It’s more than just eye candy
Thanks to falling prices, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your computer monitor to one of those thin, wide and larger models.
After all, your television has gone thin, big and wide, so why shouldn’t your PC monitor?
Not only are these monitors ideal for your entertainment needs - movies, games, viral videos or camcorder footage - but there's a productivity bonus to a 16:9 or 16:10 panel, too, as you can see more information on the screen while working on documents or spreadsheets or surfing the Web. Just ask a graphic artist, who uses one side of the screen as a palette of colours and tools and the other side as a canvas (actually, many artists use two monitors side-by-side!).
Other productivity boosters are the extras built into today’s computer monitors. For example, the ViewSonic VX2255wmb ($449) is a beautiful 22-inch display that offers a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam and microphone that allows users to easily conduct VoIP or video conferences. Also, for the long hours spent in front of the screen, many monitors have a variety of ergonomic features, including height adjustment and 360-degree swivel, and a bright screen to help reduce eyestrain.
Consumers, too, can multitask more easily, such as having an email window open on the left side of the screen while navigating through your favourite music tracks or photos to the right.
According to Evans Research, the sale of widescreen PC monitors is expected to grow by triple-digit rates through 2008.
Some buying tips
Be sure to look for a monitor with low response times (eight milliseconds or lower is good; 5 ms or lower is fantastic) so it can handle fast motion smoothly, such as computer games and DVD movies. Otherwise, a flat-panel LCD monitor with a refresh rate of, say, 20, may not look as good as you may notice "ghosting" (trails) following a fast-moving object.
Another consideration is contrast ratio, which refers to how white the whites are and how black the blacks are. Flat-panel LCD monitors typically have a contrast ratio of 300:1 on the low-end and up to 2000:1 on the high-end. Look for at least a 700:1 contrast ratio, if you can.
Other bells and whistles you may want to look for include the ability to swivel the LCD monitor from a portrait view to a landscape view; adjustable height and tilt angles; VESA-compliant mounting if you want to hang it on a wall or mount it to a retractable arm; buttons that are easy to access; USB or FireWire ports to connect devices to; and integrated speakers for audio playback (though they won’t likely sound as good as stand-alone speakers).
Compatibility and performance
When it comes to compatibility with your computer, keep in mind most flat-panel monitors offer an analog “VGA” input port (three rows of five holes), while some offer both an analog connection and a digital “DVI” input port (usually white, with three rows of eight holes). If your video card offers digital output, and your new monitor gives you this option, go with this instead of analog for higher video quality (though some argue the difference is negligible).
Finally, for the best performance, you should make sure your computer has the proper software programs, or drivers. That is, sometimes you can connect the monitor and voila - the picture will look great - while in other cases, you may need to insert the CD that shipped with it or visit the manufacturer’s website to download related files.
If the images on the screen look stretched and unnatural after you've updated the drivers, try adjusting the (Windows) computer's resolution by pointing your mouse anywhere on the blank desktop, right-clicking the mouse and selecting “Properties,” and then “Settings” (in Windows XP) or right-clicking on the desktop and choosing “Personalize,” then “Display Settings” (in Windows Vista). You might need to tweak the size of the icons and text to suit your preference.
Thanks to falling prices, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your computer monitor to one of those thin, wide and larger models.
After all, your television has gone thin, big and wide, so why shouldn’t your PC monitor?
Not only are these monitors ideal for your entertainment needs - movies, games, viral videos or camcorder footage - but there's a productivity bonus to a 16:9 or 16:10 panel, too, as you can see more information on the screen while working on documents or spreadsheets or surfing the Web. Just ask a graphic artist, who uses one side of the screen as a palette of colours and tools and the other side as a canvas (actually, many artists use two monitors side-by-side!).
Other productivity boosters are the extras built into today’s computer monitors. For example, the ViewSonic VX2255wmb ($449) is a beautiful 22-inch display that offers a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam and microphone that allows users to easily conduct VoIP or video conferences. Also, for the long hours spent in front of the screen, many monitors have a variety of ergonomic features, including height adjustment and 360-degree swivel, and a bright screen to help reduce eyestrain.
Consumers, too, can multitask more easily, such as having an email window open on the left side of the screen while navigating through your favourite music tracks or photos to the right.
According to Evans Research, the sale of widescreen PC monitors is expected to grow by triple-digit rates through 2008.
Some buying tips
Be sure to look for a monitor with low response times (eight milliseconds or lower is good; 5 ms or lower is fantastic) so it can handle fast motion smoothly, such as computer games and DVD movies. Otherwise, a flat-panel LCD monitor with a refresh rate of, say, 20, may not look as good as you may notice "ghosting" (trails) following a fast-moving object.
Another consideration is contrast ratio, which refers to how white the whites are and how black the blacks are. Flat-panel LCD monitors typically have a contrast ratio of 300:1 on the low-end and up to 2000:1 on the high-end. Look for at least a 700:1 contrast ratio, if you can.
Other bells and whistles you may want to look for include the ability to swivel the LCD monitor from a portrait view to a landscape view; adjustable height and tilt angles; VESA-compliant mounting if you want to hang it on a wall or mount it to a retractable arm; buttons that are easy to access; USB or FireWire ports to connect devices to; and integrated speakers for audio playback (though they won’t likely sound as good as stand-alone speakers).
Compatibility and performance
When it comes to compatibility with your computer, keep in mind most flat-panel monitors offer an analog “VGA” input port (three rows of five holes), while some offer both an analog connection and a digital “DVI” input port (usually white, with three rows of eight holes). If your video card offers digital output, and your new monitor gives you this option, go with this instead of analog for higher video quality (though some argue the difference is negligible).
Finally, for the best performance, you should make sure your computer has the proper software programs, or drivers. That is, sometimes you can connect the monitor and voila - the picture will look great - while in other cases, you may need to insert the CD that shipped with it or visit the manufacturer’s website to download related files.
If the images on the screen look stretched and unnatural after you've updated the drivers, try adjusting the (Windows) computer's resolution by pointing your mouse anywhere on the blank desktop, right-clicking the mouse and selecting “Properties,” and then “Settings” (in Windows XP) or right-clicking on the desktop and choosing “Personalize,” then “Display Settings” (in Windows Vista). You might need to tweak the size of the icons and text to suit your preference.
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