Monitors Computers Definitions

Adjustment Positions:

The monitors ability to move and adjust to the comfort of the user. This can include the ability to tilt, swivel or pivot the screen.

Aspect Ratio:

The aspect ratio determines the monitor’s shape and visual display. Common monitor aspect ratios include 4:3 (ratio of a standard television), 16:10 (widescreen) and 5:4.

Backlight Life:

The life of the backlight illuminating the LCD monitor measured in hours. The typical life of a LCD backlight is about 50,000 hours.

Brightness:

Luminance or brightness is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2). Generally, 300 cd/m2 is the standard, lower is not bright enough and higher begins to limit the side viewing angle.

Contrast Ratio:

This is a way of measuring dynamic range, related as a ratio. The ratio is found by comparing the brightness at the screen center when all the pixels are white to when the pixels are black. The contrast ratio is an indicator as to how rich colors will appear. Generally, the higher the number the better the image; whites whiter, blacks blacker.

Depth:

The depth of the monitor measured from front to back.

Display Type:

The technology the monitor uses for display. LCD is the most common display type currently on the market.

Dot Pitch:

Sometimes referred to as phosphor pitch, this measurement indicates the diagonal distance between like colored dots on a display screen. The dot pitch is one of the principal characteristics that determines the quality of display, the lower the number, the crisper the image.

Height:

The height of the monitor measured from top to bottom.

Power Consumption:

The amount of electricity the monitor uses while operational measured in watts. Consumption can vary from 30 to 230 watts.

Response Time:

There are many disputes over this measurement, some measure the time it takes to change a pixel color from entirely black to entirely white and back, others measure gray-to-gray (color to another color). Generally speaking, the quicker the calculated response time the better.

Shipping Depth:

The depth of the monitor in the shipping box.

Shipping Height:

The height of the monitor in the shipping box.

Shipping Weight:

The weight of the monitor in the shipping box.

Shipping Width:

The width of the monitor in the shipping box.

Signal Input:

Monitors receive signal information from the CPU through a cord connection. The most common signal input is a digital visual interface (DVI). Other inputs include HDMI and VGA.

Size:

The monitor’s screen size measured in inches diagonally.

Vertical Viewing Angle:

This viewing angle is the maximum above and below viewing range.

Viewing Angle:

The horizontal viewing angle is the maximum side angle from which the viewer can see the screen clearly. For example, a viewing angle of 170 degrees means that from the center of the screen, display can be seen clearly 85 degrees from the left or right, which means that potentially more than one person can view a screen at the same time.

Warranty:

The number of years the manufacturer guarantees the monitor will work. If something does break in that given period of time the manufacturer will fix or replace the monitor for free. Warranties range from one to three years.

Weight:

The weight of the monitor measured in pounds.

Width:

The length of the monitor measured horizontally in inches.

Sync Rate:

The rate at which the image on the screen is refreshed.