With fashion, thin is in.
But until recently, stylish, svelte liquid crystal displays, or LCDs, were affordable only for those with $1,000 or more in their computer budgets.
“For at least 12 years, the joke in the display industry has been that the entire world will be switching to flat displays in the next two years,” says Ian Miller, director of technology for Samsung Electronics America. “Now I think we’re finally there.”
Signs of a coming desktop display revolution are abundant. Samsung recently began heavy promotion of the first sub-$400 15-inch LCD–its 570v model, with a $399 price tag.
In May, Apple Computer announced it would move to all LCD flat panels for its professional line and presented the eye-popping $999, 17-inch Apple Studio Display as its centerpiece.
Electronics stores have begun pushing back those clunky cathode ray tubes, or CRTs, to make way for flat screen models. And a recent study by the San Jose, Calif., technology research firm Stanford Resources predicts that shipments of flat, thin displays will expand by 40 percent each of the next six years.
“Even with that, the U.S. is really lagging behind the rest of the world on this,” says Stanford analyst Rhoda Alexander. “If you go into a store in Japan these days, you really have to hunt hard to find a CRT anywhere. And it’s the same way in Europe.”
So are Americans–their desktops dominated by those fat old CRTs–about to enter a thin new world?
Well, experts say, the suddenly affordable LCDs may be the right choice for millions. LCDs today offer wonderful savings in energy costs. And the smaller flat panel “footprint”–the space it takes up on a desk–will be enough to entice some converts.
“But it really depends on the consumer’s needs,” Alexander says.
Rabid shoot-’em-up game fans may want to stick with CRTs, she says. And those doing intense graphics work and photo imaging may also be disappointed with some characteristics of LCD displays.
Another factor: Prices for high-end CRT monitors are depressed. And larger CRTs, building on 60-year-old technology, approach perfection today.
Trinitron-family “perfectly flat” picture tubes dramatically cut glare and dampen edge distortion. And many color purists say LCDs won’t steal their hearts until they can rival a CRT’s handsome rendering of quick motion and deep, true hues.
“Every time someone asks me how to pick a monitor, I give them the same answer: Go and look at it using the application you’re interested in running,” Miller says. “Our eyes are all different. You might be very happy with something I hate.”
Two years ago, 15- and 17-inch flat panel monitors were selling for at least $1,000 more than CRTs of the same size.
Manufacturers were gearing up to provide screens for a new realm of Internet cell phones, hand-held organizers and notebook computers. But even as the Korean, Japanese and Chinese plants boosted output of flat panels, demand for such retail equipment softened. Worldwide economic slowdowns exacerbated a drop in consumer demand for gadgets, producing a flat panel glut.
Since 1998, costs for raw flat panels have dropped 25 percent to 30 percent annually.
Stanford Resources said about 2 million flat panels were shipped to retailers in North America at the beginning of 2000. That number is expected to double by the end of this year, the research firm says.
More Top Picks Best Audiobook Devices For The Blind
Experts say prices may be at the bottom right now. Many flat panel-makers, Alexander says, are already selling their products at below the cost of manufacturing.
The timing for consumers is nice. A large sector of the computer-buying public evidently doesn’t plan on upgrading processors and boxes. They are satisfied with the performance of processors half as slow as the 1 gigahertz-plus powerhouses at the top end of the market, she says.
As people use computers more for both work and leisure, they’re placing an increasing importance on display, studies show. Users are beginning to realize that larger screens translate into less scrolling on Internet pages and in word processor and spreadsheet applications.
“Once you have enough computing power to do what you want to do, the monitor and your keyboard are your interface with the computer, and the box that’s behind there doesn’t actually matter,” says Miller. “You’ve got to get the ergonomics of those things right if you want to be efficient at whatever it is you will be doing.”
Take a look at the lineup at any computer store these days, and you’ll likely see an array of options in three basic categories.
Rounded CRTs
Prices for these old-reliable monitors have crashed. An off-brand 19-inch monitor can now be grabbed for under $200 at online discount houses, according to PriceWatch.com.
`Perfectly flat’ CRTs
Sony pioneered innovations that have ironed the curve out of convex CRT picture tubes. Today, multiple manufacturers offer similar screens under names such as DynaFlat and PerfectFlat. Professional-quality monitors of this genre can be purchased for less than $500.
LCD flat panels
From about $310 and up, these space-saving–albeit more delicate–displays are being rolled out in various configurations. They use a completely different method of producing screen images–thin-film transistors, or TFT. The transistors turn screen cells on and off based on signals from the computer’s video card. Expect to pay a premium for any panel bigger than 17 inches. However, these displays boast a much larger “viewable area” than their CRT counterparts. The viewable area of a 19-inch CRT will be about the same as a 17-inch flat screen.
“If the priority is to get as large a screen as they can at the lowest possible price, a CRT is going to beat out an LCD every time,” Alexander says. “If footprint is not an issue for the buyer and they’re doing a lot of graphics work and photo imaging, once again the CRT is going to win.”
Tips on buying a display for your computer
1. Go for bigger rather than smaller when it comes to display, if your budget and work space permit.
2. Opt for analog rather than digital connections. LCD images are better in digital, but the difference is not worth the extra cost.
3. Check the warranty. Most manufacturers offer three-year coverage.
4. Make sure you can return the monitor easily if the display is flawed.
5. If you’re buying an LCD, ask about the exchange/return policy regarding pixel defects.
6. Backlights in LCDs are the only components likely to wear out. See if and how they can be replaced.
7. Make sure front panel controls are easy to reach, easy to use and clearly labeled.
8. For CRT buyers, make sure that the dot or stripe pitch (sharpness) is sufficient to display your desired resolution.
9. For LCD buyers, make sure the preset resolution is the resolution you want to use. Images might not look as good at other resolutions.
10. Both CRTs and LCDs are reliable, so steer clear of buying extended warranties.
–The Dallas Morning News
Source: Ziff Davis Media