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How to choose an LCD Monitor

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

With prices of LCD monitors having taken a steep nose dive, it's becoming

more viable for organizations to use LCD monitors with their PCs. Some studies

reflect that a LCD monitor will pay for itself in terms of the savings you can

get in electricity bills over two years. That's how power efficient LCD monitors

really are. Not only that, but they also save you a lot of precious desktop

space. So the question therefore arises on which LCD monitor should you really

choose. There's a wide range of them available that cater to the needs of all

kinds of users. So whether it's for graphics designers or for running routine

productivity applications, there's an LCD monitor for every need. Let's first

understand their advantages over a CRT monitor.

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Why LCD?



Ever wondered why the bigger CRT screens weigh more? Blame it on technology

that is used for display. A CRT monitor uses an electron gun to bombard

electrons over a glass tube coated with phosphor, which glows when struck by the

electron beam. While in LCDs , liquid crystals sandwiched between thin polarized

sheets are used. This setup allows LCDs to be sleeker and less heavier than

CRTs. They consume 1/3rd of the power of a CRT. They also emit lesser radiation

than CRTs, and therefore are less stressful for eyes. So if your employees spend

long hours in front of their PCs, then it's better to give them LCD monitors.

There is one small drawback in LCDmonitors. The viewing angle of most LCD

monitors is only 160 degrees, so if you try to view the monitor from the sides,

you may not be able to see anything. Nevertheless, that's a small price to pay

compared to the benefits you'll get by using them.

Plan your purchase



There are many factors to consider when choosing an LCD monitor, and it's

important to spend some time on them because it's a long term investment. You

may be on a tight budget or might be facing space constraints. You could have

specific needs such as gaming or video editing or to put a fancy looking monitor

on your office's front desk. Let's see what all needs to be considered.

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Screen-Size



LCD screen sizes vary from 15 to 28 inches nowadays. Typically for routine

office work, 15” LCD monitors are sufficient. However, by paying a little extra,

you can also go for a 17” LCD. The catch is that when you're buying in volumes,

then even a small per unit price differential can sum up to become a sizeable

amount to pay. So price differential isn't the only reason to choose a bigger or

smaller screen size. It's the actual need that matters. If you need it for

employees who're going to use it for a single or very few applications, then a

15” LCD is sufficient. However, if the work demands working on multiple

applications simultaneously, then extra screen space can be a boon for the user.

If your work includes animation, then ideally a 19” or a 22” LCD is recommended,

as they provide enhanced video experience. Moreover, as 22” LCDs are capable of

providing full HD output, they are better suited to designers and video editors.

Aspect ratio



CRT monitors usually have an aspect ratio of 4:3. The LCD monitors too have

a 4: 3 aspect ratio. However, the current trend of high-def TV, widescreens and

16:9 DVDs have made 16:9 LCDs the flavor of the season. For Xtra widescreen,

16:10 aspect ratio is also available. Widescreen monitors are capable of

displaying 16:9 videos in full screen mode without cropping them. But this

doesn't mean that the screen size of widescreen monitors is more than that of

4:3 ratio displays. What they gain in terms of a wide display, they lose the

same in height. So a 19” LCD has the same height as a 17” LCD, even though it

may look bigger due to the wide stretch. Interestingly, all monitors above 20”

are available in widescreen only.

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Resolution



All LCD monitors have a native resolution at which they will give you the

best quality viewing. Apart from this, they would also support a few other

resolutions. You need to check how many such resolutions are supported in a LCD

monitor, because non-supported resolutions will result in distorted images. Most

of the 4:3 LCDs have a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024, which is appropriate

for routine usage other than watching high-def (i.e. 16:9) videos. The

widescreen LCDs come with resolution of 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050 or 1920 x 1200

pixels and that makes them appropriate for high-def video playback as well as

other tasks. Most of the games these days also come with support for widescreen

resolution display.

