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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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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 |