first thin lcd monitors price

But while 15-inch LCDs have become more affordable in the last year or two, very large flat-screen displays--whether for a desktop, a boardroom, a reception area, or a state-of-the-art home theater--have continued to command astronomically high prices that leave them out of reach for all but businesses with specialized needs, or the super rich.

LCD monitors won"t compete in price with their CRT counterparts anytime soon. But the same price drops that have already brought many 15-inch displays under the $1000 mark are beginning to make larger LCDs more affordable--less than $1500 in the case of two 17-inchers we review here.

By then, we will probably have new display choices that solve problems today"s offerings don"t even address. Technologies such as organic light-emitting diodes promise to unite energy savings and a CRT-quality display in a superthin--possibly even flexible--panel. Meanwhile, advances in ultra-high-resolution screens and microdisplays may offer eye-soothing performance and render extremely clear text in a way that today"s monitors can"t even approximate.

So who needs to go larger? Anyone who"s ever tried to write a report in a word processor while doing research in a browser, running a spreadsheet, and keeping an eye on e-mail will appreciate a roomier screen. We looked at four of the latest large LCD models from Eizo, NEC-Mitsubishi, and Samsung, all offering terrific-looking displays and good value. Text looks so sharp and crisp that most people will feel no eyestrain at these models" 1280 by 1024 native resolution--although 17-inch LCDs benefit from a larger font size.

The chief strength of NEC-Mitsubishi"s MultiSync LCD1700M ($1499) is its exceptionally wide viewing angle--160 degrees horizontally and vertically--coupled with decent built-in speakers. Samsung"s new $1199 SyncMaster 170T has both an analog interface and a newer DVI digital interface; the latter will become useful as more graphics adapters that support digital video output (which offers superior quality for LCDs) appear. Both of the units carry 17-inch screens.

Once the screen sizes exceed 17 inches, prices rise steeply: Some 17-inch monitors are half the price of their 18-inch counterparts. (Blame lower yields for 18-inch screens for this disproportionate price differential.) For example, Eizo"s 18-inch FlexScan L675 screen costs $2900--which is still an improvement over the $3000-plus prices 18-inch LCDs used to command. In the Eizo"s case, you"re also paying for such high-end features as an ultrathin bezel and a screen that can be rotated for landscape or portrait-style viewing.

Even some of the largest screens cost less than they used to. We were impressed by NEC-Mitsubishi"s 20-inch MultiSync LCD2010X, which goes for $3899--not cheap, but far better than the $8000-plus price tags on comparable-size displays of the last few years. And the LCD2010X can handle both analog and DVI digital hookups.

If you want to purchase a plasma display now, note both the resolution and size: A 40-inch panel might be fine in a boardroom or reception area, but larger rooms will probably need to have a bigger screen. An on-site service warranty is a definite plus. Plasma displays, though thin, weigh more than you might expect and are no fun to cart around. And finally, McManis says that users who want to display data should confirm the screen is Windows Hardware Quality Lab-compliant.

The Xerox Alto computer, released on March 1, 1973, included the first computer monitor. The monitor used CRT technology and had a monochrome display.

LED display technology was developed by James P. Mitchell in 1977, but LED monitors were not readily available for purchase on the consumer market until about 30 years later.

LCD monitors outsold CRT monitors for the first time in 2003. By 2007, LCD monitors consistently outsold CRT monitors, and became the most popular type of computer monitor.

NEC was one of the first companies to manufacture LED monitors for desktop computers. Their first LED monitor, the MultiSync EA222WMe, was released in late 2009.

Touch screen LCD monitors started to become cheaper, more affordable for the average consumer in 2017. Prices for 20 to 22-inch touch screen monitors dropped below $500.

