MONITORS

Monitor • The device which displays computer output. • The monitor displays the video and graphics information generated by the computer through the video card. • Monitors are very similar to televisions but usually display information at a much higher resolution. CSCA0101 Computing Basics 6 Output Devices Monitor Monochrome Monitor • A monochrome monitor is a type of CRT computer display which was very common in the early days of computing, from the 1960s through the 1980s, before color monitors became popular. • They are still widely used in applications such as computerized cash register systems CSCA0101 Computing Basics 7 Output Devices Monitor Monochrome Monitor • Monochrome monitors actually display two colors, one for the background and one for the foreground. • The colors can be black and white, green and black, or amber and black. CSCA0101 Computing Basics 8 Output Devices Monitor Color Monitor • Color monitors can display anywhere from 16 to over 1 million different colors. • Color monitors are sometimes called RGB monitors because they accept three separate signals -- red, green, and blue.

Types of Monitor

• Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

• Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

• Light-emitting Diode (LED) CSCA0101 Computing Basics 10 Output Devices Types of Monitor Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

• Large

• Heavy

• Produce heat

• Not expensive CSCA0101 Computing Basics 11 Output Devices Types of Monitor Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

• Less space

• Lighter

• Low power consumption

• Expensive

• Limited viewing angle CSCA0101 Computing Basics 12 Output Devices Types of Monitor Light-emitting Diode (LED)

• Less space

• Lighter

• Very expensive

• Provide higher contrast and better viewing angles than LCD monitor CSCA0101 Computing Basics 13 Output Devices Monitor Features Screen Size

• The actual amount of screen space that is available to display a picture, video or working space

• Desktop screens are usually 14 - 25 inches by diagonal measurement.

CSCA0101 Computing Basics 14 Output Devices Monitor Features Aspect Ratio

• The aspect ratio of a display is the fractional relation of the width of the display area compared to its height.

• Two common aspect ratio: – 4:3 – 16:9 CSCA0101 Computing Basics 15 Output Devices Monitor Features Aspect Ratio CSCA0101 Computing Basics 16 Output Devices Monitor Features Display Resolution

• The resolution of a monitor indicates how densely packed the pixels are.

• In general, the more pixels (often expressed in dots per inch), the sharper the image.

• Most modern monitors can display 1024 by 768 pixels, the SVGA standard.

• Some high-end models can display 1280 by 1024, or even 1600 by 1200.

CSCA0101 Computing Basics 17 Output Devices Monitor Features Display Resolution CSCA0101 Computing Basics 18 Output Devices Monitor Features Refresh Rate

• The refresh rate is the number of times in a second that a monitor draws the data.

• The refresh rate for a monitor is measured in hertz (Hz)

• The standard refresh rate is 75Hz, this means that the monitor redraws the display 75 times per second.

• A flickering monitor can contribute to eyestrain and headaches.

• The faster the refresh rate, the less the monitor flickers. CSCA0101 Computing Basics 19 Output Devices Monitor Features Refresh Rate Monitor flickering CSCA0101 Computing Basics 20 Output Devices Monitor Features Color Depth

• Color depth describes how many colors that can be displayed on a monitor's screen. • Common color depths used by monitor:

– 4-bit (EGA) = 16 colors

– 8-bit (VGA) = 256 colors

–16-bit (High Color) = 65,536 colors

– 24-bit (True Color) = 16 million colors