|
Aug 2nd, 2006 - Read on to find out which flat panel LCD monitor is best for you and why... Today's LCD monitor selection is more confusing than ever and things are only going to get more complex. Although CRT's are still in use amongst graphics professionals and those on a budget, LCD monitors have already outsold CRT's years ago. Everyone is going "flat" nowadays and it's time for you to make an educated purchase. The average buyer will find himself or herself lost in the monitor aisle torn between decisions on price, size, brand name, and tech terms like refresh rate and resolution. What does all this mean? Do the measurements all compare the same between the brands? Is paying more for a name brand like Sony worth it? You're in luck because this guide will help you sort it out.
Monitors today are priced depending on a variety of factors. First you must understand why they are different from CRT's (the old big kind), and how they differ from each other. Size - For today's applications and price-range. 19" LCD's are quickly becoming the standard. Often, they are only $40 more than the 17" LCD's. There is really no reason why you should pick a 17" over a 19"; having a tight budget is not an excuse. A 19" will offer much more viewing space for your enjoyment. 20" widescreen monitors are also becoming the norm. At this time of writing, a good 19" will cost you around $250-300. Viewing Aspect - Regular (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9)? Widescreen isn't just for movies. New games are being made in widescreen. Also, just about everyone multi-tasks on their computers. Imagine being able to have several windows side-by-side. For example, having a web page open on the left, and a word processor on the right while doing your homework. Helpful, isn't it? A 20" widescreen can be bought for $350, I highly recommend it. Resolution - The higher the resolution, the sharper your monitor can be. Please remember that when you buy your monitor, always use the highest resolution for the best possible picture quality. If the text and icons come out too small, simply turn on the text/icon size in your Windows/Mac settings. Response Time - Some claim 8ms, others claim 12ms, and even 16ms. What do these numbers mean? They refer to the time in milliseconds that it takes for a monitor to go through its range of colors. Bigger monitors tend to take more time. These response times actually won't be noticeable AT ALL to the average person. The only people that might be able to take advantage or even notice a difference would be gamers. Even then, I play high-speed intense graphical games on my monitor all the time and 16ms works just fine. Contrast/Brightness - The contrast ratio is pretty much how many different shades of light your monitor can display. In theory, the higher the contrast level, the more variety of colors you can see. Having brightness is good because the backlight fades over time and LCD's aren't as bright as CRT's to begin with. Nowadays, you'll see contrast ratios around 800:1 and 1000:1. Keep in mind that a really high contrast ratio doesn't mean you'll have the best viewing quality. The most important thing is to check for vibrant colors! There's no point in being able to see more shades of dull colors. Viewing Angle - This more or less isn't a problem because you're usually right in front of your monitor when you use it anyway. Don't bother buying into the hype, check out the monitor in person if you are skeptical. Analog/Digital - Digital video signals are clearer and better viewing quality than analog signals. The average person probably won't notice the difference between the two. Analog LCD's are obviously cheaper than Digital LCD's and use the blue (VGA) connector, while Digital LCD's use the white (DVI) connector. It's a good thing to check your videocard or look behind the computer to see what type of video signal your computer takes. Most computers nowadays will have a VGA and DVI connector in the back so that you have a choice of using either one. Also, don't forget that Digital LCD's also come with a VGA adapter so that you can use them on older computers that have an analog videocard. Warranty - The standard is from 1 to 3 years. There is no point in buying a monitor with less than a 3 year warranty. It makes no sense to buy a product that the manufacturer won't stand behind. Most of the time, you will see warranties that allow up to a certain number of dead pixels before they will replace the screen - in my experience, this has never really been a factor because a single pixel might not even get noticed for months and doesn't really happen as often as you think. Brand Name - Are the big names worth it? In most cases, yes. My preference is Dell, Samsung, NEC, Viewsonic. The last three is known as top leading monitor companies for years. Their service is great and they will actually replace your monitor in a timely manner should a problem come up. Buying from a smaller company just doesn't give you that same protection. Smaller companies often take longer to replace the monitor and that's not even worth it because anybody stranded from a computer for over a month is most likely to go out and buy a new monitor anyway. Dell sells more LCD's than any other company in the world...they actually use Samsung screens...which I love very much. Sony use to buy Samsung screens and remark it themselves. Remember those expensive monitors at the Apple Store? Guess what? Dell and Apple are known to buy their screens from Samsung and if you read up on Google. You will find that the same monitor will sell at Dell for $700 and at Apple for $2000. The fact that Dell sells so many monitors allows them to sell their monitors cheaper than anybody else. Therefore, I recommend Dell monitors. 
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION - It all boils down to price. You should now have a good idea of what a quality monitor is. You should have already compared several models in stores and read some reviews online.
I repeat, do not and I mean DO NOT SKIMP ON YOUR MONITOR! Your monitor is the visual representation of your computer and there is no reason why you should go cheap on something you stare at for hours each day. Buying a cheap low-priced monitor in stores is a great way to make your monitor a short-term investment. My recommendation, buy a 19" name brand monitor for $250-300 or 20" widescreen for around $350. If you can, just get the widescreen. It is worth it and you will be very happy you did. The best place to buy is ONLINE. Online prices will always be cheaper than store prices. If you don't believe me, see it for yourself. Walk into BestBuy and check prices, and then go online to NewEgg.com or Dell.com and look up the price for yourself.
All help on the site is encouraged. Send to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
We're looking for technical writers for the site. Anybody who thinks they can help us are welcome. Feel free to support the site and share this site with your family, friends, and colleagues.
 |