The IBM T220 and T221 are LCD monitors that were sold between 2001 and 2005, with a native resolution of 3840×2400 pixels (WQUXGA) on a screen with a diagonal of 22.2 inches (564 mm). This works out to 9,216,000 pixels, with a pixel density of 204 pixels per inch (80 dpcm, 0.1245 mm pixel pitch), much higher than contemporary computer monitors (about 100 pixels per inch) and approaching the resolution of print media. The display family was nicknamed "Big Bertha" in some trade journals. Costing around $8,400 in 2003, the displays saw few buyers. Such high-resolution displays would remain niche products for nearly a decade until modern high-dpi displays such as Apple"s Retina display line saw more-widespread adoption.

The IBM T220 was introduced in June 2001 and was the first monitor to natively support a resolution of 3840×2400.LFH-60 connectors. A pair of cables supplied with the monitor attaches to the connectors and splits into two single-link DVI connectors each, for a total of four DVI channels. One, two or four of the connectors may be used at once.

IBM T221 started out as an experimental technology from the flat panel display group at IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. In 2000, a prototype 22.2 in TFTLCD, code-named "Bertha", was made in a joint effort between IBM Research and IBM Japan. This display had a pixel format of 3840×2400 (QUXGA-W) with 204 ppi. On 10 November 2000, IBM announced the shipment of the prototype monitors to U.S. Department of Energy"s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Later on 27 June 2001, IBM announced the production version of the monitor, known as T220. Later in November 2001, IBM announced its replacement, IBM T221. On 19 March 2002, IBM announced lowering the price of IBM T221 from US$17,999 to US$8,399. Later on 2 September 2003, IBM announced the availability of the 9503-DG5 model.

Surely, those who are part of the so-called Z generation have never used a screen other than liquid crystal or LCD (liquid crystal display). Even so, many people do not know how this relatively recent technology arises, and that it has become an irreplaceable element in our day to day. For this reason, and to make you even more familiar with it, today we bring you a few brief points on the history of the LCD and its predecessors. They will surprise you, we assure you!

Before entering fully into the history of the LCD, it does not hurt to know how and when the first screens were created. To do this, we traveled to the 1880s. At that time, three researchers – the French Constantin Senlecq, the Portuguese Adriano de Paiva and the American George R. Carey – made in parallel an important discovery: that an image could be transmitted if projected on a photosensitive surface of selenium, due to the photoelectric properties of this material. This principle would be the base of any system of emission of images in movement.

A few years later, in 1897, an advance would come that has survived practically to this day, and that can still be seen in some houses: the cathode ray tube (CRT). Its architect was another German inventor, Karl Ferdinand Braun, which is why it is also called Braun tube. The first cathode ray screen was powered by a cold cathode diode, which was an improvement on the so-called Crookes tube, to which a layer of phosphor was added. The cathode is the source that produces electrons, that is, a negatively charged metal electrode with one or more anodes. The first hot cathode diode was developed by J. B. Johnson and H. W. Weinhart, from the company Western Electric, and was marketed from 1922 by this company.

Before continuing with the history of LCD and liquid crystal precursors, this concept should be clarified: what is a cathode ray tube? Roughly, it is a technology that allows images to be visualised by means of a cathode ray beam – that is, electron currents in empty tubes – directed against a glass screen that has a lead and phosphor coating. One of its main components, the electron gun, is formed by a cathode, that is, a negatively charged metal electrode, with one or more anodes (positively charged electrodes). The cathode emits electrons attracted to the anode, thus acting as an accelerator and as a concentrator for the electrons. In this way, a flow of electrons directed towards the screen is created. A magnetic field is responsible for diverting the electrons from left to right and from bottom to top.

However, keep in mind that the first commercial televisions would not appear until the late 1940s. Mind you: the first television dates back to January 26, 1926 and was designed by Scottish inventor John Logie Baird. Although numerous improvements have been made to cathode ray tubes since then, the truth is that their basic principles did not change.

In any case, it is not only necessary to talk about television, but also personal computers, since the first computer monitors also use cathode rays. And so they remained in most cases until the 2000s. It must also be remembered that the first fully functional digital computers – the first, the Z3, was introduced in May 1941 by the German engineer Konrad Zuse – had no displays. We would have to wait until 1976, when Steve Jobs launched his Apple I, the first computer that could be equipped with a keyboard and monitor.

