Monitors Explained - LCD, LED, OLED, CRT, TN, IPS, VA

Summary

This video delves into the world of computer monitors, explaining their importance as primary output devices. It covers various types, from the outdated CRT to modern LCD and LED monitors, highlighting differences in technology and performance. The video also discusses flat panel types like TN, VA, and IPS, detailing their unique characteristics and ideal use cases. Additionally, it touches on OLED technology and the significance of resolution and aspect ratio, providing viewers with a comprehensive guide to choosing the right monitor for their needs.

Takeaways

• 🖥️ A monitor is the primary output component of a computer, displaying images through various video ports like VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, and Thunderbolt.
• 🔌 It's crucial to ensure a monitor's video port matches the computer's video card to avoid the need for adapters or monitor exchanges.
• 📺 CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors are outdated, bulky, and heavy, relying on electron guns to produce images through red, blue, and green colors.
• 🔁 The refresh rate, measured in hertz, determines how often the image on the screen is redrawn, with higher rates reducing eye discomfort and motion blur.
• 📱 LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors succeeded CRTs, offering a lighter, thinner design with less power consumption and space usage.
• 💡 LCD monitors use backlighting technologies like fluorescent lamps or LEDs, with LEDs providing sharper colors, higher contrast ratios, and lower power consumption.
• 🔄 TN (Twisted Nematic) flat panels are known for high refresh rates and fast response times, making them ideal for gaming but with limited color reproduction.
• 🎨 IPS (In-Plane Switching) monitors offer better color accuracy and viewing angles compared to TN, but at the cost of higher price and slower performance metrics.
• 🖼️ VA (Vertical Alignment) monitors strike a balance between TN and IPS, providing a mix of performance and color reproduction.
• 📊 OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) monitors are self-illuminating, offering the highest contrast ratios, accurate colors, and excellent viewing angles, but are more expensive.
• 📊 Resolution defines the number of pixels used to display an image, with higher resolutions like 4K (UHD) providing clearer and sharper images.
• 📐 Aspect ratios like 16:9 (widescreen) are standard for modern monitors, offering a wider field of view compared to older 4:3 ratios.

Q & A

What is the primary function of a computer monitor?

A computer monitor's primary function is to display images on the screen by connecting to the computer's video card through a monitor cable.

What are the different types of video ports that a monitor may have?

Monitors may have video ports such as VGA, DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort, and some modern monitors may also include USB-C and Thunderbolt ports.

Why is it important to match the monitor's video port with the video card?

Matching the monitor's video port with the video card is important to avoid the need for adapters or exchanging the monitor, ensuring a direct and optimal connection.

What does CRT stand for and why are they no longer used?

CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube, which was the first technology used in TV sets. They are no longer used because they are bulky, heavy, and take up a lot of space.

How is an image produced on a CRT monitor?

An image on a CRT monitor is produced by using three color electron guns (red, blue, and green) that shoot beams of electrons on the screen, creating an image that we see.

What is the term for the redrawing of the image on a monitor, and how is it measured?

The redrawing of the image on a monitor is known as the refresh rate, which is measured in hertz (Hz).

What are the advantages of a higher refresh rate on an LCD monitor?

A higher refresh rate reduces eye discomfort, reduces motion blur, and provides a smoother visual experience.

How do LCD monitors differ from CRT monitors in terms of design and technology?

LCD monitors are lighter, thinner, use less power, and take up less space than CRTs. They produce an image on a flat surface using liquid crystals and a backlight.

What are the two types of backlighting used in LCD monitors and what are their differences?

The two types of backlighting used in LCD monitors are fluorescent lamps and LEDs. LEDs are a modern form of backlighting that offers advantages such as sharper colors, higher contrast ratio, lower power consumption, and a thinner form factor compared to fluorescent lamps.

What are the three types of flat panels used in LCD monitors and how do they differ in performance and features?

The three types of flat panels used in LCD monitors are TN, VA, and IPS. TN offers the highest refresh rates and fastest response times, ideal for gaming. VA offers a balance between color reproduction and performance. IPS provides the best color reproduction and viewing angles but at a higher cost and with lower refresh rates and slower response times.

