Computer Monitor Buying Guide

Are you considering all aspects of buying your monitor? What are the specifications that determine the quality of a monitor? Let us guide you through the monitor buying basics.

Just a few years ago, the main consideration when buying a computer was size. Today, there are many more features that require attention. There are as many different monitors on the market as there are computers. How can you tell which one is right for you?

A large number of inexpensive monitors are available. Many of these monitors provide less than stellar image quality or are equipped with older technology.

So how can you tell which monitor will give you a clearer and crisper image? The answer lies in the ability to decipher the specifications. When you choose a monitor, looks are important. But looks don't necessarily reflect how well a monitor will perform. A good dissection of the specifications will tell you if a monitor will produce true to life images.

To ensure your satisfaction, our Customize To Order program features quality monitors - those that take advantage of the latest technologies.

A good quality monitor is very important. It provides a high-quality image, whether you're working on a presentation, viewing digital pictures or watching a DVD movie. What's more, quality affects your eyes. A poor monitor will cause eye strain, which leads to fatigue and headaches.

CRT and LCD Monitors

CRT Monitor
A CRT or Cathode Ray Tube uses a ray gun at the rear of a tube and projects the picture to the front of the screen. The front of the screen is embedded with phosphors. Phosphors are contained in little packets all over the front of the screen. When the ray gun passes over a phosphor packet, it glows. It's this glow that you actually see.

The ray gun scans the screen vertically from one side to the other. It performs this scan several times a minute, a process called Vertical Refresh Rate. The important point here is that it's done automatically.

LCD Monitors
LCD or Liquid Crystal Display monitors don't use a tube or ray gun. Instead, they use small LCD pockets and a series of colour filters. When an electric current is applied to liquid crystal, it starts to move. On an LCD display, light tries to shine through the liquid crystal. By varying the electric current, more or less light is allowed to pass. This action, combined with the colour filters, produces images.

TFT
A TFT monitor is also an LCD-type monitor. TFT stands for Thin Film Transistor. By using a TFT, each liquid crystal pocket has its own transistor. This is not the case with a regular LCD screen. By using transistors to control each liquid crystal pocket, the monitor can produce sharp and crisp images. The TFT screen also uses a special assembly process, with layers of glass and various filters. The process greatly increases the viewing angle, both horizontal and vertical. The viewing angle is a very important specification for an LCD screen. It determines whether or not you can view the screen comfortably at any angle.

Dot Pitch, Resolution and Size

Dot Pitch
On a CRT, the phosphors are encapsulated in tiny pockets. An LCD screen is liquid crystal that is encapsulated in tiny pockets. On both screens the distance between each pocket is called the Dot Pitch. Naturally, the less space between each pocket, the better the picture. Smaller dot pitch produces crisper images with more detail.

The CTR monitors offered in our Customize To Order program have a .25mm dot pitch. The LCD monitors have 0.264mm dot pitch…these specifications are standard for high-end monitors.

Resolution
Resolution is the pixel count that can be displayed on a screen. A pixel can be regarded as one dot that contains information about an image. The more dots that can be displayed, the more detail and colour. This results in truer colours with exact skin tones. In fact, watching a DVD movie with high resolution rivals watching the same movie in a theatre. The numbers represent the count of horizontal pixels by vertical pixels. Our CRT and LCD monitors can display resolutions up to 1280x1024 pixels.

Screen Size
Now that the quality features are taken care of, you can determine what size monitor you want. Larger screens are nice, but take up much more room. This is where LCD screens have an advantage: they take up half the room that CRTs do.

When buying a CRT, the viewable image size is important. A screen may be 17", but the frame that holds it in place may take away from the viewing area. Most 17" screens have a viewable image area of around 16" to 17".

Because LCD screens are much lighter, they require less frame material to hold them in place. A 17" LCD screen usually has a 17" viewable area, or something very close to it.

CRT vs. LCD

Advantages of CRT
Colour and picture quality are still superior on CRT screens. They are also less expensive than LCD screens. You can purchase an excellent model for a fraction of the price of an LCD.

Disadvantages of CRT
Power consumption is much higher on a CRT screen than on an LCD screen. A CRT screen also emits light, which can cause eye strain. And a CRT is a large and bulky device. Often, it takes up most of the room on a computer desk.

Advantages of the LCD
An LCD screen takes up very little space. It doesn't emit light and consumes very little energy. In addition, our monitors have extremely fast response times. Pixels are refreshed at a rate of 25 milliseconds, a rate boasted only by high-quality monitors. This virtually eliminates eye strain.

Disadvantages of the LCD

Cost used to be the biggest disadvantage of LCD screens. However, the prices of LCD screens are dropping, making them more affordable.

Now you're ready to purchase your monitor. And you have a great advantage, since we feature only high-end monitors in our Customize To Order program. These monitors will provide you with sharp, bright images for years.