The CRT monitor is a technology that is over 100 years old. Picture quality has got considerably better since the 5" black and white televisions of the 1950s, but the hot and bulky cathode ray tube seems woefully cumbersome and low tech when it is sat on your desk next to a modern PC. Luckily in the last few years, snazzy high tech alternatives have been made available and affordable.

LCD monitors use less then a quarter of the space taken up by a CRT monitor, and use a third of the power. LCD monitors also give a much sharper picture, and are easier on the eyes since the pixels stay continuously on or off, instead of flashing every time the screen is refreshed.

We take an in depth look into the technology that goes into making an LCD monitor, and how it affects the finished product.

Size matters

The first and most obvious question facing the prospective LCD buyer is the question of size. 15"? 17"? 19"? Or even more? The quoted sizes for LCD screens are the actual diagonal dimensions of the picture, unlike CRT sizes, which include the edges of the tube that are covered by the bezel. This means that an LCD is the equivalent size to a CRT about an inch bigger. A 20" LCD has as much screen area as a 21" CRT monitor, and a 15" LCD is almost a match for a 17" CRT, which really only has 16" of usable screen area.

The physically fixed pixels of an LCD monitor restrict it to one "native" resolution. The typical 15" LCD runs at 1024x768, and most 17" models run at 1280x1024. There are exceptions to this rule, very cheap screens may be cheap because they have a lower resolution, and larger screens often use unusual resolutions, so do check before buying to avoid disappointment. If your eyesight isn't too good, it would be a good idea to nip down to your local PC retailer, and see what the various resolution and size combinations look like first hand.

Unlike CPUs and graphics cards which have an incredibly short life cycle, a monitor is something you tend to keep hold of. Because of this, we feel it is a good idea to save up and buy the biggest and best LCD you can. For general office work, resolution and size are king. A large low spec LCD is more useful than a smaller high spec one.

What are the differences between the cheap and the high quality monitors?

Almost all the important components of the LCD monitor are encapsulated in the LCD panel module, which are standard parts produced by only 4 or 5 major manufacturers. All the maker of the monitor has to do is add a case, power supply and driving electronics. Let's not forget the all important branding and marketing. Given this, you might presume that all LCD monitors are more or less equal, but this isn't entirely true. LCD panels are very complex things, and some will have defects such as dead pixels, which occur when a transistor fails. The LCD panel manufacturers test the panels, grade them accordingly, and then sell them on to monitor manufacturers. This means that a very cheap monitor is likely to have a third rate panel inside it, and an expensive monitor will have a top grade panel, and is unlikely to have any defects or dead pixels. Cut-price monitors may also use older designs of LCD panel, with inferior contrast ratios, viewing angles, and response times.

The driving electronics in the monitor are responsible for scaling resolutions; so higher quality monitors are generally better at displaying non-native resolutions. Better quality monitors will also come with longer warranties, and better return policies regarding dead pixels. Most manufacturers will not promise a perfect screen, and only let you return the monitor if you have above a certain number of dead pixels. This can be as many as 10 pixels. It is definitely worth finding out the policy on dead pixels before buying. Don't be too disheartened if you get a monitor with one or two dead sub-pixels, you won't usually be able to see them at a normal viewing distance.

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