VESA introduces AdaptiveSync and MediaSync Display standards


The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has published the first publicly open standard for variable refresh rate display front-of-screen performance. The VESA Adaptive-Sync Display Compliance Test Specification (Adaptive-Sync Display CTS) establishes a comprehensive and stringent set of more than 50 test criteria, an automated testing methodology, and performance requirements for PC monitors and laptops that support VESA’s Adaptive-Sync protocols.

Additionally, the Adaptive-Sync Display CTS establishes a product compliance logo programme with two performance tiers: AdaptiveSync Display, which is optimised for gaming and features significantly higher refresh rates and low latency; and MediaSync Display, which is optimised for jitter-free media playback and supports all international broadcast video formats.

Only displays that pass all Adaptive-Sync Display CTS and VESA DisplayPort compliance tests are eligible for the VESA Certified AdaptiveSync Display or MediaSync Display logos, which enable consumers to quickly identify and compare the variable refresh rate performance of Adaptive-Sync-enabled displays prior to purchase.

The VESA Adaptive-Sync Display CTS includes more than 50 automated display performance tests that cover a variety of key variables such as refresh rate, flicker, gray-to-gray response time (including overshoot and undershoot limits to ensure high-quality images), video frame drop, and video frame rate jitter. There is no performance category for the VESA Certified MediaSync Display logo, on the other hand, because the emphasis of product certification for this brand is on the lack of display jitter rather than high frame rate.

According to Roland Wooster, chairman of the VESA Display Performance Metrics Task Group responsible for the Adaptive-Sync Display CTS and the association’s representative from Intel Corporation for HDR and Adaptive Sync display technology,

The Adaptive-Sync Display CTS builds upon the foundation that VESA laid with the introduction of the Adaptive-Sync protocols eight years ago. It provides an open, industry-wide and brand-agnostic standard backed by a logo program that gives consumers a guarantee that the displays that they’re buying for gaming or for media playback will meet a clearly defined minimum set of front-of-screen performance criteria when used with a suitable GPU.

In designing the test specification and logo program, VESA explicitly set a high bar on performance criteria and testing methodology with tighter criteria than many existing specs and logo programs. As with all of our standards, VESA will continue to develop and refine the Adaptive-Sync Display CTS to address new display developments and market needs in order to enable further improvements in visual quality and user-experience for consumers.

Seok Ho Jang, Vice President in charge of IT Development Division at LG Electronics, Said,

We believe that with VESA launching its Adaptive-Sync Display standard in the rapidly growing gaming market, we can expect to see even greater innovation in the gaming monitor categories. We are proud that the LG UltraGear brand will be involved from the very beginning with the acclaimed LG UltraGear 27GP950 and 27GP850 models, the first-ever monitors to receive VESA AdaptiveSync Display certification. LG also has new 2022 models on the way, which we believe will not only meet the high standards demanded by VESA’s performance tests, but are also well equipped to satisfy the expectations and diverse needs of today’s consumers.