WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.440 The scourge of gamers everywhere is screen tearing, or at least it was, 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:10.720 until tech like G-Sync from NVIDIA and FreeSync from AMD came along to save the day. 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:17.200 Unlike the old FIX, V-Sync, these technologies don't sacrifice frame rate and actually improve 00:00:17.200 --> 00:00:22.640 responsiveness. But unfortunately, these variable refresh rate technologies are both still pretty 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:27.760 inconsistent in terms of how well they work, and are pretty confusing, with both sides offering 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:32.240 three different performance tiers for a feature that really should be pretty straightforward. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:38.000 To be fair, NVIDIA and AMD do keep lists of certified monitors, but if the monitor you're 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:42.320 considering isn't on one of those lists, it's a crapshoot as to whether variable refresh rate 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:48.000 will even work, leaving you to rely on trial and error, or on a second-hand account from some 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:54.400 rando online. Can't trust those guys. So maybe it isn't surprising that Vesa has swooped in 00:00:54.400 --> 00:00:59.600 to try to both clear this whole mess up, and also make sure the tech actually works as intended. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:04.320 And if you don't know who Vesa are, they're not the credit card people. Thank goodness. 00:01:04.320 --> 00:01:08.880 It's an industry association that defines display standards for everything from DisplayPort 00:01:08.880 --> 00:01:13.920 to HDR to those holes that let you wall mount your screens. Love those guys. 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:17.840 But how are they going to fix variable refresh rate? Like many problems in life, 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:22.480 they're trying to solve this one by slapping a spiffy logo on displays that actually do play 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:28.560 nicely with VRR, and fittingly, the logo will say Vesa Adaptive Sync, and look a little something 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:32.720 like this, with the number indicating the display's maximum refresh rate. 00:01:32.720 --> 00:01:37.120 But how is this different from the lists of monitors you can already get from AMD and NVIDIA? 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:42.800 One huge distinction is that Vesa is requiring that displays get sent to an authorized independent 00:01:42.800 --> 00:01:48.000 testing facility in order to earn the badge. Neither the GPU nor the monitor manufacturers 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:55.360 can put the logo on a specific display's box until it passes verification, aka basic training. 00:01:55.360 --> 00:01:59.920 And the testing is quite stringent, partly to ensure that it actually does give gamers an 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:04.560 adaptive sync experience that works as the good lord intended, but also partly because there are 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:10.800 key specifications that monitor manufacturers are notorious for fudging. A big one is pixel 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:16.000 response time, which affects how much the display will suffer from artifacts like ghosting. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:21.200 Vesa's procedures require that monitors are tested at room temperature and default settings, 00:02:21.200 --> 00:02:26.160 criteria that were chosen precisely because display makers unfortunately use high ambient 00:02:26.160 --> 00:02:31.280 temperatures and aggressive overclocks to achieve a response time figure that doesn't always reflect 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:37.280 reality. On top of this, the Vesa standard also ensures flicker, jitter, and dropped frames are 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:43.840 well within limits. In short, the Vesa Adaptive Sync badge means the monitor is good, and that the 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:48.800 actual adaptive sync functionality will work within a reasonably wide range of frame rates, 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:54.160 something that isn't always guaranteed on many displays marketed as gaming monitors. 00:02:56.160 --> 00:03:00.240 But if you're not into gaming, there's another badge for displays that you should know about. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:06.720 This media sync logo means that the screen should show most kinds of video content without tearing, 00:03:06.720 --> 00:03:13.440 flicker, or other artifacts, whether it's 24fps movie content or the buttery smooth 60fps video 00:03:13.440 --> 00:03:18.080 we've gotten used to seeing on social media. This testing procedure is a little more lenient 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:22.560 than the one for adaptive sync, so it shouldn't be too hard for well-built mid-range displays to 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:28.240 pass. Note, though, that even though an adaptive sync badge means the display is also media sync 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:33.520 certified, I'm sure you'll see some manufacturers slap both logos onto the box to make it look 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:38.480 more impressive. It might work with me. Although these programs are very new, 00:03:38.480 --> 00:03:42.880 there are already a couple of displays from LG that earned the badges at the time we wrote this video. 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:46.960 Hopefully, we'll be seeing more in the near future, so our monitor buying lives 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:52.400 can be a little easier. But do keep in mind that these Vesa tests don't cover brightness, 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:57.440 HDR quality, or viewing angles, so be sure to read reviews and the rest of the spec sheet for 00:03:57.440 --> 00:04:01.520 any monitor that you're interested in. You don't want to end up with a display that runs your games 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:08.080 flawlessly until you move your head a little bit to the left. And then it's, oh, it looks horrible. 00:04:08.320 --> 00:04:12.720 That's it for this video, guys. Thanks for watching. Like the video if you like it, 00:04:12.720 --> 00:04:17.040 dislike it if you disliked it. I'm cool with both. Check out our other videos, 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:21.200 comment below with video suggestions, and don't forget to subscribe and follow Techquickie, 00:04:21.200 --> 00:04:27.520 because if there's a pipe and the content is coming out of the pipe, then this pipe ain't blocked. 00:04:27.520 --> 00:04:29.040 I'll tell you that much.