Monitor Guide

Ready to purchase that new computer monitor, or display, but you are not sure which model would fit your particular needs?  Confused by the terminology and seemingly ever shifting monitor resolution standards?   Let us help you with your research and eventual purchasing decision by doing the leg work for you.  And reap the benefits.  We read countless online consumer reviews from everyday users; we looked at computer monitor rating and read what the professionals and experts alike had to say.  The result: a consolidated summary, a Product Guide if you will, on computer monitors/displays.  We are confident this Product Guide will prove instrumental in saving you time, effort, and perhaps money, in your quest for the BEST PERFORMING computer monitors or displays on the market.

What you need to know when purchasing computer monitor/display

Let's start with the basics, namely which type of monitor/display to choose CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), or flat-panel Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)) and how they differ in performance.  Deciding whether to buy a flat-panel LCD display, or fairly large CRT monitor, comes down to two factors really: Do you need more space on the surface of your desk or on the display screen; and how much are you into the "green movement?"   If freeing up space on your desk is a priority-and when isn't it-and you want to cut your power consumption, one of the latest models of LCD is the clear choice.

But if you have a hankering for the past (the large monitors that sat on your computer desk for years!), a CRT might be the right choice for you.  CRTs generally deliver slightly truer colors and can be readily viewed from extreme angles, though LCDs are continuing to improve in both areas.   Desktop computers and monitors are often sold as a package, with some manufacturers offering attractive discounts for monitors bundled with PCs sold on-line, but you would be hard pressed to find a CRT bundled with a PC on-line; a brick mortar store might offer the combination.  

All of the principle computer manufactures-Apple, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, and Acer-market their own monitors for their computers, with most, if not all, offering LCDs exclusively.  The same holds true for independent monitor manufactures; they have by-and-large switched to LCDs as their principle offerings.  The monitors vary in size from between 15 - 28 inches; but CRT's can still be had in sizes between 15 - 19 inches.  Manufacturers come and go, are bought and sold, but the principle monitor manufactures today are ViewSonic,  NEC, Apple, KDS, LG Electronics, Princeton, Phillips, and Samsung. 

Most, if not all, monitor manufacturers offer entry-level LCDs that combine a low price-point with a minimal feature set. These rudimentary, low-end monitors/displays work well enough for Internet browsing, e-mail, word processing and other office-related tasks, but don't expect to play games or watch high-resolution video feeds on them without some distortion.   Climbing up the price-point latter into midrange and professional lines of monitors often yields markedly better image quality, high resolutions(s), ergonomic options like height adjustment & screen pivoting (moving the screen from horizontal to vertical and back again), more extensive image-adjusting controls, and "cool" features such as USB 2.0 hubs/ports (be aware that some monitors with USB 1.1 hubs are still available for sale). 

Let's take a closer look at each type of computer monitor:

Flat-panel LCD.  LCDs have been outselling traditional CRTs for a number of years now.  LCDs can accept an analog or digital input; some models accept both, but of course only one type of image can be displayed at one time.   Because of the edge-to-edge design of LCDs, the nominal image size and the viewable-image size (VIS) are the same; this is not true of CRTs (more on this below).  Most LCD models marketed today measure 17, or 19 inches diagonally, are just a few inches deep, and weigh in around 15 pounds.  This is in stark comparison a comparable CRT, which can weigh in at some 30 to 50 pounds and are principally marketed in three screen sizes: 15, 17, and 19 inches.    

LCDs with 20-22 inch screens, and even up to 28 inches are becoming more and more popular.  As their availability spreads, their price-points, now hovering ay a nominal price of $500.00, will continue to decline making them much more affordable to the every-man.  These (Wide-screen) LCDs feature high resolutions; aspect ratio's of 16:9 (comparable to those found on HGTVs), highly polished screens, and are specially designed for watching wide-format videos.

Flat-panel LCD displays, especially those that accept digital (DVI) inputs, deliver a very clear image, but as I touched on above, they have some drawbacks. A typical LCDs range of color is not as robust as a comparable CRT, but that is improving.  And with most models you have to view the flat-panel screen dead on, the one exception being wide-screen models, wherein some off-set viewing is possible.  The problem is that the picture loses contrast as the eyes movie off-center, and finer lines might appear grainy.

For the environmentally conscience, LCDs offer one big advantage over CRTs, in that they use far less electricity even when fully powered.  In sleep or standby mode the power and cost savings is dramatic with a LCD drawing approximately 2/3 less power than a comparable CRT.    

CRT Monitors. These behemoths can still be had and usually range in screen size from 15 to 22 inches based on a diagonal measurement of the picture tube, which usually an inch smaller than the touted size of the monitor.  This is referred to as the viewable-image size or VIS; e.g. a 17-inch CRT actually has a 16-inch VIS.  Generally, the bigger the screen, the more room a CRT takes up on your desk, with the depth of the monitor roughly matching nominal screen size. 

Professional graphic artist and other graphic intensive professions have traditionally preferred CRTs because they tend to more faithfully reproduce colors.  The last ten or so years have seen CRTs being manufactured with flat squared- off screens (not to be confused with flat-panel LCD screens) that offer better anti-glare protection. 

