Choosing the right monitor
Even though most of like the portability of laptops , when it comes to working from home, a desktop is much more comfortable. That’s not all; it’s a lot more fun to watch movies or play games on your desktop, especially if you are the sort who watches a lot of movies on your comp. A monitor makes for better viewing that too for a larger group of people. But how do you pick one? Is a CRT better than LCD or vice versa? Is bigger always better? These are some questions that you need to address before investing on a monitor for your PC.
As, you may already know, you can choose between a CRT and LCD monitor. LCD monitors are a rage nowadays, with a bevy of new and innovative features and are well on their way to making CRTs obsolete. They are the most preferred choice of display for their lightweight, low power consumption and compact design. Though in some areas like contrast ratio, viewing angles and colour fidelity the good old CRTs still outperform LCDs. But as most display manufacturers are improving their LCD technologies, in no time CRTs will be extinct. Some of the major manufactures of LCD monitors are Viewsonic, Samsung, LG, BenQ, Dell, Acer etc.
As LCDs are the most widely available display technology we shall concentrate on it. LCD monitors come in two formats—standard screen (aspect ratio 4:3) and widescreen (aspect ratio 16:9). Aspect ratio is the ratio of width to height of the viewable area of the monitor. The standard screen format is similar to the ones CRTs possess, which is ideal for office productivity, performing design related tasks etc. On the other hand widescreen formats are preferred for viewing videos, playing games, etc.
The performance of an LCD monitor depends on four important parameters—viewing angle, contrast ratio, response time and resolution.
It is preferable to buy a wide screen monitor, which has a screen size of 19-inch or more. As such monitors are capable of delivering a truly cinematic experience. Monitors in this range usually have some extra add-ons such as in-built speakers, DVI input or integrated web-cam etc. In the sub Rs 10,000 category the ViewSonic VA1926w reigns for its high viewing angle and contrast ratio. The downside of this monitor is its response time of 5 ms, by shelling around Rs 2000 more you could get the ViewSonic VX1940w that has a response time of 2 ms.
Viewsonic’s CASA series of monitors feature the Dynamic Contrast Ratio (DCR) technology. This technology enhances LCD contrast ratio up to 2000:1 and enables automatic detection of the image signal, and controls the backlight brightness of the monitor accordingly. In this way the black is made blacker in a dark scene, and make the white is made whiter in the bright environment.
Another feature available in ViewSonic’s CASA series monitors is the ClearMotiv II technology. This provides faster response time with which the monitor is able to deliver smooth video performance, broadcast quality, and fast-action video for gaming and graphic-intensive applications.
So the next time you go shopping for a monitor do look out for its specifications before deciding on one and do not just carried away by the additional features it has to offer such as in-built speakers or webcam. Although, mind you, these add-ons don’t hurt either; but the core is the factors mentioned above. Once you’ve sorted these, then look at connectivity options, another important aspect, and only then in-built speakers and webcam. Choose a monitor with the latter, only if you find one that falls in your decided budget. These aren’t critical enough for you to loosen your purse strings.
My Personal Recommendation Are :
19-inch category : LG L194WT for 10000 Rs.
22-inch category : LG L226WTQ For 14000 Rs.
These Are The Best Value For Money Monitor U Can Buy .
By Sharon Lobo For compareindia.com