Viewing Angle



This is one of the most crucial parameters. Both the horizontal and vertical

viewing angles must be checked. With LCDs, the display appears perfect when you

sit right in front but deteriorates as you move sideways. So, always buy the one

that has the maximum viewing angle. For best viewing experience, we suggest a

monitor having a viewing angle of 160 degrees and above.

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Adjustments



LCD monitors are light and portable and usually need to be attached to a

separate stand. There are LCD monitors that allow the display screen to be

tilted by a certain angle or be swiveled and rotated by a certain angle. This

aspect is more important for an office than a home user.

Dot Pitch



Dot Pitch refers to the distance between each pixel or pocket. The lesser

the space between each pocket the crispier the image and better picture the you

will get. 0.22 mm is the value of dot pitch which is recommended for intense

graphics use while for normal use anything between 0.26-0.30 mm will suffice.

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Auto-Adjust



This is one of the most important features of an LCD monitor. In CRTs, the

display moves out of screen whenever there is a change in resolution. However,

the auto-adjust feature ensures that this doesn't happen no matter what. While

most monitors have the auto-adjust feature, it's still advisable to check before

buying.

Pivot display



Some LCD monitors have the feature to pivot the display panel from landscape

to portrait mode. This can be done by using the supplied software that comes

with the monitor; it rotates and reforms the image to be displayed in the new

orientation. Additionally, monitors that generally have this feature can be

rotated clockwise (by 90 degree) to facilitate work in the portrait mode. This

feature can be useful when you're working on long documents, you needn't scroll

down while viewing a long webpage.

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Inputs



LCDs work best with the digital input, so if the LCD is attached via a D-sub
port then the digital data is converted to analog and then at the monitor it is

converted back to digital format which leads to loss in signal quality. The DVI

interface eliminates this conversion process and directly transmits digital

signal to provide lossless display. DVI with HDCP input is the best, HDCP

encrypts the transmission of digital content from the computer and the monitor

that supports HDCP can then decrypt the transmitted data without any loss in the

integrity of the transmitted content. So, the LCDs having DVI with HDCP are

recommended, even if they cost you a bit more. Monitors above 22” are capable of

displaying full HD content, and some of them even come with HDMI input that is

capable of transmitting HD content without any loss of quality. Infact, now

there are graphics cards too that come with HDMI output.

On-Screen display



Similar to CRTs, LCDs also need to be adjusted for brightness, contrast, and

color. Thus LCDs also come with adjustment keys that provide OSD controls. One

should check that these controls are easy to use, quick to learn, and the keys

on front panel are not flimsy. Some manufacturers also provide an OSD lock

control, which means that no one can alter your settings. If you want this

feature then it is advisable to check the OSD lock feature: how easy it is to

use and reset.

Audio



Apart from adding a visual element to your desktop, LCDs also offer full

multimedia capabilities. A number of monitors come with onboard speakers which

are perfect for casual listening. In general they don't have quite high volume,

plus sometimes the output at max volume becomes shrilling. Hence, the speakers

must be checked by listening to songs or watching videos on the LCD at max

volume. Some LCD screens come with headphone jack either on the side or at the

back of the screen. So, if your work is such that you have to be constantly

connected with the headphones, then an LCD with the headphone jack option is a

sensible option.

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Response time



This refers to the amount of time it takes for the crystals in the LCD

monitor to turn on and off. The lower the response time, the less ghosting and

streaking would appear on the monitor. The response time of LCD varies between 2

and 16 ms. For general word processing and Internet browsing an LCD monitor with

8—16 ms latency would not be an issue. However, for watching videos and playing

games, the monitor should have a response time of 5 ms or less to avoid blurring

of screen or visible ghosting.

Other factors



These are mainly user-specific depending on the special requirements of the

user.

USB ports



Some LCD monitors provide USB ports that can be handy if you have many

devices to connect.

Wall mounting



If you want to put a LCD monitor in a public place, such as your reception,

then this feature comes in handy.

