compare crt vs lcd monitors factory

CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube and LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display area unit the kinds of display devices wherever CRT is employed as standard display devices whereas LCD is more modern technology. These area unit primarily differentiated supported the fabric they’re made from and dealing mechanism, however, each area unit alleged to perform identical perform of providing a visible variety of electronic media. Here, the crucial operational distinction is that the CRT integrates the 2 processes lightweight generation and lightweight modulation and it’s additionally managed by one set of elements. Conversely, the LCD isolates the 2 processes kind one another that’s lightweight generation and modulation.

Since the production of cathode ray tubes has essentially halted due to the cost and environmental concerns, CRT-based monitors are considered an outdated technology. All laptops and most desktop computer systems sold today come with LCD monitors. However, there are a few reasons why you might still prefer CRT over LCD displays.

While CRT monitors provide better color clarity and depth, the fact that manufacturers rarely make them anymore makes CRTs an unwise choice. LCD monitors are the current standard with several options. LCD monitors are smaller in size and easier to handle. Plus, you can buy LCD monitors in a variety of sizes, so customizing your desktop without all the clutter is easy.

The primary advantage that CRT monitors hold over LCDs is color rendering. The contrast ratios and depths of colors displayed on CRT monitors are better than what an LCD can render. For this reason, some graphic designers use expensive and large CRT monitors for their work. On the downside, the color quality degrades over time as the phosphors in the tube break down.

Another advantage that CRT monitors hold over LCD screens is the ability to easily scale to various resolutions. By adjusting the electron beam in the tube, the screen can be adjusted downward to lower resolutions while keeping the picture clarity intact. This capability is known as multisync.

The biggest disadvantage of CRT monitors is the size and weight of the tubes. An equivalently sized LCD monitor can be 80% smaller in total mass. The larger the screen, the bigger the size difference. CRT monitors also consume more energy and generate more heat than LCD monitors.

For the most vibrant and rich colors, CRTs are hard to beat if you have the desk space and don"t mind the excessive weight. However, with CRTs becoming a thing of the past, you may have to revisit the LCD monitor.

The biggest advantage of LCD monitors is the size and weight. LCD screens also tend to produce less eye fatigue. The constant light barrage and scan lines of a CRT tube can cause strain on heavy computer users. The lower intensity of the LCD monitors coupled with the constant screen display of pixels being on or off is easier on the eyes. That said, some people have issues with the fluorescent backlights used in some LCD displays.

The most notable disadvantage to LCD screens is the fixed resolution. An LCD screen can only display the number of pixels in its matrix. Therefore, it can display a lower resolution in one of two ways: using only a fraction of the total pixels on the display, or through extrapolation. Extrapolation blends multiple pixels together to simulate a single smaller pixel, which often leads to a blurry or fuzzy picture.

For those who are on a computer for hours, an LCD can be an enemy. With the tendency to cause eye fatigue, computer users must be aware of how long they stare at an LCD monitor. While LCD technology is continually improving, using techniques to limit the amount of time you look at a screen alleviates some of that fatigue.

Significant improvements have been made to LCD monitors over the years. Still, CRT monitors provide greater color clarity, faster response times, and wider flexibility for video playback in various resolutions. Nonetheless, LCDs will remain the standard since these monitors are easier to manufacture and transport. Most users find LCD displays to be perfectly suitable, so CRT monitors are only necessary for those interested in digital art and graphic design.

Almost all of us have watched television at some point in our lives. And, most of us have a general understanding of how television works – images and videos are displayed on a screen by shooting electrons at it, which makes the pixels light up and create the image. However, there is a lot more to the process than just that. In order to create an image, television screens need to be able to control the number of pixels that are lit up and the intensity of the light. There are two main ways that this is done – using cathode ray tube (CRT) screens or liquid crystal display (LCD) screens.

CRT is an analog type display that was popular two decades ago, while LCD is a digital type display and is considered as the successor of CRT monitors. But LCDs are not superior in every aspect with CRT monitors.

A decade ago, CRT, or Cathode Ray Tube, was a commonly used analog display technology. It works by projecting electrons onto a phosphor screen. When an electron beam hits the screen, the phosphor lights up, creating a colorful image.

CRT technology was used in a variety of devices, from televisions to computer monitors. It was also used in early video game consoles, like the Atari 2600. While CRT technology is no longer used in today’s devices, it was an important stepping stone in the development of modern display technology.

A CRT display has a vacuumed tube (a tube with no air in it). Plus, it also has an electrode in the back of the vacuum tube that releases electrons. Because it emits positively charged particles, it is referred to as the cathode gun (Because electrons are negatively charged, we know that they’re negatively charged particles). And the electron gun is made up of an array of components which include the heater filament (heater) and the cathode.

There are both black and white CRT displays and Color CRT displays. Moreover, black and white CRT displays use a phosphor to emit light, while color CRT displays use three phosphors to emit red, green, and blue light. The human eye perceives these three colors when the brain combines the light from the three phosphors.

LCD, Liquid Crystal Display is a digital display technology made of liquid crystals that function by blocking the light. If you have an LCD screen, then you may have noticed that the image on the screen is made up of tiny dots of color. These dots are called pixels, and each pixel is made up of three smaller dots of color. One dot is red, one dot is green, and one dot is blue. Together, these three colors make up the colors that you see on the screen.

An LCD display is composed of two pieces made of polarized glasses that have the liquid crystal substance between the two. And there is a backlight which is important because, without the backlight, we can’t see the image.

The two main types of display technologies used in monitors today are CRT and LCD. CRT uses analog technology while LCD uses digital technology to display the image. Both have their pros and cons, but LCD is the more popular technology today.

When we think of older technology, we often think of big, bulky CRT monitors with a 4:3 display ratio. So, this was the most popular ratio two decades ago, and because of that, most CRT displays were made with a 4:3 aspect ratio. However, it’s not only CRT monitors that had this ratio. Back in the day, even LCD monitors came in a 4:3 ratio. Now, most LCD displays come in a 16:9 ratio, which is known as widescreen displays.

The costs of manufacturing CRT and LCD displays used to be quite similar. However, the cost of manufacturing LCD displays has fallen significantly in recent years, making them more affordable than ever before. Thanks to advancements in technology, LCD panels can now be produced more cheaply than CRTs, making them the preferred choice for many consumers.

