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Microdisplays (11/14/01)

Google Directory - Computers Hardware Peripherals Displays Manufacturers Multiple Monitors.Org - Home of Modular Multiple Monitors, Multi-Displays, Multi-Monitors for Desktop - Video Wall Applications

PC Monitor Displays:

We were using and recommending 19" CRT Flat Panel Analogue Monitors. Some our of PC Builders have opted for LCD Flat Panel Monitors where space & heat are of a major concern. LCD prices are now more affordable!

For CRT - We currently use AOCMonitors.com available from AxionTech.com whom we work with regarding our Special Build Sessions.

For LCD - We recommend Planar.

CRT Specs To Look For:

1. Type: CRT (Analogue - Cathode Ray Tube) Flat Display or LCD (Digital - Liquid Crystal Display) Flat Panel Display.

   All monitors today 15" and above will also be able to 'over scan'. 'Over scanning' is the ability to stretch the display size beyond the normal rectangular viewing area.

   This way you will not see that black band of nothing around the display perimeter. This feature is set either through the Monitors' On Screen Display Controls or through you Video Card Display software Drivers or both.

   Matching a Monitor Display to the proper Display Adapter (Video Card) is essential for maximizing your Display output potential. If the Display Adapter is of a higher quality than the Monitor Display and correspondingly set for a higher screen resolution than a Monitor Display is capable of handling then you may either see a distorted view or nothing @ all. Windows is extremely difficult to maneuver without a visual Display even with screen readers for the Visually impaired.
   

2. Size: Larger is better! 19" is perfect for most Users and priced right!

    

3. Refresh Rate: 72 Hz (Hertz) or greater. A higher Refresh Rate number is better here! The refresh rate is the number of times per second the image is painted onto the screen. The default Windows refresh frequency setting is 60 Hertz, although your monitor may support a high setting. Hertz are the frequency of electrical vibrations (cycles) per second.

   Check your manufacturer's documentation for information regarding the settings your Monitor supports. When using a Presentation Projector, it's important to know this value or else you may not be able to synch video signal from what you see on the Desktop with what Users should see on the Projector Screen. When all else fails - Experience & a Good Technician counts!

   The higher the refresh rate, the less "flicker" noticed. Flicker is a fluctuating image on a video screen. A higher refresh frequency reduces any flicker on your Desktop screen, but choosing a setting that is too high for your Monitor can make your Desktop Display unusable and cause damage to your hardware and will have you seeking Windows Safe Mode!

   Remember, Refresh Rate = How often the video screen is retraced in order to prevent the image from flickering. The entire image area of most Monitors is refreshed approximately 60 times per second by default.

    

4. Resolution: Get a higher resolution than you'll use. Screen Resolution is expressed as a matrix of dots. The number of horizontal dots multiplied by the number of vertical dots (pixels). Resolution = the density of the screen image. Expressed as 640 horizontal pixels x 480 vertical pixels.

   This setting determines the amount of information appearing on your screen, measured in dots or pixels. Low resolution, such as 640 x 480, makes items on the screen appear large, although the screen area is small. High resolution, such as 1024 x 768, makes the overall screen area large, although individual items appear small. Monitor and Display Adapter together determine your ability to change Screen Resolution & Color Bit Depth Depth.

    

   1. 640x480 - Windows Default (Lowest Resolution)
   2. 800x600 - Windows XP Default (Lowest Resolution)
   3. 1024x768
   4. 1152x864
   5. 1280x768
   6. 1280x960
   7. 1280x1024
   8. 1600x1200
   9. 1600x1280
   10. 1792x1344
   11. 1800x1440
   12. 1920x1080
   13. 1920x1200
   14. 1920x1440 - Microsoft Windows Media - Choosing the Right PC for Windows Media High Definition Playback
   15. 2048x1536

   On a 19" Monitor you'll view it ideally @ 1024x768. A 19" monitor should be capable of 1600 x 1200 Maximum Resolution @ 75Hz Maximum Refresh Rate. This is good! A 19" Monitor should be able to display a lower resolution (example of 1280x1024) @ a higher refresh rate (100Hz) Non-interlaced. This is desirable and easier on eye strain. You do NOT want a Monitor with an interlaced Display! An interlaced Display with a low refresh rate will give Users a headache quickly. Whereas a Non-interlaced, high refresh rate Monitor will give many hours of comfortable viewing enjoyment during work or play!

5. Color Bit Depth: More colors & higher resolution require a Video Adapter with more Memory. Today, we routinely Spec a Video Card with 64 MB's RAM.
   1. Standard VGA - 16 Colors
   2. Super VGA - 256 Colors
   3. High Color (16 bit)
   4. High Color (24 bit)
   5. True Color (32 bit)

   Color Management System, see: CMS - ICC Profiling.

