The Battle of CRTs and LCDs

Written by Jason P. Hartz

For many years since the birth of information technology, CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors have been used with the early workstation computers to the more user-friendly desktop computers every home has nowadays. CRT monitors use the same technology as a standard television set. That does not mean that we have been using the same old thing for decades. The computer monitors we have today have surely improved to suit our viewing needs; it’s just that the basic technology behind the computer monitors of the past is the same as what it uses today. CRT monitors have recently been redefined to improve size, power consumption and quality with the development of flat screen CRT monitors. With this innovation comes another technology – the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitor – that also tries to suit the needs of a modern-day computer user. LCD monitors have further been debugged of known glitches, thus, the development of TFT (Thin Film Transistor) – LCD monitors. Let us now examine how these types of computer monitors vary in terms of size, performance quality, power consumption, and price. Size matters. Flat screen CRT monitors have surely solved the problem of an average desktop computer user when it comes to the desk space being occupied by the bulky CRT monitor. However, flat panel CRT monitors are still bulkier as compared to an LCD. It is also important to take note the difference between the size of an LCD and a CRT. For example, a 17” CRT monitor includes the frame, whereas, a 17” LCD monitor means just the screen itself. In other words, an LCD monitor is relatively wider than a CRT monitor when it comes to screen size. Viewing Quality and Performance. CRT monitors are proved to be more flexible when it comes to resolution as compared to LCD monitors. Although you can change the resolution of an LCD monitor, you still have to compromise its quality. LCD monitors are best viewed in its native resolution. When it comes to performance, CRT monitors are more prone to screen flicker while LCD monitors refresh faster. Color quality is best with a new model of CRT monitor while images viewed in an LCD are usually sharper as compared to a CRT. One advantage a good old CRT monitor has to an LCD monitor is the fact that it perfectly views picture in different angles; something a regular LCD monitor lacks. TFT-LCD monitors, however, have higher levels of sharpness and resolution and better control of pixels. Energy-Saver. The popularity of LCD monitors today is probably the result of various campaigns promoting energy efficiency and global environmentalism. CRT monitors have been known to consume ample amount of power and prone to heat emission. LCD monitors boast of being certified environmental-friendly and three times more energy efficient than a CRT monitor. Due to this fact, even if CRT monitors are more costly than LCD monitors, computer users still choose the latter for less power consumption. Price. At first, one would think that a CRT monitor is more affordable as compared to an LCD. That’s just based on the price range of these two types of computer monitors. But if you will consider the fact that LCD monitors would save you three times the power consumption of a CRT monitor, you would probably think twice. Moreover, you have to remember the difference between the size of CRT monitor and an LCD monitor. Simply put, the cost of a 17” CRT monitor is actually what you pay for a 15” LCD monitor considering the actual screen size. In the end, no one can really tell which among these types of computer monitors fit your computing needs – at least, no one but you. Just consider the abovementioned pros and cons before visiting your friendly neighborhood computer shop.