CRT monitors are typically much larger and heavier than their LCD counterparts. This is due to the fact that CRT monitors use a cathode ray tube to produce the image on the screen. This tube takes up a lot of space, which results in a larger overall footprint for the monitor. Additionally, the heavy glass casing of a CRT monitor can add a lot of weight.

LCDs, on the other hand, are much thinner and lighter, and even there are many display size selections. Moreover, LCD display-to-body ratio is increasing every year.

When it comes to power consumption, CRT displays consume more power compared to LCD monitors. In CRT monitors, there has to be a heated filament so electrons can flow off of the cathode. In order to maintain the heated filament, the CRT monitor requires a high voltage power supply. In addition, the CRT monitor has a yoke coil that needs the power to move the electron beam back and forth on the screen. When the CRT is turned on, it uses a small amount of power to keep the cathode warm.

One of the benefits of LCD monitors is that they are more energy efficient than CRT monitors. LCD monitors do not have a heated filament or yoke coil, so they do not require a high voltage power supply.

LCD displays offer many advantages over CRTs, including lower power consumption, thinner form factors, and sharper images. Thanks to their lower manufacturing cost, LCDs are now the preferred choice for many manufacturers.

The demand of LCD (Liquid crystal display) monitors is rapidly growing in the market. With the advancement of technology LCD are quite familiar to computer user and we can see most of them are using LCD. It would be a challenge for LCD manufacturing companies to fulfill the growing demand of LCD in the market.

1.LCD panels are only an inch thick without including the stand. These consume less power and don"t radiate a lot of heat when used, unlike CRT monitor.

3.An LCD monitor is slim and comes in a very compact configuration. They can be fit easily into any less vacant part of the room or any where. They are very suitable for small offices or homes

6.As far as moving images or 3D images are concern, LCD screen are blurry and unclear. Hence, someone prefers CRT over LCD screens. Graphic designers also prefer the CRT over the LCD. Not only that, the color gradations are not clear in the LCD panel, and it causes problems in differentiating between darker shades, creating practical problems for graphic designers.

There are two primary types of computer monitors in use today: LCD monitors and CRT monitors. Nearly every modern desktop computer is attached to an LCD monitor. This page compares the pros and cons of both the CRT type displays and LCD or flat-panel type displays. You"ll quickly discover that the LCD or flat-panel displays pretty much sell themselves and why they are the superior display used today.

LCD monitors are much thinner than CRT monitors, being only a few inches in thickness (some can be nearly 1" thick). They can fit into smaller, tighter spaces, whereas a CRT monitor can"t in most cases.

Although a CRT can have display issues, there is no such thing as a dead pixel on a CRT monitor. Many issues can also be fixed by degaussing the monitor.

LCD monitors have a slightly bigger viewable area than a CRT monitor. A 19" LCD monitor has a diagonal screen size of 19" and a 19" CRT monitor has a diagonal screens size of about 18".

Are LED monitors better than their LCD predecessors? How are the two technologies differ in terms of functionality and performance? All these questions will be answered by the LED vs. LCD comparison presented in here.

The age of CRT (cathode ray tube) displays is over and LCD displays are already being replaced with LED screens. Technology is evolving at an exponential pace, pushing existing technologies into obsolescence. Just when we thought LCD screens will be the default choice for some time to come, they were supplanted by LED monitors, with their superior power efficiency and rich picture quality.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the differences between LED (Light Emitting Diode) and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors that need clarification. Here"s a succinct analysis of the similarities and differences between the two models.

LED and LCD monitors are based on the same basic technology for image display but differ in the kind of backlighting used. While LCD monitors use CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) for backlighting, the latter use light-emitting diodes. This is the prime difference between the two display technologies. So LED monitors are in actuality, a type of LCD monitors or an improvement over them.

Unlike CRT monitors that generate their own light through cathode ray incidence on fluorescent materials, LCD displays have to rely on external lighting, as their display is created through manipulation of light, passing through polarized liquid crystals. Backlighting affects picture quality substantially and light shed by LEDs offers superior picture quality compared to LCDs.

This is because LEDs offer much more gradation in intensity and a larger light wavelength spectrum, providing a truer color quality. These types of monitors offer a better dynamic contrast ratio as well. So if you compare LED and LCD monitors from a gaming perspective and for use in intensive graphic applications, LED monitors are surely better choices. They provide vivid and more lifelike colors, with better gradation.

LED monitors cure one of the basic problems with LCD TVs, which is the inability to display true black colors. They can produce true black hues, by switching off LEDs entirely, increasing the blackness quotient of the screen, and providing better contrast in the process.

LED monitors are a very recently introduced technology and they are preferred over LCD monitors because of the amazingly rich picture quality and viewing comfort. One more advantage that LED monitors to have over LCD ones is the power consumption factor. LED monitors require a lot less power to operate than cold cathode fluorescent lamps. This property can be attributed to the inherently low energy required by an LED to function. Their power consumption is as much as 40% lesser than conventional LCD monitors.

LED monitors are also a lot softer on the eyes than LCD monitors, making them popular choices for people who work for long hours on their desktop computers. They are also a lot more eco-friendly because mercury is not used in their production. LEDs last longer than cold cathode fluorescent lamps, with little reduction in their power output over time, which makes these monitors long-lasting.

To conclude this LCD vs. LED monitor comparison, let us compare the price ranges. One major factor that has been holding back LED technology from reaching the masses is the high price factor. The manufacturing of these devices is a bit costlier currently, compared to LCD displays which have raised their overall price. However, the cost gap is slowly lowering with time, as the demand for superior LED back-lit displays is on the rise all over the world. Even laptop computers and now smartphones come equipped with LED displays. While some of the best LCD monitors are available for a price of around $100, the best LED monitors fall in the $150 to $200+ range.

As of July 2021, CRT monitors are no longer in production. Even if you managed to get a used CRT monitor, there is a issue of connecting it to your system as newer PCs/notebooks come equipped only with HDMI and/or DisplayPort display ports. However, this can be worked around using HDMI to VGA adapters.

The viewable area is about 0.9 - 1.1 inch smaller than the size specified on paper. This is due to the frame around the glass screen. So a 15" CRT would have only about 14" of viewable area.

17 inch LCD has 17 inch viewable. 24 inch LCD has about 23.8" viewable depending on model. Slightly less viewable as sizes go bigger, but not as severe as CRT.

