Introduction

In the current generation, when the word monitor is heard, most of us would think of
thin screen known as a flat panel display for a computer. This is probably because in this
era, most of the displaying screens are slim and light, unlike a few years back when
most people were using older technology such as CRT (Cathode ray tube) which has a
boxy design and heavy in weight. The technology of monitors has been much improved
since the 1950s when the first monitor was used in the US military. Since then,
technologies such as LCD and Plasma and OLED has been invented, which is lighter,
slimmer and has a better display. Most of us know what a monitors function is but, we
dont know how it works. A good monitor can be defined by its technology, weight,
thickness, screen size& resolution and its ergonomic flexibility.

What is a monitor?
A monitor is a display device normally used for desktop computers and sometimes used
for people who wants an external screen to connect to their laptop. Monitors are
categorized in three classes, the monochrome; grey-scale; colour. The monochrome
monitor displays 2 colours, either black and white, or green and black or, amber and
black. The grey-scale monitor is one that displays different shades of grey. A colour
monitor is one that can display from 16 to over a million different colours.

Monitors
Cathod
e-Ray
Tube
(CRT)

LCD

Plasma

OLED

LCD
LED

Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor

The cathode-ray tube (CRT) Monitor uses the CRT technology to produce images on
the screen. A CRT is a large sealed glass tube. Tiny dots of phosphor material coats the
screen on a CRT. In the CRT, an electron beam moves back and forth across the back
of the screen or the CRT, causing the dots on the screen to glow and produce an image
on the screen of the monitor.
The CRT might be the oldest technology for monitor but, there are also advantages in it.
Some of the advantages include its costs. The cost of making a CRT Monitor is cheaper
compared to the other technologies, it might even half the price of the LCD. Next, the
viewing angles of the CRT monitor is also good, the CRT monitor can be viewed from
almost any angle. Other than that, the colour quality better than some of the other
technologies. The CRT monitor can display 16.7 million colours used in 24-bit displays.
It is capable of displaying vibrant and detailed colours. For the part of overall image
quality, CRT monitors normally has higher resolution (more detailed picture). It features
dark blacks and high contrast levels. CRT monitors also do not have motion blur (blurry
parts when images change too quickly).
The disadvantages of the CRT include image sharpness. The CRT Monitor produces
images that has softer edges that are not as sharp as LCD. The brightness of the CRT
monitor is relatively bright but not suitable for very brightly lit environments. The CRT
Monitor emits electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields which can be hazardous to
our health. The physical disadvantages of the CRT Monitors includes its large, heavy
and bulky size. The CRT Monitor also consumes a lot of electricity and produces a lot pf
heat.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

A liquid crystal display (LCD) uses a liquid compound to present its information
received from the computer on a display device. LCD contain fluorescent tubes that
emit light waves toward the liquid-crystal cells, which are 2 polarized sheets with liquid
crystal solution between them. When electrical current passes through the liquid, it
causes the crystals to align/ twist to block light from passing through certain areas,
creating images on the display. There are 2 types of LCD displays, the monochrome
which normally appear as blue or dark grey images on top of a greyish-white
background and the colour LCD displays. In the colour LCD displays, there are 2
technologies, the Passive-matrix which is less expensive than the thin-film transistor
(TFT) also known as Active-matrix.

Passive-Matrix LCD:
Uses less transistors. The advantages of the passive-matrix LCD include its costs. The
passive-matrix LCD is cheaper compared to the active-matrix display, but is more
expensive than the CRT monitor. Other than that, the power consumption of the
passive-matrix LCD is lower than both CRT Monitors and the active-matrix LCD.
A disadvantage of the passive-matrix LCD is its colour quality, the passive-matrix LCD
has brighter screen than the CRT Monitor but not as bright as the active-matrix display.

Another disadvantage is that the passive-matrix LCD has limited viewing angles, its best
when the user is working directly in front of the screen.

Active-Matrix LCD/ Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) :

Uses a separate transistors (1 to4) to apply charges to each liquid crystal cell. There are
2 main types of active-matrix LCD, the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and the LCD
LED. The TFT technology has the best resolution of all flat-panel displays but, its also
the most expensive.
Active-matrix display have great picture quality. It produces brilliant colours (can achieve
16.7 colours).It also has quick screen response rate. It has wide viewing angle, it is
viewable from all angles.
The active-matrix displays disadvantage is that it has high power consumption. Other
than that, it has higher opportunity for dead pixels.
Standard Thin Film Transistor (TFT)
The TFT makes the wiring of the LCD screens more efficient by reducing the amount of
electrodes used for every pixel.
Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED)
The OLED uses organic (carbon based) materials to make its panels. These panels
emit light when electricity is applied. The technology is more efficient as is does not
require backlight and filters.