The Advantages of LCD Monitors Over Traditional CRT Monitors

Older cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors are being replaced by liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors in many homes and offices. LCD television panels are increasingly replacing CRT televisions in homes and hotels. LCD panels offer a number of advantages over CRT monitors, especially once the cost of purchasing LCD monitors matches the cost of the CRT models they are replacing.

LCD monitors take up much less space than CRT monitors. LCD monitors are also known as "flat panel" monitors because they do not need the space taken up by the cathode ray tube in a conventional CRT monitor. This means that there is more space on the physical desktop for documents and other peripheral computer equipment.

LCD monitors consume less power than CRT monitors. Energy consumption of LCD monitors does increase as screen size increases, but still remains significantly lower than that of CRT monitors. Typical power consumption for an LCD monitor is between 25 and 50 watts, depending on the size, while even a 15-inch CRT monitor can use between 60 and 80 watts, while 19-inch CRT monitors use anything between 70 and 150 watts.

LCD monitors output a much brighter image than CRT monitors due to the high peak intensity that they generate. High peak intensity results from the fact that LCD panels have a constant back light that illuminates the screen. This makes LCD monitors a much better choice for use in brightly lit areas.

CRT monitors scan the screen viewing area as horizontal lines, and the rate at which the whole screen is covered by these horizontal line scans is known as the refresh rate. CRT monitors typically have low refresh rate, and this causes a flickering effect. This can be detrimental to health when viewed over long periods, causing eye strain and headaches. LCD monitors are capable of much higher refresh rates, with rates of 75 and 85 hertz being common. This means that there is less visible flicker with an LCD monitor, making LCD monitors more comfortable to use.