emberix

Hey all! Ever wondererd what all those monitor specifications really mean? well today, we're going to go over all the terms you need to know about and what they mean...

Brightness: The measurement of how bright a monitor can display images.
CRT: Stands for Cathode Ray Tube, and is the traditional fat monitor, which uses technology much like a TV to display images.
LCD: Liquid Crystal Display is what this acronym stands for. These have the advantage of being flat, so they save space, and look sexy.
Pixel Response: The time that is needed for any given pixel to change colors. Slow times in this area can lead to blurs during gaming.
Pixel Pitch: This is just th e size of each colored pixel on a LCD or plasma display.
Refresh Rate: This is the # of times a CRT's electron beam will sweep over the screen in one second. Its measured in kilhertz 9Hz).
Shadow Mask: This is a metal piece placed behind the screen of a CRT to make sure the electron beam hits the right "phosphor dots". This is usually bulbous and rounded in shape, which is why many CRTs have curved screens.
Viewing Area: The part of the monitor that is actually a screen (ie: not including the plastic around the outside).
Contrast Ratio: The amount of difference between the darkest black, and brightest white.


I hoped this guide helped you learn more about monitor terms. Tell me if theres anything i should change or add.

noxious89123

Response times can be given in grey-to-grey and 'rise and fall' (black-to-white-to-black).

Grey-to-grey times are generally lower than rise and fall.

I think most monitor manufacturers measure using grey-to-grey as 8ms looks better than saying 25ms (rise and fall).

There is no standard as to which type of response time is shown, but it seems most show grey->grey, as it has a faster time, which looks more impressive.

Contrast Ratio: The amount of difference between the darkest black, and brightest white.

Atleast thats what i think it means. might wanna check before adding it.

Good FAQ for anyone that is looking for a new monitor.

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emberix

thanks for the comment
I added the contrast ratio..

minusthirteen

what about TFT's?
is it the same thing as LCD except different technology?