Many manufacturers tout true flatness for their CRT monitors, but the sad truth is that most are fake. In reality it is only the outer glass that is flat, and not the actual screen. The true 100% perfect flat monitors are the aperture grille tubes made by Mitsubishi and Sony. Even then, these tubes have a disadvantage - a faint thin line or two (depending on size) running through the screen to stabilize the grill. Some people find this distracting, especially if you work on a white background (eg. documents) most of the time.

CRTs emit electromagnetic radiation. Much of it is filtered by the lead heavy glass front and the rest that reaches your eyes are mostly harmless. Even then, radiation still passes through the screen and some people regard them as hazardous.

CRTs weigh heavier, especially in the front (the display area) 17 inch CRT weighs around 16kg. 19 inch CRT weighs around 20kg.

Higher power usage, more than 400% compared to an LED backlight LCD of equivalent size. 17 inch CRT requires around 90 watts 19 inch CRT requires around 110 watts

LCDs are free from the burn-in issue that plagues CRTs and Plasma displays. However, they do occasionally have Image Persistence problems which can be fixed by switching off the LCD for an extended period of time.

LCDs do not "paint" their image. They provide a flicker free image every time. However, games and fast moving videos benefit from a higher refresh rate monitor by appearing smoother

LCD panels are prone to dead or stuck pixels (or dots) on the screen due to their manufacturing process. However, stiff competition has made many manufacturers adopt zero dead pixel / stuck pixel warranties for their products.

Must be used at its native resolution (maximum resolution) for best quality. Using the display at a lower resolution will result interpolation (scaling of the image), causing image quality loss. For this reason, gamers should avoid buying a monitor too high a resolution (e.g. 4K) as you will need more processing power (and more fan noise) to run the game in native resolution. As of 2021, we recommend 1920 x 1080 monitors when paired with recent GPUs/processors.

As CRT monitors are no longer manufactured, LCD monitors are the only way to go. Our recommendation is to go for a LED backlight LCD monitor that has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080.

Currently I am using a curved 31.5 inch 1920 x 1080 G-Sync 144hz monitor - the Acer Predator Z321 Qbmiphzx. It was bought from Amazon UK but it is no longer available as of July 2021. My reason was that it was the biggest G-Sync monitor I could get for 1080p resolution as I did not want Windows to scale font sizes (but I still had to anyway). Before this I was using a 26" Sony LCD TV as a monitor for its 1360 x 768 resolution.

I don"t really like LCD"s, I prefer Old CRT TV"s because it works better with my VCR, and old video gaming systems, with LCD it has the VHS tapes have black bars at the sides and same with the video games. Ssame with my grandson (who is currently 12), so we switched back to our 25 inch CRT zenith Televison and everything went smooth, my grandson enjoys it too.

I have a CRT TV and used to have a LCD HDTV and I think I liked both but I had huge problems with an LCD TV because the screen broke easily and I called up to repair it but my warranty has expired and unable to repair my TV. So I bought another TV and its a Samsuck LED LCD TV and same sh*t happens again. So I give up and used my Old CRT TV left in the storage and I have no problems with this thing. So in conclusion I think CRT TVs are bit better then LCD but I liked LCD because it has HD 1080p and I can save up some space on my table to put stuff on it.

I have both CRT and LCD, but prefer CRT because ic an play at lower resolution (but with AA) this requires less powerfull videocard. Also i like to play old games that have low resolution. LCD displays look crappy whenusing low resolution

Seriously looks like a Windows bashing Linux, or visa-versa. Most of the facts where so outdated, at the time this comparison was written, that it isn"t even funny. LCD only had 8bit color, in 2008? More like 16. But don"t take my word for it, Google is your friend!

You should really make sure the comparisons at the bottom always list CRT on the same side, currently you"re switching between left and right, which makes for a very confusing read. Fix that and it"ll be much better.

actually most LED/LCD tvs are 8 bit panels and then some use 8bit+Frc (pseudo 10bit) then the best we have out in 2019 ATM is a true 10bit panel no 12 bit panels out yet not even the best dolby pulsar is 12 bit....but all that being said the only 10 bit color space format is HDR or HGL and Dolby vision even bluray are only 8bit so it"s pointless before

I made my little research. What I found out is that brainwash marketing confuse people more than the technology itself!. CRT TVs are good with Freeview digital box work fine. But now marketing encourages to buy LED over LCD, the same marketing told us LCD far better than CRT. The difference between LED and LCD: one uses bulbs one uses fluorescent light But huge price gap!. The same applies to smart phones people brainwashed into consumerism, most people don"t need sophisticated smart phones just need reasonable mobile phone can call/text maybe a bit of extras like camera, bluetooth, etc

Brainwash is right. LEDs have been here how long now, and the market has to pretend that LCDs and fluorescents are better than CRTs just to get the consumers to buy them so we have to buy them all over again in a LED solution? It"s all part of a planned progression scheme. The fact is this: CRTs were the green solution, because unlike the LCDs, they only had to be manufactured ONCE to work for at least 30 years verses LCDs which I had to replace every three years. So typical for the baby-boomers to believe every bit of nonsense that"s out there. By the way, I dropped my lap top 3" off the ground and the LCD broke! Meanwhile, I"ve hit my CRT television several times and it still works, it also was in a flood and still works, my house was broken into and it"s still there: they couldn"t carry it on their tweaker bike.

Great article. You just forgot about a very big advantage in CRT screens which is their durability and robustness. like if I accidentally hit my CRT TV, I will hurt myself. I I accidentally hit my LCD TV I will brake it...

Lots of these are untrue: 1st- Power consumed- Yes CRT can take more current at startup but it consumes as much or even less power than LCD when in darker scenes. LCD"s lamps are always on and therefore consume the same current all the time, while CRT fluctuates.

2- "Image sharpness is less than LCD" This is untrue. A CRT monitor can be much more sharp than a LCD monitor, and that at all resolutions supported. This all depends on CRT quality... and these days CRT quality is poorer and poorer with low tube quality control.

Without the lcd, we would have no laptops. My father was working on a computer in a suitcase back in 1981 and I said what will you use for a monitor, he said "These will be for businessmen and they will plug into a pay monitor at airports or wherever they will be installed". I said to him that It"ll never fly. What his idea was, is the modern laptop computer, if it weren"t for the monitor issue he could have died a billionaire.

