Slashdot Mirror
Monitor Basics - LCD vs. CRT
Herbal V wrote in with a little article discussing the differences between LCD and CRT. Briefly summarizes all the major issues (Price, Refresh Rate etc). More of a beginner level piece, but as LCD prices are dropping like rocks, it's good to be aware.
I just recently purchased my first Mac. Scary I know but I promise not to become a Slashmacbot... Anyway, in line with the purchase I figured why not move to an LCD setup as well? This article explains several of my reasons for doing so but leaves one out...
Energy Consumption
LCD monitors definitely hold the edge over CRT monitors when it comes to being energy efficient. The huge tube in a CRT monitor is the source of most of its energy consumption, and a comparably sized LCD may use just a fraction of the electricity. Taking a look at this 19" Jetway LCD monitor shows that it consumes 48 Watts during normal operation, which is less than your typical light bulb. In contrast, a 19" CRT such as this one from Viewsonic may draw up to 160 Watts. Therefore the fraction of electricity used in this case is 3/10, and could translate to noticeable savings on your electric bill.
I currently have two 17" CRT monitors on my L-shaped desk. One is a newer model "flat screen" and the other was a freebie HP branded CRT. I know that they are sucking power and sending that power back out as radiation directly into the side and front of my face (as they are surrounding two of the three sides of my head). I have switched to a lot of energy saving bulbs in my house and I plan to switch more as the bulbs die off. I have switched to a programmable thermostat (that isn't 5 degrees off like the one that the original owners had) to save electricity/gas during the day and evenings. Why not my computer crap too?
I have even gone so far as to make sure that if I am not going to be home for more than 24 hours my non-essential computer equipment is off. A few bucks here and there equals beer later.
Personal Health and Comfort
The main benefit that LCDs have when it comes to comfort is the reduced strain on your eyes. The reduced glare on the screen's surface, and the elimination of a typical CRT's "refresh", can prevent your eyes from getting tired from extended use. A CRT monitor redraws the image on the entire screen as it refreshes, whereas an LCD monitor only changes the necessary pixels during a refresh.
There may also be the unquantifiable effect of reduced electromagnetic emissions on LCD monitors. The exact impact of electromagnetic emissions may not be fully understood, but in general less is considered to better, as addressed in this article. And, your back may also appreciate an LCD when it comes time to move, as the example above shows a 19" LCD monitor weighs about ¼ as much as its CRT counterpart.
What I have noticed is that using both at work (and now both at home) that I have significantly MORE eyestrain. Moving back and forth between the two seems more harmful than just sticking with one or the other. Sadly I am going to be in this situation at home for a while yet but at work I have only this 20" CRT to replace. The 23" LCD is in IT and waiting for install so it won't be too long. I was QUITE surprised when I went to pick up the 17" LCD at the FedEx hub that it fit easily in my trunk and was light enough for me to hold with one arm safely. I can't say that much about lugging my 17" CRTs around. Woo for that.
My other reason for loving LCDs is desk real estate. With my CRTs tons of desk space is lost to their screen, their rear ends, and their bases. With the new LCDs I have quite a bit more room to stack cans, plates, etc. It also makes me feel more "free" to move around in the tight space that my computer area is located.
I look forward to my second LCD at home and the savings in health, energy, and space it will give me.
Try this article for a good overview of the different types of LCD panels (TN, MVA, PVA & IPS):
X-bit's Guide: Contemporary LCD Monitor Parameters and Characteristics
It weighs in at 27 pages, but if you really want to know what you're talking about when discussing LCDs, it's required reading.
Site & blog: http://www.mayaposch.com
This is known in general as "sub-pixel rendering". It's available in Linux and on Macs. Check a control panel / system settings / control center module near you!
Use the Firehose to mod down Second Life stories!
I just got a 20" 1600x1200 LCD after years of using a 19" CRT in the same resolution.
What this article does not talk about is color gamut. CRTs are able to display a much wider range of color compared to LCDs. Any application where color is important (desktop publishing, graphics work, etc.) will want to use a CRT for the forseeable future. On this LCD, whites are not really white, blacks are not really black.
That said, the LCD display really does very well in two areas: 1) lack of refresh rate, even at 60Hz things are nice and solid. 2) lack of convergence artifacts. Because each pixel has seperate addressable color components, you don't have to worry about gun convergence like CRTs. Individual pixels are nice and sharp. On lower priced CRTs (particularly OEM ones) convergence is often never quite right. If the convergnce is adjusted properly for one area of the screen, it will be off in another. Buying a higher priced CRT will end up with better results, but be sure it is always transported in its original packaging, or else the convergence can get shot to hell.
Both CRTs and LCDs have their probelms and benefits, and the choice between them depends on what your application is. For my purposes, I think I will end up going with a CRT and LCD dual-display system. I'll see how that goes.
-molo
Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
Actually, CRTs are also made of separate coloured elements. I don't think ClearType can be used though because it's very hard (impossible?) to address individual screen elements accurately with a CRT.
You need the ClearType Tuner PowerToy ClearType Tuner (New) This PowerToy lets you use ClearType technology to make it easier to read text on your screen, and installs in the Control Panel for easy access. Cleartype Tuner PowerToy
Here's a great overview of what cleartype is and does and how it works. Also, in OS X, go to System Preferences, Appearance. If you choose "medium - best for flat panel" that will activate sub-pixel rendering.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
I've been in charge of buying flat panels for my company for the last few years. In that time, 20" LCDs from Dell have gone from $2000 to $599. In the same time, high-end Apple LCDs have gone from 22" 1600x1024 for $4000 to 30" 2560x1600 for $3000 (plus a $600 video card to run it.) If you haven't seen any drops, you haven't been looking very hard. As for your last point, I can go to CompUSA and buy a 17" LCD for $279 or a 15" laptop for $649.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.