Lcd Tv Buying Guide

If there's one computer peripheral that most users take for granted, it's the display. Yet it's arguably the most important peripheral because it provides the only means of seeing what's going on inside your computer. After a few hours of reading the screen, however, we often forget about the display and simply accept it as our window into the computer's operations. LCD monitors have finally overtaken CRTs in the marketplace, and now the chances are good that your next monitor will be an LCD. What do you need to know in order to choose the right monitor and then get the most out of it?

Most users also give little thought to their selection of display, especially when buying a new computer. System manufacturers bundle a monitor and the buyer goes along with that choice-though sometimes you get to pick the size.

The reality is that you have to make many choices when selecting a display for your computer. Your decision may be shaped by budget limitations, how you'll use the computer, aesthetics, space constraints, or environmental concerns-or a combination of these factors.

This Buyers' Guide is divided into sections so that you can find the information you need quickly. First, we list some of the reasons that LCDs are better than CRTs. The Choices section describes the different categories of displays you'll be faced with when you go shopping. The Budget section provides some generalized estimates of what you can expect to get with a certain price range. The Features section describes the most important features that differentiate displays of similar type and price. Some of these features affect all users, but others will apply only specific applications. Finally, the Reality Check section will help you steer clear of some of the most common buying misconceptions.

LCDs are better than CRTs because:

They are smaller and lighter.

They consume less energy.

The image is crisper because each pixel is displayed by a specific set of liquid crystal cells.

Eyestrain and fatigue are reduced because there is no flicker.

While there is no conclusive evidence about the health hazards of low-frequency electromagnetic emissions, LCDs emit much fewer than CRTs.

Some LCDs pivot, so you can work in landscape or portrait mode.

LCDs are less prone to interference from other devices, and you can put two side-by-side without encountering problems.

The image geometry is always perfect.

Convergence is always perfect.

The flat face of an LCD tends to reflect less glare than most CRTs.

They tend to use fewer hazardous materials and are easier to recycle.

They look so much cooler.

Even before you start to think about specific monitor features, you face some important choices. First, you must consider the size of the LCD display that you need, and then the aspect ratio that you wish to use.

Screen Size. Display size is specified in terms of the diagonal measurement of the screen. In general, the larger the display, the more information you can show at one time. It is important, however, to keep resolution in mind. A large display that is limited to low-resolution images cannot show as much information as a smaller display that supports a higher-resolution image.

For most office tasks, a 15-inch LCD is adequate. The extra cost of moving to a 17-inch LCD, however, may be well worth doing, since it provides more space for multiple programs to be visible simultaneously. Specific applications can benefit from even larger displays: In desktop publishing, for example, it's helpful to have two full-size pages displayed side by side, much as you can have with a 20-inch or larger display.

Also, keep in mind that Windows supports multiple graphics adapters, so it's possible and sometimes more practical to get more display area by using two separate displays-a solution that will often will cost less than the price of a single, larger display.

Aspect ratio. Most computer monitors and televisions have a 4:3 aspect ratio. This means that the screen is 4/3 as wide as it is tall. The advent of high-definition TV and DVDs has led to the creation of wide aspect ratio displays, with 16:9 most common. Not only does this help give you the full view of entertainment programming, but the extra width can help you see more data on a screen at one time.

It's a good time to buy a new monitor. Fierce competition and production advances have driven prices downward over the past few years. LCDs remain more expensive than CRTs with a similar display size, but the overall price is now very attractive. The LCD industry has been struggling with a feast-or-famine cycles of oversupply followed by shortages, so prices drop and then rise a little before dropping again. Worldwide LCD production capacity has grown rapidly in the past few years, which helps minimize these price swings, but the countervailing forces of increased demand as well as increased competition still leave the market subject to up-and-down price changes. Recognizing that prices can change quickly in these markets, here's what your dollars will buy you in the following ranges:

$200 to $400. Most 15-inch LCD monitors fall in this range. At the lower end of the range, you'll find end-of-life models and products from lower-tier manufacturers. The top-end models will be feature-rich with the best performance. The middle of the range will buy a good quality 15-inch LCD monitor from a name brand. (For comparison's sake, keep in mind that the viewable area of an LCD monitor is about the same as a CRT monitor with a two-inch larger picture tube. So a 15-inch LCD has about the same size image as a 17-inch CRT.)

$400 to $550. This will get you a 17-inch LCD monitor, though again the lowest priced models may be end-of-life units that may not be as good a value as a choice that costs only a little more. You'll also find some low-end 18- and 19-inch models at the top of this range.

$550 to $900. Most 18- and 19-inch monitors are found in this price range, as well as some high-end 15- and 17-inch monitors that have advanced features such as television tuners or touch screens.

$900 to $1,600. This is the range for most 20-inch LCD monitors, as well as high-end models of smaller sizes. Keep in mind that the incremental display area on a 20-inch compared with an 18- or 19-inch is small compared to the increase in cost.