    

6. The Two Main Types of CRT Technologies... The Mask - Invar Shadow Mask & Slot Mask or Aperture Grill Slot Mask... Comparing Apples & Oranges!
   1. Shadow Mask -
      A thin screen full of holes that adheres to the back of a color CRT's viewing glass. The electron beam is aimed through the holes in the mask onto the phosphor dots. There are generally more holes per inch than the maximum resolution obtainable from that Monitor. The distance between these holes is called the dot pitch.
   2. Slot Mask -
      A type of shadow mask used in CRTs. It refers to two different methods.
      1. The first is the Aperture Grille used in Sony's Trinitron monitors, which uses vertical phosphor stripes and vertical slots in the mask compared to the traditional shadow mask that uses phosphor dots and round holes in the mask.

         The aperture grill model is held together by two thin wires called "damper wires" and can frequently be visible across screen and image.

      2. The second is a combination of traditional Shadow Mask & Aperture Grille technologies used in NEC's CromaClear monitors. Sometimes known as a slotted shadow mask, this mask uses elliptical holes and vertical phosphor stripes. 
   3. Dot Pitch & Slot Pitch

   Dot Pitch -
   The distance between a RGB dot and the closest corresponding RGB dot on a Color Monitor - Typically from .21, .25, .28 to .31mm. The smaller the Dot Pitch, the crisper the image. A .28 dot pitch means dots are 28/100ths of a millimeter apart. A smaller dot pitch provides a sharper image, especially desirable on text.

   Shadow mask accuracy is measured using diagonal, horizontal, and vertical dot pitches.

   Slot Pitch -
   The distance between like-colored phosphor stripes in a CRT that uses a Slot Mask. This is slightly closer than the Dot Pitch in traditional Shadow Mask CRTs, which measures the diagonal distance between dots.

   Aperture grille accuracy is measured using Slot Pitch.

7. Price - All of the above for what you're willing to pay for it as opposed to what a Manufacturer asks for it! Supply & Demand.
   

The Monitor brand you choose will determine the Mask technology used by the Monitor Manufacturer. As with any PC Component, choose the Monitor best suited your applications' point of view! Enjoy!

Monitor Resources:

1. AxionTech.com
2. microsoft.com - Expand Your Workspace with Multiple Monitors and Dualview
3. DisplayMate Technologies DisplayMate Video Utilities
4. Monitor Depot On-Line
5. Read Reviews and Compare Prices on PC Monitors at Epinions.com
6. www.sony-cp.com/en/support/faq/ - Sony's 'Hi-Bright' CRT technology; FD Trinitron different from other Trinitron technology;
   1. The difference between Trinitron Technology and Shadow Mask Technology?

      "A shadow mask is a metal plate with holes through which electron gun passes beams of electrons to generate the pixels on the screen. This lets less light through and is more subject to distortion than an aperture grille. The Trinitron aperture grille allows a greater number of more precisely aligned electron beams to reach the screen than the older, traditional shadow mask system. The result is a clearer, better focused and far brighter image."
      

Monitor News:

1. www.extremetech.com - Top Tip Multiple monitor support: (9/5/2003).
2. www.i-glasses.com: I-O Display delivers Headset Personal Display delivering SVGA Resolution - Uses liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) screen to display images in front of the eye in a way making objects appear as large as those from a Plasma Display in a Conference Room (5/27/2003).
3. www.extremetech.com - CRT Innovations: (4/2/2003).
4. www.bcentral.com - Flat-panel monitors 5 things to know: Tech Commands / Kim Komando (3/26/2003).
5. ExtremeTech.com - Update Sony To Phase Out Smaller CRTs by March 31, 2003 and will only manufacture 21 and 24-inch CRT displays. Bye Bye Trinitron Displays! (1/24/2003)
6. Microsoft Windows Powered Smart Displays Windows XP Anywhere in the Home (11/26/2002).
7. ExtremeTech.com:  Graphics Card SuperGuide (8/27/2002).
8. Hardware Reviews - CNET.com
9. PCWorld.com - Top 10 19-Inch Monitors

Monitor Brands:

1. AxionTech.com - monitors Product
2. AOCMonitors.com
3. www.hitachidisplays.com
   1. Introduction to Monitor & Flat Panel Display Technology
4. www.iiyama.com
5. www.nec-monitors.com - NEC/Mitsubishi
   1. www.nectech.com/monitors
   2. www.nectech.com
6. OrionDisplay
7. www.samsungmonitor.com
   1. www.samsungusa.com/monitor
8. Sony Display Monitors
   1. Sony Support Displays
9. ViewSonic

Denotes personal favorites!