Don’t Copy the Gaming Setups of Pro Players

Summary

This video explores the dominance of ZOWIE monitors among professional esports players, despite their use of older TN panel technology. The 2024 flagship model, priced at $999.99, is compared with high-refresh-rate OLED monitors, highlighting ZOWIE's D2 backlight strobing technology that enhances motion clarity. The video also reviews the SeeDoro s300 ergonomic chair. While ZOWIE monitors offer fine-tuning features and are tournament staples, the presenter suggests high-refresh-rate OLED monitors as a more versatile and future-proof choice for non-professional gamers.

Takeaways

• 📊 The Orange Line in the graph represents the dominance of ZOWIE monitors among professional players, with 65% of pros using their monitors, making them the most popular choice.
• 🏆 Despite competition from brands like Logitech, ZOWIE monitors remain the top choice among esports athletes, even with their high price point of $999.99 for their 2024 flagship model.
• 🔍 The ZOWIE monitor uses an older TN (Twisted Nematic) panel technology, which is surprising given the availability of newer, faster OLED panels with almost zero millisecond response times.
• 🌟 ZOWIE's TN panel boasts a refresh rate of 540 Hz and features 'DyAc 2' technology, which enhances motion clarity without the usual side effects of backlight strobing.
• 🆚 When comparing the ZOWIE monitor to a 360 Hz QD-OLED, the ZOWIE's motion clarity and response times are competitive, thanks to the DyAc 2 technology.
• 🎮 The script emphasizes the importance of motion display in esports monitors, suggesting that ZOWIE's technology allows for a competitive edge in fast-paced gaming.
• 🛋️ The video also reviews the Doro s300 ergonomic chair, highlighting its high-quality materials, advanced recline mechanism, and customizable lumbar support for comfort during long gaming sessions.
• 💡 DyAc 2 technology is a significant advancement, eliminating cross-talk issues that were common with previous backlight strobing techniques, making the entire screen area equally sharp.
• 🤔 While high refresh rate OLED monitors perform well, the video suggests that ZOWIE's TN panel with DyAc 2 is still competitive, raising questions about the necessity of newer panel technologies for esports.
• 🔧 ZOWIE monitors offer extensive tuning features within the OSD for color and vibrance, which is a key selling point for professional players who need to fine-tune their setup.
• 🏆 The popularity of ZOWIE monitors among pro players is also attributed to their sponsorship of esports events and teams, making them a familiar choice for tournament play.

Q & A

Why are Zowie monitors so popular among pro players?

Zowie monitors are popular because they offer high performance tailored for esports, including features like the new DyAc2 technology for enhanced motion clarity, and extensive tuning options built into the OSD. Additionally, Zowie's heavy sponsorship of esports events and tournaments means that many pro players are often required to use their monitors.

What percentage of pro players tracked by ProSettings.net use Zowie monitors?

Approximately 65% of the 1500 pro players tracked by ProSettings.net use Zowie monitors.

What type of panel does Zowie use in their 2024 flagship monitor?

Zowie uses a TN panel in their 2024 flagship monitor.

How does the Zowie XL2546K compare to OLED monitors in terms of motion clarity?

The Zowie XL2546K, with DyAc2 enabled, offers very sharp images with minimal motion blur due to backlight strobing, making it competitive with high-refresh-rate OLED monitors that have fast response times and superior motion clarity.

Why does Zowie continue to use TN panels instead of switching to newer technology like OLED?

Zowie continues to use TN panels because they believe in the performance benefits they provide, such as high refresh rates and the effectiveness of their DyAc2 backlight strobing technology, despite the availability of faster OLED panels.

What is the refresh rate of Zowie's latest monitor?

Zowie's latest monitor has a refresh rate of 540Hz.

What are some of the criticisms mentioned about Zowie's monitor compared to OLED monitors?

Criticisms include the use of older TN panel technology, lower color saturation and contrast compared to OLED, and the higher price despite these limitations.

What technology does Zowie use to enhance motion clarity on their monitors?

Zowie uses DyAc2 (Dynamic Accuracy version 2) technology, which involves backlight strobing to enhance motion clarity.

What is the primary purpose of an esports monitor according to the script?

The primary purpose of an esports monitor is to display motion clearly and provide a competitive advantage in fast-paced games, rather than focusing on image quality.

