..there was 320×200 resolution with the Commodore 64.

Then came MS-DOS and VGA with 640×480 resolution. It was good and there was much rejoicing. Then came Super VGA (800×600). And it was better. And there was more rejoicing.

Fast-forward to present. You can now easily acquire LCD monitors with very high native resolutions. The big-big ones have 2560×1600.

But the people aren’t rejoicing anymore.

Is there such a thing as too much resolution? Yes. And it matters, because for many, anything over 1280×1024 is just too much, mainly due to the fact there’s much squinting involved when running native.

You may have noticed over the past few years that OEMs and monitor makers are purposely downing the native resolution on LCD monitors. This is because too many people were complaining that they couldn’t even read the text under their icons on the desktop without upping the font sizes at least 4 to 6 points (which is a lot).

Some would say, "So increase the font size.. what’s the problem?" The problem is that applications "expect" you to run native font size choices, and when you increase that size, menus look a bit off, scrollbars (the bad kind) happen and so on.

Running the native resolution on an LCD monitor with standard font sizes is obviously the best choice for the best picture and general use. With that said, here are my recommendations if you’re shopping around for monitors.

To note, "optimum" means "the res you can see and read stuff the best with".

Laptop 15-inch screen optimum resolution: 1280×800

The 1280×800 native res on a 15-inch widescreen laptop is "just right", so to speak. Both Linux and Windows look best with this res.

Note: Yes, you can read things easier with Ubuntu Linux compared to Windows XP. All fonts are larger, thicker and much easier to read.

Also note: Laptop LCD monitors are typically better than standalones. They are more crisp, clear and have far less tendency to "fuzz" things on-screen.

Standalone standard aspect 19-inch flat panel optimum resolution: 1280×1024

This resolution on a 19-inch standard aspect (meaning non-widescreen) makes reading everything very easy.

Standalone widescreen 22-inch flat panel optimum resolution: 1680×1050

You can "get away" with 1680×1050 on 20 and 21.5-inch monitors, but it definitely looks best on the 22.

Standalone widescreen 24-inch flat panel optimum resolution: 1920×1200

Make no mistake, a 24-inch monitor is frickin’ huge. And while it’s true you can get a lesser resolution of 1920×1080, the extra pixel height makes a (literally) big difference.

And believe it or not, one can be had for $260 new. It’s definitely not an expensive as it was a year ago.

What’s the best for those on a tight budget?

The standard aspect 19-inch at 1280×1024. This is the one I usually recommend. They sell for as little as $120 new.

What’s the best for those that can spend more?

The 24-inch widescreen. Bear in mind it’s big and requires space. Definitely not for small desks. And if you have one of those hutch-style things, it may be too tall to fit. If this may present itself to be an issue, shop for one that specifically has a height-adjustable base because it will be required.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

I will say up front that there isn’t any end-all/be-all way of setting the correct color on a monitor because it obviously depends on how you see things. That being the case, you should always set your monitor for what your eyes see and not what software or hardware “thinks” is correct.

Step 1. Start with white

Open up your web browser of choice and enter the following URL:

about:blank

Enter it exactly as such. Works in IE, Firefox and Opera.

After than, press F11 to go “full screen mode”. Wait a few seconds and the address bar should disappear. This will make your screen 100% white (or very close). You can press F11 again to go back to windowed mode.

Examine the screen and note if it looks pink-ish or blue-ish.

Step 2. Correct with both hardware and software controls

Most people adjust their monitor’s color using only hardware controls. This is when you physically press the “menu” button on your monitor and adjust using buttons.

The problem with only using hardware controls is that while your screen may look correct doing normal things like web browsing and so on, using other software like video games may look significantly different.

Software controls for color adjustment will give you the extra control you were looking for.

If using an NVIDIA or ATI video card, you can locate your color controls in the taskbar next to the clock.

If you don’t have that, either install the latest NVIDIA at www.nvidia.com or ATI at http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html.

If you have a laptop with proprietary control software for display settings, this is usually found either as a specific icon in the Control Panel or a tab in Display Settings.

