MONITORS

A monitor or display (sometimes called a visual display unit) is an electronic

visual display for computers. The monitor comprises the display device, circuitry,
and an enclosure. The display device in modern monitors is typically a thin film
transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), while older monitors use a cathode ray
tube (CRT).

PIXELS
In digital imaging, a pixel (or picture element[1]) is a single point in a raster image.
The pixel is the smallest addressable screen element; it is the smallest unit of
picture that can be controlled. Each pixel has its own address. The address of a
pixel corresponds to its coordinates. Pixels are normally arranged in a 2-
dimensional grid, and are often represented using dots or squares. Each pixel is a
sample of an original image; more samples typically provide more accurate
representations of the original. The intensity of each pixel is variable. In color
image systems, a color is typically represented by three or four component
intensities such as red, green, and blue, or cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. An
image that is 2048 pixels in width and 1536 pixels in height has a
total of 2048×1536 = 3,145,728 pixels or 3.1 megapixels. One
could refer to it as 2048 by 1536 or a 3.1-megapixel image.

Bits per pixel

The number of distinct colors that can be represented by a pixel depends on the
number of bits per pixel (bpp). A 1 bpp image uses 1-bit for each pixel, so each
pixel can be either on or off. Each additional bit doubles the number of colors
available, so a 2 bpp image can have 4 colors, and a 3 bpp image can have 8
colors:

• 1 bpp, 21 = 2 colors (monochrome)

• 2 bpp, 22 = 4 colors
• 3 bpp, 23 = 8 color
• 8 bpp, 28 = 256 colors
• 16 bpp, 216 = 65,536 colors ("Highcolor" )
• 24 bpp, 224 ≈ 16.8 million colors ("Truecolor")
For color depths of 15 or more bits per pixel, the depth is normally the sum of the
bits allocated to each of the red, green, and blue components. Highcolor, usually
meaning 16 bpp, normally has five bits for red and blue, and six bits for green, as
the human eye is more sensitive to errors in green than in the other two primary
colors. For applications involving transparency, the 16 bits may be divided into
five bits each of red, green, and blue, with one bit left for transparency. A 24-bit
depth allows 8 bits per component. On some systems, 32-bit depth is available: this
means that each 24-bit pixel has an extra 8 bits to describe its opacity (for purposes
of combining with another image)

Performance measurements
The performance of a monitor is measured by the following parameters:

• Luminance is measured in candelas per square meter.

• Viewable image size is measured diagonally. For CRTs, the viewable size is
typically 1 in (25 mm) smaller than the tube itself.
• Aspect ratios is the ratio of the horizontal length to the vertical length. 4:3 is
the standard aspect ratio, for example, so that a screen with a width of 1024
pixels will have a height of 768 pixels. If a widescreen display has an aspect
ratio of 16:9, a display that is 1024 pixels wide will have a height of
576 pixels.
 • Display resolution is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that
can be displayed. Maximum resolution is limited by dot pitch.
• Dot pitch is the distance between subpixels of the same color in millimeters.
In general, the smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the picture will appear.
• Refresh rate is the number of times in a second that a display is illuminated.
Maximum refresh rate is limited by response time.
• Response time is the time a pixel in a monitor takes to go from active
(black) to inactive (white) and back to active (black) again, measured in
milliseconds. Lower numbers mean faster transitions and therefore fewer
visible image artifacts.
• Contrast ratio is the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color (white) to
that of the darkest color (black) that the monitor is capable of producing.
• Power consumption is measured in watts.
• Viewing angle is the maximum angle at which images on the monitor can be
viewed, without excessive degradation to the image. It is measured in
degrees horizontally and vertically.

How the Monitor works:

Analog (VGA) Connection
Because most CRT monitors require the signal information in analog (continuous
electrical signals or waves) form and not digital (pulses equivalent to the binary
digits 0 and 1), they typically use an analog connection.

However, computers work in a digital world. The computer and video adapter
convert digital data into analog format. A video adapter is an expansion card or
component that provides the ability to convert display information into a signal
that is sent to the monitor. It can also be called a graphics adapter, video card or
graphics card.

Once the display information is in analog form, it is sent to the monitor through a
VGA cable. The cable connects at the back of the computer to an analog connector
(also known as a D-Sub connector) that has 15 pins in three rows. See the diagram
below:
Because a VGA (analog) connector does not support the use of digital monitors,
the Digital Video Interface (DVI) standard was developed.

