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As of September 1st, 2022, these are the monitors we currently recommend:

27" Displays

Dell 27 USB-C Hub Monitor - P2722HE or P2723HE

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-27-usb-c-hub-monitor-p2722he/apd/210-bbcm/monitors-monitor-accessories

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-27-usb-c-hub-monitor-p2723de/apd/210-bdlj/monitors-monitor-accessories

Available on UC Procurement Gateway

Price - ~$329.79-$479.99 depending on which supplier you use. Goes on sale 4 times a year for far cheaper than regular price.

If you want one monitor that can be used with everything, the P2722HE has HDMI ports, Display ports, USB-C ports, ethernet and USB ports so it can be used as a hub for laptops, etc... The only downside is cost and you have to order all cables separately.

Resolutions Full HD (1080p) 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz

Connections

DisplayPort (DisplayPort 1.2 mode, HDCP 1.4)
DisplayPort output (MST)
HDMI (HDCP 1.4)
USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 upstream/DisplayPort 1.2 with Power Delivery (power up to 65W)
4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 downstream
Network (RJ-45)

Comes with

1x Power cable
1x DisplayPort cable
1x USB Type-C cable

Dell 27 USB-C HD Monitor - P2720DC to P2723DC (last two digits refers to manufacture year)

Available on UC Procurement Gateway

Price - ~$352.79-$479.99 depending on which supplier you use.

Companion model to the above, this model trades Ethernet and other ports for higher resolution.

Resolutions - QHD 2560 x 1440 at 60 Hz

Connections

DisplayPort (DisplayPort 1.2 mode)
DisplayPort output (DisplayPort 1.2 mode)
HDMI
Audio line-out
USB-C
USB 2.0 downstream ports (x2 - rear)
USB 3.0 downstream ports (x2 - side)
Power connector
Security-lock slot
Stand lock feature

Comes with

1x Power cable
1x DisplayPort cable
1x USB Type-C cable

Ideal for Macs (Using USB-C or HDMI) or Windows (Using Displayport or HDMI)

For HDMI Connection, must purchase HDMI cable.

Dell UltraSharp 27 4K USB-C Monitor - U2720Q to U2723Q (last two digits refers to manufacture year)

Available on UC Procurement Gateway (note the U2721Q and U2722Q have similar specs)

Price - ~$529.19 to $614.99

Next model up in terms of resolution compared to the professional grade monitors.

Resolutions - 4K UHD (2160p) 3840 x 2160 (DisplayPort: 60 Hz, HDMI: 30 Hz)

Connections

DisplayPort
HDMI
2 x USB-C
2 x USB 3.0 downstream
USB 3.0
Audio line-out
Power connector
Security-lock slot
Stand lock feature

Comes with

1x 1. Power cable
1x Type-C cable (C to C)
1x USB-C cable (C to A)
1x DisplayPort cable (DP to DP)

Ideal for Macs (Using USB-C or HDMI) or Windows (Using Displayport or HDMI)

For HDMI Connection, must purchase HDMI cable.

24" Displays

Dell 24 Monitor - P2419H to P2423H

Available on UC Procurement Gateway

Price - ~$183.74

Resolutions - Full HD (1080p) 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz

Connections

1 x DisplayPort version 1.2
1 x HDMI port version 1.4
1 x VGA port
1 x USB 3.0 upstream port (bottom)
2 x USB 3.0 downstream ports (side)
2 x USB 2.0 downstream ports (bottom)

Comes with

Power cable
1 x DP to DP Cable
1x VGA Cable (Japan only)
1x HDMI Cable (shipped with P2219H/P2319H/P2719H, for Brazil only)
1 x USB 3.0 upstream cable (enables the USB port on the monitor)

No DVI cable support. You will need a DVI to HDMI Cable for connectivity

Dell UltraSharp 24 Monitor - U2419H to U2424H

One of Dell's most popular items, the U2420H, U2421H, and U2422H all have similar specs but with greater prices

Price - ~$227.84

Resolutions - Full HD (1080p) 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz

Connections

1 x DP 1.4 (HDCP 1.4)
1 x DP (out) with MST (HDCP 1.4)
1 x HDMI 1.4 (HDCP 1.4)
2 x USB 3.0 downstream port
2 x USB 3.0 with BC1.2 charging capability at 2A (max)
1 x USB 3.0 upstream port
1 x Analog 2.0 audio line out (3.5mm jack)

