Types of computer monitors and choosing the right monitor for work or entertainment is a topic that interests a large group of people. In fact, choosing the right computer monitor is no longer something that can be done easily or in moments based on the manufacturer's reputation and price as we used to.
Screen manufacturing technologies have developed greatly in the past years, and new display resolutions have appeared, 1080 display resolution is no longer the highest display resolution that exists now, but there are screens that provide greater display resolution and image with high clarity and clarity at affordable prices.
With all the technical progress in the field of screen manufacturing, the process of choosing the right screen has become very confusing. You will need to pay attention to a large number of factors while choosing the right screen for you, such as; Manufacturing technology, panel type, display resolution, and number of slots available.
In this article, we will discuss several factors that computer screens have in common with smart TVs and laptop screens. If you are thinking of buying any of the previous devices, we advise you to read this article before making the purchase.
Types of computer monitors
In fact, the word types is a bit general with respect to screens, because each type contains subtleties that you should pay attention to.
We are not going to expand on the word genres because this may make us have to talk about technologies and screens that no longer exist in the first place.
In this article, we will focus our attention on LED screens, as it is the dominant technology in screen types today. Other technologies are either old technologies that are no longer used, such as CRT technology, or newer technologies such as Plasma, but their manufacture has been discontinued.
Most of the screens and smart TVs use LED technology, which makes most of what we will discuss in this article applies to both.
Important terms in the field of screens
There are several terms that must be explained before dealing with the types of computer monitors and the technologies that depend on them, these terms will help you know the distinguishing points of each monitor.
The following terms exist in the technical field with more than one definition, but we will define them in the field of screens only:
1) Pixel
The pixel is a word derived from the picture element, and the pixel is the smallest unit that can be colored on the screen. The size of the pixel is determined based on the resolution of the display itself, and therefore it is preferable to consider it as the smallest unit for the screen in general and not according to its size.
2) Response time
Response time is the time a pixel is changed from one color to another. Usually, response time is measured as the time between converting a pixel from black to white and back to black, measured in milliseconds or MS.
The lower the response time, the faster the rate of color change, and it is also an important factor in rendering moving images smoothly. Response time is a must if you are going to use the screen to play games or watch videos that contain fast motions.
3) Input lag
Input lag is the delay between the input source (keyboard and mouse) and the display of the image on the screen, in simpler terms, the time it takes the GPU to send a signal to the screen until the screen displays this frame.
4) Refresh rate
Refresh rate refers to the number of times the screen displays a new image per second. The encoding rate is measured in Hertz, abbreviated as Hz.
If your monitor's refresh rate is 144Hz, this means that the monitor will refresh the image 144 times per second. Using a computer monitor that offers a high refresh rate with a GPU capable of displaying a high frame count provides a smoother gaming experience.
A high refresh rate also affects the delay rate in receiving input signals, as the higher the former, the lower the latter.
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5) Brightness rate
The rate of brightness in screens is measured in a unit called Nit, which expresses the light of one candle per square meter, the higher the number of Nit, the higher the brightness of the screen and vice versa, of course, brightness is related to vision in general: less brightness = darker vision.
Brightness is largely related to the lighting of the room in which the screen will be, so it is not recommended to use a screen with low brightness in a room with poor lighting.
6) Display Resolution
Screen display resolution is the number of pixels in the screen and is calculated based on its display resolution, for example a screen with a display resolution of 1920×1080 or it is called FULL HD, the number of pixels in it is calculated as follows:
Width 1920 x Length 1080 = 2,073,600 pixels.
The higher the screen resolution, the more accurate and clear the picture can be provided.
1920 x 1080 display resolution was the dominant resolution in most types of computer screens during the past years, now there are higher resolutions that provide more pixels and thus a clearer picture, such as in the display resolution of 2160 3840X or what is called 4K and 7680X4320 or known as 8K.
7) Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratio is a term used to measure the difference between maximum and minimum brightness on a screen, in simpler terms, the difference between the strongest white and the strongest black.
The contrast ratio is measured number to number and written in this form: 5000. For example, if a monitor has a contrast ratio of 1:1000, it means that only white will appear 1000 times brighter than black.
In general, the higher the contrast ratio, the higher the screen's ability to display images with colors that are close to natural colors.
8) HDR High Dynamic Range
High Dynamic Range technology is a technology that improves image quality, this technology improves the color of photos and videos and makes them appear more natural, simply this technology brings more colors than things appear in their natural colors.
9) Viewing Angle
Viewing angles are the quality of the image displayed by the screen when viewed from an indirect or sideways angle.
The screen is supposed to show a good picture from all angles, but some screens offer poor viewing angles, screens that provide a weak angle force you to look at it directly or at a certain angle only to get the best possible picture from it.
10) Monitor dimensions or aspect ratio
The term Aspect ratio stands for the aspect ratio of the screen, and is expressed as a number to a number in this form such as 4:3.
Most types of computer screens rely on the 16:9 ratio, as it is the ratio adopted in filming most movies and series.
The aspect ratios found in the monitors are:
- 4:3 ratio is currently rare.
- 9:16 The most popular ratio right now.
- 9:21 is a well-known ratio associated with high display resolutions, and some believe that it will be the most popular ratio in the future.
11) Types of panels found in computer monitors
Most types of computer screens today use LED technology, a technology similar to LCD technology, both technologies rely on liquid crystals, and a group of LEDs are placed behind the front plastic part of the screen to produce the images that appear on it.
