CRT Monitor Verses LCD Monitor

During the times of PC discovery and first applications, the output was not on screen display but rather on papers punched by a type writer or a similar device. Advances in the computer industry led to the introduction of video display of the work we do with computer. A great breakthrough was realized when monitors could be made from Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) that had been applied in the make of home television sets.

Recently, monitors that utilize the technology of flowing molecules to interact with light and phenomenally affect the wavelength of light have been introduced into the market, posing a competition with the traditional CRT screens. These monitors are generally known as LCD monitors and are widely accepted in the computer industry.

The main differences between a CRT monitor and an LCD monitor is the technology that controls their functionality. CRT monitor utilizes the knowledge of high speed moving electrons from a high voltage cathode, passing in between electron deflectors that act as control unit controlling the specific point where the electron will hit on a phosphorous coated screen, where it will cause an emission of light seen by the eye. These emissions are of high wavelengths of light, coming with them risks to the user, and due to great impact on the screen, creating a problem with electrostatic.

LCD or Liquid Crystal Display, are made by incorporating a molecule that moves like a liquid along a current of electricity coming from a transistor. The light passing in a field of electric charge will be interfered with in a specific manner, and will be filtered out according to the nature of the molecule crystal it passes through. Placing three of such crystals perpendicular to each other will control the color of the light reaching the display screen.

Having said little on the basic technological differences between the two screens, it is important to mention the implications one has on using either of the two display means for a PC. Widely used still is the CRT display screen which has the advantage of being cheap due to the simplicity of the process used when making it, as compared to the technology involved in the manufacture of an LCD screen. But, a CRT screen has effects on the eyes and other body parts due to the emissions it has. Many people have turned into bad eye sight due to long hours of exposure to these rays that have either impaired their vision or to the worse turned them blind at night.

LCD screen is an expensive component of the computer to acquire, with cost being over five times the cost of a similar CRT screen in terms of inches. A 17" monitor of CRT make costs shillings 5000 in Kenya whereas a similar 17" LCD screen goes for about 23, 000 shillings and a 15" LCD goes for about 15, 000 shillings. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the output characteristics in terms of screen resolution and quality of display of a 15" LCD screen is slightly less than that of a 17" CRT screen, meaning that the same basic output characteristic can be achieved by the 15" LCD screen.

Health problems associated with LCD screens are minimal, and cost saving in terms of power utilization is enormous. When using a CRT screen, it will be realized that a lot of problems are associated with them; the user, the computer and the environment. It is therefore advisable to use an LCD screen rather than the traditional CRT screen which may be cheap, but have expensive operations and maintenance cost.