DVI Connection
DVI keeps data in digital form from the computer to the monitor. There's no need
to convert data from digital information to analog information. LCD monitors
work in a digital mode and support the DVI format. (Although, some also accept
analog information, which is then converted to digital format.) At one time, a
digital signal offered better image quality compared to analog technology.
However, analog signal processing technology has improved over the years and the
difference in quality is now minimal.

CRT Monitors
A CRT monitor contains millions of tiny red, green, and blue phosphor dots that
glow when struck by an electron beam that travels across the screen to create a
visible image. The illustration below shows how this works inside a CRT.
In a cathode ray tube, the "cathode" is a heated filament. The heated filament is in
a vacuum created inside a glass "tube." The "ray" is a stream of electrons generated
by an electron gun that naturally pour off a heated cathode into the vacuum.
Electrons are negative. The anode is positive, so it attracts the electrons pouring off
the cathode. This screen is coated with phosphor, an organic material that glows
when struck by the electron beam.

There are three ways to filter the electron beam in order to obtain the correct image
on the monitor screen: shadow mask, aperture grill and slot mask.

LCD Monitors
Liquid crystal display technology works by blocking light. Specifically, an LCD is
made of two pieces of polarized glass (also called substrate) that contain a liquid
crystal material between them. A backlight creates light that passes through the
first substrate. At the same time, electrical currents cause the liquid crystal
molecules to align to allow varying levels of light to pass through to the second
substrate and create the colors and images that you see.
Comparison
CRT
Pros:

• High dynamic range (up to around 15,000:1 [1],) excellent

color, wide gamut and low black level.
• Can display natively in almost any resolution and refresh
rate
• No input lag
• Sub-millisecond response times
• Near zero color, saturation, contrast or brightness distortion.
Excellent viewing angle.
• Usually much cheaper than LCD or Plasma screens.

Cons:

• Large size and weight, especially for bigger screens (a 20-

inch unit weighs about 50 lb (23 kg))
• High power consumption
• Geometric distortion caused by variable beam travel
distances
• Older CRTs are prone to screen burn-in
• Produces noticeable flicker at low refresh rates

LCD
Pros:

• Very compact and light

• Low power consumption
• No geometric distortion
• Rugged
• Little or no flicker depending on backlight technology

Cons:

• Limited viewing angle, causing color, saturation, contrast

and brightness to vary, even within the intended viewing
angle, by variations in posture.
 • Bleeding and uneven backlighting in some monitors, causing
brightness distortion, especially toward the edges.
• Slow response times, which cause smearing and ghosting
artifacts. Modern LCDs have response times of 8 ms or less.
• Only one native resolution. Displaying resolutions either
requires a video scaler, lowering perceptual quality, or
display at 1:1 pixel mapping, in which images will be
physically too large or won't fill the whole screen.
• Fixed bit depth, many cheaper LCDs are incapable of
truecolor.
• Input lag
• Dead pixels may occur either during manufacturing or
through use

Plasma
Pros:

• Compact and light.

• High contrast ratios (10,000:1 or greater,) excellent color,
wide gamut and low black level.
• High speed response.
• Near zero color, saturation, contrast or brightness distortion.
Excellent viewing angle.
• No geometric distortion.
• Highly scalable, with less weight gain per increase in size
(from less than 30 in (760 mm) wide to the world's largest at
150 in (3,800 mm)).

Cons:

• Large pixel pitch, meaning either low resolution or a large

screen.
• Noticeable flicker when viewed at close range
• High operating temperature and power consumption
• Only has one native resolution. Displaying other resolutions
requires a video scaler, which degrades image quality at
lower resolutions.
• Fixed bit depth
• Input lag
 • Older PDPs are prone to burn-in
• Dead pixels are possible during manufacturing

LED
LED computer monitor has been mainly appreciated for its low power
consumption and its great performance which has been considered as perfect for
office type of productivity. Its contrast ratio, which has been evaluated at 1000:1
and its dynamic type of contrast ratio which is of 1000000:1. It has also been
appreciated for its low price and for its design which has been considered to be
pretty nice. In this scheme, each pixel is lit by an LED, which produces more even
lighting and improves contrast and black level. It also allows for a slimmer panel
than on conventional displays.