Example: My older Dell Inspiron 6000 uses an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Mobile driver. This is found by going to Display Properties first:

I click the “Advanced” button and go here:

I click the big tab at the top for the Intel stuff:

I click the “Graphics Properties” button:

This is a very ugly app but it has the settings I want to modify.

In this specific instance I am forced to change my colors this way because the monitor has no physical buttons for manual hardware changes on it; this is all software controlled.

Step 3. Adjust brightness/contrast for black

It isn’t easy getting a true black on an LCD monitor (even the more expensive ones) because when on, the back-light itself makes things gray even to a small degree.

Once again you can use both hardware and software controls to adjust for the black.

The same method for white can be used for black. Load up this web page:

http://www.blackle.com (a Google search in black)

…and press F11 again to go into full-screen mode, then adjust appropriately.

Final notes

Free-standing LCD monitors (meaning not a laptop) have presets for what it “thinks” is proper, such as “photo” or “movie” and so on. It also has settings to go more blue or red, labeled as “cool” and “warm”.

The best way to adjust is to not use the presets and manually configure it yourself with the red/green/blue, brightness and contrast. Yes, it will take time but your eyes will thank you for it later.

You can expect the adjustments you make via hardware controls to not be absolutely correct. You most likely will have to go to the software side to make small adjustments afterwards.

To date I have never known any monitor to be 100% spot-on perfect without adjustment, because the monitor doesn’t know your eyes - you do.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

According to The New Journal of Physics, researchers from Sony and the Max Planck Institute are exploring the possibility of creating, and are working on the development of, bendable optically assessed organic light emitting displays.

When fully developed, this technology could lead to the production of electronic poster displays for advertising as well as digital newspapers that can be folded and televisions which can be bent.

Additionally, the “upconversion” full-colour displays have several other advantages than flexibility over current display technologies. These include faster response times, almost unlimited viewing angles, and a virtually unlimited possibility of shapes and sizes.

Sony originally announced news of a similar development in 2006, but that early development ran into problems such as distortion when bent and size-limitations. Their new technology isn’t beset by any of those previous problems and therefore makes the development open to many further possibilities.

It certainly appears that technology is providing some amazing gadgets and gizmos that we never even dreamed of only ten years ago. Amazing developments are occurring lately, such as the one above, that can only change society for the better if used correctly.

It appears, to the untrained eye, that the depth of development of technological gadgets and gizmos is unlimited. However there is just one thing that puts the brakes firmly on one avenue of development - that being component miniaturization.

Current technologies have made it possible to build microelectronic devices out of almost infinitesimally-small transistors as small as 45 nanometers across - considerably less than the width of a human hair. You can pack millions of these devices into a small package, such as the processor chip of the computer that you are using right now.

There is a limit beyond which it appears impossible to go though. 45nm is only the distance across a small number of atoms of the doped molecular substrate used in the transistor’s construction, and we’re already getting close to as small as all possibility will allow these devices to be built without massive fabrication costs, electromechanical breakdowns, and current-leakages in the individual transistors themselves. In short, we’re nearly at the point where technology is as small as we can make it.

Nevertheless, even if we do ever actually reach that limit, there still seems to be almost endless possibilities in utilizing the available technologies.

Do you think that there may be a limit at which we have to stop developing all technologies and accept defeat? A point when humanity has developed every technology possible? If so, do you think there will ever come a point when we’ve also invented every possible practical device imaginable? Will geeks die of boredom at that point?

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Plasma TVs are so yesterday. And rear projection has long been dead. LCD televisions are still popular, but what’s coming is sure to put the LCD out of business.

It is called organic light-emitting diodes, or OLED. It uses a very thin layer of organic material which emits light when electricity passes through it. This means that no backlighting is required. And that means it can be extremely thin and flexible. It is also more environmentally friendly, brighter, and cheaper to build.

Sony created one of the first flexible OLED screens and this video shows it:

And here is a quick video of Veronica Belmont showing the Sony prototype of a 27″ OLED television which is the width of 3 credit cards:

The only available model right now is the Sony model XEL-1, which measures 11 inches and costs $2500. Why anybody would buy one right now, I don’t know. It is obviously a proof-of-concept type of product and not something that is really yet meant for primetime.