Dead pixels:



The nemesis of LCDs

Sometimes, individual liquid crystal cells get permanently stuck on or off in

an LCD during manufacturing or transportation. A dead pixel is a tiny colored or

black dot that does not change along with other cells and stands out in each

program. There are several methods on Internet to get rid of dead pixels, but

they are not 100% fool proof.

LCD monitor TV



A new crop of LCD monitor TVs is coming from manufacturers like LG, BenQ,

ViewSonic and Samsung. Their sizes range from 19” to 28”. These monitors have

the standard D-Sub and DVI ports and also have component, composite, and HDMI

connectivity options. While buying an LCD it is important that you try it out.

Viewing angle, contrast, and brightness are all factors that you can decide

upon only after seeing the LCD in action. Always try to check the LCD with the

widest possible viewing angle. This would also ensure that you can ask for a

different unit if dead pixels are present.

Glossary
  1. LCD: Liquid crystal display is a

    thin, flat display device made up of any number of color or mono chrome

    pixels arrayed in front of a light source or reflector.
  2. Pixel: Short for picture element,

    pixel is a single point in a graphic image.
  3. Response time: The minimum time necessary

    to change a pixel's color or brightness.
  4. Contrast ratio: The ratio of the

    intensity of the brightest bright to the darkest dark.
  5. Aspect ratio: The ratio of the

    width to the height.
  6. DVI: Digital visual interface is a

    video interface standard designed to maximize the visual quality of

    digital display devices such as flat panel LCD computer displays and

    digital projectors.
  7. CRT: Cathode ray tube is an

    evacuated glass envelope containing an electron gun and a fluorescent

    screen, usually with internal or external means to accelerate and deflect

    electrons. When electrons strike the fluorescent screen, light is emitted.

  8. D-Sub: D-subminiature VGA connector

    refers to an analog computer display standard.
  9. HDMI: High-definition multimedia

    interface is a licensable audio/video connector interface for transmitting

    uncompressed, encrypted digital streams.
  10. HDCP: High-bandwidth digital

    content protection is a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) developed

    by Intel to control digital audio and video content as it travels across

    DVI, HDMI, or Unified Display Interface (UDI) connections.

Eight 17” and 19” LCDs

We checked out six 17” and two 19” LCD monitors for their display quality,

features, and price to help you decide the best one for your office

LCD monitors have become an integral part of our lives. They consume lesser

table space, lesser power, and cause lesser strain to the eyes. Plus, their

prices have crashed, making them the perfect choice over their CRT counter

parts. To find which LCD is best suited for your office, we stressed 8 of them

for performance, features, and price. Out of these, 6 have 17”, and 2 have 19”

screen size. We've taken these two, because they're suitable for offices and the

price difference between a 17” and 19” is also not that much.

To test the monitors we used an Intel Pentium D 2.80 GHz processor on an ECS

R410 motherboard with 512MB RAM and NVIDIA 7600GT graphics card with DVI and

D-sub out ports to facilitate direct connection with LCD monitors irrespective

of the port on the monitor. However, most 17' LCD displays only come with a

D-sub input port.

One criteria we tested the monitors on was the basis of resolution supported

as LCD monitors provide the best display on their maximum resolution. Next we

checked, how stable was the monitor's base stand. We also checked if it allowed

height, tilt or swivel adjustments. Lastly we checked the various adjustment

keys present on the LCD display for thier size and whether they were easy to

press or not.

We tested them using Displaymate Benchmark. This has a “Video obstacle

course” that runs a series of test on the monitor for various known problems

including banding, color regeneration, flicker, noise, brightness level, focus,

dot moiré interference, dead pixels etc. Before we began any tests, we used the

"set up display" option within the benchmark to calibrate the LCD monitor for

best view. Once the monitor was calibrated, we gave each of the monitors about

an hour of warm up time before starting any benchmarks.