$1,600 to $4,000. LCDs in sizes up to 30-inches cost a lot more than smaller ones, because they cost a lot more to make. You'll find wide-screen LCD televisions that can also double as computer monitors in this price range, as well as large, high resolution monitors.

There are literally dozens of features that differentiate displays. It's important to pay careful attention to those that will have the greatest impact on the kind of activity you most regularly perform with your computer.

Native resolution. The actual number of pixels displayed is the panel's most important specification. Most LCD monitors allow you to scale images of other resolutions, but you'll get the sharpest result if you stick to the native resolution.

Viewing angle. With some LCD panels, viewing the image from an alternative angle can cause significant changes in brightness, contrast, and even color. If you need to see the image when you're not directly in front of the display, look for a design with a wider viewing angle. There are different technologies used to achieve this, but you should be able to view the image at up to 80 degrees off the axis in any direction. Note that off-axis viewing angles become more important as you move to larger screens, because the screen fills a larger portion of your field of view, and the angles to viewing the corners of the monitor are greater.

Digital versus analog input. A typical computer graphics adapter generates the display information and stores it as digital data in a frame buffer. If it is sent out the VGA connection – an analog port – this data must be converted from digital to analog. When it arrives at the LCD monitor, this analog information must be converted back to digital data before it can be sent to the LCD panel. The DVI digital interface was developed to eliminate the conversion from digital to analog and back again, so that you get a perfect image. The fact is that LCD monitor controllers now do such an excellent job of the analog-to-digital conversion that most users will find it difficult to tell the difference between an analog and a digital connection. The least expensive LCDs may not be quite as good at synchronizing the analog signal, which is one reason to not buy the least expensive models, but most users do not need to pay a premium for a digital connection because a quality analog monitor will be just as good.

Auto-adjust. If the LCD monitor uses an analog signal, it must synchronize to the signal in order to display an image of the right size and position. The best models have a single button on the front panel that lets you initiate an automatic synchronization process.

Front-panel controls. All displays require some adjustment, even if only for brightness and contrast settings. Most monitors now have an on-screen menu to guide you through the process; this menu will help you make sense of the controls and screen prompts. Models that double as televisions typically have remote controls that can also be used to make screen setting adjustments, and this is generally easier than using the front panel buttons. At least one manufacturer – Samsung – has a model without front panel controls; you use your computer to make adjustments which are then sent to the display.

Multiple inputs. If you need to work with more than one computer, but have space for only one display, consider getting a model with multiple inputs. The best units will have a single button or switch on the front panel, making it easy to switch between the two displays.

DDC support. The Display Data Channel (DDC) is a standard set by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) that allows computers to communicate with monitors. This feature allows the monitor to tell the computer, along with other information, which resolutions, signal rates, and power-saving modes it supports. The Windows Plug and Play feature can then use this information to configure the computer to work with the display, without the need for separate driver information.

Quick-exchange warranty. If your monitor fails, you won't be using your computer until you can get a replacement. Some display warranties include overnight replacement. If your installation is mission-critical, check for this coverage.

Pivoting display. Some LCD panels pivot so that the screen orientation can change from landscape mode—where the image is wider than it is tall—to portrait mode. You must have utility software to rotate the image and reformat it for the new orientation. This feature lets you view an entire letter-size page in full size on a 15-inch LCD. Note that a few LCDs with rotating panels do not come with this utility software, which means that you will have to buy a third-party program in order to use this feature.

Mounting-arm compatible. One of the most attractive features of an LCD is that it takes up less space than a CRT. Many are designed to attach to arms that conform to a VESA mounting standard, so they can be mounted on a wall, saving even more space. You can also get arms that mount to desks, as well as models that will hold multiple LCD panels on one stand.

Antitheft lock. LCDs are fairly expensive and relatively small, making them attractive targets for theft. Some models include security features, such as support for a Kensington lock, which can deter pilfering.

There are a number of features you should consider when purchasing a new display. Some may not be obvious, so here's how you can avoid some common mistakes and misconceptions.

Television support. Many monitors now offer support for video, but they can do so in a variety of ways. Some include tuners that accept broadcast or cable signals, but others can only take composite or S-video signals from a video device. Some offer a way to put a video window over your computing desktop so that you can monitor television while working, and others may have even more sophisticated picture-in-picture and picture-on-picture features that make channel surfing more efficient and enjoyable. Some offer RGB support for HDTV signals. Be sure to decide what signal source you will use with the display, and what other components are to be included in your system to produce and process the video and sound. Keep in mind that you may be able to get similar capabilities by adding a graphics adapter with a television tuner and other video processing features to your computer, rather than paying for these to be included in your monitor.

