asus_vw266hWHICH LCD MONITOR is right for you? It depends on the programs you use, your desk space, how much room you need on screen, and your bud get. Here are the most important features to evaluate when you go shopping.

Key Specifications

Native resolution: An LCD has a fixed resolution at which it looks best. The majority of 17- to 19-inch models use a native resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels. Wide-screen 23-and 24-inch units typically use 1920 by 1200; 30-inch wide-screens, 2560 by 1600. A particular LCD is a good choice if you are comfortable using its native resolution for all applications.

Aspect ratio: Wide screens with a 16:10 aspect ratio have been dominant, but the trend is moving toward 16:9, as you’d ;nd on an HDTV. A wide screen is good for handling spreadsheets, or programs with lots of toolbars or palettes, as well as for viewing documents side-byside or watching DVDs.

The area of a wide-screen display is smaller than that of a regular-format display of the same size; for instance, a 21-inch wide screen shows about as many pixels as a regular 19-inch LCD does.

Viewing angle: This is how far a viewer can move from a position directly in front of the LCD before image quality deteriorates unacceptably. No standard exists for measuring it, so you can’t compare the numbers (in degrees, up to 180) between vendors. Most LCDs have a viewing angle of at least 160 degrees. The larger the monitor, the more critical a wide viewing angle is. That’s because the far edge of the screen is at an even greater angle away from someone sitting to one side.

Contrast ratio: This term refers to the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black an LCD can produce. Look for a contrast ratio of at least 400:1. At any lower ratio, colors may wash out at higher brightness settings and disappear at lower settings. The spec is useless for comparison purposes, however, as no industry standard exists and it can vary from one vendor to the next.

Brightness: Expressed as candelas per square meter (cd/m2) or nits, this spec denotes the greatest amount of light that comes from a screen showing pure white. Most LCDs have a more than sugcient brightness level of at least 250cd/m2.

Digital connectors: Digital trumps analog, but you have a choice of digital ports. DVI is common on graphics cards, motherboards, and monitors. You can find two types of DVI on typical LCDs: DVI-D is digital-only, while DVI-I can accept either an analog input or a digital one (you need a special connector to hook it to your PC’s VGA analog port, however). Some monitors use the relatively new DisplayPort connector. HDMI connectors, the same as on HDTVs, are becoming more common on 22-inch and larger LCDs. HDMI can transmit digital video and digital audio signals between devices.

Response time: A low response time (measured in milliseconds) signifies minimal artifacts in moving images. Rise-and-fall measures how long a pixel takes to turn from black to white and back to black. Gray-to-gray measures the time a pixel takes to change from one shade of gray to another. Rise-and-fall has been clearly defined for years, but the same cannot be said for gray-to-gray. Even so, most LCDs today have fast enough response rates for all but the most hard-core gamers.

Physical adjustments: Almost all monitors offer tilt adjustment; you may want one that allows height adjustment as well. Side-to-side swiveling makes showing your screen to others easy. And for viewing anything that’s longer than it is tall, you might like screen pivoting (as long as you also have image-pivoting software).

Monitor Shopping Tips

Try before you buy: Only your eyes can judge image quality, resolution, and size.

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Check screen real estate: Make sure you have enough space for what you need to accomplish. The current sweet spots are the 19-inch regular-format LCD and the 20- to 22-inch wide screen.

Consider using multiple smaller monitors instead of one big display. With the right video card, you can run two LCDs on the same PC.

Look for USB ports: USB lets you attach peripherals. Such ports are most convenient on the side of a monitor.

Consider speakers: Included speakers can save desk space. Their sound will rarely satisfy the discerning ear, but they are fine for daily use.

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