The difference between LCD technology or Liquid Crystal Display and LED or Light Emitting Diodes is the difference in the lighting element, LCD relies on fluorescent lamps while LED relies on light-emitting diodes.
LEDs consume less energy than lamps, have a longer life span, and most importantly, generate clearer and more beautiful images. All the previous advantages have contributed to the spread of LED technology and dependence on it in most of the currently manufactured screens.
Now it's time for the part you are waiting for in the article about the types of screens or types of screen technologies, how they work and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
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Panel technologies in computer monitors and their types
The most important thing to pay attention to when choosing a monitor for computers or laptops is its own board manufacturing technology. Each manufacturing technology has advantages and disadvantages that can be summarized as follows:
1. Screens containing a panel with TN . manufacturing technology
TN is an abbreviation for twisted nematic and stands for the state of the crystals used in the manufacture of these displays. TN panel displays are the oldest type of LED displays.
How do TN panels work?
TN panels contain liquid crystals sandwiched between two polarizing filters, the filters are the same size but each is oriented at right angles to the other, one filter is mounted horizontally and the other is vertical.
Placing the filters does not allow light to pass between them without an electric current. When electric current passes from the screen control panel to the crystal, its particles move at a right angle, allowing light to pass between the filters. This is a pixel-by-pixel system.
The pixels are divided into smaller parts of red, green and blue, the colors of the smaller parts are determined according to the electric current passing through them, each part of the pixel can change its color to 256 colors.
When an image is processed on the screen, each part of the pixel displays a different color to eventually determine the color of the primary pixel. In the end, each pixel appears in a specific color consistent with the rest of the colors of the existing pixels to appear on the screen.
Other panel technologies work on the same principles as TN technology, but with minor differences, most of which are in the position of the crystals.
Features of monitors that have a TN panel
- The cheapest type of computer monitor.
- Its high response rate (sometimes up to 2 milliseconds) results in less delay in receiving input signals.
- High refresh rate.
Disadvantages of monitors that have a TN panel
- Poor viewing angles.
- Weak and unreal colors.
- TN technology is old technology and does not get updates or upgrades.
- Hard to get TN screen 9:21
The quality of screens that contain a TN panel is generally poor, which makes its defects vary in severity from one company to another, in addition to the poor manufacturing quality that leads to other problems such as pixel damage and malfunctions.
2. Screens with VA panel technology
VA is an acronym for Vertical Alignment, which means vertical position and is the position of the crystals in which they are used. The position of the crystals changes if an electric current passes to the horizontal position between the screen substrates, allowing the passage of light that makes up the image.
Features of monitors that have a VA panel
- It provides a high contrast ratio, which makes it display blacks perfectly.
- Provides a better viewing angle than screens that have a TN panel.
- Monitors with a VA panel are cheaper than monitors with an IPS panel.
Disadvantages of monitors with a VA panel
- Offers a high response time compared to screens that have a TN or IPS panel.
- The viewing angles of these monitors are not as good as those with an IPS panel.
- Monitors with a VA panel consume more power than monitors with a TN panel.
3. Screens with an IPS panel
The word IPS is an abbreviation for In-Plane Switching. This technology works on displaying the image using liquid crystals, as is the case in most other screen panel technologies, IPS technology depends on the passage of electricity through the crystals in the screen.
The position of the crystals in displays with an IPS panel differs from that of a TN panel, with the first crystals positioned parallel to the plane of the display's glass substrates from here on in plane.
Advantages of monitors that have an IPS panel
- The best possible viewing angles.
- Clearer colors compared to TN screens.
- The IPS technology is modern and is updated and developed from time to time (a newer technology called Nano IPS has emerged from it).
- High brightness rate compared to TN and VA.
- Better support for HDR playback.
- Higher display resolutions such as 2K and 4K look great on screens that have an IPS panel.
Disadvantages of monitors with an IPS panel
- High response time compared to TN monitors resulting in greater delay in receiving input signals.
- Considered the most expensive comparison between TN and VA screens
- Industry flaws found in cheap screens such as IPS glow.
Types of laptop screens
In the past, laptop manufacturers relied on the cheapest and most available board to add to their devices. At that time, the TN board occupied the two positions and the other boards were not widely available, either on the technical side or the cost side.
The main reason why businesses relied on the cheapest panel is that the use of laptops was limited at the time, for two decades or more laptops were designed for business people for purposes such as browsing, communicating, or performing written tasks anywhere.
Now some rely entirely on laptops in order to design videos or play electronic games with high accuracy, which led to the adoption of companies developing laptops on the same screen panels on which computers depend.
Laptops intended for simple purposes such as browsing and writing rely on the TN panel in order to reduce the cost of these devices,
For purposes such as gaming and video design, or companies add boards suitable for these purposes such as VA and IPS boards.
Conclusion
In this article, we tried to provide a simplified guide explaining the most popular types of computer screens. There are other emerging types and technologies such as OLED technology. We saw that talking about it requires a detailed article, given that it is a modern technology and contains a large number of types of panels and their technology.
Currently, screens that contain panels that work with TN, VA or IPS technologies are the primary choices for any computer user. It is true that these screens receive updates in their technology and design continuously, but they are still the cornerstone in the world of screens.
Do you know the technology in your monitor panel? Do you intend to change your screen with a new one in the future? Share with us in the comments your opinion about the best technology you prefer in types of computer monitors.