What is OLED technology and how does it differ from LCD technology?

OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. Unlike LCD monitors that require backlighting, OLED technology allows each pixel to produce its own illumination, resulting in better color production, higher contrast ratios, and thinner displays.

What is resolution in the context of monitors, and how does it affect image quality?

Resolution refers to the number of pixels used to display an image. A higher resolution means more pixels are used, resulting in a clearer and sharper image.

What is the standard aspect ratio for monitors today, and what does it represent?

The standard aspect ratio for monitors today is 16:9, which is a widescreen ratio. It represents the ratio between the width and the height of the monitor.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ Introduction to Computer Monitors

This paragraph introduces the concept of computer monitors as the primary output component of a desktop computer. It explains how monitors connect to the video card via various types of cables such as VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, and Thunderbolt. The importance of matching the monitor's video port with the video card is emphasized to avoid the need for adapters or monitor exchanges. The paragraph also touches on the older CRT technology, which has been replaced by more modern and space-efficient technologies. CRT monitors used electron guns to produce images through a process involving red, blue, and green colors, with the refresh rate determining how often the image is redrawn on the screen. The benefits of higher refresh rates in reducing eye discomfort and motion blur are also mentioned. The paragraph transitions into discussing LCD monitors, which are lighter, thinner, and more energy-efficient than CRTs, using liquid crystals and a backlight to produce images. Different backlighting technologies used in LCD monitors, such as fluorescent lamps and LEDs, are compared, with LEDs offering advantages like sharper colors, higher contrast ratios, and lower power consumption.

05:01

🎮 Types of LCD Monitor Panels and OLED Technology

The second paragraph delves into the different types of LCD monitor panels: TN (Twisted Nematic), VA (Vertical Alignment), and IPS (In-Plane Switching). TN panels are highlighted for their high refresh rates and fast response times, making them ideal for gaming, but they suffer from poor color reproduction and viewing angles. IPS panels offer better color accuracy and wider viewing angles but at the cost of higher prices and slower response times. VA panels are a compromise, offering a balance between the performance of TN and the color quality of IPS. The paragraph also introduces OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology, which differs from LCD by having each pixel produce its own light, resulting in superior color reproduction, contrast ratios, and viewing angles. OLED monitors are more expensive and thinner than LED monitors, offering the darkest black colors and the best viewing experience without color loss at any angle.

10:01

📊 Understanding Monitor Resolution and Aspect Ratios

The final paragraph discusses monitor resolution, defined as the number of pixels used to display an image. It explains how higher resolutions result in clearer and sharper images, with examples provided for HD (1280x720), FHD (1920x1080), QHD (2560x1440 or 2K), and 4K UHD (3840x2160) resolutions. The paragraph also covers aspect ratios, with a focus on the widescreen 16:9 ratio that is now standard, contrasting it with the older 4:3 ratio and even wider options like 21:9 ultrawide and 32:9 superwide. The presenter shares a personal recommendation for a TN monitor they use for its high performance in video recording and production, and invites viewers to subscribe and follow them on Twitter for more content.

Keywords

💡Monitor

A monitor is the primary output component of a computer, responsible for displaying images on the screen. It connects to the computer's video card through a monitor cable. In the video, the monitor's role is central to the discussion of various display technologies and their evolution, with the script mentioning different types of monitors and their specific features.

💡Video Ports

Video ports are the interfaces on a monitor to which cables are connected to transmit visual data from the computer. The script lists various types of video ports such as VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, and Thunderbolt, emphasizing the importance of matching the monitor's video port with the computer's video card to ensure compatibility.

💡CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)

CRT refers to the older, bulky type of monitor technology that used cathode ray tubes to produce images. The video script describes CRTs as heavy and space-consuming, contrasting them with modern, slimmer alternatives. CRTs used electron guns to shoot beams of electrons onto the screen, creating an image through the combination of red, blue, and green colors.

💡Refresh Rate

The refresh rate is the frequency at which an image is redrawn on the screen, measured in hertz (Hz). A higher refresh rate, like 240 Hz mentioned in the script, can reduce eye discomfort, motion blur, and provide a smoother visual experience. It's a key specification for gamers and professionals who require high-performance displays.