Why might esports pros prefer using Zowie monitors despite the advancements in OLED technology?

Esports pros might prefer Zowie monitors because of their built-in tuning features, ergonomic design tailored for competitive FPS games, and the fact that these monitors are often the standard in tournaments they participate in.

What feature does the Zowie XL2546K have to minimize cross-talk effects?

The Zowie XL2546K uses DyAc2 technology to minimize cross-talk effects, resulting in clearer images across the entire screen, including the top and bottom.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Dominance of ZOWIE Monitors in Pro Gaming

This paragraph discusses the overwhelming popularity of ZOWIE monitors among professional gamers, with 65% of tracked pros using them. Despite the high price point of $999.99 for their 2024 flagship model, ZOWIE continues to use older TN panel technology instead of newer OLED panels. The paragraph delves into the comparison between the ZOWIE monitor and high-refresh-rate OLED panels, highlighting the unique features of ZOWIE's latest TN panel, such as the 540 Hz refresh rate and the Dy 2 Tech, which enhances motion clarity without the usual drawbacks of backlight strobing. The author questions whether ZOWIE's adherence to TN technology is the right choice in the face of advanced OLED panels that offer superior image quality.

05:00

💺 Introducing the DXRacer S300 and ZOWIE's D2 Technology

The second paragraph introduces a new ergonomic chair, the DXRacer S300, which features high-quality materials and an innovative recline mechanism with aerospace-grade glass fiber plates. It also highlights the chair's dual lumbar support and adjustable cushioning for comfort during long gaming sessions. Returning to the topic of ZOWIE monitors, the paragraph explores the company's D2 technology, which significantly reduces motion blur and ghosting without the side effects of traditional backlight strobing. The author expresses excitement about the improvements in D2 technology and its ability to make the older TN panel technology competitive against newer OLED panels, which are naturally faster but not necessarily better for esports due to the specific tuning features and ergonomics built into ZOWIE monitors.

10:01

🎮 The Future of Esports Monitors and Recommendations

In the final paragraph, the author contemplates the future of esports monitors, suggesting that TN panels may soon be retired in favor of newer technologies. They express hope that ZOWIE is considering the potential of a new 480 Hz 4K OLED panel for esports. The author advises against spending $1,000 on a ZOWIE monitor for those not planning a career in esports, recommending high-refresh-rate OLED monitors as a better alternative for both gaming and other uses. They conclude with a note on the importance of using the same hardware for training as will be used in tournaments, which is a significant factor in the popularity of ZOWIE monitors among professional players.

Keywords

💡Pro Players

Pro players refer to professional gamers who participate in competitive eSports. In the video, it is mentioned that 65% of these players use monitors made by ZOWIE, highlighting the brand's dominance in the professional gaming community. This statistic is significant as it underscores the video's theme of the popularity and performance of ZOWIE monitors among the eSports elite.

💡ZOWIE Monitors

ZOWIE Monitors are the focus of the video, representing the brand's high-performance displays used by professional gamers. The script discusses the brand's flagship 2024 model, which, despite its high price of $999.99, is favored for its use of TN (Twisted Nematic) panel technology and features like 540 Hz refresh rate and Dy 2 Tech. The video explores whether this technology can compete with newer OLED panels, emphasizing the monitor's role in eSports.

💡TN Panel

TN Panel, or Twisted Nematic Panel, is a type of LCD panel technology known for fast response times but typically lower image quality compared to other technologies. The video notes that ZOWIE has been using TN panels for a long time and continues to do so in their 2024 model, despite the availability of newer technologies like OLED. The script highlights the 540 Hz refresh rate of the latest TN panel, which is a key feature for motion clarity in gaming.

💡Dy 2 Tech

Dy 2 Tech is a backlight strobing technology used in ZOWIE's 2024 flagship monitor. It is designed to make moving objects appear sharper by strobing the backlight for very short periods of time. The video explains that this technology significantly reduces motion blur and is a key selling point for the monitor, allowing it to compete with newer panel technologies like OLED.

💡OLED Panels

OLED Panels, or Organic Light-Emitting Diode panels, are a type of display technology known for their high contrast ratios, fast response times, and ability to display deep blacks. The script compares OLED panels to ZOWIE's TN panel, noting that OLEDs offer superior image quality but may not necessarily provide a competitive advantage in eSports, where motion clarity is paramount.

