Computer Monitor The Computer Monitor is our major output device, as opposed to the major input devices, Keyboard and Mouse. As a curiosity I will here mention the difference between NTSC, the US standard and PAL the European Standard for TVs. NTSC I far inferior to PAL, having only 480 lines while PAL has 620. That makes a big difference. I have even heard Americans thinking PAL is HDTV. The reason I tell you this is that resolution is very important, more important than size of the Monitor. It makes little sense to buy a 19' Monitor with the same resolution as a 17'. Since the 19' is just bigger, it means that you have to move eyes and head more to cover the screen. For a gamer this can be important, because slower reaction time means less points. For all of us resolution is vital due to the many hours we tend to sit in front of our Monitor. A good quality Monitor is an investment in your health. Especially when it comes to Monitors we should read expert reviews. Sometimes it is not possible to read from the specification how good it is in reality. The specification gives us a foundation. The expert view an understanding of its real performance. The price is not entirely a good barometer of quality either. Just a few years ago almost all Computer Monitors were of the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) type. They were big, bulky and heavy. Now everything is LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). And in a few years there will be some other new technology (perhaps OLED). Plasma displays have some nice features (high brightness) but cannot be manufactured in small dimensions like 17' or 22'. Some companies offer very high resolution LCDs (e.g. Lenovo T221 at 3840 x 2400), but they need special Video Cards (e.g. Matrox Parhelia) and are very expensive. Some LCDs still have VGA ports, but since LCDs are digital technology you should choose a digital port. That means DVI (Digital Visual Interface) and more recently HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). The latest format is DisplayPort, which perhaps will replace both DVI and HDMI. DVI is the most common choice. HDMI is only interesting if you are planning to build a Home Theater System or similar. An analog port like VGA will result in inferior image quality. Some Computer Monitors also includes Speakers. The Speakers are usually not of very high quality and power (about 2 x 1W is common). For a Budget System or Home Office System, integrated Speakers can be a good choice. However, for a Gamer or someone that listens to music or playes DVDs from the computer it is certainly not enough. How to choose a Computer MonitorI mentioned earlier that resolution is more important than size. If you want Full HD (1080p), then a resolution of 1920 x 1200 or larger is a must. As you might understand a resolution of 1680 x 1050 just won't cut it, although that is fine for gaming and most other tasks. The two other data that needs a closer look is Contrast and Brightness. The higher numbers, the better. Compare a few monitors and then make a search on the web for expert reviews. Top marks ensures that you will be happy for a long time. The port should always be digital (DVI).BrandsLCD Monitors can now be bought at attractive prices and the competition is fierce. Many are trying to get a foot-hold in the market, which is good for us consumers. The bad part is that it can be tricky to choose a monitor with good quality. Below I have listed the most known brands. Other brands like LG and KDS alos produce good monitors. Be careful in your choice.
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