💡LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

LCD is a type of monitor technology that has largely replaced CRTs. It stands for liquid crystal display and is known for being lighter, thinner, and more energy-efficient. The script explains how LCDs use liquid crystals and a backlight to produce images, and how they have become the primary type of monitor used today.

💡Backlighting

Backlighting is the light source behind an LCD panel that illuminates the screen. The video discusses two types of backlighting: fluorescent lamps and LEDs. LED backlighting is highlighted as a modern form that offers advantages like sharper colors, higher contrast ratios, and thinner form factors compared to fluorescent lamps.

💡TN (Twisted Nematic)

TN is a type of LCD panel known for its fast response time and high refresh rates, making it ideal for gaming. The script describes how TN panels work by twisting liquid crystals to control light, but also notes their limitations in color reproduction and viewing angles.

💡IPS (In-Plane Switching)

IPS is another type of LCD panel that offers better color accuracy and wider viewing angles compared to TN panels. The script explains that IPS monitors align liquid crystals parallel to the glass, resulting in improved image quality from different perspectives, albeit at a higher cost and potentially slower performance.

💡VA (Vertical Alignment)

VA is a middle-ground panel type between TN and IPS, offering a balance of performance and color reproduction. The script positions VA monitors as having faster refresh rates and response times than IPS, but not as fast as TN, and better color reproduction than TN but not as good as IPS.

💡OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode)

OLED is a display technology that differs from LCD by having each pixel produce its own light, eliminating the need for a backlight. The video script emphasizes OLED's ability to produce deep blacks and high contrast ratios, as well as its thin design and excellent viewing angles, making it suitable for high-end applications.

💡Resolution

Resolution refers to the number of pixels used to display an image, determining the clarity and sharpness of the display. The script outlines various resolutions such as HD (1280x720), FHD (1920x1080), QHD (2560x1440), and 4K (3840x2160), explaining how a higher resolution results in more pixels and a sharper image.

💡Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the width and height of a monitor's display. The video discusses the transition from the older 4:3 ratio to the current standard of 16:9 widescreen, and even wider ratios like 21:9 and 32:9 for ultrawide and superwide monitors, respectively.

Highlights

A monitor is the primary output component of a computer.

Monitors connect to a computer's video card through various types of cables like VGA, DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort.

Modern monitors may include USB-C and Thunderbolt ports.

CRT monitors, now obsolete, used cathode ray tubes and were bulky and heavy.

CRT monitors used three color electron guns (red, blue, green) to produce images.

Refresh rate, measured in hertz, determines how often the image on a monitor is redrawn.

Higher refresh rates on LCD monitors can reduce eye discomfort and motion blur.

LCD monitors, lighter and thinner than CRTs, use liquid crystals and a backlight to produce images.

LED backlighting in LCD monitors offers advantages like sharper colors and higher contrast ratios.

LCD monitors with LED backlighting are considered LED monitors.

TN flat panels in LCD/LED monitors offer high refresh rates and fast response times, ideal for gaming.

IPS flat panels provide better color reproduction and viewing angles compared to TN panels.

VA flat panels are a balance between TN and IPS, offering中等refresh rates and color reproduction.

OLED monitors, with each pixel producing its own light, offer the highest contrast ratios and true blacks.

Resolution is defined by the number of pixels used to display an image, with higher resolutions providing clearer images.

Aspect ratios like 16:9 widescreen are standard today, offering a balance between width and height.

Ultrawide and superwide aspect ratios provide even more screen real estate for multitasking and gaming.

The presenter recommends a TN monitor for its high performance in recording and making videos.

Transcripts

Hello everyone. In this video we're going to be talking about monitors

Now a monitor is the primary output component of a computer.

On a desktop computer it connects to the computer's video card through a monitor

cable and it displays images on the screen. A computer monitor may have one

or several video ports that monitor cables plug in to. Those ports and cables could be VGA,

DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort. And some modern monitors may include USB-C and thunderbolt ports.

So if you're in the market of getting a new monitor,

you need to make sure you get one with the correct video port to match your video card.

Because otherwise you'll end up using adapters or exchanging the monitor.

