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For video editing, games, or some kinds of multimedia, the persistance of the image on many LCDs can be a hindrance because moving images cause a blurred "ghosting" effect. If you've ever scrolled through a Webpage on a notebook display, you are aware of this annoyance. Some LCDs like the Apple Cinema Display and Silicon Graphics (SGI) 1600SW appear to address this problem quite well with higher pixel-response rates and fast digital control. Unfortunately for PC folks, you need a Macintosh G3 or G4 to utilize the Apple model. On the Mac you can only play DVD on-screen with the built-in ATI Rage128 video card until new drivers are developed.

The single largest concern with LCD technology, and which is rarely advertised, is the expected lifespan of the backlight which averages from 10,000 - 12,000 hours. This means, that an LCD which were to be left on full-time would expire in as little as 14 months! Thankfully, energy-saver software can be set to "turn off" the display completely when left idle. With an LCD you would not utilize a visual screen-saver if you wanted to get the most life from your display. Still, the biggest concern here would be the warranty on the backlight because the replacement cost can be as much as 60% of the original purchase price. Some manufacturers can be a little misleading and state that their LCDs come with a 3-year warranty, while only providing a one-year warranty on the backlight. Apple's original studio display is an example of this. The better brands come with a minimum 3-year warranty on both the overall product, and the backlight. This is also a compelling reason not to buy a factory-refurbished LCD product with a limited 90-day warranty.

One of the coolest new LCDs available is the Samsung SyncMaster MP series. Available in 15" and 17" size, these displays are unique in that they have built-in TV tuners, and analog video inputs. This allows you to attach any RGB composite video source like a VCR, video camera, or DVD player, in addition to your PC or Mac. Other gee-whiz features include a remote control, picture-in-picture to watch TV while you're working, built-in stereo speakers, 64x digital page zoom, and a built in fold-down carrying handle which allows you to transport it simply, and lay the display flat on a table. These models have a refresh rate up to 75Hz, pixel pitch of 0.264mm, and 80-degree viewing angles in each direction. They include a complete 3 year warranty on parts, labor, and back light, and there's even a toll-free support/information number. Samsung has over 20% of the market share in manufacturing TFT-LCDs, and with models like the 150MP and 170MP it's easy to see why. "MB" models are also now available without the built-in TV tuner.

With their few flaws for content creation quickly diminishing, and many inherent strengths, LCDs are rapidly gaining on CRTs in quality and popularity. The worldwide TFT-LCD market will reach 30 million units this year, according to IDC Japan, a 36% increase over 1999, which proves this type of technology has its place on a heck of a lot of desktops.

The Glass of 2000
CRT monitors are better than ever. The best of the current crop are true flat-screen tubes, with a dot pitch as low as 0.21mm (0.26mm or less is the optimium for CRTs), and most quality monitors now feature refresh rates of 75Hz or better at their higher resolutions. The only real downside to CRTs is their inherent weight, due to the glass picture tube, and the amount of desk space they command. In many two-monitor set-ups, the monitors alone can take up the majority of any type of workspace. It's also somewhat annoying that a 19 inch display can have an actual viewable area from only as little as 17.8 inches to 18.1 inches, and a 17 inch display can vary from 15.1 to 16 inches of usable screen space.

One of the compelling features of CRTs which cannot be matched by LCD technology is support for multiple resolutions. Unlike an LCD which has only one optimum resolution because of its fixed pixel technology, a CRT can support up to a dozen different resolutions depending on your work needs. You might use a 19 inch display at 800 x 600 to really be able to read text more clearly for word processing, but then switch to 1,152 x 870 or 1,600 x 1,200 for page layouts or audio/video editing. The number of resolutions supported is partially dependent on your video card, but almost any modern 4MB or higher PCI or AGP video card supports high resolutions and refresh rates to match the monitors capabilities.

CRTs are a popular choice for video editing because they create color in the same way that a TV does. To create an image, an electron gun shoots beams through a metal mask or grille onto the inside of the glass screen. Three primary colored phosphors coat the inside of a CRT: red, green, and blue (RGB). These color phosphors glow from the electron beams, and are combined in different intensities to produce the entire color gamut. The type of phosphors used in a CRT monitor, such as medium-short persistance used to be a factor, but is no longer a concern unless you're buying some bogus swap meet brand you've never heard of.

The type of mask, or grille, used can determine which type of monitor is best suited for your needs. A shadow mask is a metal plate punched with tiny holes for the electron beams, and is better suited to fine detail such as text, CAD/CAM, or vector artwork. The aperture grille, or stripe mask, is a wire frame strung with vertical metal strings. This technology provides better, more saturated colors, and is more suited to most visual content development tasks. Dot pitch or stripe pitch is the distance between these elements. Pixels are formed by grouping multiple dots or stripes. The image sharpness is dependent on the pitch size, and quality of the CRT used.