Where could this technology lead us? Well imagine a television on your wall which barely protrudes from your wall at all. Imagine full-color screens literally built into the walls. Or full color screens on small electronics or even on the windshield of your car. We’ve already seen OLED used on some cell phone models

We have a few years left before we’re going to see OLED televisions come down to the prices of LCD televisions today. Many LCD manufacturers are probably going to keep the prices high for a while longer since LCD sales have been so strong. But, its just a matter of time.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

ClearType, another Microsoft way of making fonts look better, was announced in 1998 but didn’t make an appearance until January 2000 as a feature of the Microsoft Reader software for those that remember that title.

When Windows XP was introduced in 2001, ClearType was built-in.

All this font stuff is called subpixel rendering technology. In layman’s terms is just means the fonts you see on screen are rendered differently.

In Windows XP (and in Vista assumedly) you can enable or disable ClearType at whim. This is done via Control Panel / Display / Appearance / Effects button. You see this:

If you check "Use the following method…" and select "Standard" from the drop-down menu, fonts under the 12pt size will not show as ClearType. If you select "ClearType", all fonts are rendered in ClearType. If you uncheck the box, no fonts will be shown in ClearType at all.

I do recommend anyone running Windows XP to download and use the ClearType Tuner PowerToy. This will add an icon in your Control Panel called "ClearType Tuning". When you click it you see this:

Using the Wizard helps out a great deal in selecting how much ClearType rendering you want. Very handy to have.

Which is more readable, ClearType or Standard?

This obviously depends on a few factors:

LCD or CRT?

Subpixel rendering has heavy concentration to make fonts look good on an LCD monitor (note the screen shot above: "..improves the readability of text on existing LCDs"). More often than not if you’re using a CRT, turning ClearType off will look better.

Why is this? Because CRT monitors aren’t as crisp as LCDs are. If you have ClearType enabled on a CRT it may "fuzz out" the fonts too much causing them to look "smudgy".

Font size

Obviously larger fonts look better than smaller ones when talking about subpixel rendering. Think of it this way: With digital photography, larger resolution is always better. With smaller resolutions you lose focus. The same can be said for fonts.

LCD screen striping

If the smaller fonts on your screen have the tendency to have oddly-colored edges, sometimes something as simple as changing the LCD screen striping will fix this. The ClearType Tuning applet has an "Advanced" section where you can change it from red/green/blue to blue/green/red:

Note the left side of the screen shot above.

If when you change this it makes the fonts look bad, just change it back. It will not "mess up" your monitor whatsoever because it has nothing to do with screen resolution; just the font rendering method.

Standard resolution fonts do not have any issue whatsoever with display no matter what screen striping method you use.

Is the font "interrupted" by a background image?

This is particularly dealing with what wallpaper you use. Certain wallpaper will make the text under your icons difficult to read while others will not.

General rule of thumb: Darker-image wallpaper always make the icon text look better. And of course, using no wallpaper is the best for legibility - especially if the background color is black.

What’s your refresh rate?

The standard refresh rate for almost all LCD monitors is 60Hz. I made mention in the past that some offer the option of 59Hz. This may offer slightly better readability.

With CRT monitors, the default refresh rate is also 60Hz - but you may find better luck with 70, 72, 75 or 85 depending on the choices you have.

If no matter what you do for hertz on a CRT the fonts still look crappy, disable ClearType.

Screen hardware settings

This actually has nothing to do with the font itself but rather the physical monitor settings.

The ones to pay attention to are:

• Brightness
• Contrast
• Sharpness
• Color

Brightness and Contrast:

When your monitor is showing nothing but black, it should be as black as possible and not gray-ish. If the gray exists this will "fuzz" fonts a bit.

Sharpness:

Too much sharpness will cause odd colors to appear in font rendering.

Color:

You have "cool" and "warm" settings here. Generally speaking "cool" (blue-ish) is better read easier. HOWEVER - going to blue can be trying on the eyes by making the whites too stark. Adjust only in slight increments if you have the option.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

How long does it take before an LCD fails completely?

Usually about 5 to 7 years.

What is the first thing to "go" on an LCD monitor?

With a free-standing LCD (i.e. one attached to regular desktop computer), the backlight is usually the first thing to break. With a laptop a whole host of other things can go awry. More on that in a moment. When a backlight fails, the picture will get extremely dim. It will still work but be almost unreadable.