Let"s say you have $1,000 to burn on a desktop PC gaming monitor. You could buy a brand-new 4K display with quantum dots, high dynamic range, and a fast refresh rate, or splurge on a curved QHD monitor so wide that it stretches into your peripheral vision while playing.Alternatively, you could venture onto eBay and spend similar money on a CRT monitor from 20 years ago.The latter option might not be as ill-advised as it seems. Within PC gaming circles, some people insist that cathode ray tube monitors, despite their lower resolutions, smaller screens, and considerable bulk, are superior for games because they respond to input faster and have less motion blur than LCDs. Although this argument"s been floating around for years, it just got a new wave of attention from Eurogamer"s Digital Foundry, which recently created a video extolling the outdated display tech.Advertisement"Today"s premium-priced gaming LCDs are trying very hard to recapture CRT"s major benefits—low latency, high refresh rates and reduced input lag—but as good as many of these screens are, for our money nothing beats a good old-fashioned cathode ray tube display for desktop gaming—not even the very best LCD screens on the market," Digital Foundry editor Richard Leadbetter wrote.

Unfortunately, getting a CRT monitor that works well with modern PC games is a lot harder than buying a 4K LCD monitor on Amazon. While CRT TVs and monitors are readily available on Craigslist or your local thrift store (sometimes even for free) only a handful of models support the widescreen aspect ratios that some modern games require. The most prized CRT monitor of them all, Sony"s GDM-FW900, recently sold for $999 on eBay, and buying a compatible graphics card or video adapter could raise the final cost even further.The payoff, however, will be imperceptible input lag and no motion blur, along with a feeling, perhaps, that you"ve kept another aging monitor out of an e-waste graveyard. PC gamers have arguably spent more for less before.

The case for CRT gamingOn a CRT monitor, the screen is coated in millions of phosphor dots, with one red, green, and blue dot for every individual pixel. To light up each pixel, an electron beam scans across the screen, focusing electrons on individual phosphor dots and causing them to emit photons. Applying more voltage to the system generates more electrons, in turn causing each dot to emit more light.That"s a lot to wrap your head around, but the thing to keep in mind is that the electron-to-photon exchange happens instantly. While CRTs do have some sources of lag⁠—namely, the time spent buffering each video frame and scanning each line of the frame from top to bottom on the screen⁠—those delays are on the order of microseconds. When you move your mouse or press a button on the keyboard, the response time is imperceptible.Advertisement"It"s the chemistry of the phosphors," said Barry Young, a longtime CRT display analyst who is now the CEO of the OLED Association. "You hit it with an electron, and it creates a photon immediately."By contrast, an LCD requires physical movement on the part of every pixel. On an LCD, the back of the display emits a constant stream of white light, which passes through a polarizer and onto an array of liquid crystals. Applying voltage to each crystal causes them to twist, altering the amount of light that comes through the screen"s front polarizer.Compared to electron-photon conversion, the physical movement of liquid crystals inside an LCD display takes a lot more time, introducing input lag. It also creates blurriness when there"s a lot of motion happening across the screen.Raymond Soneira, the president of display research firm DisplayMate, has found that this issue even persists on panels with faster refresh rates than the usual 60 Hz. This may explain why Digital Foundry"s John Linneman described the CRT experience as "cleaner, smoother, [and] nicer" compared to even the best LCDs."The issue here is that you"re comparing an electronic conversion—that is, from an electron to a photon—with physically twisting the liquid crystal," Young said. "The faster something moves across the panel, the less capable an LCD is with keeping up with the movement."In fairness, LCD panel makers have done a lot to close the gap with CRTs. Young points out that liquid crystals twist faster than they used to, and LCD panels can further reduce latency and motion blur by buffering an additional frame in their timing controllers or inserting artificial frames.AdvertisementAs the CEO of the OLED Association, he also argues that OLED displays provide the same responsiveness as CRT monitors because they also involve electron-to-photon conversion, only with organic chemicals (the "O" in OLED is for organic) receiving the voltage instead of phosphor dots."There"s really no difference between OLEDs and CRTs," Young said.Still, large-screen OLED panel makers to date have focused nearly all their energy on televisions, so the only OLED monitor on the market today is a 22-inch panel from Asus that costs $4,000. Young said the manufacturer of those panels, JOLED, is building a larger factory next year, bringing down costs, It may be a while until OLED monitors can compete with even the best LCDs on price.

Hunting for the CRT holy grailIf you"re convinced that a CRT monitor is the way to go, you"ll still have a lot of competition in finding a great one.Adam Taylor, who creates educational tech videos under the name EposVox on YouTube, has spent years trying to find a Sony GDM-FW900 in decent condition. He"s set up multi-keyword searches on sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace, and regularly puts out feeler posts in his area to see if anyone might have any leads. For a monitor that doesn"t need any repairs and doesn"t have any major cosmetic issues, Taylor said in an interview that he"s willing to pay up to $500.The FW900"s big selling point, Taylor said, is its 16:10 aspect ratio, which is much wider than the 4:3 aspect ratio of most CRT monitors. Although a 16:9 aspect ratio is more common among LCD monitors today, most games still support 16:10, which would fill the entire screen on a FW900. The monitor also has a maximum resolution of 2304x1440 at a refresh rate of 80 Hz—pretty good even by modern standards—and it can hit a super-smooth refresh rate of 160 Hz when the resolution is cut in half.Advertisement"It can do ridiculous things while still supporting a modern workflow, because it"s 16:10," Taylor said.Beyond the FW900, Taylor said the same monitor has sold under different makes and models, including the HP A7217A, SGI GDM-FW9011, and Sun GDM-FW9010, but those are no easier to come by. A couple 16:9 CRT monitors also exist, including the Intergraph InterView 28HD96 (famously used by John Carmack to code Quake) and 24HD96, but they"re even rarer.Even if you can find one, you"ll need a graphics card with an analog output, such as Nvidia"s 900 series and AMD"s 300 series cards, or a digital-to-analog converter. You"ll also have to go in knowing the monitor may not last. As the phosphor inside a CRT ages, it will naturally lose its luminance, and that"s assuming it doesn"t suffer any other issues along the way. Repairing a CRT can be tedious and dangerous, Taylor says, and repair shops are practically nonexistent."It"s one of those things, you don"t get to keep it forever," Taylor said. "You know that getting into it, because it"s very old technology that is very prone to problems and needing maintenance."Still, Taylor is he"s glad to see CRT monitors getting another round of attention. That"s not always the case with some of his fellow CRT enthusiasts, who fear that more media coverage will inflate prices and bring in too many newbies, Taylor said. But outside of some occasional instances of people capitalizing on the hype (like the FW900 that sold for $999 on eBay) he hasn"t seen much evidence of price gouging. Most CRT monitor sales, he said, come from people who"ve hoarded them in garages and basements and just want to get rid of them.Besides, getting CRTs into the hands of people who want to play with them is better than having them wind up in warehouses, waiting for a recycling solution that never comes."We have no way established, at least in the U.S., to get rid of these things, and so to see people use them and have fun with them in a way that keeps them from just being destroyed pieces of glass and lead in the streets is a super good place for me," Taylor says. "There"s a whole elitist, "This is better," aspect to it, but just using the screens and having fun, I think, is really important."