💡Refresh Rate

Refresh Rate is the number of times a monitor's image is updated per second, measured in Hertz (Hz). A higher refresh rate can provide smoother motion and is crucial for gaming, especially in fast-paced eSports. The video discusses ZOWIE's 540 Hz refresh rate and compares it to other monitors with 360 Hz and 480 Hz refresh rates, emphasizing the importance of this feature for competitive gaming.

💡Esports Monitor

An Esports Monitor is a display specifically designed for competitive gaming, prioritizing features like high refresh rates and minimal motion blur over general image quality. The video's main theme revolves around evaluating whether ZOWIE's TN panel-based monitor can still be considered the best choice for professional gamers, despite the emergence of OLED technology.

💡Backlight Strobing

Backlight Strobing is a technique used to reduce motion blur in displays by rapidly turning the backlight on and off in sync with the refresh rate. The video explains that ZOWIE's Dy 2 Tech is an advanced form of backlight strobing that minimizes side effects like cross-talk, making motion appear sharp without artifacts.

💡Cross-Talk

Cross-Talk is an undesirable effect in displays where the image from one refresh cycle bleeds into the next, causing double images or ghosting. The video notes that ZOWIE's Dy 2 Tech has significantly reduced cross-talk, making the monitor's motion clarity more consistent across the screen.

💡Economics

In the context of the video, 'economics' likely refers to ergonomics, the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body and its movements. The script mentions the ergonomics of ZOWIE monitors, suggesting that they are designed for long periods of use in competitive gaming, providing comfort and reducing fatigue.

💡Sponsorships

Sponsorships are a form of financial support provided by a company to an event, team, or individual in exchange for promotion. The video mentions that ZOWIE's popularity among pro players is partly due to their sponsorship of eSports events and teams, which influences the hardware that pros use and become accustomed to.

Highlights

ZOI monitors dominate the market with 65% usage among professional players, outpacing other brands like Logitech.

Despite the high price of $999.99, ZOI's 2024 flagship monitor uses older TN panel technology instead of the latest OLED panels.

ZOI's TN panel boasts a 540 Hz refresh rate, a significant advancement over traditional TN technology.

The introduction of DY 2 Tech in ZOI's monitor offers a new level of motion clarity without traditional backlight strobing side effects.

Comparing ZOI's TN panel with high refresh rate OLED panels shows a stark difference in image quality but similar motion clarity.

ZOI's use of backlight strobing with D2 Tech eliminates motion blur and provides sharp images, making it competitive against OLED panels.

The XL 2586X, a 360 Hz QD OLED monitor, offers fast response times and minimal motion blur, rivaling ZOI's D2 Tech.

The 480 Hz dual mode OLED monitor can keep up with ZOI's 540 Hz TN panel in displaying fast-moving objects.

Professional players favor ZOI monitors for their built-in tuning features and ergonomics designed for competitive FPS games.

ZOI's heavy sponsorship of tournaments and teams influences the choice of monitors by professional players.

The new Doro s300 ergonomic chair by Secretlab features advanced materials and a unique recline mechanism for optimal comfort.

The Doro s300's dual lumber support and adjustable cushioning ensure a natural and comfortable seating position.

ZOI's D2 Tech significantly reduces cross-talk, providing clearer images at the top and bottom of the screen.

Despite advancements in OLED technology, ZOI's TN panel with D2 Tech remains competitive for professional gaming.

High refresh rate OLED monitors offer a superior experience for both Esports and general use compared to ZOI's flagship model.

The future of Esports monitors may see a shift from TN to OLED panel technology, with ZOI potentially exploring a 480 Hz 4K OLED panel.