Comes with

1 x Power cable
1 X DP Cable (DP to DP)
1 x USB 3.0 upstream cable

No DVI Cable Support. you will need a DVI to HDMI Cable for Connectivity

Monitors with Built in Cameras

Dell - 24" IPS LED FHD FreeSync Compatible Monitor - S2422HZ

Available on UC Procurement Gateway and at Best Buys in Goleta

SKU:6479102

Price - ~$284.99

Resolutions - Full HD (1080p) 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz

Connections

1 x HDMI
1 x DisplayPort Ver 1.2
2 x USB 3.2 Type A
1 x USB 3.2 Type C (USB-C)
1 x Headphone Jack

Comes with

1 x Power cable
1 XUSB Type-C to USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 cable

S models are one of the cheaper Dell monitors in both senses of the word.

However better quality monitors with built in Cameras from Dell are backlogged for several months at this time.

The U (ultrasharp) and P (professional) monitors will last twice as long as this model.

You may want to consider a monitor without a webcam and a detachable webcam. Please see Cameras and Microphones

LG UltraFine 5K Display

Available on UC Procurement Gateway and Apple

Price - ~$1,299.95

Resolution: 5120-by-2880

Connections

1 x Thunderbolt 3 (input)
3 x USB-C (USB 3.1 gen 1, 5 Gbps)

Comes with

1 x Thunderbolt 3 cable (2 m)
1 x USB-C cable (1.5 m)
1 x Power cord

Connection Substitutes

VGA to HDMI

For computers with only VGA, you will need a cable similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Monitor-FOINNEX-Connecting-Laptop-HDTV-Male/dp/B071SHJ1S3/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527108464&sr=8-4&keywords=vga-to-hdmi+adapter

DVI to HDMI

Adapter

For computers with only DVI, you will need an adapter similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Rankie-Adapter-Gold-Plated-Converter-2-Pack/dp/B00ZMVGTA2/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527108573&sr=1-4&keywords=DVI+to+HDMI

Cable

If you rather have a cable substitute:

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-CL3-Rated-Bi-Directional-HDMI/dp/B00BBF3LYA/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527108573&sr=1-6&keywords=DVI+to+HDMI

Mini-Displayport to HDMI

Adapter

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-Adapter-Black/dp/B00DRK2ZIK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1527108930&sr=8-5&keywords=mini-displayport+to+hdmi&dpID=417FU1fag4L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Cable

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Mini-DisplayPort-HDMI-Cable/dp/B0134V3KIA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527108930&sr=8-3&keywords=mini-displayport+to+hdmi&dpID=41v%252Bw7qyPrL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Mini-Displayport to Displayport

Cable

https://www.amazon.com/DisplayPort-Moread-Gold-Plated-Thunderbolt-Resolution/dp/B01N5RY8D7/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1527109023&sr=8-6&keywords=mini-displayport+to+displayport

Why Dell monitors?

We recommend the Dell monitors due to the UC Agreement with them as well as having the Warranty Coverage in case issues come up, the warranty coverage can be leveraged to get it replaced.

Alternative Monitor selection

There is no restrictions in getting other brand monitors at this time, provided said brands are not listed under The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (see below).

We just found Dell monitors to be a little bit easier to work with and reasonable quality.

Dell also clearly labels their monitors in terms of their quality and connectivity https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000131468/identifying-dell-monitor-types-by-their-model-number

Other brands you may want to consider:

LG
Viewsonic
Samsung

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) §889 part B includes a prohibition against the use by any organization that contracts with the Federal government of equipment from 5 Chinese manufacturers and their subsidiaries and affiliates. The five manufacturers are:

Huawei Technologies Company
ZTE Corporation
Hytera Communications Corporation
Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company
Dahua Technology Company

At present, personally owned devices from the above 5 manufacturers can be used on ResNet and campus wireless networks provided that the equipment is not used in any way to support research. The equipment can not be on any wired network.

Things to consider...

Compatibility

Not every monitor works with every operating system, especially in terms of advanced features such as dual display, Ethernet, or USB ports. Always check system requirements before purchasing a monitor.

Lenovo, Microsoft and several other brands require OS specific drivers. You need to install software for them to display properly, but its really hard to install software without a display or a display that is badly distorted from using default drivers.

Dual Display

A really common issue with cheaper brands and cheaper monitors in mid range brands is that they assume you will only use a single monitor at a time.

