Picking out a PC monitor screen seems like it should be a fairly easy task, but technology has come a long way from the CRT monitors of old. Today, there are monitors for just about every situation imaginable and it is important to educate yourself on them before purchasing one. In many cases, an adequate pc monitor can be had for well under $200, but it may not have some of the premium features that are needed for a particular business. On the flip side, purchasing a $400 monitor could be a complete waste of money for a home computer.
When looking for the best PC monitor, there are quite a few things to take into consideration. The size of the screen, picture quality, sound system, compatibility, resolution and type of screen are all things that will affect the overall price of the monitor. Take a look at the various aspects before taking advantage of that big sale. A cheaper monitor that does not have the features that are needed will just lead to frustration.
The Size of the Viewing Screen
It may not be the most important feature when looking to buy PC monitor, but it should be near the top of list. Anyone spending a lot of time on the computer is well advised to avoid using a small PC monitor. Smaller PC monitors offer the challenge of not having enough screen space to work with and will also require the need for shrinking image sizes down. This can cause the user to strain their eyes and create vision issues along with migraines.
Choosing large PC monitors offers a lot more conveniences. Yes, they do cost a little more, but they are well worth it. When you have a large PC monitor screen, the images can be increased and there is plenty of space on the computer monitors screen to show several different images or web pages. This is a big advantage when doing research that you are creating an article or term paper from. Instead of having to work off of more than one PC monitor, everything will be right in front of you and on the same computer monitor.
CRT or LCD PC Monitor
Yes my friends, they do still make CRT monitors, although few people will buy them these days with the advances that are available with a PC LCD monitor. However, even though these are antiquated by comparison, they offer the ability to get a cheap PC monitor that is great for everyday use in certain situations. The first thought that comes to mind would be a monitor for a young child’s computer. Is there really the need to spend a lot of money for an eight year old to browse the Internet?
Today, the monitor of choice is an LCD monitor. Because this style of computer monitor has been around for some time now, they are much less money than they would have cost just a few short years ago. In addition, there are companies like Acer that are offering a high quality video monitor at bargain basement prices. While getting a name brand monitor would be nice, there really is no need unless there is a deal that is just too good to pass up.
A quick look online will quickly prove the points that are made above. A brand new, top of the line CRT monitor from just about every major computer maker lists for no more than $200. There are some exceptional monitors that have every feature imaginable that will sell for over $300, but they are hardly needed for the average home. Consumers can get a basic CRT video monitor from Dell, HP, eMachines or NEC for right around $100.
The same bargains are available for an HD PC monitor. Dell and HP both have this PC component available with a PC screen under 22 inches for less than $150. Acer has PC monitors that are over this size for right around $125. Many of these monitors are considered to be in the class of a TV PC monitor that can literally be watched as a TV or hooked into the computer. This style of HD PC monitors is actually perfect as home office solution as it can serve both purposes without the cost of having both a TV and PC monitor in the same room.
Resolution – Ratio – Viewing Angle
The native resolution, aspect ratio and viewing angle are all features that get thrown out a lot and are what can cause the price of the monitor to soar. While these features can be very important to some people, they will have little meaning to the average person that is using their computer as nothing more than a monitor to surf the web or that merely uses their computer as a word processor.
Native Resolution – this refers to the resolution that the monitor will work best with. For instance, most monitors that are under 20 inches have a native resolution of 1280×1024. Monitors that are slightly larger work best with a 1920×1200 resolution and the large screened monitors, those that are 30 inches in size, use a resolution of 2560×1600. If you try to change the resolution of the screen to a different preference, the quality of the images can change for the worse.
Aspect Ratio – today, most wide screen monitors that are on the market are using a 16×9 aspect ratio. Older monitors may feature a 16×10, but the industry has made a move away from this, as the picture quality seems to be much better at 16×9. If you are looking at used monitors, this is definitely something to be aware of. Something to also keep in mind when using a monitor with wide-screen capabilities is the fact that the viewing area is less than a standard screen that uses a traditional 4:3 ratio. If the monitor does not have the ability to change the aspect ratio to various settings, it can affect viewing pleasure if it is also being used as TV monitor.
Viewing Angle – this is important, but only in certain situations. This particular feature refers to the angle that the screen can be viewed until distortion occurs. In all honesty, if you are sitting in front of your monitor, this will have very little effect on the purchase. However, if the monitor is wall-mounted and being watched by multiple people at different angles, this becomes something of great importance. In a situation such as this, it would behoove the consumer to buy a PC monitor with the widest viewing angle to avoid the awkward situation of someone seeing nothing more than a tinted screen.
There are some other factors to look at when buying a PC monitor, but these are the features that will be important to most individuals. The PC monitor cables can also have an effect on how the images look, but the average person will not be able to tell the difference between a PC monitor cable that costs $100 or one that costs $15. Whether or not the monitor can be mounted could also be something to look at, but again, most will just use it on their desktop.
When shopping for your PC monitor, you will probably find the best price on the Internet, but it is still best to head to the local Best Buy or computer store to see what you are getting. Take the time to look them over in person and then find the best deals online for the monitors that have made the short list. Whatever you do, do not get suckered into buying something that has features that you will never make use of. Find the PC monitor that best suits your needs and then find the best price.
Great article! I learned quite a lot =) Thanks for sharing!