What to Know When Buying a PC Monitor

When considering buying a PC monitor, you may be overwhelmed by the number and types of monitors available in the market. Especially, LCD ( liquid-crystal display) monitors have become increasingly popular over the last years as a result of their light weight, their crispy clear image, their aesthetic appeal and also their significantly lower consumption rates. On the other hand, there are consumers that still prefer their bulkier CRTs ( cathode ray tube) because they are more affordable, and they have a better viewing angle and a higher contrast ratio than LCDs.

Here are the most important factors you should consider when buying a PC monitor:

Screen Size

Screen size is one of the most important factors when buying a PC monitor. The most commonly preferred screen sizes are the 15- inch and 17- inch monitors, but there are users who like the 19-inch, or even 21-inch screens, especially those users who play games, watch movies or do detailed graphic work on their PCs.

Experts recommend that for users who utilize their PC for more than two hours per day, the ideal screen size is at least 17 inches. The idea is that the larger the PC monitor, the more amount of viewable space is available for work and the eyes are not so tired from the constant focus on the screen. Similarly, users who utilize their PC for graphic work should have at least a 21-inch monitor, while users who utilize their PC mostly for word processing tasks can do well with a 15-inch monitor.

Viewing Angle

The viewing angle gives an indication of how many degrees above or below the center of the display the image quality deteriorates to intolerable levels. Most LCD monitors have a viewing angle of 160 degrees with a maximum of 180 degrees, which means that the screen is fully visible from any angle in front of the PC display.

Larger monitors have a wider viewing angle. For instance, a 17-inch monitor has a higher viewing angle than a 15-inch monitor. So, if you are using your computer for watching movies or doing graphic work, a larger screen size is required with a wider viewing angle. The idea is: t he wider the viewing angle, the more accurate and consistent the colors from any angle besides a straight position.

Display Resolution

A monitor panel consists of a sum of picture elements, generally known as pixels, which are extremely tiny and therefore invisible to the human eye. The term "pixel" was coined to explain the analysis of satellite images or medical scans of parts of the human body. In their most common form, pixels are used in computer graphics to determine the display resolution of a PC monitor. For instance, a display resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels means that the number of pixels per unit distance is 1280 x 1024 in the particular display.

Each pixel contains information about the picture and the thousands of pixels that produce an individual image are projected onto the display monitor as illuminated dots that form a continuous image. The more pixels on a monitor panel, the higher the quality of image of the PC monitor.

Response Time

Response time measures in milliseconds (ms) the time required for a pixel to change colors and display moving images. A lower response time allows pixels to move and change quicker, reducing the ghosting effect of moving or changing images. These minimal motion artifacts make the PC graphics clearer and quicker in movies, video games, etc. The fewer the milliseconds required for the pixels to change, the faster the pixels change, producing a clear image. Theoretically, a maximum response time between 12ms and 15 ms is ideal for gaming and watching movies without the ghosting effect on the image.

Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratio is possibly the most highly misunderstood specification of display resolution although its basic idea is pretty straightforward. Contrast ratio measures the difference in the luminance between the black and white and it is expressed as ratio - basically the "white" brightness divided by the "black. To better illustrate how the contrast ratio is claimed, if a PC monitor has a contrast ratio of 1000:1 it means that the brightness of the white areas are 1000 times higher than the brightness of the black areas.

A higher contrast ratio is better than a lower one because the colors of the monitor are more realistic. A high contrast ratio allows users to see even the slightest details between the bright areas and the dark areas. However, after a certain point, the higher the contrast ratio the less observable the differences between black and white areas become. Therefore, contrast ratio is an important factor to consider when buying a PC monitor, but when comparing two PC monitors the final decision should be taken based on how the image looks to you .

Brightness

The brightness of a PC monitor is subject to its backlights. The average brightness for a typical PC monitor is 205-350 candelas per square meter (cd/m2), or else known as nits. Brightness measures the highest amount of light coming out of a PC screen displaying pure white.

Usually, PC monitors with brightness over 300 nits are better for watching movies or playing games because video graphics are brighter and more eye-catching. PC monitors with brightness between 200 and 250 nits are better for office work. Nevertheless, all PC monitors offer brightness adjustment features so that users can adjust the default settings to their preferences.

Connectivity

The two types of connection for a PC monitor are analog and digital. Nowadays, most PC monitors come with both an analog and a digital connection. However, as most users prefer LCD monitors, which are digital devices, using an analog connection in a digital device may distort the sharp image quality that a digital connection can provide.

More specifically:

a) Analog connection: this type of connection is not that precise as the data have to be converted from the original digital signal into an analog signal and then back to the digital signal again to be displayed on the screen. This means that because of the transition from digital to analog and then to digital again the quality of image delivered is less accurate.

The most common type of analog connection is the VGA (V ideo Graphics Array) that transmits signals in analog like TVs do. If the connection is Super VGA, then the image quality and resolution is better than regular VGA, but definitely not better than digital connection.

b) Digital connection : this type of connection is the most precise one as it offers image duplication from pixel to pixel. Because the analog connection does not require transition from digital to analog and then to digital again, the image delivered is crisper and cleaner and there is no corruption of the signal.

The most common type of digital connection is the DVI cable (Digital Visual Interface) that offers higher resolution than analog connection. Usually, there are three types of DVI cables:

1) the DVI-Digital (DVI-D) cable that supports digital displays only and is used for connecting a DVI computer to a DVI monitor;

2) the DVI-Analog (DVI-A) cable that supports that supports analog displays only and is used for connecting a DVI computer to a VGA monitor; and

3) the DVI-Integrated (DVI-I) cable that supports both digital and analog displays by transmitting either a digital-to-digital signal or an analog-to-analog signal

Another type of digital connection is the HDMI ( High Definition Multimedia Interface) cable that resembles a USB cable and is all-in-one, standardized, universal connector that allows the transmissions of digital signal, while reducing the number of cables needed. HDMI is built to replace all analog signals including S-Video, Component, Composite and Coaxial as well as HDTV digital signals including DVI, P&D, and DFP.

Each consumer has different needs when it comes to using a PC and for each one there is a different monitor that serves these needs. If you are doing more office work and use your PC to check your emails and surf on the Internet, then you can do fine with a CRT monitor. If you are doing more graphic work, you are a designer or you are a freelance writer spending more than 8 hours on your desktop every day, then you need an LCD monitor. At the end of the day, choosing a PC monitor it's a matter of priorities and personal needs.

Sources:

http://www.computerhope.com/btips/monitor.htm

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/459599/pixel

http://www.ehow.com/list_6966178_pc-monitor-connection-types.html