For example on many Lenovo and Acer models, two HDMI or two USB-C for example will not work, one monitor will be blank.

A common work around for the above is to either use a HDMI for one monitor and some other connection such as USB-C for the other.

Resolution

When getting a monitor, you have to consider Display Resolution.

Most Windows/Linux/PC machines don't go beyond the resolution of 1920x1080 (The standard HD definition) unless the graphics chipset will support it or using a GPU that supports higher resolution.

Macs can use higher resolutions, sometimes up to 2560x1440.

Why is Resolution important?

Resolution is important on how you can work with a document.

For those who need big desktop space, higher resolutions means more space to work with.

The drawback to higher resolutions, depending on the screen size, can also mean smaller text, which can be harder on the eyes to read.

Do I need a 4K Monitor?

For most cases, not really.

Unless you are into image processing or using a Mac and need the Ultra High Definition (4K) resolution, a standard High Def (1920x1080) monitor will do just as well.

Can I use a TV or Projector as a Huge Monitor?

Not recommender outside of digital signage or conference rooms maintained by trained AV techs. Contacting support before purchase is highly recommended.

Monitors have faster response times, TVs often have an annoying delay between hitting a key and seeing it on the screen
Your computer may not recognize your TV as a monitor. Known issues include:
- Not waking TV up when coming out of sleep mode resulting in having to unplug the TV
- Displaying the incorrect color balance, resolution, area of display, or some combination thereof.
- Refusing to display output despite having compatible cables
monitors generally have more pixels per inch than televisions so monitors will give you less eye strain
TVs have longer focal lengths because they are made to be seen from further away
- Some technologies used in certain types of TVs and projectors appear unfocused if seen from too close.
- Some technologies used in certain types of TVs and projectors may damage your eyes if seen from too close due to excessive light or other EM radiation.
- "front-row-at-the-movie-theater" effect
Earthquake, fall and other danger.
- Large TVs and projectors are heavy enough that they need to be secured to a wall, ceiling or strong mount point.
- If left unsecured they can cause injuries or even death if they tip over
- Many walls are made out of particleboard, plaster, or drywall. Special mountings and fasteners are needed to avoid being pulled out due to equipment weight.
- Please consult your lab manager and CAL OSHA regulations before buying a TV or projector for a lab.
- LCDs dissolve when many industrial cleaners are used on them
- Magnetic fields distort some TV technologies and may result experimental interference
- Power draw may be too much for a given electrical circuit if combined with other lab equipment. Blown fuses have occurred.

Connections

Having the right connections is important when you are getting a monitor.

VGA

VGA is the old standard connection, which looks like this:

Most older computers or monitors have this connection.

If you have a newer computer, you will need an adapter to be able to connect to older monitors using this.

DVI

DVI is another old standard connection which looks like this:

A lot of computers still use this connection standard, as do some monitors.

Computers with DVI connections can be adapted to VGA, Displayport or HDMI if the monitor does not have a DVI connection, but usually you will have to purchase the adapter/cable seperately.

Displayport (Mini-Displayport)

Displayport in another connection type for video as shown here:

The normal Displayport shown on the Left, while Mini-displayport shown on the right (Thunderbolt is the Apple term for their version of Displayport)

Some computers will use Displayport in either fashion and just requires the appropriate cable to connect to it.

Displayport on computers can be adapted to connect to monitors with VGA, DVI or HDMI, however the adapter only works when it is connected to the computer, not the monitor.

Displayport can also allow for daisy-chaining, which is basically, if a monitor has displayport connection, you can connect another displayport monitor to that monitor instead of having to directly connect to the computer.

HDMI

HDMI is another connection standard, mostly used by TVs, but some computers have this connection as shown here:

This connection often allows for Audio as well as Video.

Computers with HDMI can connect to DVI and VGA monitors using an adapter or cable made to connect HDMI to VGA/DVI .

HDMI also has version definitions, such as Version 2.1 is used to connect to 4K (Ultra High Definition) displays.

In most cases, unless you are using a Ultra High Definition screen, a normal HDMI cable is fine for most use.

Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)

Thunderbolt 3 is the name Apple uses for USB-C connection as shown here:

There are very few monitors that support this connection directly.

There are a few adapters that can convert the computer's USB-C connection to VGA, DVI, Displayport or HDMI

USB-C theoretically can daisy chain, but has caveats.

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