Now an older type of monitor is called CRT

which stands for a cathode ray tube, which was the technology

first used in TV sets. These monitors are bulky and very heavy and they take up a lot of space.

And they are no longer existent in the marketplace today.

An image is produced on a CRT by using 3 color electron guns. These colors are red, blue, and green.

Which when you combine them, they can produce any color on the color spectrum.

These guns shoot beams of electrons on the screen

and create an image that we see. These beams repeatedly sweep across the face of the monitor

many times per second. So it's constantly redrawing

the image that we see on the screen.

And this redrawing of the image is known as the refresh rate. The refresh rate is measured

in hertz. So for example, if the refresh rate is 60 Hz

then that means that the beams sweep across the

entire face of the monitor, redrawing the image at a rate of 60 times per second.

Today some higher end LCD monitors, which we'll talk about next, may have refresh

rates as high as 240 Hz. Having a higher refresh rate reduces eye discomfort.

I'll also reduce motion blur and it will give you a smoother visual experience.

Another type of monitor which has succeeded the CRT, is the LCD.

LCD stands for liquid crystal display. These monitors are lighter,

thinner, use less power, and take up less space than CRTs.

LCDs are also known as flat panel displays.

LCD monitors produce an image on a flat surface by using liquid crystals.

A backlight shines through these

crystals to produce an image on the screen.

And it uses filters to produce different colors. LCDs were first used

in laptop computers. And now it's the primary type of monitor that is used today for desktops.

In order for LCD monitors to show an image on the screen, it needs to have a light source,

and there are a couple of different types of backlighting that an LCD monitor uses.

The older type of lighting is by using fluorescent lamps.

These fluorescent lamps are the circular, glass, straight tubing types, similar to regular

fluorescent lamps that we're all used to seeing. These lamps emit ultraviolet light that's

created when the mercury vapor inside the lamp is ionized.

Another type of backlighting that LCD monitors use is LED. LED monitors use

multiple light emitting diodes that are arranged in a pattern that displays the

images on the screen. Now this is a modern form of backlighting compared to

The older fluorescent lamp backlighting.

The advantages that LED monitors have over the standard LCD, is that it can produce sharper

and more accurate colors.

Another advantage is that it has a higher contrast ratio. The contrast ratio refers

to the contrast between black and white. The higher the contrast ratio that a monitor has,

the better, because it can produce a brighter white and a darker black. So for example..if

a monitor has a contrast ratio of 1000:1, that means that the whites are 1,000 times brighter

than the blacks. LED monitors also consume less power, and it can also be made with a

thinner form factor.

Now both of these monitors are considered LCD monitors

but the LCD that uses the LED backlighting, is considered an LED monitor.

So an LED monitor is just an LCD monitor that uses LED backlighting.

Now LCD or LED monitors will have 3 different types of flat panels. These types are TN,

VA, and IPS and these will vary in performance, color reproduction, and price.

So the first one is TN. TN stands for twisted nematic. This type of flat panel works by

liquid crystals actually twisting the light as it comes through. TN is the oldest of the

3 which makes it the most affordable, but at the same time it's also the best as far as performance

because it will have the highest refresh rates and the fastest response time. Which makes it ideal for gaming.

The response time is the time in milliseconds that it takes for a monitor to change from

one color to another color, for example from black to white. A very fast response time

would be 1 millisecond, as compared to a slower response time of 10 milliseconds.

When a monitor has a fast response time, it helps eliminate monitor ghosting.

Ghosting is when an image on a monitor leaves a trail behind it as it moves across the screen And

since TN monitors are the fastest they are the best at eliminating ghosting when compared

to other monitors.

However, TN monitors do have some drawbacks and one of those drawbacks is the color reproduction

which are not as good as the other types. And another drawback is poor viewing angles

especially when viewing vertically.

A newer and more modern type of flat panel is IPS. IPS stands for in-plane switching.

IPS was developed because of the limitations of TN monitors. This type of monitor works

by instead of the liquid crystals twisting, like in a TN monitor, the liquid crystals

in an IPS monitor will stay in place and are aligned in parallel with the glass.

And because of this, an IPS monitor will have a better and more accurate color reproduction

and it will also have a better viewing angle than a TN monitor

So if you were to view a TN and an IPS monitor on a vertical angle. The IPS monitor will

look relatively the same with very little change. But on a TN monitor the image will dramatically change.