A point to note is that the color regeneration test that checks the monitor

for any color generation problems. Since it's impossible to have perfect color

generation all over the monitor, we found some errors in all the monitors. LCD

monitors today can be used for more than running basic productivity

applications. They're also used for video editing, or even for entertainment

such as watching videos. It's important therefore that a monitor is able to

display videos correctly. For this, we ran a few scenes from the movie Godzilla

and various high definition clips ranging from 480p to 1080p. In these, we

checked how the monitors fared in displaying blacks and its contrast ratio.



Vendor


Model


Screen Size (”)


Brightness

cd/m2



Contrast ratio


Viewing Angle(0)


Response time (ms)


Maximum Resolution (pixels)


Other features
AOC 177Sa 17 300 800:1 160(H),160(V) 5 1280 x 1024 Inbulit speakers
HP L1710 17 300 800:1 160(H),160(V) 8 1280 x 1024 Twist stand
HP 1910L 19 300 700:1 160(H),160(V) 5 1280 x 1024 Twist stand
Intex IT 1707WBLK 17 250 500:1 170(H),170(V) 16 1280 x 768 Inbulit speakers
LG L177WSB 17 250 5000 : 1 160(H),160(V) 8 1440 x 900  
LG 1960TQ 19 300 2000:1 170(H),170(V) 4 1440 x 900 DVI port
ViewSonic VA1703WB 17 250 500:1 140(H),130(V) 8 1440 x 900  
ViewSonic VA1716w 17 250 500:1 160(H),160(V) 8 1440 x 900  

LG Flatron L177WSB

This 17” widescreen from LG has got stunning looks. The front part of its

bezel and the support stand sport an engraved striped design. It performed well

in our DisplayMate benchmark showing errors only in color regeneration tests,

which is common in LCD monitors. Watching videos on the monitor was also a joy

thanks to its 5000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It supports a maximum resolution of

1440 x 900, and being a wide screen makes it easy to work on multiple windows

simultaneously. Even though it has 8 ms response time, it didn't show any

ghosting or streaking during high definition video playback. The monitor can be

tilted but there is no provision for height or swivel adjustment. Its menu and

control keys are present at the bezel's bottom and are a little hard to press.

Another interesting feature is that whenever the scene modes are changed from

normal to text or movie, the adjustment is first displayed on the right half of

the screen.

Bottomline: This monitor gets our vote for being a performer with a style of

its own.

Quick

Specs
Specs: 17”

screen, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 5000:1 contrast, 8 ms response time, 1440x900

max resolution



Price: Rs 10,400 (3 yrs onsite warranty)


Contact: LG Electronics, Greater Noida


Tel: 2560900 Email:
sanjoy@lgezbuy.com




SMS Buy 130101 to 56677

+ High

contrast ratio



- Hard to press keys

Intex IT—1707WBLK

This 17” widescreen from Intex offers a maximum resolution of just 1280 x 768

pixels, whereas other similar monitors we reviewed supported a higher 1440 x 900

resolution. It's a classy looking monitor, but we wish its V-shaped stand was a

little more stable. This can be a little bit of a problem, especially when

you're doing things like tilt adjustment. The keys on the monitor are a little

hard to press, and we ended up pushing back the monitor a couple of times while

pressing them.

In the Displaymate benchmark, we found a little bit of flicker at the bottom

of the screen and some banding. The monitor also has a slight yellow tint, which

appears quite prominent when placed next to other LCD monitors. The monitor has

built-in speakers.

Bottomline: This monitor is suitable for running regular productivity

applications only, and at this price, we found other monitors giving better

performance.

