Consumer Reports Buying Guide for Monitors

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LCDs are most popular but CRT monitors offer some advantages

Deciding whether to buy a flat-panel LCD or a standard, fairly fat CRT monitor comes down to this: Do you need more space on the surface of your desk or on the screen? If freeing up space on your desk is a priority, an LCD is the clear choice. But CRTs generally deliver slightly truer colors and can be readily viewed from extreme angles, unlike LCDs. Desktop computers and monitors are often sold as a package, with some manufacturers offering attractive discounts for monitors bundled with PCs sold online.

WHAT'S AVAILABLE

Apple, Dell, eMachines (which merged with Gateway in 2004), Gateway, Hewlett-Packard (which merged with Compaq in 2002), Lenovo, and Sony all market their own monitors for their computers. Other brands of monitors, such as Acer, Envision, KDS, LG, NEC, Samsung, and ViewSonic, are sold separately. Many brands are manufactured on an outsource basis.

Flat-panel LCD monitors. These have been outselling CRTs for years. Because the monitors have a liquid-crystal display rather than a TV-style picture tube, they take up much less desktop space than CRTs. They operate with analog or digital input, or both. Unlike a CRT, the nominal image size and the viewable-image size (VIS) of a flat-panel LCD are the same. Desktop models typically measure 17 or 19 inches diagonally and just a few inches deep, and they weigh around 15 pounds, compared with 30 to 50 pounds for a CRT. LCDs with a screen 20 inches or larger are available, but they are still somewhat pricey. Wide-screen LCDs, specially designed for watching wide-format videos, are also available. These screens have an aspect ratio of 16:9, like those found on most digital TVs, and they're also fairly expensive.

Flat-panel displays deliver a very clear image, but they have some inherent quirks. Their range of color is a bit narrower than a CRT's. And you have to view a flat-panel screen straight on; except for wide-screen models, the picture loses contrast as you move off-center, and fine lines might appear grainy. In analog mode you have to tweak the controls in order to get the best picture, but we have seen some improvements lately regarding the narrow angle. Price: $150 to $400 (17-inch); $200 to $800 (19-inch); $250 to $900 (20-inch); and $300 to $1,000 (22-inch).

CRTs. These typically range from 17 to 22 inches. To reduce glare, some CRTs have flattened, squared- off screens (not to be confused with flat-panel LCD screens). Generally based on the diagonal measurement of the picture tube, the nominal image size is the one touted in ads. The image you see, the viewable-image size, is usually an inch smaller. Thus a 17-inch CRT has a 16-inch VIS. As a result of a class-action lawsuit, ads must state a CRT's VIS as well as its nominal image, but you might have to squint at the fine print to find it.

Generally, the bigger the screen, the more room a CRT takes up on your desk, with depth roughly matching nominal screen size.

A 17-inch monitor, the most frequent choice these days, has almost one-fourth less viewable area than the 19-inch version becoming a popular option on the market. The larger size is especially useful when you're using the Internet, playing video games, watching DVD movies, editing photos, or working in several windows.

If you regularly work with graphics or sprawling spreadsheets, consider a 21-inch CRT monitor. A "short-depth" model doesn't take up much more desktop space than a standard 19-inch model.

Aimed at graphics professionals, 22-inch models provide ample viewing area and excellent color accuracy but they gobble up desktop space. Price: $50 to $300 (17-inch); $150 to $400 (19-inch); and $300 to $600 (21- to 22-inch).

IMPORTANT FEATURES

A monitor's resolution refers to the number of picture elements, or pixels, that make up an image. More pixels mean finer detail. Most monitors can display at several resolutions, generally ranging from 640x480 to 1600x1200 depending on the monitor and the graphics card. An LCD usually displays a sharper image than a CRT of comparable size when both are viewed at identical resolutions. But that's only if the LCD is set to its "native" resolution - 1024x768 pixels for a 15-inch screen; 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, or 1680x1050 wide-screen resolution for a 17-, 19-, or 20-inch model. On both types of monitor, the higher the resolution the smaller the text and images, so more content fits on the screen. Bigger CRT screens can handle higher resolutions and display more information.

Dot pitch, measured in millimeters, is the spacing between a CRT's pixels. If all else is equal, a smaller dot pitch produces a more detailed image, though it’s no guarantee of an excellent picture. In general, avoid models with a dot pitch larger than 0.28 mm.

A CRT requires a high refresh rate (the number of times per second an image is redrawn on the screen) to avoid annoying image flicker. In general, you’ll be more comfortable with a 17-inch monitor with a refresh rate of at least 75 hertz (Hz) at the resolution you want. For a 19-inch monitor, you might need an 85Hz rate to avoid eyestrain, especially at higher resolutions. The refresh rate isn't an issue with flat-panel displays.

Monitors have controls for brightness and contrast. Most of them also have controls for color balance (usually called color temperature), distortion, and such. Buttons activate onscreen controls and menus.

Bigger CRTs use a considerable amount of juice: about 80 watts for a typical 19-inch model, 65 to 70 watts for a 17-inch model, and about 20 watts for a 15-inch flat-panel LCD, for example. Most monitors have a sleep mode when the computer is on but not in use that uses less than 3 watts.

Some monitors include a microphone, USB port, integrated or separate speakers, or S-video and component inputs for viewing the output of a VCR or camcorder.

Plug-and-play capability makes it fairly simple to add a new monitor to an existing computer.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Decide between LCD and CRT monitors. If your monitor is hogging the top of your desk, you can reclaim that space by replacing it with an LCD. But it will cost you $100 to $300 more than if you bought a new CRT monitor. And LCD screens have an inherent shortcoming: The image appears to fade as you move left, right, up, or down. However, most LCD monitors in our recent tests had a wider viewing angle than we've seen in the past. If space isn't an issue but budget is, a CRT monitor is a good choice. Because they deliver truer color and render fast-moving objects better, they are a superior choice for photographers, designers, and gamers.

Settle on size. For most people, a 17-inch CRT is big enough. Larger monitors are best suited for people who need to show photo enlargements or who regularly display multiple windows on the screen.

Consider helpful features. A monitor you can raise or lower is a feature found on some LCD monitors, but not on CRTs because they're so heavy. Some monitors can be rotated 90 degrees, from a landscape to portrait orientation, with the image automatically adjusting itself. That can be handy for viewing photos and Web pages. Also look for conveniently placed controls that adjust contrast, brightness, and other settings that affect images.

Look for a long warranty. Many monitors, both LCDs and CRTs, come with a three-year warranty on parts and labor. A warranty that long is worth looking for, especially when purchasing a more-expensive model.

Convergence with TV isn't here yet. Manu-facturers offer monitors with TV tuners and LCD TVs with computer connections. But big differences remain between monitors and TVs.

Copyright © 2003-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

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