What are Display devices?
A display device is an output device that visually conveys text,graphics and video information.This information that is displayed by the display device is known as a Softcopy and this is because this information exsistselectronically and is displayed for a temporary period of time.Below is a brief view of the common types of monitors today.
(A)CRT Monitors(Cathode Ray Tube)
The core of a CRT monitor is a large tube called the CathodeRayTube.It's screen which is the front of the tube is coated with tiny dots(pixels) of phospor material that glows producing an image on the screen when electronically charged by an electron beam.
CRT's have lost their market share in recent times but there are still some people who continue using them.
These types of monitors have their own share of disadvantages making them less appealing.
(i)They are heavy
(ii)They consume more energy/power compared to flat panels
(iii)Emitt harmful rays from the screens.
(B)Flat Panel Displays.
(i) Liquid Crystal Display(LCD).
They are the most common types of displays used in the computing world today.From laptops,netbooks,pda's,smartphones to Tv sets,Lcd's have succeeded in replacing CRT's as the preffered choice of display.
This development has seen many manufucturers invest billions in the research and development of the best and affordable LCD displays to earn a larger marketshare globally.
Some of the major players in this industry include:LG,Samsung,Asus among others that i have not mentioned.
How LCD monitors work: they shine light through a layer of crystalline liquid to make an image.
Compared to CRT's,LCD's have much pros and features e.g USB ports,HDMI,DVI,AVI ports on the back panel.They have a better picture quality though from my observation not all LCDs have crisp image quality so its always good to check the specifications before making a monitor choice.Here are some of the things to look out for when chosing a monitor;
(1)ScreenSize.
The screenSize is measured diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner.VIS(Visible Image Size)refers to the size of the image on the screen.
Lcd's screensize ranges from 15"(inches) upwards and it is always recommended to go for a larger display.The main advantages of a larger monitor is that you can open many windows without the need of routinely maximizing,restoring them.Its also a better experience watching a movie from your computer on a 22" monitor than a 17" monitor.A larger screensize also reduces eyestrain which may lead to fatigue.
(2)Resolution.
Resolution refers to the number of pixels a screen has.Pixels:also reffered to as "picture elements" and refers to the dots that make up the image on your screen.The higher the number of Pixels the better the image quality.
(3)Dot Pitch.
Dot pitch is the size of a single dot on the screen.The smaller the size of the dots the more crisp the image will be.For example you've you are in a computer shop shopping for a monitor.One of them has a dotpitch of 0.24mm and the other0.28mm .In this case the one with 0.24mm dotpitch will be better Why? in this case the dots will be much closer together and there will be more dots.
(4)Refresh Rate.
Is the rate at which a monitor re-draws an image on the screen and is measured in hertz(cycles per second).A good monitor will have a refresh rate of 70hertz or more.
