Advantages of LCD monitors over CRT monitors

• Higher brightness: You don’t have to dim the lights to use your monitor. If your LCD monitor is too bright, it can be dimmed.
• Better contrast in high ambient illumination: CRT monitors reflect more room light which will cause blacks to look gray and vivid colors to appear dull.
• Reduced footprint: LCD’s use much less desk space. This makes it much easier to use multiple monitors at the same time.
• Reduced weight: Save your back when moving your monitor to a different desk.
• Longer lifetime: An LCD can be used 30-50 thousand hours before it reaches half-brightness, while a CRT will last 10-20 thousand hours. LCD monitors do not require a high voltage (≥25KV) power supply and therefore have a longer MTBF.
• Flicker-free: An LCD monitors holds an image on the display. A CRT flashes one pixel at a time, sometimes resulting in screen flicker. The flicker can cause eyestrain and headaches.
• Lower power consumption: The environmentally conscious will appreciate that an LCD monitor uses approximately one-third of the power of a similar sized CRT.
• Less heat output: An LCD saves money on power and cooling. This is especially beneficial in a room with many monitors.
• Sharper image quality: Each LCD pixel is clearly separated from its neighboring pixels while a CRT pixel is less distinguished.
• No distortion: CRT monitors exhibit geometrical distortion due to their curved screen and electron beam scanning over some distance. LCD’s have direct pixel mapping which gives more precise imaging.
• Lack of image retention: When a portion of a display has the same image exhibited over a period of time, it can develop image retention or “burn-in”. This is caused by phosphors degradation in CRT’s and is usually irreversible. Because the backlight of an LCD monitor ages uniformly, it is less likely to exhibit image retention.
• Ruggedness: The vacuum envelope of CRT picture tubes is relatively fragile while LCDs are more resistant to shake, shock and vibration.
• Electromagnetic radiation: Unlike CRTs, AMLCDs have no sensitivity to all but the most extreme magnetic fields. CRT monitors also emit electromagnetic radiation that can interfere with other electronic devices.
• Capability for higher resolution (9 megapixel AMLCD monitor)
• AMLCDs are commercially available in screen sizes over 60-inch diagonal. Prototypes over 80-inch diagonal have been demonstrated. It is impractical to manufacture a CRT with over 40-inch screen diagonal and even then the tube weighs >200 lbs.
• Availability: The number of LCD monitors sold passed up CRTs in 2004 - Link. In 2006, LCD monitors had about 80% market share. Most prominent CRT manufacturers have discontinued their manufacturing.
• Less hazardous waste: The lead, cadmium, phosphor, barium and mercury used in CRT monitors present a disposal issue. This is a large source of hazardous waste in landfills. LCD monitors are not off the hook since their backlights usually contain trace amounts of mercury; however, they are a step in the right direction and efforts are being made to improve their environmental friendliness.

Disadvantages of LCDs versus CRT and Answers to Them

• Color: CRT’s generally have a wider color gamut than LCD monitors. In the future, LED backlights will allow LCD’s to surpass color capability of CRTs.
• Response time: CRTs have very fast response time; however, with features like overdrive for gray to gray transitions and improved LCD structures and tolerance, today’s LCDs have less than 10 ms rise and fall times which is sufficient for most applications.
• Higher refresh rate: CRT monitors are often run at high refresh rates to reduce the appearance of flicker. LCD’s show a continuous, flicker-free image.
• Cheaper price: While LCD monitors may cost half as much as they did a couple years ago, CRT’s still cost less, especially in terms of price per pound.

LCD versus CRT summary

The following table is a summary of the advantages of LCD monitors versus CRT monitors

	LCD	CRT
Use less space	•
Consume less energy	•
Emit less heat	•
Capable of sharper image quality	•
Fewer problems with eyestrain due to screen flicker	•
Pivoting is more feasible	•
Monitor is more aesthetic (arguably)	•
Generally contain less hazardous waste material	•
Image "burn-in" less likely	•
Less electromagnetic radiation	•
No distortion due to screen shape	•
Longer monitor lifespan	•
Higher resolution versions available	•
Wider viewing angle		•
Higher brightness	•
More rugged	•
Capable of showing more colors		•
Faster screen redraw / less latency (traditionally)		•
Less expensive (traditionally)		•

Optimized transflective displays result in:

• Excellent viewability over all ambient light conditions
• Lower Power
• Less Heat
• Extended Lamp Life

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• Stereopsis: Two Eyes, One 3D Image
• Exploring 3-D display technology
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