Is it worth it to repair an LCD monitor?

Never. The cost of repairing an LCD monitor will usually cost more than replacing it outright.

Common issues with LCD monitors

Solid horizontal and/or vertical lines

One day you will turn on the monitor and these brightly colored lines will appear with no way to get rid of them. This is a hardware fault and there is no fix for this. Replace the monitor.

Monitor takes a while to "warm up" after starting it

You turn the monitor on and it takes a minute or two to reach full brightness. This is a backlight issue. You can still use the monitor normally until the backlight breaks (which it will eventually).

Monitor flickers on and off randomly

This is laptop-specific. The LCD ribbon connector cable is damaged from normal use of opening and closing the lid over time. This can be repaired. The monitor does not need replacement, but the ribbon connector cable does.

If you’re brave enough you can order this part from the OEM manufacturer and replace it yourself. It it normally located under the left-side hinge. It is not easy, but certainly cheaper than replacing the entire display.

Suggested course of action is to locate an authorized computer repair center and have them replace the ribbon connector. It will cost anywhere from $60 to $150, labor included. This may sound expensive but it’s still cheaper than replacing the monitor itself which will cost a whole lot more.

Corners or one side of monitor appears dimmer than the other

Again this is a backlight issue. There is no fix. Deal with it or replace the monitor.

Everything "goes green" or "goes pink" or "goes red"

For laptops, again this is the ribbon connector cable. Replace it. For desktops, replace the monitor cable which may or may not fix the problem.

"Wild patterns" appear for no reason

It will look something like this:

No fix for this. Monitor is busted. Replace it.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

The solution could be as simple as adjusting your LCD monitor’s refresh rate by 1Hz if it’s allowed.

In my dual-display setup I have a 20-inch BenQ FP202W with a native 1680×1050 widescreen display connected via DVI, and an old (and rather crappy) Sony 17-inch SDM-S73 with a native 1280×1024 normal aspect display connected via VGA.

There were certain instances where I’d swear the fonts looked better on the Sony (particularly the smaller sizes). But they shouldn’t. The DVI should be better all around.

After looking around I found this:

I did in fact have the option to change the refresh rate from 60Hz to 59. So I tried it out.

The fonts instantly sharpened up and looked better. It wasn’t a huge difference but it was noticeable. All fonts were now more legible and in addition the look outperformed the Sony like it was supposed to.

That seemingly insignificant 1Hz change was in fact significant.

Whether you’re using nVidia or ATI, if (and that’s a big “if”) your settings allow it, you may be able to change your refresh rate depending on your monitor’s capabilities. And who knows, you may see a difference that will make things look better on your screen just by adjusting 1Hz.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few words about refresh rates, CRT and LCD monitors

The standard refresh rate on VGA-capable monitors (which is all of them by today’s standards) is 60Hz whether you’re using CRT (tubed) or LCD (flat panel).

With CRT, 60Hz is by far the worst refresh rate to use because many suffer from what I call the “60Hz headache”. When you have a CRT set to this standard refresh rate there are many (myself included) that will develop a “dull” headache after about 30 to 45 minutes of use. In addition you may hear an almost inaudible high-pitched squealing noise. The cure to this ill is to change the rate to 70, 72 or 75Hz. The dull headache will go away and the noise will be gone.

Those who have been using computers long enough (particularly at work) most likely have specially coated eyeglasses to combat against the ills of using a CRT at a 60Hz refresh. While this helps, changing the rate to a higher hertz is highly advised.

With LCD, the best (usually) refresh rate to use is 60Hz. It’s the exact opposite of CRT. I only switched to 59 because it presented a better look to my eye.

While it’s true CRT still has certain advantages (it’s still the best computer gaming monitor to date as there’s no such thing as “ghosting” on CRT), LCD is far better as far as your health is concerned. There’s no “crackle” of static discharge when the monitor is shut off, the power consumed is far less, and it’s far better for your eyes.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

When I switched to the Mac Pro back in October, the system came with a single video card with two video outs. But, I had more than two monitors. I had visions, yet again, of being surrounded in monitors. You know, like I’m working at NASA or something.