The average computer user can get along just fine with a 17 -19-inch, 16 - 18-inch VIS CRT monitor.  If you regularly work with graphics or sprawling spreadsheets, consider a 21-inch CRT monitor; 20-inch VIS, while a graphics professional might want to consider a 22-inch CRT most of which provide ample viewing area and excellent color accuracy.  But beware these larger screen models demand huge amounts of space, and can be hard to find.  

If you choose an LCD computer monitor, like most people, here are some key features to consider:

Native resolution: Because an LCD display uses a matrix of pixels to display images, they have a fixed (or native) resolution at which the display looks optimal.  A typical 15-inch LCD has a native resolution of 1024 by 768, while most 17, 18, or 19-inch models use a 1280 by 1024 native resolution. 23 and 24-inch wide-screen LCD models usually have a native resolution of 1920 by 1200, while 28-inch wide-screens have a resolution of 2560 by 1600. 

Note: Some HDTVs can also be used as computer monitors; they must have a DVI or HDMI input on the unit.  

Aspect ratio: Like regular aspect (tube, analog) television most LCDs have a screen aspect ratio of about 3:4.  However, like their wide-screen HDTV cousins, wide-screen LCD displays have an aspect ratio closer to the 16:9, which becomes useful when working with more than one application on the screen at a time, or for working on large spreadsheets, or a graphics program that may employ floating toolbars and color templates.  Of course it could also come in handy when watching wide-screen formatted DVDs. 

Note: because of the 16:9 aspect ratio the screen size of wide-screen displays when measured diagonally is smaller than that of a regular-format display of the same size.

Contrast ratio: Is the ability of the LCD to produce true white and black colors; the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black that a given LCD can reproduce is referred to as the contrast ratio. A contrast ratio of 400:1 or better is what you should look for;  and LCD with a lower number may produce colors that wash out when you turn up the brightness and may disappear altogether when you turn the brightness down.

Digital versus analog: In case you haven't heard digital is the wave of the future, so do choose an LCD with a digital input, or at the very least one with both digital and analogs inputs.  If your computer is less than two years old changes are the graphics card has a digital video-out (DVI) port (you can distinguish this from a regular old VGA port because it is rectangular and white).  The primary difference between digital and analog is this: clarity!  With an analog display the image has to be converted from analog to digital then back to analog; with a digital display you get a clean image, with little or no distortion. 

It is worth noting that an LCD can have one of two types of digital connections (ports):  DVI-D and DVI-I. DVI-D is a digital-only port, while DVD-I can accept either an analog or a digital input.  With DVD-I, you will need a special connector that will connect to the PC's VGA port; however this is usually included with the display, so chances are you will not have to but it separately.   

Best Bets - Best Computer Monitors (as of 3-2008)

Best LCD Monitors: A large cross-section of manufactures market LCD displays at all price-points and for all three principle markets; i.e. home, small & medium sized business, and large (enterprise) businesses.  They include ViewSonic,  NEC, Apple, KDS, LG Electronics, Princeton, Phillips, and Samsung.  LCDs can also be had from the major computer makers separate from desktops.

Fifteen (15) inch LCDs tend to be hard to come by, and one major manufacture, ViewSonic, no longer offers them for retail sell.  Nineteen (19) inch LCDs are the norm now in LCD displays, and the prices are by-and-large reasonable.  Care should be taken to steer clear of cheaply priced-and more than likely cheaply made-non-brand name displays because over time they tend to have a high failure rate.     

Price points for monitors, be they CRT or LCD, vary widely even across manufactures based on what the unit brings to the table in term of performance, capability, aspect ratio and screen size.  Of course the more capabilities the monitor/display brings to the table the more expensive the price. 

Most home users will not need the power and functionality of a more expensive monitor, so they are best avoided.  Recommended LCD Computer Monitors units include:

• Sony MFM-HT75W Monitor
• ViewSonic VX2025VM Monitor
• Dell UltraSharp 2407 WFP Monitor
• ViewSonic VP930b Monitor
• Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP Monitor
• Hewlett Packard W2007 Monitor

A comparison of features of the above recommendations can be found can be found here.

If you want to buy an old school monitor, or CRT computer monitor, here are a few tips. Very few manufactures still make or market CRT monitors, indeed only two, ViewSonic and KDS, offer any variety at all when it comes to the desktop hogging displays.  Most manufactures have dropped CRT's from their lineup entirely opting to sell strictly LCDs.  If you want or need a CRT both ViewSonic and KDS offer a wide variety from which to choose from, but KDS only offers 15 and 17-inch models, while ViewSonic offers 15, 17, and 19-inch models.  It is worth noting the neither company offers 20 -22 inch monitors, though they can still be had by some manufactures on-line and at tradition outlets.     

Additional Sources for more information on Computer Monitors.
When shopping for an LCD, your best bets are to check independent reviews such as those in PC World's Reviews and Rankings section.  Also, visit you local electronics store and let your eyes help do the deciding.  But also check out these on-line resources:

CNET Reviews Monitors Buying Guide: a good place to find general knowledge on anything computer-related.  And the site offers price comparisons as well as basic reviews.

Yahoo Shopping: offers a comprehensive guide to all thing monitor and serves up a plethora links to help you make your buying decision.

PC Magazine.com:  an excellent course for all things computer-related.  The site, which is a reflection of the magazine, offers in-depth professional reviews on all manner of computer products and services as well as electronics.

PC World.com: another excellent source for professional reviews and information on computer-related products and services. 

Vincent Martin A+/MCSA/MCSE/MSCE+Messaging