Returning to the history of the LCD, we reached a key date: 1959, when Mohamed M. Atalla and Dawon Kahng, from Bell Labs, brought to light the MOSFET, a transmitter that would be presented the following year and that would be improved in 1962 by American Paul K. Weimer, who would create the thin-film transistor called TFT. Soon after, in 1968, the idea of ​​an LCD, or liquid crystal display, based on the aforementioned TFT would be presented by Bernard J. Lechner of RCA Laboratories. Lechner, F. J. Marlowe, E. O. Nester, and J. Tults would implement Lechner’s proposal that same year.

The first LCD screens were introduced to the market in 1971,but it was not until 1985 when the firm Matsushita Electric would manufacture a flat screen with a size and resolution sufficient to incorporate it into personal computers.

But there is no need to anticipate events. Back in the 1970s, in 1973, Peter Brody, JA Asars, and GD Dixon, employees of Westinghouse Research Laboratories, tested the first thin-film transistor LCD (TFT LCD) screen, and the following year Brodyy Fang-Chen Luo developed successfully the first active matrix LCD (or AM, a type of addressing used in flat panel displays), using a TFT transistor for this.

In 1982, Japan began marketing the first pocket LCD televisions, based on active matrix technology. In 1984, the Thomson Central Laboratory developed the first colour LCD monitor, and in 1988, a team from Sharp Company led by Japanese engineer T. Nagayasu introduced a 14-inch (35.6 cm) full-colour LCD screen, which would put an expiration date on monitors that worked with tubes in cathode rays. Its sale in Europe began in late 1995, at a price equivalent to about € 750. Today, all high-quality, high-resolution LCD displays employ TFT-based active matrix displays.

You’ve probably seen terms like HD and Full HD on the boxes of monitors and TVs, but what does that mean? As you may have guessed, HD refers to “High Definition,” a quick way to refer to a high-quality video output. So if you see the term “Full HD” on a monitor box, that’s just a shorthand to denote its resolution, which would be 1920 by 1080, also called 1080p. The reason why it’s specified as “Full HD” is that there are also some TVs and monitors that output at 720p (high definition but not relatively as high as 1080p), which is 1280 by 720 pixels. 1080p is considered the current standard for monitors, and popular manufacturers, including Dell, Acer, Samsung, LG, BenQ and Viewsonic, offer a variety of 1080p monitors in their product lineups.

As you can imagine, the more pixels there are to display, the more critical it is that your monitor has a high refresh rate, especially when it comes to gaming. Typically, the standard has been a 120-hertz refresh rate in gaming monitors, but many features a 144-hertz refresh rate. The quicker a monitor can refresh the display, and the smoother the visual experience will be. This is because the refresh rate in the monitor works in tandem with a low response time (which specifies how quickly the monitor can send and receive new information) to make a seamless visual transition. Sometimes, if the response rate is not quick enough, some residual pixels can remain on the screen as the monitor is trying to refresh new ones. This is called ‘ghosting.’ Although it’s standard to have a four-millisecond response time on many gaming monitors, Samsung, LG, BenQ, Viewsonic, and more all offer 2k and 4k monitors with one-millisecond response times. It is also important to ensure refresh rates are identical if you plan to sync two monitors for your display.

Regarding the internal specs, response time and refresh rate are the main factors contributing to a smooth, immersive viewing experience. Still, the physical panel type of the monitor can also play into this. First, there’s the matter of how the monitor lights up: either with LCD or LED. The main difference lies in the material that is used to light the liquid crystals in the display. In LCD, it’s cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), and in LEDs, it’s tiny light emitting and low-energy consuming diodes. This is the preferred type in most monitors because it consumes less power and produces less harsh light, so darker colors appear more vivid. Additionally, LED monitors can be much thinner than LCD ones.

