How to Choose an LCD Monitor

Aside from the obvious advantage of taking up less space and being easier to move, LCD or Flat screen monitors also use less energy and put out less heat than a standard CRT monitor. They also put out less radiation and cause less eye strain.

Prices have come way down on flat panels but you need to be aware that they are not all created equal. You need to consider how often, and for what purpose you use your monitor.

If you spend long hours on your computer, play games or do graphics you may want a higher quality monitor than the one your neighbor, who only uses his computer once in awhile, is raving about. Trying to compare the specs on various LCD monitors is confusing to most people. A few things you should know are listed below.

Native Resolution is the amount of pixels on the screen and is the best resolution to run your monitor at. You can run it at other resolutions but the image will be scaled to fit which can result in a blurred or washed out looking image.

DVI or VGA connectors. Some monitors come with both so they will work with older video cards that may not have DVI connectors. DVI stands for Digital Video Interface and will provide you with a more stable image and more accurate colors.

DVI can be further broken down into DVI-A which converts a DVI signal to an analog signal for an older CRT style monitor.

DVI-D is a direct digital connection between your video card and LCD monitor.

DVI-I can carry a digital to digital signal or analog to analog signal. It can not transmit digital to analog like a DVI-A

Pixel response rate is very important to gamers. The response rate is the time it takes to pixels to change color. The faster the response rate the less ghosting effect you will see as an image changes or moves. If you are working with static text based applications all day, response rate is probably not a big concern. Gamers will want an LCD monitor with a response rate of 8ms or lower.

Contrast ratio refers to the difference in light intensity between brightest whites and blackest blacks. A higher contrast ratio will give you a better color. 300:1 is a very low contrast ratio. You will probably want a monitor with a contrast ratio above 500:1

LCD Viewing Angle refers to angle the screen can be viewed at without loss of color or brightness.

You will also want to know if the height is adjustable and if the monitor is able to swivel.

Lets compare a few monitors and see what you get for the money.

Digital Media Graphics Series ViewSonic VG930M 19 in Flat Panel LCD Monitor 8ms response time 700:1 Contrast Ratio 1280x1024 pixel native resolution DVI, VGA 3.2" Height adjustment and swivel See Video Demo	ViewSonic VP930B 19 in Flat Panel LCD Monitor 8ms response time 1300:1 Contrast Ratio 1280x1024 pixel native resolution DVI, VGA Adustable height, swivel & tilt Includes PerfectSuite™ Software
ViewSonic VX1935wm 19 in Widescreen Flat Panel LCD Monitor 5ms response time 700:1 Contrast Ratio 1440x900 pixel native resolution DVI, VGA

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