So, I purchased a second video card for the Mac Pro. After installation, I had a total of 4 video outs. And, of course, I proceeded to hook up 4 screens. So, my Mac Pro setup had one Gateway 19″ widescreen, a Gateway 21″ widescreen, and 2 19″ standard screens (one a cheapo Mag Innovision and the other a Samsung). All screens worked fine, although it was a bit odd not having symmetry on the monitors (all the screens were essentially different sizes).

One of the most annoying problems I had with this setup was I would lose my mouse cursor fairly often. On Windows, you can configure it so that you hit the CTRL button and you get a little animated target around your mouse cursor to help you find it. On OS X, I’ve yet to find such a feature. So, of course, I would be forced to just move the mouse cursor around until my peripheral vision caught the location.

Yeah, a pain in the butt. I had hit the point of too many screens.

This weekend, I went ahead and picked up two Dell 24″ widescreens. I would have liked to get the 30″ screens, but they cost a fortune and really would not fit on my desk very well. Plus, the native resolution for a 24″ screen is 1920×1200. In order to get an increase, you have to jump all the way to a 30″. For any screen size between 24″ and 30″, you’re still getting the same screen resolution as the 24″. Obviously, everything just gets bigger. Not worth the money.

So, my current setup is 2 24″ Dell screens side-by-side and then my original 21″ widescreen is now a third screen. I use the 2 24-inchers as my main workspace and the 21″ for various apps that are running all the time such as instant messenger, Twhirl, etc.

So far I have not lost my mouse once. The most efficient multiple screen setup seems to be dual 24″. I only have the third screen because I can.

Multiple Monitors or Just One Big Monitor?

The answer is simple: multiple is better.

When your two monitors are identical (so you don’t have mismatched heights), a multi-monitor setup not only gives you a much larger workspace, but it is much more affordable. For about $400 less than the price of a single 30″ monitor, I was able to get two 24″ monitors. Or put another way, I could have purchased a third 24″ monitor and still came in less than a 30″ monitor. So, dollar for pixel, you get a LOT more for your money going multiple monitor.

How Many Is Too Many?

Well, as you can see above, four was too many for me. The sweet spot is two for me and I would assume that is the case for most people.

The thing to think about is how much you can visually work with. I can visually work with 2 screens at once. The others are in my peripheral vision and are thus best used for apps which just sit there and allow you to monitor things, If you actually try to WORK on more than two monitors, it gets to be too much. Your neck swings side to side and you lose your mouse cursor.

The Price Sweet Spot

24 inches is the current sweet spot. Sure, you can go larger but, again, you get no improvement in screen resolution until you hit 30″. So, from 24″ up through 28″, everything just gets larger. You’re not actually gaining any screen real estate at the native resolutions. So, what’s the point?

Preference is Personal

Others may have different opinions. Perhaps some cannot handle more than a single screen. Others may want the screen real estate but have weaker vision, in which case going larger than 24″ (so that you get larger images) may help you get the best of both worlds.

Both OS X and Windows can easily support a boatload of monitors. The question you need to answer is how many is right for you. If you are a stock day trader or have many apps open at once that you need to visually monitor but not necessarily work with, then perhaps more than two screens is necessary for you.

One thing I can tell you, though, is that multiple monitors is rather like broadband internet. Once you have had broadband, you can’t deal with dial-up. Well, once you’ve had more than one screen, going back to one makes your world seem a lot smaller.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Obviously, one needs to compare features when shopping around for a product. Here, I will list the terms that you should be familiar with, and how they will affect your decision.

Aspect Ratio

This is the ratio of width to height. A standard, non-widescreen monitor will have an aspect ratio of 4:3, while the wider displays will have 16:9 or similar. A wide format will actually allow you to see more laterally than you would otherwise, hence the draw to have a wide monitor for movies and games. 16:9 is actually the standard format for hi-def video, so if you plan on watching full screen movies, you will experience less image distortion with this than you will with the others.

This is important depending on what you want out of a monitor. For games and movies, it is recommended you go with a widescreen display. For an email and word computer, you might as well save the coin and stick with 4:3. Of course, as with everything, it is also a matter of preference.