So as you can see, on a TN monitor, the colors get washed out.

But the disadvantages of IPS monitors is that they are more expensive, they will have a

lower refresh rate and they will also have a slower response time compared to TN monitors.

Now a VA or vertical alignment monitor is sort of in the middle. VA monitors will have a refresh

rate and response time faster than an IPS monitor, but slower than TN.

And it will also have a better color reproduction than a TN monitor, but not as good as an IPS.

So a VA monitor is basically a mixture of a TN and an IPS.

So which flat panel type is the best? Well that question depends on your specific needs.

If your profession is in graphics and photography, then you're going to want the best for color reproduction and accuracy.

Therefore you should go with an IPS monitor. Or if you're a gamer, you need

a high performance monitor with the highest refresh rates and the lowest response time.

Then in this case you should go with a TN monitor. Or if you want something sort of in the middle

then you might consider a VA monitor.

And another type of monitor is OLED which stands for organic light-emitting diode. OLED is

used on monitors, modern smartphones and high-end TVs. The biggest difference between OLED and

LCD is the light source. So as I stated before LCD monitors

will either use fluorescent bulbs or LEDs for backlighting. But OLED monitors are different

with OLED each pixel will produce its own illumination without having a separate backlight.

Electrical current is applied to organic compounds that cause them to glow.

OLED monitors are relatively new in the market place, so they are more expensive. They produce

great colors including producing the darkest black color available today with the highest

contrast ratio. A standard LED may have a contrast ratio of 1000:1, but an OLED will

have a contrast ratio of 100000:1 And unlike LCD monitors that use filters to

produce colors, OLED produces their own colors without using filters which is why they are

even thinner than LED monitors.

OLED monitors will also have the best viewing angles. So previously we compared a viewing angle

between 2 LED monitors, which was an IPS and a TN monitor and the viewing angle on the IPS monitor was clearly better.

But if we compare an IPS with an OLED, the OLED comes out the winner.

So as you an see, there is no loss in the colors when viewing an OLED on a vertical or horizontal viewing angle. The image is identical.

Another thing to know about monitors is resolution. Resolution is defined as the number

of pixels that are being used to display an image. A pixel is the smallest element

in an image. The higher the resolution, the higher the number of pixels will be used.

Which means a clearer and sharper image. And monitors come in different maximum resolutions.

So for example, if a monitor has a maximum resolution of 1280 x 720, which is called HD or high definition.

Then that means that there are 1280 horizontal pixels, by 720 vertical pixels.

Which means that there are over 921,000 pixels that are being used.

If a monitor has a maximum resolution of 1920 X 1080, which is known as FHD or full high definition

This resolution will use over 2 million pixels.

And if a monitor has a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440, which is known as QHD or quad high definition

Then this means that there are over 3.6 million pixels that are being used.

This resolution is also known as 2K.

And then there's 4K, which is also known as UHD or ultra high definition.

And this will have a resolution of 3840 x 2160

Which means that over 8 million pixels will be used.

And then finally there's the aspect ratio. The aspect ratio of a monitor is the ratio between

the width and the height of the monitor. Today the standard aspect ratio is called widescreen.

Which has an aspect ratio of 16x9. The 16 refers to the width and the 9 refers to the height,

Which means that, for example if a monitor happens to be 16 pixels wide, the height would be 9 pixels.

Now before the widescreen ratio of 16x9, there was the standard ratio of 4:3 which was more of a square shape.

And this was used by CRT monitors and older LCDs. Today there are even wider aspect ratios than

widescreen, such as the ultrawide which has a ratio of 21:9

And even wider than that, there's the superwide which has an aspect ratio of 32:9

So guys if you want to know which monitor that I personally use, I'll put a link below in the description

of this video. I bought it 3 years ago and I've been using it ever since. It's a TN monitor, so it's a high performance monitor.

So it's very fast and it has to be because I use it to record and make these videos.

So I highly recommend it. And once again I'll put a link below.

So I want to thank everyone for watching this video on monitors. Please subscribe. Follow me on Twitter. And thank you for watching.