Flatscreen LCD Monitors are now the displays of choice for computer users. But what exactly are LCD…
In this article I am going to review the Samsung Syncmaster 205BW, which is a flat-screen monitor.
Flatscreen LCD Monitors are now the displays of choice for computer users. But what exactly are LCD monitors and what special features do they possess? Here is the low down on LCD monitors and what you should look out for when buying one.
How they operate
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Monitors work by passing an electric current through kinematic liquid crystals. The liquid crystal don’t emit light themselves, but work by modulating the light that is supplied by an external source. This light also passes through p two polarizing filters to create images.
Comparison between former and modern LCDs
The earliest LCDs were passive-matrix, which uses integrated circuits to charge a given pixel. However, modern LCD monitors use active-matrix which use thin film transistors to motive the pixels, improving on the slow response times that plagued passive-matrix displays.
Resolution
Each pixel in a LCD has three sub-pixels consisting of the primary colors of red, blue and green. Through the modulation of the voltage applied, each sub-pixel can be made to display over 256 shades, allowing the LCD to display an extraordinary 16.8 million colors.
Modern LCD monitors use an extremely high number of transistors. A typical monitor that supports resolutions of 1,024 x 768 will use over 2 million transistors etched onto the glass. A malfunctioning transistor will create a ‘bad pixel’. Most active-matrix LCDs have a few ‘bad pixel’ on the screen.
Although the cheapest LCD monitors are illuminated by fluorescent tube, better quality newer ones have LEDs which provide far better quality thanks to better control over individual pixels.
Aspect Ratio
Although viewing angles used to be restricted on LCD displays, technological improvements have enabled modern displays to have a 180 degree horizontal viewing angle although the vertical viewing angles continues to be restricted, mainly due to cost reasons.
LCD displays come with different aspect ratios, which is the ratio of width to height. Most modern displays have an aspect ratio of 16:9 to accommodate high-definition film, although 4:3 ratios are also common.
Advantages
Compared to CRT monitors and plasma TVs, LCD monitors consume much less power, enabling it to be used in battery-powered devices such as laptop computers. Their slimmer profile and great picture quality, combined with their environmentally friendly operation go a long way in explaining their great popularity.
When choosing a new LCD display, try and buy one that has LED lighting for even better quality and energy efficiency.
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LG 27EA83 |
LG LCD Monitors | ||
27 Inches
![]() 3 reviews – 40 user opinions – 1 news – 6 videos – 11 photos
LG Flatron 27EA83
DigitalVersus —
08-2013
On the whole, LG has done an excellent job with the 27″ Flatron 27EA83 “ColorPrime” monitor. It’s stylish, practical and ensures first-rate colour fidelity. It missed out on a five-star review for… Hide
LG Flatron 27EA83 | Read more
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£568 to £643
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Asus PA279Q |
Asus LCD Monitors | ||
27 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 5 user opinions – 5 news – 8 videos – 4 photos
Asus PA279Q
DigitalVersus —
07-2013
With a practical set of hardware features and colour fidelity that’s even better than with previous models in the range, the Asus PA279Q certainly does justice to the ProArt monitor line. However,… Hide
Asus PA279Q | Read more
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£655 to £670
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LG 29EA93 |
LG LCD Monitors | ||
29 Inches
![]() 3 reviews – 77 user opinions – 4 news – 10 videos – 26 photos
LG 29EA93 review
Trusted Reviews —
08-2013
LG 29EA93 review – an in-depth review of LG’s innovative 21:9 aspect, 2560 x 1080 resolution PC monitor. Hide
LG 29EA93 review | Read more
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£360 to £403
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BenQ XL2720T |
BenQ LCD Monitors | ||
27 Inches
![]() 3 reviews – 19 user opinions – 1 news – 9 videos – 9 photos
BenQ XL2720T
DigitalVersus —
11-2013
While graphic designers and imaging pros may not be impressed with this monitor’s TN screen and its tight viewing angles, others will appreciate the many other qualities the BenQ XL2720T has to offer. Hide
BenQ XL2720T | Read more
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£320 to £345
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Philips 298P4QJEB |
Philips LCD Monitors | ||
29 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 2 user opinions – 1 news – 5 videos – 3 photos
Philips Brilliance 298P4QJEB
DigitalVersus —
10-2013
The Philips 298P4JEB is a practical 29″ 21:9 monitor with excellent colour fidelity. However, it faces very tough competition from the likes of the ViewSonic VP2770-LED, which can offer a more… Hide
Philips Brilliance 298P4QJEB | Read more
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£424
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HP Envy 27 |
HP LCD Monitors | ||
27 Inches
![]() 4 reviews – 1 feedback – 9 news – 9 videos – 8 photos
HP Envy 27
DigitalVersus —
09-2013
With accurate colour reproduction, a Full HD IPS screen and high contrast, the HP Envy 27 lines itself up alongside the ViewSonic vx2770smh-LED. That said, it’s a bit pricier than ViewSonic’s model. Hide