USB hubs. Some manufacturers build hubs into their displays, and others offer them as extras for an additional cost. These hubs are little more than a convenient place to plug in USB devices and are not a particularly valuable feature. They are valuable only if you have USB devices that you can't conveniently plug into your computer. Very few monitors use the USB connection to allow access to the monitor's controlling circuitry. This would let you adjust the monitor from your keyboard instead of using the monitor's buttons.

LCD backlight warranties. The backlight is a fluorescent lamp that transmits light through the LCD panel. In some cases, the warranty for this particular feature can be shorter than for the display as a whole. This means that you may have to buy a whole new monitor, because backlight coverage has run out. It's easier to repair or replace the backlight in some LCD monitors than in others. So if you plan to use this display for a long time, check on the backlight coverage.

Dead pixels. In the process of making an LCD panel, individual liquid crystal cells may be permanently stuck on or off, creating a tiny colored or black dot that never changes. Many LCDs have such flaws that cannot be corrected, and most warranties allow for a certain number of defects before the panel is to be replaced. You have to expect a certain number of these pixel defects on an LCD; if manufacturers were to guarantee perfect panels, the price per display would have to be much higher. Fortunately, pixel defects tend to be less noticeable on higher-resolution displays. If you're concerned about this, check the pixel-defect policy before you buy. You may also want to inspect a monitor in the store before you buy it. Finally, some manufacturers and retailers have been known to make an exchange due to pixel defects even though they are not covered under warranty if the customer makes an effective complaint.

Wide screen sizes: Don't be mislead when comparing wide screens with 16:9 aspect ratios to traditional 4:3 models. For example, a typical 17-inch Wide XGA monitor has 1365 by 768 pixels, but the screen height is no larger than a standard 15-inch XGA monitor. So all you get is an extra 341 pixels in width. This is not an insignificant difference, but the screen is not nearly as big as 17-inch SXGA display with a 1280 by 1024 resolution. The SXGA monitor has more than 262,400 more pixels than the Wide XGA model, and thus can display a lot more information.

Speakers. Some display manufacturers offer speakers as standard or optional items. The advantage is that they attach to the display and do not require additional desk space. This is usually a waste of money, because the quality of the speakers tends to be rather poor, especially when compared with standalone speakers of similar cost. The exception to this generalization is that monitors that are also designed to double as televisions tend to have much better speaker quality. If you do get a monitor with attached speakers, make sure there is a quick-mute button on the monitor panel, or at least an easily accessible volume control.

Electromagnetic emissions. Europe has a number of stringent display-emissions standards to limit the emissions of certain types of electromagnetic radiation. Though most displays meet these current standards, there is conflicting evidence about whether or not these emissions actually pose any health threat. If you're concerned about this, an LCD monitor is going to have fewer such emissions than a CRT. Also, sit farther back from the display rather than closer, as emissions diminish geometrically with distance.

SXGA aspect ratio. Almost all standard display resolutions are based on a 4:3 aspect ratio; this means that the shorter dimension is three-quarters as long as the longer dimension. This is the case for VGA (640-by-480 pixels), SVGA (800-by-600), XGA (1,024-by-768), and UXGA (1,600-by-1200). This is not the case, however, for SXGA, which is 1,280-by-1,024, or a 5:4 aspect ratio. If you have an LCD monitor with an SXGA native resolution and scale images from other resolutions to fill it, circles will appear squashed. Similarly, if you display SXGA images on a CRT designed with a 4:3 aspect ratio and adjust the image to fill the screen, circles will not be round. This is not a problem for most users, but if you're doing precision work, such as drafting or desktop publishing, this could cause problems. Almost all 17- and 18-inch LCD monitors are SXGA, though a few manufacturers have SXGA+ models that have 1280 by 960 resolution, which is a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Go for bigger rather than smaller when it comes to a display, if your budget and space constraints permit.

Digital interfaces provide better LCD images, but the measured improvement is minor for many monitors. So unless your graphics adapter has a digital connection, an analog connection will probably be good enough.

Check the warranty. Many manufacturers offer three-year coverage, so you shouldn't have to settle for less.

LCDs are very reliable; you probably won't need to spend the extra money on an extended warranty.

Make sure you can return the display easily if it's flawed. There can be a lot of variation among individual units of the same model, so you may be surprised when you open the box.

Find out about the exchange/return policy terms regarding pixel defects before you buy, and if you're buying in a store, try to inspect the individual unit before you put your money down.

The only thing likely to wear out on an LCD is the backlight; investigate if and how it can be replaced.

Look for easy-to-reach front panel controls that are clearly labeled and for an easy-to-use on-screen menu.

Make sure its native resolution is the resolution you want to use; the image will not look as good at other resolutions.

A 17-inch wide-format LCD is not big enough for two people to view comfortably, so models of this size that also have television support are still best considered personal viewing screens. Don't expect it to play well in a living room.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.

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