Computer Monitor Functions – A computer monitor is a display adapter that displays information processed by the computer’s video card. When a video card or graphics card converts binary information from 1s and 0s into images, these images are displayed onto the directly connected monitor.
There are different types of monitors, including cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal displays (LCD). Monitors have display functions that include powering it on and off, controlling brightness, contrast and position, among others.
Computer Monitor Functions
Before display screens were built into computer laptops and tablets, the computer monitor was designed as a stand-alone piece of the overall system of a desktop computer. The computer would do its work, and as a result of its connection with a video card, the computer would display the results on a computer monitor.
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There are two main types of computer monitors: cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) technology. Let’s have a look at each.
Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT)
CRT monitors are cathode ray tube, similar to CRT televisions. These televisions use red, green and blue electrons flowing from left to right, filling each line on the display. When these electrons hit the phosphor on the CRT, they glow for a short time.
They need to be refreshed; video cards with too low a refresh rate will cause flickering of the screen. CRTs are prone to other types of problems such as images being burnt onto the screen, which is what the aptly named “screensaver” prevents. CRT monitors have been until recently the computer’s mainstay visual output device.
They have been prevalent since the start of personal computing in the 20th century. For their first few iterations, CRT monitors generally looked like old, small TV sets.
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
A liquid crystal displays or LCD is a type of flat panel monitor, meaning it’s designed to be thin. This feature should not be confused with flat screen, meaning the computer monitor’s screen is flat instead of curved. LCDs refresh their screen differently than CRT monitors.
An LCD screen is created by electric voltages hitting liquid crystal cells, allowing 64 different shades per cell. LCDs have one resolution size, and, if a smaller resolution is adopted, a black border will appear around the re-sized resolution. Liquid crystal display monitors are more technologically advanced monitors for today’s computer users.
LCD monitors utilize LED technology, and overall are thinner, more compact, lighter in weight, more portable, inexpensive, and easier on a computer user’s eyes for long-time viewing. They also provide high-quality graphics on screens, while using up less energy.
Dual Monitors{LCD vs.CRT}
Besides buying a larger monitor, it is possible for some computers to display information on two separate monitors. This is a feature of the video card (better video cards add more features). Dual monitors work as the name implies; one monitor is set up next to another, usually side by side.
In “clone” mode, the same image is displayed on both monitors. In “dualview” mode, the screens act as extensions of one another, allowing you to move the mouse cursor and windows from monitor to monitor.
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LCD monitors have overtaken CRT monitors in the marketplace, primarily due to the LCD’s lower prices, crisper pictures, higher quality and compact size. Compared to these sleeker, more popular LCD monitors, CRT monitors are larger in size, have smaller screens in inches and have lower display resolution.
One benefit of CRT monitors is how you can see images and text while standing or seated at near 180-degree angles from the front of the monitor. LCD screens tend to get blurry when looking at these wide angles.
Use of Dual Monitors
The clone function is good for large projections, where the user can play movies or videos on his monitor, and a copy is displayed on a larger projection for a room full of people. The dual view function is better suited for multiple tasks at once, such as viewing multiple windows, files and spreadsheets.
Resolution
All monitors have a resolution type that it uses to display images. The inch sizes of LCDs tell what their resolution type is. A 17-inch display can have a resolution of 1024×768, while a 20-inch display will have 1600×1200.
The number in inches is the monitor’s screen size diagonally, while the resolution is the pixel width by pixel height. Although laptops have built-in monitors, some laptops come with an S-Video port, which allows an S-Video cable to plug into certain televisions. When the television is changed to the appropriate input, it will act as a clone.
Computer monitors are generally produced with 720 pixels (HD) or 1080 pixels (Full HD) resolution. Each of these resolution standards are good quality, although the 1080p level is sharper and clearer to see for humans. The 720p level was dominant for many years, but advancements in technology have relinquished its dominance to the 1080 level.
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