CRT stands for cathode-ray tube, a TV or PC monitor that produces images using an electron gun. These were the first displays available, but they are now outdated and replaced by smaller, more compact, and energy-efficient LCD display monitors.

In contrast, a Liquid crystal display, or an LCD monitor, uses liquid crystals to produce sharp, flicker-free images. These are now the standard monitors that are giving the traditional CRTs a run for their money.

Although the production of CRT monitors has slowed down, due to environmental concerns and the physical preferences of consumers, they still have several advantages over the new-age LCD monitors. Below, we shed some light on the differences between CRT and LCD displays.

CRTLCDWhat it isAmong the earliest electronic displays that used a cathode ray tubeA flat-panel display that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals

CRTs boast a great scaling advantage because they don’t have a fixed resolution, like LCDs. This means that CRTs are capable of handling multiple combinations of resolutions and refresh rates between the display and the computer.

In turn, the monitor is able to bypass any limitations brought about by the incompatibility between a CRT display and a computer. What’s more, CRT monitors can adjust the electron beam to reduce resolution without affecting the picture quality.

On the other hand, LCD monitors have a fixed resolution, meaning they have to make some adjustments to any images sent to them that are not in their native resolution. The adjustments include centering the image on the screen and scaling the image down to the native resolution.

CRT monitors project images by picking up incoming signals and splitting them into audio and video components. More specifically, the video signals are taken through the electron gun and into a single cathode ray tube, through a mesh, to illuminate the phosphorus inside the screen and light the final image.

LCD screens, on the other hand, are made of two pieces of polarized glass that house a thin layer of liquid crystals. They work on the principle of blocking light. As a result, when light from a backlight shines through the liquid crystals, the light bends to respond to the electric current.

Thanks to the versatility of pixels, LCD screens offer crisper images than CRT monitors. The clarity of the images is a result of the LCD screen’s ability to produce green, blue, and red lights simultaneously, whereas CRTs need to blur the pixels and produce either of the lights exclusively.

The diversity of the pixels also ensures LCD screens produce at least twice as much brightness as CRTs. The light on these screens also remains uninterrupted by sunlight or strong artificial lighting, which reduces general blurriness and eyestrain.

Over time, however, dead pixels negatively affect the LCD screen’s visual displays. Burnout causes these dead pixels, which affect the visual clarity of your screen by producing black or other colored dots in the display.

CRT monitors also have better motion resolution compared to LCDs. The latter reduces resolution significantly when content is in motion due to the slow pixel response time, making the images look blurry or streaky.

With CRTs, you don’t experience any display lag because the images are illuminated on the screen at the speed of light, thus preventing any delays. However, lag is a common problem, especially with older LCD displays.

CRTs are prone to flickeringduring alternating periods of brightness and darkness. LCDs don’t flicker as much thanks to the liquid pixels that retain their state when the screen refreshes.

CRTs have a thick and clunky design that’s quite unappealing. The monitor has a casing or cabinet made of either plastic or metal that houses the cathode ray tube. Then there’s the neck or glass funnel, coated with a conductive coating made using lead oxide.

Leaded glass is then poured on top to form the screen, which has a curvature. In addition, the screen contributes to about 65% of the total weight of a CRT.

LCDs feature low-profile designs that make them the best choice for multiple portable display devices, like smartphones and tablets. LCD displays have a lightweight construction, are portable, and can be made into much larger sizes than the largest CRTs, which couldn’t be made into anything bigger than 40–45 inches.

A German scientist called Karl Ferdinand Braun invented the earliest version of the CRT in 1897. However, his invention was not isolated, as it was among countless other inventions that took place between the mid-1800s and the late 1900s.

CRT technology isn’t just for displays; it can also be utilized for storage. These storage tubes can hold onto a picture for as long as the tube is receiving electricity.

Like the CRT, the invention of the modern LCD was not a one-man show. It began in 1888 when the Austrian botanist and chemist Friedrich Richard Kornelius Reinitzer discovered liquid crystals.

Later, in 1897, Karl Ferdinand Braun, a German physicist, invented a cathode ray tube with a fluorescent screen and named it the “Braun Tube.” By developing the cathode ray tube oscilloscope, he was the first person to endorse the use of CRT as a display device.

LCD displays are a much more recent discovery compared to CRTs. Interestingly, the French professor of mineralogy, Charles-Victor Mauguin, performed the first experiments with liquid crystals between plates in 1911.

George H. Heilmeier, an American engineer, made significant enough contributions towards the LCD invention to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of National Inventors. And, in 1968, he presented the liquid crystal display to the professional world, working at an optimal temperature of 80 degrees Celsius.

Many other inventors worked towards the creation of LCDs. As a result, in the 1970s, new inventions focused on ensuring that LCD displays worked at an optimal temperature. And, in the 1980s, they perfected the crystal mixtures enough to stimulate demand and a promotion boom. The first LCDs were produced in 1971 and 1972 by ILIXCO (now LXD Incorporated).

Although they may come in at a higher price point, LCD displays are more convenient in the long run. They last almost twice as long as CRTs are energy efficient, and their compact and thin size make them ideal for modern-day use.

LCDs are also more affordable compared to other display monitors available today. So, you can go for a CRT monitor for its ease of use, faster response rates, reduced flickering, and high pixel resolution. However, we don’t see why you should look back since there are so many new options that will outperform both CRTs and LCDs.

