Choosing a LCD monitor requires different knowledge from choosing a CRT monitor. They are different technology and cannot be compared in the same way. The following are the things that you should look out for when choosing a LCD monitor.

Resolution

LCD monitors work differently from its CRT counterpart. Its screen display is based on a fixed matrix of horizontal and vertical pixel. As such, LCD monitor works best only at the resolution they are designed for, which is known as the native resolution. If you change the resolution settings, the image and quality will suffer.

If you are looking for a LCD monitor, choose the one with a native resolution that suit your needs.

If you need to change your resolution regularly, getting a CRT monitor might be a better bet.

Response Time

The response time is the measurement of how fast each pixel can change color. It determines whether or not LCDs can clearly show full-motion video without smearing or ghosting.

In fast-paced games, ghosting may occur on slower monitors due to the action being faster than the monitor can keep up with. Therefore, it is more desirable for gamer to get a LCD monitor with a fast response time to prevent any ghosting effect that might occur. The price of the LCD monitor usually increases with a faster response time. Currently in the market, the fastest response time for LCD monitor is 2ms and it costs 50-70% more than the typical 8ms LCDs.

Generally, a LCD monitor with 20ms response time or less is sufficient for normal daily use and video viewing. For gamer, it is preferably to get LCD monitor with response time less than 8ms.

Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratio measures the differences in brightness levels between the brightest white and the darkest black pixel. A good contrast ratio of 120:1 easily displays vivid colors, while ratios as high as 300:1 support superior grayscaling.

A high contrast ratio means that the image colors are more distinct and more detail can be displayed. Typically, contrast ratios range from 450:1 to 600:1. Any LCD monitor with contrast ratio less than 450:1 is not desired.

Viewing Angle

One disadvantage of LCD monitor is that it has a limited viewing angle. Viewing angle refers to the degree of angle at which you can view the screen and still see defined and accurate images. When you stand off center to view the LCD screen, it is most likely that you can only see faded images. CRT monitor do not has this problem.

Choosing a LCD monitor with greater viewing angle will be more desirable in this case.

Recommendation

For gamer who are getting, a LCD monitor, it is best to get one with 2ms response time, 1280×1024 resolution and contrast ratio 650:1 will be great. A good LCD montior I strongly recommend is Niko 1920W 19 Widescreen LCD . It has a clear and bright display and image quality is excellent. Value for money.

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Read on to learn about the factors that determines a good CRT monitor.

Screen Type

CRT monitor comes with two different type of screen: curved and flat. Curved screen is a technology of the past. If you are concerned with comfort, flat screen monitor will be suitable for you as it has a clearer image and more comfortable for eye viewing.

Pixel Pitch

Pixel pitch (also known as dot pitch) is the distance between two like-colored pixels. It is measured in millimeters. The smaller the pixel pitch, the sharper is the image. When the pixels are farther apart, they become noticeable and make the image look grainier. On CRTs, the pixel pitch is usually less than 0.31mm. When choosing for CRTs, always go for the one with the smaller pixel pitch.

Refresh Rate

Refresh rate refers to the rate of speed at which a CRT monitor screen image refreshes itself. If the refresh rate is 72Hz, the screen will refresh itself 72 times per second. The refresh rate affects the image quality. If the CRT monitor is refreshing at a slow rate, the image will be flickering and this can be very uncomfortable to the eye.

All CRT monitors support multiple refresh rates. When choosing your CRT monitor, Always select a CRT monitor with refresh rate more than 70Hz as that is the point where most people do not perceive flicker.

Resolution

Resolution refers to the number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the information on the screen.

Usually the bigger the resolution, the smaller the display font size will be. As a balance, most people set the resolution to 1024×768 where they can read comfortably without having to strain their eye over the small font.

Most of the CRT monitors allow users to change the resolution to suit their needs. Manufacturers also provide a recommended resolution for each CRT monitor they produced. It is always advisable to choose a computer monitor with recommended resolution that best support your needs.

Tip: The bigger the resolution, the slower the refresh rate will be. You cannot have a high resolution and refresh rate at the same time. There have to be a tradeoff between flicker and resolution. Recommendations for refresh rate and resolution include 1280×1024 at 85 Hertz or 1600×1200 at 75 Hertz.

Conclusion

Choosing a CRT monitor is not a difficult task. As long as you follow the pointers above, you should be able to find the CRT monitor that’s best suited for you.

For gaming, a CRT monitor with 21" flat screen, 0.25mm pixel pitch and 1600×1200 resolutions will be perfect.

Check out TigerDirect! for CRT monitor promotion

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What to look out for when choosing a LCD monitor?

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How to choose a computer monitor?
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The computer monitor is where you will spend hours staring at. Choosing the right monitor will ensure that your comfort level is not compromised, especially to the eyes.

In addition, the monitor is the most expensive single component of the whole computer system. By making the right decision, you can make sure that your money is well spent.

Read on to find out what to look out for when choosing your best computer monitor. Or if you’re interested to find out the price for monitors, check out TigerDirect!.

CRT or LCD? Which is the best computer monitor?

Many people are confused whether to get a CRT or LCD monitor. Well, both have their own pros and cons and it’s hard to say which type is the best for you. However, LCD monitor, been the lighter and smaller one, has gradually become the favorite and replaced CRT monitor as the standard for display.

On the other hand, CRT monitor still has its advantages over the LCD monitor. In some occasions, it’s indeed better to use a CRT monitor than a LCD monitor. I have summed up the advantages of the CRT and LCD monitor below for your reference:

Advantages of LCD Monitor

Less power consumption – LCD monitor consume lesser power than CRT monitor, averaging about 45 watts for a 19-inch LCD display. CRT monitor requires about 100 watts.

Smaller and lighter – LCD monitor is significantly thinner, lighter and taking up less desk space than CRT monitor

Sharper images – At higher resolution, LCD monitor displays a sharper image than its CRT counterpart

Less eye strain – CRT monitor works by refreshing the screen at regular interval, this will cause strain to the eyes. LCD displays do not cause strain to the eye as much since the pixels are fixed in position and only the color change.

Advantages of CRT Monitor

Less expensive – CRT monitor cost much lesser than LCD monitor.

Better color clarity – CRT displays have historically represented colors and different gradations of color more accurately than LCD displays.

Better response to images – CRT monitors have had fewer problems with ghosting and blurring than LCD monitors

Multiple resolutions – CRT monitors work well with multiple resolutions while LCD monitors only work well with its native resolution.

More rugged – Although they are bigger and heavier than LCD displays, CRT displays are also less fragile and harder to damage.

Conclusion

If you belong to one of these groups: computer geek who go for the latest technology, have a limited desk space, have extra cash to spare, always view images in high resolution (such as gaming), then you should go for the LCD monitor. Other than that, if you are concerned with ruggedness, need to change resolution frequently and need better color clarity, it’s better to stick with the conventional CRT monitor.

Check out TigerDirect! for the best computer monitor deals.

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