Newer LCD monitors have improved with the implementation of IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels. For some, it’s a matter of preference, but where the IPS panels have shown their strength with accurate color reproduction, which is great for content creators who want to do photo editing or graphic design. The panel type you choose depends more on preference than anything else. Samsung is well known for championing the IPS panel in their monitors, and many people also enjoy using them for gaming.

As touch navigation becomes more normalized due to mobile browsing, you may also want to consider a touch monitor for maximum accessibility. Planar offers a 22-inch optical touchscreen monitor that is highly portable due to its USB connection type. For something you can use in meetings for presentations, Dell provides a capacitive touchscreen monitor that also features an IPS panel.

Finally, another consideration is whether there are enough HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) ports. HDMI allows simultaneous digital video and audio transmission from one source to another. While HDMI ports are often standard, especially on gaming monitors, verifying that a monitor has enough HDMI compatibility for your setup before purchasing is essential.

Since monitors have to be lit in order for the viewer to see anything, the difference between the two types is in what is used to light up the crystals within the display. For LCD, that’s cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL’s) and in LEDs, it’s tiny light emitting and low-energy consuming diodes. LED monitors tend to be thinner and more power-efficient, but improvements in the panel types have made LCDs more competitive.

Most ultrawide monitors are also curved. This design helps minimize viewing-angle problems—when you’re sitting centered, things on the far edges of the screen won’t look as washed out as they would on a flat display of a similar width. But this also makes ultrawide monitors inaccurate for precision tasks requiring straight lines, such as drawing, photo editing, or similar design work.

Most computer monitors range from 19� to 29�, but larger screens of 40� to 55� are also increasingly popular. Additionally, 60� to 90� monitors are perfect for the boardroom or classroom interaction. It really depends on how you�re using your computer. If it�s just for emailing and word processing, a smaller screen should be sufficient. But if you�re using your computer for designing, gaming or for viewing movies, a larger screen may be a better choice.

LED (Light- Emitting Diode) monitors essentially the same as LCD monitors � the only difference is in the backlighting technology. LCD monitors use fluorescent lamps to light the display, while LED monitors use the more energy-efficient light-emitting diodes. LED monitors use up to 40% less energy and contain no mercury, making them a more environmentally friendly choice. They may also help reduce eye strain, which is important if you spend a lot of time in front of your computer.

LED monitors tend to be more expensive than LCDs. But when selecting a computer monitor, it�s best to go with the highest quality and largest size that fits your budget.

Choosing the perfect computer monitor can be tough, so that"s why we"re here to help. Watch our video and learn how to pick out the perfect one. We"ll go over three different monitors for PC builds ranging from basic to high performance.

Why you can trust Tom"s HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.What’s your monitor’s purpose?If it’s gaming, you’ll generally want something with a high refresh rate (ideally 100Hz or more), low response time and AMD FreeSyncor Nvidia G-Sync for fighting screen tears at low framerates. For general use, look for high contrast, and for creative work prioritize color accuracy.What resolution do you want? More pixels means a sharper image. No one should be buying anything under 1080p/FHD (1920 x 1080) these days. But if your budget can handle it, 4K is as sharp as it gets at a reasonable price. Many gamers find 1440p/QHD (2560 x 1440) a good compromise between price and high-refresh-rate performance.Contrast and color.We consider contrast the most important factor in image quality, with 1,000:1 being solid. Color errors are particularly important avoid for content creators, and anything with a Delta E (dE) greater than 3 may show visible errors.Panel tech:When it comes to image quality, TN< IPS< VA. VA monitors typically still have better contrast than even the best IPS panels, although IPS panels are also known to be very colorful.What size do you want?These days, 24-inches is on the small side and 27 inches is mainstream, while 32-inches is a good large size for those on a budget. Anything bigger than 43 inches probably won’t fit on a regular desktop. For portable monitors, stay in the 17-inch range or under. Anything bigger isn"t really all that portable.sRGB or DCI-P3? In most cases, you’ll either be getting a monitor made for the sRGBcolor space or the more colorful DCI-P3 one. Technically, Windows, the web and non-HDR games and video all use sRGB, but if you want an extra colorful screen, an accurate DCI-P3 monitor is more appropriate.