Problems
Phosphor burn-in
Phosphor burn-in is localized aging of the phosphor layer of a CRT screen where it
has displayed a static bright image for many years. This results in a faint
permanent image on the screen, even when turned off. In severe cases, it can even
be possible to read some of the text, though this only occurs where the displayed
text remained the same for years.

This was once a common phenomenon in single purpose business computers. It

can still be an issue with CRT displays when used to display the same image for
years at a time, but modern computers are not normally used this way anymore, so
the problem is not a significant issue. The only systems that suffered the defect
were ones displaying the same image for years, and with these the presence of
burn-in was not a noticeable effect when in use, since it coincided with the
displayed image perfectly. It only became a significant issue in three situations:

• when some heavily used monitors were reused at home,

• or re-used for display purposes
• in some high-security applications (but only those where the
high-security data displayed did not change for years at a
time).
Screen savers were developed as a means to avoid burn-in, but are unnecessary for
CRTs today, despite their popularity.

Phosphor burn-in can be gradually removed on damaged CRT displays by

displaying an all-white screen with brightness and contrast turned up full. This is a
slow procedure, but is usually effective.

Plasma burn-in
Burn-in re-emerged as an issue with early plasma displays, which are more
vulnerable to this than CRTs. Screen savers with moving images may be used with
these to minimize localized burn. Periodic change of the color scheme in use also
helps.

Glare
Glare is a problem caused by the relationship between lighting and screen, or by
using monitors in bright sunlight. Matte finish LCDs and flat screen CRTs are less
prone to reflected glare than conventional curved CRTs or glossy LCDs, and
aperture grille CRTs, which are curved on one axis only and are less prone to it
than other CRTs curved on both axes.

If the problem persists despite moving the monitor or adjusting lighting, a filter
using a mesh of very fine black wires may be placed on the screen to reduce glare
and improve contrast. These filters were popular in the late 1980s[citation needed]. They
do also reduce light output.

A filter above will only work against reflective glare; direct glare (such as sunlight)
will completely wash out most monitors' internal lighting, and can only be dealt
with by use of a hood or transreflective LCD.

Incomplete spectrum
RGB displays produce most of the visible color spectrum, but not all. This can be
a problem where good color matching to non-RGB images is needed. This issue is
common to all monitor technologies with three color channels.

Configuration and usage

Multiple monitors
More than one monitor can be attached to the same device. Each display can
operate in two basic configurations:

• The simpler of the two is mirroring (sometimes cloning,) in

which at least two displays are showing the same image. It is
commonly used for presentations. Hardware with only one
video output can be tricked into doing this with an external
splitter device, commonly built into many video projectors as
a pass through connection.
• The more sophisticated of the two, extension allows each
monitor to display a different image, so as to form a
contiguous area of arbitrary shape. This requires software
support and extra hardware.
• Primitive software is incapable of recognizing multiple
displays, so spanning must be used, in which case a very
large virtual display is created, and then pieces are split into
multiple video outputs for separate monitors. Hardware with
only one video output can be made to do this with an
expensive external splitter device, this is most often used for
very large composite displays made from many smaller
monitors placed edge to edge.

Multiple video sources

Multiple devices can be connected to the same monitor using a video switch. In the
case of computers, this usually takes the form of a "Keyboard Video Mouse
switch" (KVM) switch, which is designed to switch all of the user interface devices
for a workstation between different computers at once.

Virtual displays
Much software and video hardware supports the ability to create additional, virtual
pieces of desktop, commonly known as workspaces. Spaces is Apple's
implementation of virtual displays.
Additional features
Power saving
Most modern monitors will switch to a power-saving mode if no video-input signal
is received. This allows modern operating systems to turn off a monitor after a
specified period of inactivity. This also extends the monitor's service life.

Some monitors will also switch themselves off after a time period on standby.

Most modern laptops provide a method of screen dimming after periods of

inactivity or when the battery is in use. This extends battery life and reduces wear.

Integrated accessories
Many monitors have other accessories (or connections for them) integrated. This
places standard ports within easy reach and eliminates the need for another
separate hub, camera, microphone, or set of speakers.

Glossy screen
Some displays, especially newer LCD monitors, replace the traditional anti-glare
matte finish with a glossy one. This increases saturation and sharpness but
reflections from lights and windows are very visible.

