From analyzing the different UV/vis measurements of compounds 1-4, some conclusions can be drawn. It is evident that by moving from solution to polymer, a spectral broadening for the individual E and Z isomers results in an increased spectral overlap. This leads to a reduced addressability of the hypsochromic isomers. In case of the bathochromic isomers, the absorption flanks in the redshifted spectral area are still separated enough, preserving the addressability of the bathochromic isomers similar to that in solution. This effect is the reason for the reduced photochromism achievable in polymers. On the other side, photodegradation effects are drastically increased by moving monoaryl-HIs from solvent to PMA polymer.