Resolution

This is the size of the viewing area, expressed in pixels. LCD monitors actually have what is called a native resolution, which is the best possible resolution for that particular screen. When set to native, the monitor will display icons and text without stretching, and will give you the best view. A typical native resolution for a 17” monitor would be shown as “1280×1024”. With certain monitor sizes and aspect ratios, you can expect certain native resolutions. Setting a higher resolution can actually have a similar affect that widescreen formats do; you will see your viewing area increase, and things may appear smaller.

High native resolutions will come hand in hand with a really nice viewing experience and smoother picture. It is difficult to pick a monitor based on this simply because monitors that are similar in size will likely support similar resolutions.

Contrast Ratio

This is a ratio that depicts the difference between absolute light and absolute dark so far as the monitor is concerned. That is to say that if the number is very high (say 4000:1), the dark scenes will be very dark, and the bright scenes will be very bright. How a monitor can achieve its contrast ratio is actually fairly complicated, so you might want to search up the term to better understand it. Just know that a high number is a good number.

Most media will benefit from a high ratio because of how rich the colors become. A game like F.E.A.R., which tends to have incredibly dark environments, becomes much more immersive because black is actually black and very difficult to see through. Photos and movies will also improve visually.

Brightness

I suppose the title sort of gives away the definition. This will be given in candela per square meter. Since most of us cannot translate what 300 candela per square meter actually looks like, just know that if the number is higher, the monitor can display its image brighter.

Remember that you can adjust brightness, so having a high value here isn’t a bad thing if you don’t like really bright light in your face. It is advisable to take a display with a higher possible brightness over one with a lower value because of this.

Response Time

This is a time given in milliseconds that tells you how long it takes for a pixel to change color. Most response times now settle somewhere between 12 and 5ms, with more expensive monitors offering times like 2ms. The faster the time, the more responsive the monitor will seem. Some people don’t really care about this value (after all, what is 12ms of time?) but anybody who cares about their media will tell you that this number directly affects the crispness of the display. A fast action sequence can be difficult to watch because every moving object seems to have a brief trail behind it. Anyone who has had experience with early laptops that had some of the first consumer LCDs will know the pains of this problem. Luckily, LCD technology has come a long way since then.

Basically, faster is better, especially if you do any gaming or watch any movies on your PC.

Viewing Angle

This is the angle at which you can see the detail and color on the screen with a reasonable amount of clarity. This measurement isn’t exactly standardized, though viewing angles in general have improved dramatically over the last few years.

This is a valuable bit of information if you plan on watching movies with a few people. Chances are that your dinner guests won’t all be sitting directly in front of the screen, so having a display that is forgiving in this area will prove useful. The best way to find out what is suitable is to go to a store and see it for yourself.

Viewing Area

This refers to your basic monitor size, which on an LCD is measured in inches diagonally across the screen. This can range anywhere from 17” all the way up into the 50s for LCD TVs.

Prices are always fluctuating, so the only comment I’ll make about this is that you will see an exponential increase in price happen across the board, which is directly related to the size of the screen. You will typically see this effect once you pass up the 22” displays and work your way up.

Conclusion

There are a few more details that you can look into for a new LCD monitor, but these are the core features that need to be evaluated in order for you to make a more informed decision. The best thing you can do for yourself is to go and have look at the monitors in person, because image quality cannot really be measured and dictated to the degree that we will perceive it outside of viewing it. Happy shopping!

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

LCD monitors, on the other hand, are not measured using the tricky viewable area measurement. An LCD monitor is measured by the actual size of the screen. The measurement is taken diagonally, from corner to corner, just as with the CRT.

When searching for your next monitor you have the choice to choose between a regular CRT monitor or a more modern LCD display. Since the prices of LCD’s have dropped considerably in recent years, the choice between the two often comes down to application. Whereas some hard-core gamers and graphics developers may still stick to a larger, advanced CRT screen, the average computer user can now seek out an LCD screen at affordable price. LCD’s offer several advantages offer conventional CRT monitors including a sharper image and smaller footprint (size). There is also no more need to adjust the refresh rate with LCD’s as there was with CRT’s.

