Types of Monitors – Computer Monitors You Should Know About

Last Updated on August 16, 2023 by Humera hallari

The advancement in technology has made monitors a vital part of human life. To be completely honest, monitors embrace a very special place in day-to-day life, whether it’s a monitor for your mobile device, or PC, the display at a shop, the screen in malls, stadiums, and the screen in airports we see monitors everywhere we look and completely unavoidable. Keeping in mind its importance and usage, engineers and IT specialists have introduced these monitors in a variety of designs, colors, and shapes catering to a variety of needs respectively. Majority of the people are unknown of the various types of monitors and their uses, this piece of writing will introduce you to various types of monitors used these days.


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Types of Monitors

Cathode Ray Monitors (CRT):

CRT monitors are the first ever monitors invented. These monitors are designed with CRT technology which is commonly used in the television screen.

How do CRT Monitors work?

In these monitors, an array of high-energy electrons is used to create images on the fluorescent screen. Actually, a cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube carrying a fluorescent screen at one end and an electron gun at the other end. A mechanism named thermionic emission from the electron gun generates a solid beam of electrons that travels through a narrow line in the tube at a very high speed using several electromagnetic devices to strike the phosphor points on the fluorescent screen to create an image.

What is best about CRT Monitors?

These CRT monitors are immensely efficient, and reliable, and provide clear images. You will be surprised to know these monitors are capable of creating a resolution of 2048*1536 pixels. Moreover, these monitors can produce several thousand colors as well. The best thing about these monitors is they are cost-effective and are affordable.

Is it True?

Advancement in technology has introduced flat screen CRT displays that are considered good for the eyes as it lessens eye strain and irritation. No doubt, with the introduction of high-end advanced monitors, CRT monitors are outdated as they are considered heavy and occupy more space comparatively.

In the 1980s CRT monitors with 1024*768 pixels were easily available and were highly affordable. With the passage of time, the screen resolution slowly increased and was widely used for PC displays. Manufacturing cost was cheaper and was capable of producing angles closer to 180 degrees. According to many IT specialists, CRT offers greater image quality as compared to advanced LCDs and LEDs.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Monitors:

It is considered one of the most advanced technologies available to date.

How do LCD Monitors work?

Basically, LCD monitors comprise a film of color or monochrome pixels schematically arranged between two polarizing filters and several transparent electrodes. Currently, two types of LCD technology are introduced i.e. TFT or active matrix and passive matrix technology.

Both share their own pros and cons, but TFT technology is considered more reliable and secure as it generates epic image quality. Contrary, passive matrix technology is getting outdated gradually.

What is good about LCD Monitors?

No doubt, LCD monitors are widely used in everyday life, be it official work or some entertainment. The increasing popularity of these monitors is they are lightweight, compact, and didn’t ask for extra desk space.

Moreover, these monitors consume less electricity and can be powered on through batteries. One bad thing about these monitors is the fact that they are a bit expensive and image quality gets distorted when viewed from different angles. These monitors come with constant resolution and any modification results in reduced performance.

Light Emitting Diodes (LED) Monitors:

These are the latest of all displays available in the market so far.

How do LED Monitors Work?

These are flat screen displays like LCD and use light-emitting diodes despite CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lightening) being used in the LCDs. These are known to consume less electricity as compared to LCDs and CRTs.

They are considered the most environmentally friendly and offer more advantages than their sibling displays. They create images with better quality and high contrast ratio and are more durable than LCDs and CRT monitors.

Computer Monitors for Different Purposes

Portable monitors:

To keep up with the fast pace of today’s lifestyle portable monitors are considered a must-have thing, especially for professional use.

What are Portable Monitors?

These are easy to relocate and move monitors which are designed to be carried easily everywhere. They are light in weight and portable enough to keep in a backpack. The best thing about these monitors is they are easy to connect with the majority of devices.

If you are looking for one, check out our list of 10 Best Portable Monitors to buy right now.

Also Called USB Powered Monitors

These are also known as USB-powered monitors as they can be easily connected via USB ports or an HDMI to enjoy working on multiple screens.

Though it is the age of smartphones and Macbooks, no one can deny the importance of portable monitors. These are known across the globe for easy installation with several devices including CPUs and laptops. We have written a much comprehensive guide on how to choose the right portable monitor (if you are into that).

The arrival of these portable monitors has completely shunned the use of screens used previously which were big in size and too heavy to carry along. These portable monitors have several connecting options and can be connected via VGA, USB, or HDMI with any electronic device.

Today, all of the big names producing electronic devices are dealing with portable monitors and a wide range is available across the globe. Gechic, widely known for their portable monitor line, you might want to know why Gechic is famous.

Gaming monitors:

A gaming monitor is relatively a new term for the majority of people.

What are Gaming Monitors?

Actually, it is the term used for monitors that are specifically designed for gaming purposes. They are mainly large screen monitors ranging from 24 to 27 inches having QHD or full HD. Greater refresh rates, sharp moving pictures and sync features make these monitors different than the ones used commonly. If you are looking for a gaming monitor that offers quality and offer amazing value for money, then this guide is for you, best gaming monitors under $100.

Do Higher Refresh Rates Help in Gaming Monitors?

A higher refresh rate helps in offering a mind-blowing experience by limiting the gaming issues such as motion blur, screen jittering, and ghost images.

Moreover, these monitors have several ports like HDMI, VGA, and USB and have the ability to connect several screens at a time. These monitors are made compatible with almost all gaming consoles such as XBOX and PS4. It also has headphone jacks and stands to pivot, tilt or swivel for better viewing angles. We also have written a comprehensive guide on seriously good gaming monitors for PS4 and Xbox One, just in case you are into that.

Baby monitors:

What are baby monitors?

Baby monitors are specifically designed for parents to remotely monitor their kids’ movements and sounds. The initial baby monitors have no video ability and record sound only. But technology has evolved to the point where these displays give live feed along with some basic information like room temperature and environment.

In case you are into buying baby monitors, you’d love our comprehensive buying guide on long range baby monitors.

How do baby monitors work?

Baby monitors comprise two devices one being placed in the parent’s room and the other in the baby’s room. The advanced baby monitors have some mind-blowing features such as pre-installed lullabies and night lights as well.

Touch screen monitors:

Touch screen monitors are highly appreciated these days.

How do touchscreen monitors work?

Actually, the touch screen is the input device that is layered on an electronic display. A user can easily give input simply by touching the display with fingers or using the stylus. Some of the touchscreen displays use specifically designed gloves while the simple one works with fingers, pen, or stylus. The user can zoom in, out and can increase or decrease the size of the text just by touching the screen.

Touchscreen monitors have completely eliminated the use of touchpads and mice and are considered as the most loved portable monitors used for gaming and professional purposes. They are mainly used for personal computers and gaming consoles. The best thing about these displays is they can be attached to the computers easily.

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