A ‘heads up’ on LCD monitor trends
CRT is out and LCD monitors are taking their place in home and business environments. An improved viewing experience, sleek design and drop in price are said to have increased the LCD’s appeal.
Users are also being given ever more choice, as larger formats (including 19-, 22- and even 28-inch monitors) emerge – which is creating some confusion.
Says Bruce Byrne, visual communications specialist at distributor Drive Control Corporation (DCC): "To protect their investments and make more informed choices, users want to know why these new formats are becoming available, which are more suitable for which applications, which monitors are more popular and which may be phased out. The answers they are looking for can be found in a mix of factors, namely the advancement of technology and manufacturing processes, changing business environments and new lifestyle demands."
Notes Brendon Land, country manager of ViewSonic SA: "CRT monitors are being phased out and replaced by LCD solutions for a very simple reason: CRTs are no longer profitable to make. Uptake of LCDs has increased due to their obvious advantages, and, as demand has increased, they have become cheaper to produce, delivering economy of scale. Ongoing innovations in LCD technology and manufacture have also contributed to lower pricing, however, also introducing some changes, most notably in LCD screen sizes.
"Simply put, LCD manufacturers intent on maximising profits and output are getting more economical panel cuts from the substrate using the larger formats. They are driven by the fact that 19- and 22-inch monitor formats are at present the most popular purchase choices. However, which format users select depends on what they are going to use the monitor for."
Notes Byrne: "All LCDs offer standard advantages over CRTs – they are slimmer, taking up less space; they are more ergonomically designed and offer an better viewing experience, contributing to comfort and health; and they use less energy and produce less heat, minimising use of aircons and lowering utility costs. All of this makes them ideal in business and home environments where space is at a premium and costs (utility, energy, maintenance and support) must be conserved.
"However, the wider screen formats, which are proving more popular, also let business users see more (eg, more of an Excel document, or multiple applications), easing their daily tasks by not having to switch between applications or manually scroll through the page, so improving productivity. In the home environment, where a monitor must now do double duty, enabling business and entertainment applications (eg, video, high definition DVDs, gaming), the wider format LCD also fits the bill. Nonetheless, many organisations remain budget-conscious."
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