CRT vs LCD

CRT vs. LCD

When shopping for a new computer system, we tend to fret over such things as the CPU speed or hard disk size, but what about the one component of your system that is used just as much? Of course we're talking about the monitor. Often referred to as a display screen, a video display terminal (VDT) or visual display unit (VDU), the monitor is the component of your computer system that displays the messages and data being processed and utilized by the computer's CPU.
The two types of monitor technologies available to consumers are available in CRT monitors and LCD monitors. There are big differences between LCD and CRT, and while LCD technology has advanced to the point where its viewing quality is comparable to CRTs, many people today still choose to purchase a CRT monitor. CRTs are bigger and bulkier than an LCD, they consume more power and are prone to screen flicker. LCD monitors, however, are more expensive when compared to CRTs, they introduce the problem of viewing angles, and generally have less accurate color replication.

CRT Monitors

Sort for cathode-ray tubes, CRT monitors were the only choice consumers had for monitor technology for many years. Cathode ray tube (CRT) technology has been in use for more than 100 years, and is found in most televisions and computer monitors. A CRT works by moving an electron beam back and forth across the back of the screen. Each time the beam makes a pass across the screen, it lights up phosphor dots on the inside of the glass tube, thereby illuminating the active portions of the screen. By drawing many such lines from the top to the bottom of the screen, it creates an entire screen of images.

LCD/Flat panel Monitors

Short for liquid crystal display, LCD technology can be found in digital watches and computer monitors. LCD displays use two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. An electric current passed through the liquid causes the crystals to align so that light cannot pass through them. Each crystal, therefore, is like a shutter, either allowing light to pass through or blocking the light. Color LCD displays use two basic techniques for producing color: Passive matrix is the less expensive of the two technologies. The other technology, called thin film transistor (TFT) or active-matrix, produces color images that are as sharp as traditional CRT displays, but the technology is expensive.