If you are still interested in CRT monitors, a size of 17″ or 19″ has pretty much become standard these days. One would be foolish to purchase anything smaller than this, and a CRT less than 17″ is pretty hard to find these days anyway. At the time of this writing, the same size standards happen to hold true for LCD’s due to continued advances in technology and continued decreases in price. Many owners of LCD displays have either a 17″ or 19″ model. 15″ or smaller LCD’s are starting becoming pretty rare these days, and often cost the same as a 17″ LCD, sometimes even more. If you are shopping for an LCD, you are best of buying a bigger, newer, model unless you are really pressed for space.

At the end, the choice of LCD vs. CRT is up to the individual user and the intended application, but there is a general trend in the technology industry of moving away from CRT technology towards newer and more advanced LCD displays. Going along with this trend, the next section is therefore dedicated solely to LCD displays.

LCD Size and Price

It is true that LCD monitors used to be more expensive than CRTs. The primary reason for this was because of complexity and quality control. TFT LCD monitors are rather complicated, incorporating million of transistors in the screen in order to control current to each individual pixel. This is very different than a CRT monitor, where each pixel is just a phosphor dot that is ignited using an electron gun. And, with the increased complexity of the LCD comes a higher emphasis on quality control. Producing glass sheets containing millions of transistors for an LCD screen is an involced process, and all of the transistors need to work. A bad transistor means that the corresponding LCD pixel will not work. Each transistor panel that is manufactured has to be tested for this. If the panel contains too many bad transistors, the unit is discarded. Out of any batch of LCD’s, some are discarded for this problem, while others are fine and move on to become full LCD monitors. But, the cost of the monitors also has to absorb the cost of this increased quality control. These factor led to LCD screens being more expensive.

Advancements in the LCD manufacturing process lead to cost cutting measures that can be taken. Hence, the prices of LCD’s are are continuing to come down. Whereas the smaller 15″ LCD’s used to be more expensive than a 17″ or 19″ CRT, prices have now come down to the point where a 19″ LCD can be had for under $200, which is quite affordable to the average computer user.. Because of this the, majority of computer builders purchase an LCD with their new build nowadays as opposed to an older CRT monitor (although some hard-core gamers might beg to differ here). Larger sizes of LCD’s exit, but currently the prices rise considerably for LCD’s greater than 21″. The largest LCD’s are quite expensive, often costing several thousand dollars. It turns out that at the time of this writing a 19″ LCD can be had for around $180, a 20″-21″ LCD between $200-300, and 24″ and greater LCD can cost to close to $400 and beyond.

Bundled Monitors

Often, if you buy a pre-built PC, you will receive a LCD/CRT monitor with it. Some assume that the manufacturer knows something they don’t and that the monitor is the perfect match for that particular computer and video card. This is not necessarily true. While this monitor will provide a basic set of features and adequate performance, the manufacturer has value in mind instead of quality and performance.

Many PC’s these days come bundled with a 17″ LCD monitor. Some come bundled with 19″ or larger LCD monitors, as well. Some vendors do not offer a bundled monitor at all, but instead offer it as an upgrade for an additional fee. Of course, the cheapest will be the smallest and most basic. It is worth it, though, to check out the upgraded, more expensive monitor. In some cases, you can get a great deal on a nice size monitor through a vendor when you are purchasing a PC.

Lastly, many vendors offer bundled CRT/LCD monitors that come with the vendor’s own label on it (e.g. Dell). Some may wonder if this monitor is as good as a name brand LCD/CRT monitor. This is not a problem, though. Chances are that these monitors are being assembled in the same place by the same people. The vendor is simply purchasing the monitor wholesale and slapping their own label on it. Some vendors simply have the manufacturer modify the monitors a tad to bring them to a certain standard. Nevertheless, the vendor is probably not making their own monitor.

Lastly, it is good to have an understanding of the term “flat screen”. Some vendors offer “flat screen displays” are seemingly very affordable prices with their computers. Many consumers automatically assume this means you are getting an LCD. But, this is not always the case. CRT monitors are also available in flat screen versions. These monitors operate using standard CRT technology, but use a flat screen rather than the normally concave screen seen on older CRTs. One needs to be sure they know which type of screen is being advertised. Do not be fooled.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.