MONITOR
The
monitor is a hardware device, which physically connects to your video
card. The monitor allows information and current status be be visually
outputted similar to a TV.
Types
of Monitors
Monitor
Manufacturers: Sony, Samsung, Princeton, ViewSonic, illyama, NEC
CRT
or Cathode Ray Tube Monitor
CRT stands for cathode-ray tube and is a technology has been around
for a long time. Until recently, it was the only choice of monitor
available to consumers. The CRT technology works by passing an electron
beam across the back of the screen illuminating phosphor dots. This
is process is repeated from top to bottom many times thus creating
a screen image.
LCD
or Flat Panel Monitor
LCD stands for liquid crystal display and although it may seem like
this is a new technology it has been used in digital watches for years.
The technology works by passing an electric current through liquid
crystal which is contained between two sheets of polarizing material.
There are 2 types of color LCD's, passive matrix and active matrix
also known as TFT (thin film transistor). Passive matrix LCD's are
the less expensive of the two types.
| CRT |
LCD |
| |
|
| Pros |
Pros |
| Inexpensive |
Takes up
little space on desktop |
| Multi-Sync
Capable |
Light Weight |
| High Refresh
Rates |
Energey
Efficient |
| Better
Color Clarity and Depth |
Causing
less eye fatigue |
| |
|
| Cons |
Cons |
| Takes up
alot of space on desktop |
Expensive |
| Very heavy |
Blurry
Images outside native resolution |
| Use large
amounts of energy |
Motion
blur on fast moving images |
| Generate
excess heat |
Washed
out colors |
CRT
vs. LCD Monitor Comparison Chart:
| Characteristic |
CRT |
LCD |
Description |
| Screen
size |
x |
x |
Diagonal
length of the screen surface.
Starts at 13 inches up to 32 inches for some of the LCD monitors |
| Resolution |
x |
x |
The number
of pixels displayed on a entire screen. The higher the resolution
the more you can display in the screen. LCD Monitors work best
at a specific resolution otherwise known as native resolution
Most monitors start at 640 * 480 resolution up to 1920 * 1200
for some high-end LCD monitors. |
| Refresh
Rate |
x |
|
The refresh
rate of a monitor is the frequency at which the screen is redrawn.
The higher the number the more often the screen is redrawn and
the less flicker will occur. Common refresh rates are 60, 72
and 75Hz. A monitor rated at 60Hz can build 60 frames per second. |
| Response
Time |
|
x |
The time
it takes an LCD monitor to build one screen. The lower the response
time the better. Common response time is 12-16ms. |
| Interlaced |
x |
|
The electronic
beam draws every other line with each pass, which lessens the
overall effect of a lower refresh rate. |
| Viewing
Angle |
x |
x |
CRT can
be viewed at almost any angle. LCD can be viewed at certain
angles. The range for this spec is 120/100 degrees for lower
end models to 170/170 degrees for higher end models. |
| Dot
Pitch |
x |
|
This is
the space between image pixels on the screen measured in millimeters.
The lower the number the better. An example of a dot pitch is.
28mm |
| Color |
x |
x |
The number
of bits used to store data about color for each pixel.
Color Support in Bits/Pixel Measurement
16 colors = 4-bit color
256 colors = 8-bit
65,536 colors =16-bit (high color mode)
16,777,216 = 24-bit (true color mode)
True colors = 32-bit (usually reserved for scanning)
|
| Connectors |
x |
x |
The most
common are the VGA connector for older monitors
The newest connector are the DVI (Digital Video Interface) |
| Brightness |
|
x |
Shows how
bright the LCD display will be and ranges from 200 cd/m 2 to
350 cd/m 2. |
| Contrast
Ratio |
|
x |
The contrast
ratio determines how rich colors will appear on screen. The
contrast between true black and true white on the screen. The
higher the contrast ratio the better. Contrast ratios range
from 200:1 up to 1000:1 |
| Backlighting |
|
x |
Some LCD
monitors display backlighting better than others. |
| Multiscan |
x |
|
CRT monitors
offers a variety of refresh rates so they can support several
video cards. |
| Display
Type |
x |
x |
CRT supports
a curve screen and a flat CRT improves clarity
LCD supports TFT (Active Matrix) and DSTN (Passive Matrix) |
Monitor
Troubleshooting
Greenish
Tint (Bad Monitor or Bent Pins)
Never
work on monitors very dangerous!!!!!!!!!
Monitor
Controls
Power
- Turns the monitor on / off.
Brightness
- Using this button or wheel the user can increase and decrease the
brightness on the screen.
Contrast
- Using this button or wheel can increase and decrease the amount
of contrast on the screen.
Horizontal
Size - Allows for the picture on the screen to be stretched to the
horizontal edge of the monitor.
Vertical
Size - Allows the picture on the screen to be stretched to the vertical
edges of the monitor.
Horizontal
Position - Allows the picture to move moved horizontally, once in
the center the user can then use the Horizontal size to stretch it
to have an equal amount of black border on each side.
Vertical
Position - Like the Horizontal Position, using this button or wheel
the user can move the picture up or down to center the picture more
appropriately.
Full
Screen - Sets monitor to full screen
Degauss
- This button will demagnetize the CRT restoring possible color impurities.
After this button has been pressed the degaussing circuit will be
activated and then deactivated after a few seconds. Pressing and holding
this button for a few seconds may cause your computer monitor to reset
all data.
Corner
/ Trapezoid Correction - Using this button or wheel the user can either
round the edges of the picture or move the picture inward like an
hour glass or outwards.
Vertical
Linearity - Sets the width of the vertical lines.
Moire
- Removes or reduces the Moire effect if any.
OSD
Controls - If the monitor contains OSD controls allows for the OSD
menus to be adjusted.
Power
Management - Allows the user to define the power management settings
through the monitor itself and not the software.
Monitor
Status - Displays the current monitor settings such as refresh rate
and other settings.
Language
- Sets the language on the monitor.
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