Johannesburg, 28 Apr 2000
With the launch of new technologies in the monitor space, such as the LG Flatron, some confusion has arisen in the market as to the difference between flat screen monitors using CRT technology (such as the Flatron), and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors. Justin Agar, software and peripherals product manager at AXiZ, discusses the basic differences between the products.
"To add to the confusion about these technologies, a new acronym has been added - CDT, which stands for Colour Display Tube," he says. "Essentially, this is a colour CRT (Cathode Ray Tube, which are the traditional monitors that we have been using for years. LCD are now also becoming very popular, mainly because they have great space saving advantages. CRT and LCD monitors are based on completely different technologies, and thus have quite different display characteristics." Physical Size
One of the biggest advantages of LCD monitors is that they are compact and lightweight. An LCD monitor is based upon a very thin screen as opposed to the bulky tube of a CRT/CDT monitor. This means that not only do they take up less of your desktop space; they can also be used in many places where a larger CRT/CDT monitor cannot fit.
Display Size
Thanks to advances in LCD technology, color flat panel LCD monitors are now available that are comparable in screen size to traditional CRT monitors. A 12.1" LCD display has only a slightly smaller viewing area than a typical 14" CRT monitor. Newer, larger LCD monitors are also appearing that have 15", 17", and even larger screen sizes that are comparable to the largest CRT monitors.
Colors
Most CRT monitors are capable of displaying unlimited colors. Some LCD monitors are only capable of hundreds or thousands of colors, but many of the newer LCD`s are capable of unlimited colors.
Resolution
An important issue with LCD monitors is resolution. CRT monitors are usually capable of running multiple resolutions. LCD monitors, however, will usually work well in only one resolution. Other resolutions can be sometimes be displayed, but either the image may not be full-screen or the image quality may be poor. Smaller LCD monitors up to 12" are normally capable of 640 x 480 or 800 x 600 resolution, and most LCD monitors 14" and above are normally cable of 1024 x 768 resolution or higher.
Brightness
Typically, brightness is not a concern with CRT monitors. LCD monitors are backlit and have different levels of brightness. The brightness rating for an LCD monitor is commonly referred to as `nits`, and commonly ranges from 70 to 250 nits. The higher the nits, the brighter the display.
Viewing Angle
Another issue with the LCD monitor is the viewing angle. A CRT screen can be looked at from a very wide angle, practically from the side, but an LCD monitor has a much smaller viewing angle, needing to be viewed more directly from the front. From the side, the image on an LCD screen can seem to disappear, or invert colors. As LCD technology becomes more advanced, these problems hopefully will be solved.
Power Consumption and Radiation Emission
Besides being compact and space saving, LCD displays offer several other benefits. For one, LCD monitors consume much less energy than CRT monitors. This makes the LCD great for laptop and portable computers. Secondly, CRT monitors are known to emit harmful radiation, whereas LCD monitors do not.
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