Many people don’t think too much about the monitor attached to their computer. But whether you are working, editing videos, or gaming, the array of pixels before you makes a difference and vastly improves productivity. Video editors, photographers, and content creators in general swear by the Apple Studio Display. It’s the monitor to have if you are in the Apple ecosystem. At the same time, there are a handful of companies that manufacture monitors offering the same degree of brilliance as a Studio Display, while coming with an affordable price tag.
This is where BenQ comes into the picture. The Taipei-headquartered company has been in the business of making monitors, projectors, interactive displays, and more for decades. A few days ago, the company announced its MA270S 5K monitor. The MA Series denotes a Mac-centric visual experience, while 5K is what Apple users are always looking for.
At an event in New Delhi, the company showcased its entire range of Mac monitors, including the new one. Adding to the significance of the event was the presence of Jeffrey Liang, president, BenQ Asia Pacific, alongside Rajeev Singh, managing director, BenQ India.
Jeffrey Liang (right) and Rajeev Singh. (Image: BenQ)
“Having a 5K monitor is important for Mac users. The Apple ecosystem is very large. At the top of the ecosystem, you have MacBook Pro and Mac Studio users, and their display requirements are the most demanding. They are looking at a 5K display. Not only does it give them a top-end experience, it also carries the basic USP — the promise we make with our Mac monitors — which is about reproducing Mac colours exactly the way you see them on your MacBook, matching the same profile you get on an Apple Studio Display,” Rajeev Singh told this newspaper on the sidelines.
He pointed out a number of features that are difficult to find elsewhere. “You have multiple connectivity options. You have built-in ergonomics. In addition to that, you also have daisy-chaining capability,” he said.
Built from the ground up for Mac experience
The new monitors have been in development for a long time. “When we look at Mac users, there are a few things they prioritise, especially regarding external monitors. The most important aspect is colour accuracy. We have a sound methodology rooted in research and design thinking. There are two core ingredients — innovation and marketing. For innovation, we have a very strong framework in design thinking. We make sure the desirability factor is truly compelling. At the same time, this cannot be too niche. Our colour lab is always hard at work. One of our core competencies is colour accuracy. So no matter what monitor or projector you see, there is excellent colour accuracy,” said Jeffrey Liang.
At the heart of the new MA270S is a 5K (5120 × 2880) resolution with 218 ppi, delivering pixel-level clarity that mirrors — and in many workflows, enhances — the native Mac display experience. This level of detail is critical for professionals working in high-resolution environments, from video editing timelines to intricate design compositions.
With 99 per cent P3 colour coverage and a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, the MA270S is tuned to reproduce true Mac colours, addressing one of the most persistent challenges faced by creators: colour inconsistency between Mac devices and external displays. The result is a seamless visual continuum, enabling creators to work with confidence across screens.
Complementing this is a 70Hz refresh rate, delivering smoother motion and more fluid on-screen interactions — enhancing everything from timeline scrubbing to everyday navigation.
“Sometimes even the consumer is confused about the kind of product they’re looking for. So we need to have a good methodology. We visit the market and meet our community members at physical events and also virtually,” said Liang.
Getting Mac colours right is no easy feat. “Users like to see images and colours on the monitor that reflect those of their MacBook. That is their desire. And they have different versions of the MacBook, the lifecycle of which can be long — five or seven years (could be more). Further, there is the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. As generations go by, colour reproduction is not exactly the same. We have very strong proprietary software that can automatically detect which version of the MacBook Pro or MacBook Air is being used, and then match its colours to those of our Mac monitor,” said Liang.
Serving India’s growing creator community
BenQ has been working closely with the creative community in India. Finding BenQ monitors in advertising agencies or video editing studios has become a common sight.
“We have quite a long association with the creative community. It started with our graphic design monitors, followed by our professional photography monitors, and then our video editing and videography monitors. We offer a solution to all kinds of creators, from simple graphic design right up to the most high-end VFX companies. We have a separate series of monitors for each of them, and we have gradually built that up. The MA Series is an extension of that,” said Singh.
He said the company is going “deeper and deeper” into the community of content creators and influencers. “They do so much content creation, and for them, content translates into monetisation — they are earning from it. We have even launched a separate series of monitors primarily for the influencer community. We don’t look at the creator community as one large, uniform entity. Within it, all the sub-segments are catered to differently,” said Singh.
Unlike conventional monitors adapted for Mac connectivity, the MA270S is engineered from the ground up to behave like a native Mac display. From colour calibration to brightness response curves, every parameter is aligned with macOS visual standards.
Powered by BenQ Display Pilot 2, the experience extends beyond visuals into intelligent workflow control: automatic colour profile syncing with Mac devices, brightness and volume control via the Mac keyboard, advanced workspace management and screen partitioning, and auto-pivot and intuitive multi-screen control.
The MA270S is built for modern, multi-device workflows. With Thunderbolt 4 connectivity (up to 96W power delivery), users can connect, charge, and transfer data through a single cable — creating a clean, minimal desk setup.
The display also functions as a central connectivity hub, with multiple HDMI and USB-C ports to support a wide range of devices, while Smart KVM allows seamless switching between systems using a single keyboard and mouse — ensuring uninterrupted workflows across Mac and PC environments.
With its refined industrial design and Nano Gloss Panel, the MA270S delivers visual performance. A 150mm height-adjustable stand with tilt, swivel, and pivot ensures ergonomic flexibility, supporting long hours of creative work in sustained comfort.
BenQ is also working closely with colleges that offer courses in video editing and design — a natural fit for the monitor’s capabilities.
“We have a specific focus because these colleges are very particular in their needs and not very large in number. So we are working with the majority of them, and they are already using BenQ’s graphic design monitors — mainly the PD Series. We have multiple such relationships with most of the colleges,” said Singh.
He also points out that many of the company’s customers are upgrading. “They are upgrading because of the colour accuracy we offer. The upgrades are driven by the kind of work they are doing and the colour profiles they are working with. Earlier, it used to be static graphic design; then video became an integral part of it. So they have been continuously upgrading within the BenQ range of products.”
The number of monitors BenQ is offering continues to grow. “Video is the segment where we are going deeper. We have this monitor series for content creators. We have a series of video monitors for high-end creative applications like VFX. India is a hub of creativity in this space — most of the VFX work on major Hollywood films is also happening here. So that part of the business and those communities are also very large. We cover the entire spectrum of monitors you would need for different kinds of video editing,” said Singh.
“India will soon contribute 10 per cent of BenQ’s total turnover worldwide. That is our goal. Every year, the India market is increasing at a steady pace and BenQ India is growing at a much faster pace of 30 per cent-plus year on year,” said Liang.