Cheap Computer Monitors

Parts

Apart from the mere appearance of the monitor there are technical details that you should look out for as well.

There are many different kinds of video inputs that a monitor can take. Which ones you will use will depend on the application. A rule of thumb is to look for a monitor that has all of the ones you need. If it doesn’t, look at all the other features first, but make sure that it has at least the most common input sources.

There is the tradtional VGA port. This is the kind that was used on all CRT monitors and LCD monitors still use that kind. This is still the most common kind and you will not go wrong with a monitor that has a VGA port.

A DVI connector is another choice that is commonly found on LCD monitors. This is a newer kind that offere some advantages over the older VGA kind. It is very useful to have. There are very few flat screen monitors that don’t incluce one of these, but there are a handful that do not. Make sure it has the one that your computer uses or that your new computer has a kind to match.

S-Video connectors are useful if you plan to use things like your DVD player to play movies or your camcorder. Most home entertainment products will have an S-Video output so this would be good if you plan to play anything from those sources on your monitor.

Color and Spatial Uniformity

One problem that comes in with flat screen monitors is that the color produced on the screen is not always true to the color that it is supposed to be producing.

Although this may seem quite awful, the fact is that all LCD monitors have this to varying degrees. It’s how much difference there is that makes the difference.

Different spots on the screen will produce more or less accurate colors. If it varies too much between the top and the bottom of the screen, meaning that one of the two is more off, it will be obvious. If it is fairly well distributed over the screen then the difference will appear less.

The OSD is used to adjust the contrast and the brightness of the monitor. Sometimes a monitor needs to the brightness turned up really high to produce correct colors. This defeats the object of the LCD which is supposed to be easier on the eyes than a CRT monitor.

Latency

Latency refers to how fast the monitor can update the colors on the screen. Lower times mean a faster monitor and hence the picture stays up to date.

This has very little impact in the everyday monitor market, where the programs used, such as desktop applications don’t require this kind of speed. Those programs show nearly the same thing all the time.

But gaming is a whole new ballgame. The high refresh rates and precision graphics changing constantly and rapidly require the monitor to stay on top of things to keep it looking good, not to mention playable.

LCD monitors have always been on the slow side and CRT monitors would still be the choice to go for if gaming. However newer LCD monitors are coming up for the challlenge. With dropping prices and improving technology, new monitors are definitely in with a fighting chance for games.

If you are looking at first person shooter games, then a latency of under 12ms or even 8ms will be necessary to make the games playable. When a manufacturer specifies 12ms, that is under ideal conditions, and the latency can get as high as 36ms. This is a standard tactic, but is worth watching.

In Conclusion

Choosing the right monitor is a case of assessing your needs from the monitor itself. Many times, most monitors will be OK, especially when it comes to everyday desktop and office applications. Even then, taking the time to have a look for the most useful monitor will pay off with the ease of use they provide.

Monitors are one piece of equipment that can outlast all the other parts of your computer. Choosing the right monitor can save you from the need to upgrade for many years, adding to your computer’s ease of use, and making things easier, rather than a headache.

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