In recent years, LCD monitors or flat-panel displays have become increasingly popular as alternatives to traditional CRT monitors, which are still most commonly used for desktop computers today. With the market growing more competitive however and prices dropping, the LCD is fast becoming a preference. The slim, stylish design is a major factor in its appeal, as is its picture quality and power efficiency.
LCD monitors use the same Liquid Crystal Display technology that is found in other devices, such as wristwatches and cell phones. Made up of millions of pixels, a display is the sum of all of its parts working together. Each pixel is associated with its own cell, which in turn has a layer of liquid crystals. The rods of these crystals “bend” when an electric current is pulsed through them. This turns the crystal on or off, permitting light to pass through. The result is the picture, image, data, and overall display on a monitor.
Regarding pixels, the native resolution of LCD monitors is typically 1024×768 or higher (for monitors 15” or larger). Such a resolution means that 1024 pixels are lined across the display, while 768 are found up and down. The greater the resolution, the clearer the picture.
Consumers should keep in mind though that for an LCD, each screen is optimized for one resolution. While CRT models can be adjusted for multiple resolutions, an LCD will look the best for one and then scale images/text to fit other resolutions. When choosing a monitor, be sure to ask what the optimum resolution is. Generally, the native resolution for monitors 15” or less is 1024×768; for monitors 17” or 19”, 1280×1024; and for a 20” monitor, 1600×1200.
As for clarity, two other factors for LCD monitors are brightness and viewing angle. The contrast ratio measures the difference between the darkest and brightest part of a screen. Consumers should look for a higher contrast ratio, as it will mean a sharper picture with deeper blacks and brighter whites. In regards to viewing angle, LCDs tend to be clearest when looked at straight on. When moving to one side or another, the picture can become washed out, depending on the viewing angle’s size. The higher the viewing angle approaching 180°, the better.
Size-wise, an LCD can display higher resolutions than a comparable CRT model. When looking into LCD monitors, note that the size is measured diagonally. Thus, a 15” monitor means that from the upper right-hand corner to the lower left, it’s 15”. This is similar to a television’s measurement. However, size is also reflective of price and for monitors 15” or greater, consumers are looking at an investment of $600 and likely more.
The price of an LCD is indeed considerable. However, the advantages of such a display, which include less power needed, less electromagnetic radiation emitted, and space-saving versatility, can in the end prove to justify such a price tag. One other plus: LCD screens tend to last longer than CRTs.
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