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What do LCD specs mean?
Monday, 03 October, 2005
Hi. I'm in the market for a new 19 inch LCD monitor. However there are some details i don't understand such as "the lower the response time the better
- is that right? Also with the contrast ratio - a 700:1 is better than a 500:1 - is that correct? And should i preferably look at something that has a DVI connection or doesn't that really matter?
Thanks for your help.
Anfz Fashionlover, Catwalk, VIC
 The response time is the time it takes for any pixel or dot on the screen to go from fully-off to fully-on and then back fully-off again and it's measured in milliseconds. The time to go from "off" to "on" is known as the "rise time" while the "on" to "off" time is the "fall time". Yes, lower response times are generally better but they don't tell the full picture on its own but back to that in a minute.
Yes, you want as high a contrast ratio as possible (700:1 is better than 500:1) but you also have to look at that in combination with the brightness of the monitor. There's no point having a great-contrast screen if it's as dull as a torch with a flat battery and vice versa. So make sure you look at the contrast and brightness (cd/m 2) before you decide.
As for DVI, I personally don't think it matters - DVI or "Digital Video Interface" is just another connection format but this one will be used to implement copy-protection soon so I hate it with a passion. Technically, DVI provides no more bandwidth than the standard 15-pin Mini-D-sub connector anyway.
Now back to response times quickly - all LCD monitors today (almost all anyway) have a fast response time of less than 20 ms.
But just about all of them have very poor viewing angles - view the screen from below-horizontal and the image will "invert" its colours as though it was a film-negative.
If you're using it as a PC monitor, fine. But if you plan to use it to watch DVD or HDTV movies with friends, make sure you check out the viewing angles first. Darren Yates
 Reader solutions
DanielPosted: 30/11/2005 re: What do LCD specs mean? Can you please explain what you mean by:
"DVI or "Digital Video Interface" is just another connection format but this one will be used to implement copy-protection soon so I hate it with a passion."?
(Don't worry Daniel. It isn't for copy protection. -PZ) dylanPosted: 09/10/2005 re: What do LCD specs mean? I didnt think there was anything wrong with DVI in itself, it was moreso the HDMI interface that the copy protection buisness would be implemented through, and on top of that, it would only work in windows Vista.
The idea is that DVI keeps the signal digital all the way from the videocard to the screen, D-sub converts it to analogue and then back to digital, meaning quality loss, if your videocard supports it, go DVI, you'll thank yourself for it.
cheers lads. G■1|\/|■33P3RPosted: 09/10/2005 re: What do LCD specs mean? All 19" LCD's should have a ResponseTime under 20. It is especially important for palying games, anything under 8ms is overkill. Getting one of the new 19" 3ms moniters is way overkill.
If you have a bad response time you can get ghosting, which is a bad thing. Tyrian KnightPosted: 08/10/2005 re: What do LCD specs mean? Another thing to remember is that not all people give the same specifications for response time. Some manufacturers state the response time as the black-to-white-to-black (fully off to fully on to fully off) time while others give a grey-to-grey-to-grey (one shade of grey to a different shade of grey to the original shade of grey) response time. The grey-to-grey response time is generally a better indicator at how good an LCD monitor is - since pixels rarely go from totally black to totally white and then totally black again. However, the grey-to-grey response time is generally shorter than the black-to-black response time, and therefore, you can't really compare the response times of two different LCD screens if they are measuring different things.
Check out this article for more information: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,121906,00.asp (This article says that the black-to-black response time is shorter than the grey-to-grey response time but if you look at the manufacturers that report both, you generally find that the grey-to-grey response time is shorter. This is the reason why manufacturers have started to quote the grey-to-grey time for the response time.)
Also remember that while a lower response time is better, the minimum response time required will depend on what you want to use your monitor for.
FrancisPosted: 08/10/2005 wat is it better Wouol it be better to get a low resolution camera or a high one, i was thinking on getting a 7.2mp one but my friends have told me its too much, they all have a 5mp or lower resolution one so i was wondering if you could tell me.
(I think your friends have megapixel envy. If you can use the extra resolution, and it's real, and the camera is otherwise suitable, go for it. -Paul Zucker) Ian LillyPosted: 07/10/2005 re: What do LCD specs mean? The VGA vs DVI connector spec is VERY important. 1. DVI at the native resolution means that your graphic card and monitor are pefectly matched - each pixel generated by the gfx card corresponds EXACTLY to a pixel on the LCD screen. No resampling has to take place. 2. Most new gfx cards of better quality now DON'T have a VGA (mini-sub) output. So to connect yor next computer to your new LCD screen will require a converter/adapter. More picture quality degradation. AndreWPosted: 04/10/2005 re: What do LCD specs mean? I know this is getting off the track a bit. When looking for a LCD monitor and probably LCD TV too, check out the zero or dead pixel policy. If you by an LCD monitor you want to make sure that you don't have any bright or non working pixels. I bought an AGNEOVO 17" and there was a bright pixel and AGNEOVO exchanged the monitor for a new one, I had a 30day zero dead/bright pixel policy. Now after that and for the next 3years if I have 5 dead/bright pixels or 3 in a cluster then I can claim warranty. it might be wise to check out what type of dead/bright pixel warranty they offer. |