HP Envy 27 | Read more
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£49 to £739
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AOC q2963Pm |
AOC LCD Monitors | ||
29 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 23 user opinions – 3 news – 6 videos – 8 photos
Review: AOC Q2963PM 29in UltraWide IPS LED Monitor
Hexus —
08-2013
PC enthusiasts and gamers understand that modern graphics cards are able to play the latest games at resolutions way above the standard 1,920×1,080 (1080p) available on a wide range of inexpensive… Hide
Review: AOC Q2963PM 29in UltraWide IPS LED Monitor | Read more
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£333 to £345
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Asus MX239H |
Asus LCD Monitors | ||
23 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 26 user opinions – 4 videos – 17 photos |
£186 to £225
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Asus MX299Q |
Asus LCD Monitors | ||
29 Inches
![]() 4 user opinions – 1 news – 5 videos – 5 photos |
£396 to £400
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Dell P2714T |
Dell LCD Monitors | ||
27 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 5 news – 2 videos – 1 photo |
£455 to £496
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Asus PA249Q |
Asus LCD Monitors | ||
24 Inches
![]() 1 review – 7 user opinions – 1 news – 11 videos – 5 photos |
£421
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ViewSonic TD2340 |
ViewSonic LCD Monitors | ||
23 Inches
![]() 1 review – 1 feedback – 1 news – 5 videos – 5 photos |
£383
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Asus PQ321QE |
Asus LCD Monitors | ||
32 Inches
![]() 4 reviews – 5 news – 2 videos – 1 photo
The 4K future is here, but it’ll cost you
TechRadar —
11-2013
Thirty inches. 2,560 by 1,600 grid. Four million pixels. That was the gold standard in PC displays. But it’s just been blown away. Welcome to the wonderful world of ultra-high-definition visuals. Hide
The 4K future is here, but it’ll cost you | Read more
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£2,698 to £2,885
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Asus VG248QE |
Asus LCD Monitors | ||
24 Inches
![]() 3 reviews – 440 user opinions – 5 news – 15 videos – 27 photos
Asus VG248QE
DigitalVersus —
04-2013
While the Asus VG248QE may not be a top choice for graphic designers, this monitor could really appeal to gamers thanks to its record-breaking response time and its smooth, sharp onscreen images in… Hide
Asus VG248QE | Read more
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£267 to £271
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Iiyama ProLite XB2779QS |
Iiyama LCD Monitors | ||
27 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 4 news – 1 video
Review: Iiyama ProLite XB2779QS
Hexus —
12-2013
A recent spate of high-end graphics card launches – Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 Ti and Radeon R9 290X, for example – have ably demonstrated that gaming at a full-HD resolution (1,920×1,080) is alarmingly… Hide
Review: Iiyama ProLite XB2779QS | Read more
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£480 to £493
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BenQ GW2760HS |
BenQ LCD Monitors | ||
27 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 3 news – 8 videos – 1 photo
Budget 27-inch monitor heaven
TechRadar —
07-2013
These days, even large-format displays are within the reach of those on a budget. There are plenty of 27-inch screens available at an affordable price, and the quality is going up. Take BenQ’s… Hide
Budget 27-inch monitor heaven | Read more
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£216
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AOC e2462vwh |
AOC LCD Monitors | ||
24 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 2 news – 1 video – 6 photos
A budget 24-inch monitor, but are its pictures up to scratch?
TechRadar —
05-2013
Props to AOC for making an effort. It wasn’t that long ago that pretty much every AOC panel out there looked like it was hewn from pressed plastic sweepings taken from the Airfix factory floor. They… Hide
A budget 24-inch monitor, but are its pictures up to scratch? | Read more
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£135
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Lenovo ThinkVision LT2223P |
Lenovo LCD Monitors | ||
21.5 Inches
![]() 1 review – 1 feedback – 1 photo |
£181
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AOC G2460Pqu |
AOC LCD Monitors | ||
24 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 3 news – 1 video
Can this affordable gaming display put some zip into your baddie blasting?
TechRadar —
11-2013
If you’re a hardcore gamer, it’s important you use the right kit. Your PC must be fast and have enough graphical welly to handle all the polygons and textures a modern, 3D game will throw at it. Your… Hide
Can this affordable gaming display put some zip into your baddie blasting? | Read more
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£245
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Asus MX279h |
Asus LCD Monitors | ||
27 Inches
![]() 2 reviews – 36 user opinions – 4 news – 9 videos – 28 photos
Asus MX279H
DigitalVersus —
12-2012
Like the ViewSonic VX2770-LED, the Asus MX279H will appeal to users looking for an accurate onscreen image. Colour fidelity is spot-on, the contrast is very good and viewing angles are nice and wide. Hide
Asus MX279H | Read more
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£270 to £355
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