Directional screen

Narrow viewing angle screens are used in some security conscious applications.
Touch screen
These monitors use touching of the screen as an input method. Items can be
selected or moved with a finger, and finger gestures may be used to convey
commands. The screen will need frequent cleaning due to image degradation from
fingerprints.

Tablet screens
A combination of a monitor with a graphics tablet. Such devices are typically
unresponsive to touch without the use of one or more special tools' pressure.
Newer models however are now able to detect touch from any pressure and often
have the ability to detect tilt and rotation as well.

Major manufacturers

• Acer
• AOC
• Apple Inc.
• Asus
• BenQ
• Dell
• Eizo
• Gateway
• Hewlett-Packard
• HannStar Display Corporation
• Iiyama Corporation
• LG
• NEC
• Samsung
• Sony
• Toshiba
• Tyco Electronics
• ViewSonic

Introduction
Purchasing a computer monitor can be one of the most important pieces of the
computer as it is what will display everything coming from your computer.

Technology
Before looking at what type of configurations you need to look for when
purchasing a computer monitor, it is important to know if you want a CRT or a Flat
Panel / LCD monitor.

CRT Today, one of the most commonly used technologies for computer monitors.
CRT, or Cathode Ray Tube, is a technology much like what you will find on most
TVs. CRT monitors are an affordable solution; however, they are bulky and very
heavy.

Flat Panel / LCD LCD, or Liquid Crystal Display, monitors are similar to what is
found on portable computers. LCD monitors overall generally display much
sharper of an image, are lighter and more space efficient; however, they are much
more of an expensive solution for desktop displays.

Size
When considering purchasing a monitor utilizing the CRT technology it is
important to consider the following:

Dimensional Size Size can be one of the more important considerations when
purchasing a computer monitor. Monitors are available in 15",17", 19" and 21."
Like most things, larger is generally more expensive. The larger the screen, the
more amount of viewable space you will be able to work with. We generally
recommend users that plan on utilizing their computer for more than one-two hours
a day and have the available space purchase at least a 17" monitor. Users who plan
on using the computer for graphic art or cad, we highly recommend utilize at least
a 21" monitor. Finally, users with little space or plan on using the computer for
word processing / e-mail may want to consider a 15" monitor.

Viewable Size - The viewable size of the monitor is a very important consideration
and can vary by manufacturer. The viewable size is the size of the viewable area
and not the complete monitor.

Dot / stripe pitch

When purchasing a monitor, Dot Pitch or Stripe Pitch is a very important
consideration. Dot Pitch measurement is found on most monitors and defines the
amount of space (in millimeters) that separates two adjacent pixels that are the
same color. The smaller the Dot Pitch, the sharper the image. We recommend that
when purchasing a monitor the Dot Pitch be no bigger than 0.25

Stripe Pitch is a measurement used with Trinitron or Diamondtron monitors and is

a measurement (in millimeters) that separates two like-colored stripes. The lower
the Stripe Pitch the higher the quality of image.

When looking at monitors you should only see a Dot Pitch measurement or a
Stripe Pitch measurement. You should not see both of these measurements
measuring the same monitor.
Resolution
The maximum resolution is the amount of pixels that can be displayed horizontally
x vertically. Be cautious when purchasing a monitor at any size that advertises a
large resolution size such as 1,600 x 1,200 for a 15" monitor.

Some monitor manufacturers may allow for such high resolutions at a high cost but
the user will never utilize such a resolution. As the monitor increases in size, the
image display will decrease; below is a listing of a usable resolution limit by the
size of the monitor. These sizes can be debated but are the standard and most easily
viewed resolutions.

15" 800 x 600 / 1,024 x 768

17" 1,280 x 1,024

19" 1,280 x 1024

21" - 1,600 x 1,200

Refresh rate
The refresh rate is a measurement of the number of times per second the screen is
redrawn. This measurement is measured in hertz and it is recommended that a
monitor have at least a refresh rate of 75 MHz at the resolution you wish to run at.

Controls
When purchasing a monitor, it is important to look at the available controls of that
monitor. The controls allow a user to modify and/or adjust the viewable settings of
the display.

Price range
When purchasing a monitor, expect to pay much less than an LCD or Flat Panel
display. In addition, the larger the monitor the more money you can expect to pay.