LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

a thin, flat electronic visual display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals (LCs)

Thursday, April 29, 2010

LCD vs CRT

CRTs


Advantages


Color rendering:

The contrast ratios and depths of colors displayed were much greater with CRT monitors than LCDs. While this still holds true in most cases, many strides have been made in LCDs such that this difference is not as great as it once was. Many graphic designers still use the very expensive large CRT monitors in their work because of the color advantages. Of course, this color ability does degrade over time as the phosphors in the tube break down.


Easily scale to various resolutions:

This is referred to as multisync by the industry. By adjusting the electron beam in the tube, the screen can easily be adjusted downward to lower resolutions while keeping the picture clarity intact.


Disadvantages


Size and weight of the tubes:

An equivalent sized LCD monitor is upwards of 80% smaller in size and weight compared to a CRT tube. The larger the screen, the bigger the size difference.


Power consumption:

The energy needed for the electron beam means that the monitors consumer and generate a lot more heat than the LCD monitors.

Pros:

  • Multisync Capable
  • High Refresh Rates
  • Color Clarity and Depth

Cons:

  • Very Heavy and Large
  • Use Large Amounts of Energy
  • Generate Excess Heat

LCDs

Advantages

Size and weight:

As was mentioned earlier, the size and weight of an LCD monitor can be upwards of 80% lighter than an equivalent dimension CRT screen. This makes it possible to users to have larger screens for their computers than was possible before.


Produce less eye fatigue:

The constant light barrage and scan lines of a CRT tube tend to cause strain on heavy computer users. The lower intensity of the LCD monitors coupled with their constant screen display of pixels being on or off produces less fatigue for the user.


Disadvantages

Fixed or native resolution:

An LCD screen can only display the number of pixels in its matrix and no more or less. It can display a lower resolution in one of two ways. Using only a fraction of the total pixels on the display or through extrapolation. Extrapolation is a method whereby the monitor blends multiple pixels together to simulate a single smaller pixel. This can often lead to a blurry or fuzzy image particularly with text when running the screen below is native resolution.


Lower response times:

This has been overcome by many improvements, but there are some that still have low response times. Purchasers should be aware of this when purchasing a monitor. However, the improvements are often work arounds that can actually lead to another problem of reduced color clarity. Unfortunately, the industry is very poor about properly listing the specifications for monitors to help buyers understand and compare monitors.


Pros:

  • Smaller and Lighter
  • Energy Efficient
  • Causes Less Eye Fatigue

Cons:

  • Blurry Images Outside Native Resolution
  • Motion Blur on Fast Moving Images
  • Some Models Have Reduced Color Clarity

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