Quick

Specs
Specs:

17” screen, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 500:1 contrast, 16 ms response time,

1280x768 max resolution, inbuilt speaker



Price: Rs 10,500 (3 yrs onsite warranty)


Contact:
Intex Technologies, Delhi



Tel: 1800116789


Email: info@intextechnoloies.com




SMS Buy 130102 to 56677

+ Stylish

looks



- Graphics performance

ViewSonic VA1716w

This widescreen offering from ViewSonic is a part of its value series. In

terms of brightness and contrast, this one's no better than the Intex

IT—1707WBLK. However, it supports a higher maximum resolution of 1440 x 900

pixels. The monitor display is crisp and clear. The monitor's navigation and

menu keys at the bottom of the bezeel are easy to press. Its stand is extremely

sturdy and provides excellent support to the display.

The LCD blasted through our Displaymate benchmarks, and erred very slightly

in the color regeneration test as compared to other monitors. However, its black

levels aren't very good, and its brightness and contrast levels are also not as

high as others. This was quite evident when watching videos, where the details

were lacking and were replaced by only black color, making videos appear darker

with unnatural color shades. The monitor can be tilted, but height and swivel

adjustments are missing.

Bottomline: Overall, a good monitor for this price, but brightness and

contrast levels could be better.

Quick

Specs
Specs:

17” screen, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 500:1 contrast, 8 ms response time,

1440x900 max resolution



Price: Rs 10,499 (3 yrs onsite warranty)


Contact: Roop Technology, Mumbai.


Tel: 26681921 Email:
Umang@rooponline.com




SMS Buy 130103 to 56677

+ Good

support stand



- Poor black levels

HP L1710

The HP L1710 is a non widescreen monitor with a maximum resolution of

1280x1024 pixels. Its support stand is sturdy and unique as instead of having to

attach it to the main display like other monitors, the whole stand is

permanently attached and can be rotated from its pivot toward the screen making

this monitor safe.

The monitor cruised through the Displaymate benchmark coming second to the

ViewSonic monitor in terms of degree of errors in color regeneration. In video

playback, the monitor showed excellent blacks with great contrast making the

colors also look more natural. The problem came when we played some High Def

content on it; the non widescreen display stretched the video vertically leading

to pixilation at certain points. However, this should be the least of your

concerns if you are buying it for office use.

As it's not a widescreen, you don't get the luxury of switching lots of open

windows easily. But it more than makes up for that through its performance.

Bottomline: Overall, if you are looking for a non widescreen display for your

office, this is a one of the best options available.

Quick

Specs
Specs: 17”

screen, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 800:1 contrast, 8 ms response time, 1280x1024

max resolution, twist stand



Price: Rs 9,500 (3yrs onsite warranty)


Contact: Hewlett-Packard India, Bangalore. Tel: 2566111.


Email: ankur.sabharwal@hp.com


SMS Buy 130104 to 56677


+ Graphics

performance



- Non widescreen

ViewSonic VA1703wb

The ViewSonic VA1703wb is one of the older 17” widescreen monitors from

ViewSonic which has a resolution of 1440x900 pixels and an 8 ms response time.

Looks wise, the monitor has a full black finish and an LED lighted power button

at the centre bottom.

What really impressed us was the support stand that came along with it. The

circular support stand was large and sturdy and had a click lock for the panel.

The LCD has five buttons in the centre front, an LED lighted power button in the

centre with navigation/ adjustment button on the right side and the menu, and

exit button on the left side.

These buttons were easy to press and not hard unlike some of the other

monitors we reviewed this time.

In the Displaymate benchmark the monitor cleared all tests easily, except for

a little bit of noise during the Dot Moiré pattern tests and error during the

color regeneration test.

Even though the monitor has 8 ms response time, we didn't see any ghosting or

streaking during video playback. Working on regular productivity apps on this

monitor was again a pleasure, due to the widescreen and 16:10 aspect ratio.

Bottomline: Overall, we feel that this monitor is a great choice for offices,

given its performance and the low price.

