Monitor. This is the typical video interface that permits visualizing the data and information processed by the PC. There are three main types of monitors.

CRT monitors (Cathode Ray Tube) are the classical "TV" displays, which make use of a cathode ray tube just like a normal television set. Size, which is given by the diagonal of the screen and measured in inches, varies from a minimum of 14" (inches) to a maximum of generally no more than 21". With respect to normal TV screens, whose resolution (maximum number of points that can be displayed horizontally and vertically) is 752 x 582 pixels in standard Pal/Secam and 768 x 494 in standard NTSC, the CRT monitors guarantee higher resolution (and therefore clearer images) and moreover exploit much smaller pixels (discreet displayable points).

LCD monitors (Liquid Crystal Display) make use of a display with polarized filters and cells of liquid crystals in place of the traditional cathode ray tube. They emit no dangerous radiation and are therefore ideal for close-up and prolonged use. LCD technology also reduces size, gives us a completely flat screen, and guarantees good image quality despite having a narrower viewing angle than traditional monitors.

The plasma display is the latest technological development in the field of monitors. In place of the cathode ray tube these monitors use two sheets of glass encasing an inert gas (argon or neon) which when electrically charged to plasma state reacts with phosphors that emit light in the visible spectrum. This technology is still evolving and is extremely costly, but the resulting image is of exceptionally high quality.

back

Menù

Tutor

forward