The type of monitor that you use on a computer can affect your work space and your wallet. Some monitors can be purchased on a budget, while others are fairly expensive. Different varieties of monitor also have different energy requirements and visual qualities. By considering the pros and cons of these four common computer displays, you can find the right monitor for the job.

Cathode Ray Tube The cathode ray tube monitor is one of the oldest types of computer display device. CRT computer monitors have been in use since the 1950s, and are still used today. This type of monitor uses a beam of electrons to illuminate different areas of the screen. The beam moves back and forth rapidly, and updates the screen image many times each second.

CRT monitors are relatively inexpensive and reliable. However, they are also somewhat cumbersome and heavy. For this reason, they are usually the not first choice for installations that require a thin and unobtrusive monitor.

Liquid-Crystal Display Liquid-crystal display monitors use a layer of pixels to display an image. Instead of an electron beam, LCD displays use transparent electrodes to control the array of pixels and update the picture. This allows LCD monitors to be much thinner than their CRT counterparts. An LCD display also requires less power than a traditional CRT.

LCD monitors do have some disadvantages, however. They are often more expensive than CRT displays. The image can also become faint if the monitor is viewed from an angle. Even with these drawbacks, LCD monitors have mostly replaced CRTs in recent years.

Light-Emitting Diode A light-emitting diode monitor is essentially an upgraded version of an LCD display. Both LCD and LED monitors use transparent electrodes to control different pixels. In an LED display, however, light emitting diodes are placed behind the screen and act as a backlight. This increases the definition and brightness of the monitor.

LED monitors use less power than both LCD and CRT monitors. This makes them ideal for energy sensitive devices, such as laptops and tablets. These benefits come at a manufacturing cost that is higher than the other monitors, however.

Plasma Display Panel Plasma display panel monitors use small cells of charged gases to create an image. These cells are similar to household fluorescent light bulbs. Each plasma cell creates its own illumination, which eliminates the need for a separate back light and gives PDP monitors strong contrast.

A plasma monitor is typically heavier than an LCD display. Plasma screens also draw more power than both LCD and LED monitors, and are susceptible to "burned in" images if they are left on for long periods of time.

CRT displays use the same picture tube technology with many enhancements as the first color televisions did more than half a century ago. But old doesn"t necessarily mean obsolete. A good CRT display, such as the Samsung 997DF 19" model shown in Figure 11-1, provides excellent image quality at a reasonable price. CRT displays are an excellent choice for many people, and will remain so for years.

In autumn 2005, Robert finally replaced his beloved Hitachi SuperScan Elite 751 19" CRT display which he had been using as his primary display for six years with a 19" Samsung 930BF LCD display. The Hitachi is a top-notch display, and Robert would have sworn that its image quality was as good then as the day it was first installed. Until, that is, he connected the Samsung 930BF. The difference was startling. The Samsung provided much better brightness, contrast, and color saturation.

Does that mean that a good LCD display always beats a good CRT display, or that current display technology is worlds better than that of six years ago? Nope. It just means that every CRT display even the best models decreases in brightness, contrast, and saturation as it ages. From day to day, the difference is imperceptible, but as the months and years pass the accumulated difference becomes large.

There is a happy ending to this story, though. Robert had been running the Hitachi CRT at 50% brightness and 85% contrast for years. Boosting brightness to 75% and contrast to 100% greatly improved the display quality, so there"s life in it yet. Barbara promptly grabbed the Hitachi for her own office, where it will probably live for another few years.

The CRT is essentially a large glass bottle, flat or nearly so on one end (the screen), tapering to a thin neck at the back, and with nearly all air exhausted. The inside of the screen end is covered with a matrix of millions of tiny phosphor dots (or stripes). A phosphor is a chemical compound that, when struck by electrons, emits visible light of a particular color. Phosphors are organized by groups of three, collectively called a pixel. Each pixel contains one phosphor dot that emits each of the additive primary colors, red, green, and blue. By choosing which dots to illuminate and how brightly to illuminate each, any pixel can be made to emit any one of thousands or millions of discrete colors. The distance between nearest neighbors of the same phosphor color on adjacent rows is called the dot pitch or stripe pitch. A smaller pitch results in a sharper image and the ability to resolve finer detail.

The deflection yoke is located around the tapered portion of the CRT, between the guns and the screen. This yoke is actually a large electromagnet, which, under the control of the monitor circuitry, is used to steer the electron beam(s) to impinge on the correct phosphor dot at the correct time and with the correct intensity.

The mask sits between the electron guns and the phosphor layer, very close to the latter. This mask may be a sheet of metal with a matrix of fine perforations that correspond to the phosphor dot triads on the screen, called a shadow mask, or a series of fine vertical wires that correspond to phosphors laid down in uninterrupted vertical stripes, called an aperture grill. In practice, and despite the marketing efforts of manufacturers to convince us otherwise, we find that the mask type makes little real difference. Good (read: more expensive) monitors produce good images, regardless of their mask type. Inexpensive monitors produce inferior images, regardless of their mask type.

Screen size is specified in two ways. The nominal size the size by which monitors are advertised and referred to is the diagonal measurement of the tube itself. However, the front bezel of the monitor conceals part of the tube, making the usable size of the monitor less than stated. Various consumer lawsuits have resulted in monitor manufacturers also specifying the Viewable Image Size (VIS), which is the portion of the tube that is actually visible. Typically, VIS is an inch or so less than nominal. For example, a nominal 17" monitor may have a 15.8" VIS. Small differences in VIS for example, 15.8" versus 16" make little practical difference. The smallest monitors still available are 15". While 17" remains the most popular size, 19" models are now so inexpensive that they have nearly overtaken 17" models in unit sales. Monitors 21" and larger are still relatively expensive, and are used primarily by graphics artists and others who require huge displays.

Dot pitch or stripe pitch is measured in millimeters, and specifies the center-to-center distance between the nearest neighboring phosphor dots or stripes of the same color. Smaller pitch means a sharper image that resolves finer detail. Unfortunately, dot pitch, which is used to describe shadow mask monitors, cannot be compared directly to stripe pitch, which is used to describe aperture grill monitors. For equivalent resolution, stripe pitch must be about 90% of dot pitch. That is, a 0.28 mm dot pitch monitor has resolution similar to a 0.25 mm stripe pitch monitor.