Transcripts

okay this is a super interesting graph

this Orange Line shows how many pro

players are using monitors made by zoi

and from the about, 1500 Pros that Pro

settings. net are tracking it's whopping

65% that is just insane I think this

makes zoi monitors the most dominant

peripheral amongst Pro players like no

other brands peripherals are that

popular not even the mice from Logitech

which currently is the favorite MOS

brand of Esports athletes so why are Zoe

monitors that popular I mean

look at this monitor it looks like I got

it from Facebook Marketplace for like 50

bucks but it's actually Zoe's brand new

2024 Flagship model that retails for I

kid you not

$999.99 so for that kind of money it

must be using the lightest and greatest

tag like one of those fancy ol panels

for instance but no it's actually using

super old Tech a TM panel and a small

one at that not exactly what you would

expect from a a brand new $1,000 monitor

but Zoe have been using TN for ages and

they swear by it so they still keep

using TN in 2024 even though these high

refresh rate OLED panels exist that have

almost Z millisecond response times

granted this is the latest and greatest

TN panel on the market it clocks at 540

Hertz and it has a few wide tricks up

its sleeve like the new Dy 2 Tech which

is kind of crazy we'll get to that but

yeah with Zoe holding on to this old TN

teag and all these super fast new ol

monitors being a thing now I kind of

wonder if zoi made the right call with

this monitor like can it even keep up

with these super fast High refresh rate

olets I mean you can get a 360 HZ 1440p

cutie olet like this for less money and

there's also this insane dual mode OLED

that can clock up to 480 Hertz and let

me tell you this zo next to this cutie

OLED I mean yeah it it almost looks

comical the colors the contrast the

resolution you can 100% tell right away

that zo is using what basically is

prehistoric Tech don't get me wrong for

a TN panel it is good it's actually the

best TN panel I've seen so far I've

measured a cont ratio of almost 1,300

to1 and the color saturation is much

higher than what you would expect from a

TN but visually udol is just on a whole

other level and yeah I get it this is an

Esports monitor so image quality is

really not the objective here so let's

forget about the image quality for a

moment Let's ignore the infinite

contrast of ol those fleshy colors and

all that and concentrate on one of the

most important aspects of Esports

monitors which one of these is really

better at displaying motion like which

can show things like fast moving

opponents as clear as possible to give

you the highest competitive advantage in

game so we have the 360 HZ QD on the

left and the 540 HZ Z on the right and

yeah side by side moving objects do look

different on these two like you can tell

that these two are using very different

Hardware especially the backlight

straing of the zoy just has a certain

look to it that makes moving objects

look different than on an OLED or a

traditional LCD for instance see when

the OLED monitor displays an image it

keeps displaying the same image for the

whole refresh cycle until the next image

is ready but zo's monitor use what they

call D 2 which is zo fancy name for

backlight strobing so when their monitor

starts displaying an image it only does

that for for a super short period of

time and then turns off its backl light

almost immediately now essentially

showing a black image this technique

basically makes everything that moves

across the screen look very sharp to our

brains with next to no motion bur on the

all display that's a bit different seeis

are constantly moving when you're

tracking something that's moving across

the screen but a typical Outlet monitor

keeps displaying the same stationary

image at the same position until the

next image is ready just like a flip

book so as your eyes continue moving the

stationary image is starting to look

blurry to the eye okay that's maybe not

the most intuitive concept to explain

but I can actually show you what this

looks like to the eye this is the zoi

with d 2 enabled so with backlight

drwing turned on if you look closely you

can see the individual very sharp images

from each time the monitor has turned on

its backlight for Split Second and this

is what it looks like without backlight

stoving a good bit blurrier obviously

and the 360 HZ old it also slightly

blurry but its insanely Fast Response

times really help a lot to make it look

sharper than the Zoe without dying and

the 480 HZ OLED well it's even sharper

getting very close to what Zoe can only

achieve with d 2 so why are these oleds

looking so good well it's their super

fast response times that really make the

difference here olet is just match

faster so there's virtually no smearing

or ghosting and I got to say without D

two I prefer what both OLED monitors

bring to the table despite the high

refresh rate of the 25 86x even just the

360 HZ OLED looks better than 540 HZ on

the TN panel without d 2 but yeah zo's

monitor does have di 2 and that really

makes it much more competitive against

OLED we're going to take a close look at

D in a second but let's first have a

look at the new chair I'm setting in

it's the new Doro s300 by see who who

sponsored this portion of the video this

is their new and most advanced economic

hair so far it's made from high quality

materials lots of aluminum and a special