Before we get into our primary list of picks, here is an amazing deal on one of our favorite tested monitors below. Sure, it"s more of a TV than a monitor, but it"s hard to pass up a big OLED screen for $600 (after an admittedly annoying $200 mail-in rebate).

This 32-inch monitor offers plenty of vertical screen real estate without the need for scrolling and 1440p resolution(opens in new tab), the current sweet spot between image quality and gaming performance. And while the S3222DGM is targeted primarily at gamers, we found that it is also great for general productivity and anything in between.

eSports players and hopefuls rely on the fastest peripherals available to attenuate the delay between deciding on in-game action and when that action happens on screen. 360 Hz is the fastest refresh rate PC monitors have today, and the MSI Oculux NXG253R is the fastest of them all. Yes, the NXG253R is the fastest display we’ve ever tested, making it the best computer monitor for eSports you can buy.

The NXG253R outperformed other 360 Hz monitors by 1-3ms (depending on the rival screen) in our absolute input lag test. It also matched all its 360 Hz rivals in our response time test with a 3ms score. The monitor also fights screen tears down to a 1 Hz refresh rate with G-Sync and includes the Nvidia Reflex latency analyzer to help fine-tune your eSports performance further.

If you want an affordable screen with many pixels, the Samsung UR59C is the best budget 4K monitor for you. The VA panel delivers contrast (2590.5:1 after calibration), making everything from photos to videos to games look better. This is clearly not a high-end gaming monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate, 4ms (GTG) response, and noFreeSync or G-Sync. But casual gamers can make do, thanks to the combination of high pixel density and high contrast, keeping games looking realistic.

Making HDR pop over SDR is all about contrast, and for the ultimate contrast, there’s nothing better than OLED. The Aorus FO48U’s massive OLED panel not only delivers immeasurably high contrast, but we recorded 107.7% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and near-flawless grayscale tracking. As a result, you get a rich image that’s also accurate out of the box. However, it’s not as bright as a premium LCD (399 nits with HDR, according to our testing).

A lot of us are finding ourselves working in tight spaces these days. If you’re looking to add another screen to your space, the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 is the best portable monitor. Its most standout feature is a critical one: a reliable, strong kickstand that’s easy to use, thanks to two flip-out feet. While many portable monitors are stuck with flimsy sleeves that double as stands, you can intuitively prop up the ThinkVision M14 at a -5 to 90-degree tilt or even in portrait mode. Unfortunately, its travel case isn’t as tough.

According to our benchmarks, with 244 nits max brightness and 98% coverage of the sRGB color space, the ThinkVision M14 is perfect for surfing the web or watching a movie in SDR. USB-C connectivity, meanwhile, means it won’t run out of battery when plugged into a laptop. It can also deliver as much as 65W of power to a device if plugged into a wall adapter. But those whose PC or device, such as a Raspberry Pi, doesn’t have a USB-C port with DisplayPort 1.2 Alt Mode and USB PD 2.0 or better will be out of luck.

The HP Omen X 65 Emperium is the best computer monitor to replace your living room TV. First, it’s massive. It also comes with a remote and powerful audio that’ll fill your space, thanks to four 4-inch woofers, two 1-inch tweeters and a pair of passive radiators. The inclusion of Nvidia Shield means access to the apps you’d want on a smart TV, including Netflix and YouTube, plus access to hundreds of free games.

If you want something a little smaller and cheaper, theAlienware AW5520QF is excellent and offers even higher contrast with its OLED panel but is much dimmer than the Omen X 65 Emperium.Round up of today"s best deals

a line of extreme and ultra-narrow bezel LCD displays that provides a video wall solution for demanding requirements of 24x7 mission-critical applications and high ambient light environments