Maximum resolution specifies the maximum number of pixels that the monitor can display, which is determined by the physical number of pixels present on the face of the tube. The maximum resolution of many low-end monitors is identical to the optimum resolution for that monitor size. For example, 1024x768 is optimum for 17" monitors, so many low-end 17" monitors provide 1024x768 maximum resolution. Conversely, midrange and high-end monitors may have maximum resolutions higher than practically usable. For example, a high-end 17" monitor may support up to 1600x1200. There is no real benefit to such extreme resolutions, although it can be useful to have one step higher than optimum (e.g., 1280x1024 on a 17" monitor or 1600x1200 on a 19" monitor) available for occasional use for special purposes.

Vertical Scanning Frequency (VSF) is the inverse of the time the monitor requires to display one full screen. VSF (also called refresh rate) is measured in hertz (Hz) and specifies the number of times per second the screen can be redrawn. To avoid screen flicker, the monitor should support at least 70 Hz refresh at the selected resolution. Within reason, higher refresh rates provide a more stable image, but rates beyond 85 or 90 Hz are necessary only for specialized applications such as medical imaging. Most monitors support a wide range of refresh rates, from very low (e.g., 50 Hz) to very high (e.g., 120 to 160 Hz).

Resolution and refresh rate alone determine the required bandwidth for an analog monitor. Color depth is immaterial, because the color displayed for a given pixel is determined by the analog voltages present on the red, green, and blue lines at the time that pixel is processed. Therefore, at a given resolution and refresh rate, an analog monitor uses exactly the same bandwidth whether the color depth is set to 4, 8, 16, 24, or 32 bits, because the video card converts the digital color data to analog signals before sending it to the monitor. For purely digital monitors, such as LCD displays, greater color depth requires greater bandwidth, because color information is conveyed to a digital monitor as a digital signal.

Monitors use one of three geometries for the front viewing surface. Older monitors used spherical tubes or cylindrical tubes, both of which have noticeably curved surfaces. Flat square tubes (FST) are nearly flat. Other than some "value" models, all current monitors use an FST. Don"t consider buying a monitor that is not FST.

CRTs cost less than LCDs. For the same price as an entry-level 17" LCD, you can buy a midrange 19" CRT or two good 17" CRTs. The pricing differential has somewhat narrowed recently, but LCDs are likely for the foreseeable future to cost more than CRTs with similar size, features, and quality.

LCDs are designed to operate at one resolution, typically 1024x768 for 15" models and 1280x1024 for 17", 18", and 19" models. Although you can run an LCD at lower resolution than it was designed to use, you don"t want to. At nonnative resolution, you must choose between having a sharp image that occupies only a portion of the screen or using pixel extrapolation, which results in a full-screen image with significantly degraded image quality. CRTs, conversely, can operate at various resolutions, which means that you can choose the resolution that suits your own preferences and vision.

A high-quality CRT normally lasts for many years. It"s common for a CRT to remain in use for five years or more, and even ten years is not unheard of. LCDs use an array of cold cathode ray tubes (CCRTs), which are similar to fluorescent tubes, to provide the backlight required to view the image. A failed CCRT is not economically repairable. When a CCRT burns out, the LCD display must be replaced.

CRTs use phosphor pixels, which can be turned on or off almost instantly. LCDs use transistorized pixels that respond more slowly. This slower response may be visible as a smearing or ghosting effect when an LCD displays fast-motion video, such as DVD video or graphics-intensive games. Although better LCDs don"t exhibit this problem, at least not as severely as cheaper models, it is common and intrusive with entry-level LCDs.

CRTs present essentially the same image quality regardless of viewing angle. Conversely, LCDs present their best image quality only within a relatively small viewing angle, although midrange and better LCD models typically have larger viewing angles than entry-level models.

Many graphic artists refuse to use LCDs because the appearance of colors and the relationship between them changes with viewing angle. This problem is particularly acute with inexpensive LCDs, although even premium units exhibit it at least to some extent. The best LCD models are good enough in this respect for routine use, but most who insist on accurate color reproduction still prefer high-quality CRT monitors.

A CRT never has defective pixels. An LCD panel is manufactured as a monolithic item that contains more than a million pixels, and on some LCD panels one or a few of those pixels are defective. Defective pixels may be always-on (white), always-off (black), or some color. People vary in their reaction to defective pixels. Many don"t even notice a defective pixel or two, while others, once they notice a defective pixel, seem to be drawn to that pixel to the exclusion of all else. Most manufacturer warranties specifically exclude some number of defective pixels, typically between five and ten, although the number may vary with display size and, sometimes, with the location of the defective pixels and how closely they are clustered. As long as the display meets those requirements, the manufacturer considers the display to be acceptable. You may or may not find it acceptable.

Although the contrast and brightness of recent high-end LCDs are excellent, most LCDs provide subjectively less vibrant color than a good CRT. This is particularly evident in the darkest and lightest areas, where tones seem to be compressed, which limits subtle gradations between light tones or dark tones that are readily evident on a good CRT. Also, some LCDs add a color cast to what should be neutral light or dark tones. For example, dark neutral tones may appear shifted toward the blue (cooler) or red (warmer) ranges. This problem is less prevalent in high-quality LCDs than in entry-level units, and is also more likely to occur if you are using an analog interface rather than a digital interface.

If your budget is limited, a CRT offers far more bang for the buck than an LCD and, particularly for entry-level models, overall display quality will also be higher.

Remember that a CRT display is a long-term purchase. Even with heavy use, a high-quality CRT can be expected to last five years or more, so buy quality and choose a model that"s likely to keep you happy not just for your current system, but for one or even two systems after that.

Make sure the CRT is big enough, but not too big. We consider 17" models suitable only for casual use or those on the tightest of budgets. For not much more, you can buy a 19" model that you"ll be much happier with. Conversely, make sure your desk or workstation furniture can accommodate the new CRT. Many people have excitedly carried home a new 21" CRT only to find that it literally won"t fit where it needs to. Check physical dimensions and weight carefully before you buy. Large CRTs commonly weigh 50 lbs. or more, and some exceed 100 lbs. That said, if you find yourself debating 17" versus 19" or 19" versus 21", go with the larger model. But note that if your decision is between a cheap larger CRT and a high-quality smaller one for about the same price, you may well be happier with the smaller CRT. A $130 17" CRT beats a $130 19" CRT every time.

