Computer Monitor Specs.

While buying a PC , we have the choice of picking a monitor of our choice. It is important to pick the right monitor as the implications can be long term.
As we upgrade our PC 's , we would normally upgrade the CPU leaving the monitor as it is. This means we could be staring at the same monitor for a long long time. It is therefore important to choose the right monitor which suits our budget and takes into account the future.

The different hardware technologies currently available commercially are as follows:

CRT : Cathode Ray Tube Monitors

They work by firing beams of electrons at phosphor dots on the inside of a glass tube. The phosphors are chemicals that emit red, green or blue light when hit by electrons. These monitors are capable of multiple resolutions, give the best look to full-motion video and provide better control over color calibration for graphic artists. They are similar to the picture tube inside a normal television set and are cost effective and big in size. They are cheap because the technology has been available for a long long time and they are mass produced. Mass production has led to fall in prices over time and they are easily available. They are easy to service and are sturdy. These days, we can also find Flat CRT's , which reduce the glare and distortion produced by a conventional CRT. These may be slightly more expensive but do score over the conventional CRT's in performance and screen size.

LCD : Liquid Crystal Display Monitor

In the screen of an LCD monitor, each pixel is produced by a tiny cell, which contains a thin layer of liquid crystals. These rod-shaped molecules bend light in response to an electric current. They are commonly used in laptops and are now being used in desktops also. They are slim and light weight. LCD's tend to be clearer than CRT's with little focus or convergence problems. LCD monitors are able to display higher resolutions and hence more clarity. However lower end LCD monitors have only one optimal resolution. At optimal resolution, they can display small text clearly, however at lower resolutions the LCD monitor may show an odd kind of blown up image. A variant of an LCD monitor which is more expensive and with better display properties is TFT (Thin- Film Transistors) monitor. However one drawback with LCD monitors is the reduced viewing angle. The image visibility may be severely compromised at wider angles reducing the number of people who can view the same image with one LCD monitor.

Plasma Screens Display Monitor

Plasma Display Panels (PDP) are emissive flat panel displays where light is created by phosphors excited by a plasma discharge between two flat panels of glass. Plasma displays are bright (1000 lx (Lux) or higher for the module), have a wide color range, and can be produced in fairly large sizes -- up to 262 centimeters (103 inches) diagonally. The display panel is only about 6 centimeters (2 1/2 inches) thick, while the total thickness, including electronics, is less than 10 centimeters. They are slim, have a wide viewing angle, a very bright image and are very high quality and also very fragile. If used as computer monitors they can add value to the PC experience, but are always in the danger of being damaged. They are still very expensive and difficult to repair.

The Future
The future may belong to cheaper plasma monitors which are more durable, slimmer and high end. Research is also being done on Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display (SED) and Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) displays. These may improve upon the characteristics of the plasma screens , however they are still some time in the future. The current focus is on reducing the prices of plasma screen monitors to make them affordable to a wider range of people. The focus is also on improving durability and better cheaper after sale service.

While taking a purchase decision for a computer monitor, it is important to understand the following distinguishing features. A better understanding of the following characteristics of a monitor can lead to better informed decisions. These common technical specifications of a monitor will distinguish monitors in terms of price and performance.

Size: Monitors are measured in terms of its Diagonal length. That is why a flat screen will be bigger compared to a conventional CRT which has a curvature shape to its screen. Normally bigger the screen size, higher the price.
Resolution:This is a most important technical specification determining image quality and visibility. This is determined on the amount of individual pixels on a screen, measured horizontally by vertically. Resolution of a screen remains the same no matter the screen size, so a 17" screen with a 1024 x 768 resolution will show a clearer picture than a 23" screen with a 1024 x 768 resolution, due to a lower dot pitch.

Some common standards are as follows:
XGA (Extended Graphic Array) has a resolution of 1024 X 768 Pixels
SXGA (Super) has a resolution of 1280 X 1024 Pixels
UXGA (Ultra) has a resolution of 1600 X 1200 Pixels
QXGA (Quad) has a resolution of 2048 X 1536 Pixels
WXGA (Wide) has a resolution of 1280 X 800 Pixels
WSXGA+ ( Wide SXGA plus) has a resolution of 1680 X 1050 Pixels
WUXGA (Wide Ultra) has a resolution of 1920 X 1200 Pixels

Before a purchase decision is made, it is important to compare the resolution of various monitors.
The image clarity is dependent upon the resolution supported by the monitor. Do also check, if the monitor can support multiple resolutions.
Dot Pitch:A computer monitor displays an image made up of millions of pixels, or 'dots'. Dot pitch refers to the distance between each pixel. The lower the dot pitch, the less distance between pixels, and the sharper the image. Normally display monitors with a lower dot pitch will be slightly more expensive but will be worth the price in the long term.
Refresh Rate: This refers to how many times per second a screen can redraw itself, or 'refresh'. To avoid flickering, a screen must have a refresh rate of at least 72 Hz. This is the minimum. Try to find monitors with a high refresh rate to avoid the flickering problem.
Aspect ratio:Aspect ratio is the width of your computer monitor versus the height of your monitor. The traditional monitor has an aspect ratio of 4:3, and some wide screen monitors have an aspect ratio of 16:9 (sometimes 15:9 or 16:10). Find a an optimal ratio that supports your space and your inclination.

When buying a computer monitor, it is important to balance out the various properties and prioritize your requirements. Look for the best monitor, within your budget and try to go for better image clarity, flexible resolution and a light weight thin monitor which will look contemporary for a long time.