CRT Vs LCD - Monitors Compared

LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors are new and certainly the most fashionable monitors to have, but they may not be the best solution for everyone. CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors still have a lot to offer in today's market. There is no doubt that LCD technology has come along way and will one day surpass the CRT as the number one monitor of choice.

For the time being we will be looking at 12 categories that monitors can be judged by and helping you along by telling you the advantages and disadvantages of each type of monitor in these categories.

Brightness

The brightness of the screen is a big factor when viewing in high lit area's such as a room with lots of windows or places where the sun catches the screen. LCD monitors can offer around twice the brightness that the CRT monitor can give you. LCD screens will appear better in high lit area's by still shining the colours through giving you a much more defined picture.

Contrast

The opposite to brightness, the contrast controls the image viewed in low light area's. A good contrast will keep black tones a dark black and not a grey colour. Good contrast is needed when watching films and playing games. In this category the CRT monitors generally perform the best although its one of the categories that the LCD monitors have made tremendous strides forward in recent times.

Colour

This again has to go to the CRT monitors when we are talking about colour purity and quality. Some of the very best LCD monitors display very vibrant colours and it could be hard to tell the difference. However when watching films and playing games the difference can be noticeable especially when you put the two monitors side by side. Again this will depend on how much you spend on your LCD monitor the more you pay the better its likely to be. The CRT monitor on the other hand offer great colour in all of the price ranges.

Weight and Size

This is an obvious winner for the LCD screens. It has to be said that this is the LCD's main selling point. They are so much smaller and lighter than CRT screens that they are proving very popular in offices or anywhere where space is at a premium. Take a look inside your local travel agent for example and you will probably find that all of the screens in there are LCD based. Because of the technology used by CRT screens they cannot get any smaller. The larger the screen goes the deeper the back has to be in order for the CRT to work properly.

Viewing Angle

The viewing angle of a monitor is the angle you can sit at and still see what is on the screen. With a CRT monitor you can sit anywhere you can see the screen and the image will not distort, LCD monitors have a distortion when you go past the viewing angle. The colours will go funny and you will no longer be able to see what is on the screen. Viewing angle limits on LCD models do alter from model to model but again more cost tends to get you a wider viewing angle.

This is not an issue for workstations as you will be sitting directly in front of your monitor in any case. However it comes down to watching films or TV again when the viewing angle becomes a limitation on where you can position yourselves in regard to the monitor.

Screen Burn

This one is simple its the phosphor that causes the screen burn in conventional CRT monitors. Because of the way LCD monitors work there is no chance of screen burn so you can leave the same image on your screen without the worry of a permanent imprint of an image of your screen.

If your a little unsure of what screen burn is or your not sure how badly it can effect your monitor then a good example is old cash machines that you know don't get used that much. If they have been there for a long time displaying the the same "please insert your card" screen, you will notice that even after you go past this screen you will still be able to see the message in the background like a ghosting effect. Once this happens its irreversible.

Compare the prices of any monitors at Kelkoo to save £££'s