Stick with good name brands and buy a midrange or higher model from within that name brand. That doesn"t guarantee that you"ll get a good CRT, but it does greatly increase your chances. The CRT market is extremely competitive. If two similar models differ greatly in price, the cheaper one likely has significantly worse specs. If the specs appear similar, the maker of the cheaper model has cut corners somewhere, whether in component quality, construction quality, or warranty policies.

RECOMMENDED BRANDS Our opinion, which is shared by many, is that NEC-Mitsubishi, Samsung, and ViewSonic make the best CRTs available. Their CRTs, particularly midrange and better models, provide excellent image quality and are quite reliable. You"re likely to be happy with a CRT from any of these manufacturers.

If possible, test the exact CRT you plan to buy (not a floor sample) before you buy it. Ask the local store to endorse the manufacturer"s warranty that is, to agree that if the CRT fails you can bring it back to the store for a replacement rather than dealing with the hassles of returning it to the manufacturer. Mass merchandisers like Best Buy usually won"t do this they try to sell you a service contract instead, which you shouldn"t buy but small local computer stores may agree to endorse the manufacturer"s warranty. If the CRT has hidden damage from rough handling during shipping, that damage will ordinarily be apparent within a month or two of use, if not immediately.

BUY CRTS LOCALLY After shipping costs, it may actually cost less to buy locally, but that is not the main reason for doing so. Buying locally gives you the opportunity to examine the exact CRT you are buying. CRTs vary more between samples than other computer components. Also, CRTs are sometimes damaged in shipping, often without any external evidence on the CRT itself or even the box. Damaged CRTs may arrive DOA, but more often they have been jolted severely enough to cause display problems and perhaps reduced service life, but not complete failure. Buying locally allows you to eliminate a "dud" before you buy it, rather than having to deal with shipping it back to the vendor or manufacturer.

Most mainstream CRT manufacturers produce three Good, Better, and Best models in 17", 19", and 21". In general, the Good model from a first-tier maker corresponds roughly in features, specifications, and price to the Better or Best models from lower-tier makers. For casual use, choose a Good model from a first-tier maker, most of which are very good indeed. If you make heavier demands on your CRT such as sitting in front of it eight hours a day you may find that the Better model from a first-tier maker is the best choice. The Best models from first-tier makers are usually overkill, although they may be necessary if you use the CRT for CAD/CAM or other demanding tasks. Best models often have generally useless features like extremely high resolutions and unnecessarily high refresh rates at moderate resolutions. It"s nice that a Best 17" model can display 1600x1200 resolution, for example, but unless you can float on thermals and dive on rabbits from a mile in the air, that resolution is likely to be unusable. Similarly, a 17" CRT that supports 115 MHz refresh rates at 1024x768 is nice, but in practical terms offers no real advantage over one that supports an 85 or 90 MHz refresh.

Choose the specific CRT you buy based on how it looks to you. Comparing specifications helps narrow the list of candidates, but nothing substitutes for actually looking at the image displayed by the CRT. For example, CRTs with Sony Trinitron tubes have one or two fine horizontal internal wires whose shadows appear on screen. Most people don"t even notice the shadow, but some find it intolerable.

Make sure the CRT has sufficient reserve brightness. CRTs dim as they age, and one of the most common flaws in new CRTs, particularly those from second- and third-tier manufacturers, is inadequate brightness. A CRT that is barely bright enough when new may dim enough to become unusable after a year or two. A new CRT should provide a good image with the brightness set no higher than 50%.

Like all other component manufacturers, CRT makers have come under increasing margin pressures. A few years ago, we felt safe in recommending any CRT from a first-tier maker, because those companies refused to put their names on anything but top-notch products. Alas, first-tier makers have been forced to make manufacturing cost reductions and other compromises to compete with cheap Pacific Rim CRTs.

Accordingly, low-end models from first-tier makers may be of lower quality than they were in the past. The presence of a first-tier maker"s name plate still means that CRT is likely to be of higher quality than a similar no-name CRT, but is no longer a guarantee of top quality. Many first-tier CRTs are actually made in the same Pacific Rim plants that also produce no-name junk, but don"t read too much into that. First-tier CRTs are still differentiated by component quality and the level of quality control they undergo. There is no question in our minds that the first-tier CRTs are easily worth the 10% to 20% price premium they command relative to lesser brands. In fact, we think it is worth the extra cost to buy not just a first-tier CRT, but a midrange first-tier CRT.

The US Environmental Protection Agency"s Design for the Environment Program is conducting an industry-wide environmental life-cycle assessment of cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) computer monitors. Preliminary results are presented for 16 environmental impact categories that show the relative difference in life-cycle impacts for the CRT and LCD. Considering the entire life cycle of each monitor, global warming and water eutrophication impacts were greater for the LCD while all other impact categories (e.g., resource use, energy, ozone depletion, landfill space use, etc.) were greater for the CRT. Energy inputs for CRT glass manufacturing data, for which there was relatively low confidence in the data, drive many of the CRT impacts. When comparing the manufacturing stages of each monitor type, the LCD has more relative burdens on the environment than does the CRT. Using these study results can allow industry to begin focusing on where environmental improvements can be made.

A CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitor is an analog display device that creates a visible image on the screen by directing three electron beams over millions of phosphor dots to make them light up. In a color monitor, the screen is composed of numerous stripes of alternating red, green, and blue phosphor dots, which get activated by the electrons and combine to make countless different hues.

The electron beam repetitively scans the entire front of the tube to “paint” and refresh the image nearly 100 times every second. Computer monitors and televisions that use CRT technology have large, heavy physical casings. The long length between the front screen and the back of the case is necessary to accommodate the length of the vacuum tube.

Cathode-ray tubes were commonly used in televisions and computer monitors throughout the mid-to-late 1900s. Throughout that time, manufacturers continually improved performance and resolution. Most computer monitors in the 1970s only displayed green text on a black screen. By 1990, IBM’s Extended Graphics Array (XGA) display boasted 16.8 million colors in 800 x 600 pixel resolution.

Some gamers believe the faster refresh rate and minimal motion blur of CRT monitors creates a better gaming experience, especially for older titles with lower-resolution graphics.

In the early 2000s, advances in technology made flat-panel displays more accessible. These newer dis