight. You are most likely to be caught in glare within a 45-degree field of vision called the ‘Glare Zone’.

You should not take glare lightly. Glare blurs a screen, making it difficult to recognize accurate colors.

Reduce Distracting Glare With Samsung’s Matte Display

ViewFinity S8 (Model name: S80PB) helps users to view accurate colors even in bright daylight. This is possible thanks to the Matte Display applied on ViewFinity S8 which reduces distraction caused by glare. Users can edit and review content clearly with consistent levels of brightness and colors even without a monitor hood.

▲ Matte Display on ViewFinity S8 reduces glare and reflection¹

In recognition of its technology, ViewFinity S8 is the world’s first ‘Glare Free’ monitor verified by UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a global safety certification company. UL’s ‘Glare Free’ verification is awarded based on UGR (Unified Glare Rating) certified by CIE (Commission Internationale de l’éclairage). ViewFinity S8 met the standard of UL’s ‘Glare Free’ verification in Disability Glare, Discomfort Glare and Reflection Glare.

• Disability Glare, which determines whether a screen is overly bright when watching screen in a dark room
• Discomfort Glare, which determines whether a screen is too bright
• Reflection Glare, which determines whether the objects on a screen are visible even when external light is reflected on the surface

This is the first time that a monitor satisfies the standard in all three areas, showing the excellence of the Matte Display.

Optimized for All-Day Creativity

ViewFinity S8 not only provides creators accurate viewing experience but also offers an optimal environment for creating content.

ViewFinity S8’s ergonomic monitor stand allows you to customize the monitor’s height, tilt and horizontal position. In addition, the screen can be rotated up to 90° and installed on a wall, providing more options to personalize your work environment. The Matte Display on the top of the panel reduces light reflection even without a monitor hood, allowing you to freely adjust the screen.

ViewFinity S8 protects users from eye strain with major eye care features, including Adaptive Picture, which automatically adjusts brightness and color temperature for creators who use their monitor for long period of time. Additionally, Eye Saver Mode reduces blue light, a main culprit of eye fatigue, and Flicker Free protects eyesight by reducing screen flickering.

ViewFinity S8 offers a Matte Display for comfortable viewing, an ergonomic design for a customized work environment and various features to increase eye protection. As a result, ViewFinity S8 is the best choice for creators who want to showcase their creativity without distraction.

¹ The image shown is for illustration purposes only to compare S80PB with the one without the Matte Display (e.g. 2021 ViewFinity S80A). The S80PB adopts the Matte Display.