Quick

Specs
Specs: 17”

screen, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 500:1 contrast, 8 ms response time, 1440x900

max resolution



Price: Rs 9,999 (3 yrs onsite warranty)


Contact: Roop Technology, Mumbai


Tel: 26681921. Email:


Umang@rooponline.com


SMS Buy 130105 to 56677



+ Price



- Slight noise visible

AOC 177Sa

The beautiful monitor has a glossy pearl black silhouette with a trendy round

edge design. The monitor has two speakers placed at the bottom of its bevel,

hidden from view. The control buttons are also placed underside the bevel,

alongwith an audio in slot for headphones. The base of the monitor has a 'V'

shape design providing maximum support and adding to its looks.

The monitor performed spectacularly in all tests. It cleared through the

DisplayMate benchmarks easily; even the Dot moiré pattern which is a common

problem in most LCD monitors did not pose a problem in this one. Its response

time of 5 ms makes it ideal for video, and the HD content playback in this

monitor was also smooth. Inbuilt speakers on a monitor are usually for personal

listening, but the speakers on this one were surprisingly loud and clear at the

same time. The position of the speakers added to the volume, as the sound

bounced back from the surface to give a deeper sound effect.

Bottomline: Overall, even though it's not a widescreen, it's a great choice

for all types of users.

Quick

Specs
Specs: 17”

screen, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 800:1 contrast, 5 ms response time, 1280x1024

max resolution, inbuild speaker



Price: Rs 10,000 (3 yrs onsite warranty)


Contact: AOC India Tel: 9810956116


Email: Rahul@in.aocmonitor.com




SMS Buy 130106 to 56677


+ Price,

performance



- Prone to fingerprints

LG1960TQ

This non widescreen monitor from LG is really stylish. It sports a matte

black finish with a piano black stand that can also be wall mounted. Its design

allows for cable management at the back as well as tilt adjustment. It has a

touch-sensitive power button.

 The adjustment keys are on its side, which gel with the design but are

a little inconvenient to use. The display was just super in video playback with

excellent blacks and whites, thanks to the 2000: 1 dynamic contrast ratio.

Adding to its performance is the 4 ms response time. In the Displaymate

benchmark the monitor gave the best results. It only showed a slight error in

vertical color regeneration, but it was lesser than all other monitors we

tested. The only quirk is that it supports up to 1280x1024 pixels resolution.

Bottomline: This is a great choice for users wanting a non-widescreen monitor

that gives excellent performance for all kinds of applicatoins usage.



Quick Specs


Specs: 19” screen, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 2000:1 contrast, 4 ms

response time, 1440x900 max resolution, wall mountable slots, DVI port



Price: Rs 17,800 (3 yrs onsite warranty)


Contact: LG Electronics India,Greater


Noida Tel: 2560900 Email:


sanjoy@lgezbuy.com


SMS Buy 130107 to 56677





+ Graphics performance



- Placement of keys

HP 1910L

The 19” LCD display from HP has the same unique twist support base as its 17”

cousin. The power and menu keys were also substantially larger than the other

monitors providing ease of use.

Like its 17” counterpart this monitor also has a sleek silver bezel with keys

embedded in the front.

It supports a maximum resolution of 1280x1024 pixels and has vivid colors

with sharp edges resulting in excellent display output

The LCD worked great in video playback; however it again showed the same

problem of pixelization in HD content due to non widescreen resolution.

Otherwise, the videos were crisp and portrayed excellent blacks with enhanced

color details. However, in the Displaymate benchmark the monitor suffered color

regeneration issues, and ripples were visible in Dot moiré tests.

Bottomline: Overall, this 19” monitor offers the same performance and

features as its 17” cousin, and should be considered if you need a larger screen

for your office.



Quick Specs


Specs: 19” screen, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 700:1 contrast, 5 ms response time,

1280x1024 max resolution, twist stand



Price: Rs 11,000 (3 yrs onsite warranty)


Contact: Hewlett-Packard India,


Bangalore. Tel: 2566111.


Email: ankur.sabharwal@hp.com


SMS Buy 130108 to 56677





+ Excellent black level



- Visible ripples
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