TP mesh with a velvet texture see who

also put a lot of effort into the

recline mechanism which is using a pair

of Aerospace grade glass fiber plates

instead of a conventional spring

mechanism with this knob you can

precisely adjust the tension of the

mechanism and once dialed in to your

body weight reclining is effortless and

it's easy to stop at any angle and

what's also important the seat cussion

adjust while reclining making sure

you're always in a natural and

comfortable seating position this design

feature prevents body slippage and

pressure on the legs the Dual Lumber

support is another crucial part for

comfort the lumber is split into two

parts and held up a Force brings to auto

adjust to different body shapes and

seating positions and the gas lift

allows you to further adjust the lumber

support to your body shape and

preference if you're on the market for a

highly adjustable economic share check

out the link in the description down

below to learn more about the see Doro

s300 back to the video so yeah zo d 2

really isn't the party trick of this

monitor see I'm usually not a huge fan

of back string I mean sure even half

decent implementation can be very

effective at increasing the motion

sharpness but it usually comes with some

significant side effect mainly cross

talk which causes these ugly double

images these don't really show up in the

center of the screen but at the top or

the bottom of the screen these can get

pretty nasty or at least that's what

backl strobing used to look like so we

have basically eliminated these effects

with a new D two Tech that this mon is

using I know it's a bit of a weird thing

to be excited about but all the UFOs

look basically identical now those at

the top of the screen or at the bottom

of the screen look just as good and

clear as those in the middle of the

screen and really have minimal cross

talk and that's actually amazing if

you've ever used a monitor with the old

di Tech or backl dropping in general you

know that this is pretty exciting so Die

2 really is what makes this montra

special and that's also what enables

this old T and Tech to keep up with

these super fast Outlets but that's also

a bit sad almost if you think about it

like Zoe went Great Lengths just to make

sure that this old panel Tech can stay

competitive this 480 HZ ol monitor is

really not a dedicated Esports monitor

that's really not what it's supposed to

be but just because these all panels are

so fast and really has no issues to keep

up with zo's purpose build Esports

monitor like side by side motion or fast

moving objects look just as good on this

480 HZ olet monitor as on zo purpose

buil 540 HZ TN with d 2 and all that

stuff like I've been using these two

monitors side by side a lot switching

between them back and forth and I can

really not say that motion looks any

better on either monitor like Fast mous

fak tracking you name it just feels

equally amazing on both the same is true

when it comes to lag or latency without

d 2 the XL 25 86x is the fastest of the

bunch with d turned on it's ever so

slightly slower but yeah realistically

2.3 milliseconds of lag still is crazy

fast and that's really not something

you're going to notice to me at least

they all feel absolutely equally

responsive so yeah are pro players going

to be switching to ol monitors now I

really think they could but I don't

think we're actually going to see that

happening very soon a zoi monitor like

this still has a few other amenities

that Pros Rel love like it has tons of

tuning features built into the OSD so

that you can really fine-tune color

Vibrance and and things like that and

the economics are just great for

competitive FPS sure there are

aftermarket monitor amounts you can use

for monitors that have bad economics and

there's also software that lets you tune

your vibrant and stuff with any monitor

but it's just very convenient to have

everything just built into the monitor

especially if you're playing tournaments

on Hardware that the organizer provides

and that's also one of the most

important factors as to why zo monitors

are that popular amongst Pro players

it's the Hardware they are basically

forced to use on a lot of tournaments

Zoe is heavily sponsoring events

tournaments and Esports teams so Pros

often just don't have the choice and

yeah if you know you're going to be

playing a tournament on a zoi you might

as well get one for training as well it

just makes sense to use the same

hardware and yeah in case you're

wondering the XL 25 86x really is zo's

best monitary yet so if you're an

Esports Pro and need the best Zoe you

can get there you go I've got the

response times results color

measurements and stuff like that linked

down below if you want to have a deeper

look but for anyone that's not planning

a career in Esports anytime soon I

honestly don't see a good reason to

spend about $1,000 on a monitor like

this I'd suggest giving these high

refresh rate ol monitors to look instead

they're just as good for Esports games

as zo's latest and greatest Flagship

cost similar money actually and they're

just so much better for anything outside

of playing firstperson Shooters honestly

think that in the near future all panels

are going to retire TN as the panel Tech

of choice for Esports and they really

hope Zoe are looking into the new

upcoming 480 HZ 40 40p o panel I think

it has a huge potential for Esports

anyway thanks for watching video