Lesson 1- Monitor component
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Overview
In lesson 1 we'll cover LCD monitors, what features and specs to look for when shopping, and how much you can expect to pay.
The image you’re looking at now is made up of hundreds of thousands of individual picture elements, or pixels for short. The sharpness or detail comes down to the number and size of the pixels a monitor can display.
Brightness
Contrast Ratio
Response Time
Response times for monitors run from 2ms to 16ms and lower the better. 5ms is a good minimum.
TN vs IPS
There are two types of LCD used by the majority of manufactures. TN and IPS. There are several types of IPS panels (S-IPS, P-IPS, H-IPS, etc.) but it comes down to this. TN panels are cheaper and have faster response times. IPS panels are much more expensive and have better color with slower response times. If true color reproduction is more important to you than response time and you have the money get an IPS panel monitor. If you are more into games and watching videos save your money and get a TN panel monitor.
When you shop for your monitor if the description or the features don’t say IPS it is a TN panel monitor. If you want an IPS monitor the description or features will say the type of IPS it uses.
Backlights
Screen Size
When it comes to the size of the screen we recommend at least a 19 inch display. A monitor of this size runs between 100 and 250 dollars, depending on the quality of the display. The sweet spot for size vs cost is currently a 23” monitor. You can get a very good one for around $160.
Dead Pixels
Multiple Monitors
See the video card component lesson for more on connecting multiple monitors.
Computer monitors are generally very reliable and will last for many years. That said, it's best to buy a monitor with at least a 3 years parts and labor warranty.
This level of warranty is standard for most manufacturers, but not all. So be sure to check the warranty coverage before buying a monitor.
Monitor Reviews
To find more reviews do a search in your favorite search engine (Google, Yahoo) for the model number of the monitor you're interested in.
When you buy a LCD monitor there is no shortage of choices. Below are several sites that will help you find the lowest price from a reputable merchant.
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