Monitors - 23" to 30" Buying Tips - ConsumerGuru
What to Look for When Buying Monitors - 23" to 30"
GURU says this about buying a Monitor!The LCD monitor market is flooded with choices at varying price points and rapidly changes. It is best first to determine needs, usage, and budget before making a purchase. There are monitors to be had at every price point in a wide range of sizes so planning ahead and doing some research is wise.
A first step is to determine what size monitor is required. There is a wide range of sizes from 17-inch up to 30-inch but the most popular range seems to be somewhere between 20-inch to 23-inch. Price is directly relative to size. Usage is also a key factor since a work monitor might have different requirements than a gaming monitor. A gaming monitor typically is a large display with a quick response time and great color accuracy. A work monitor might need all the ergonomic features available along with good image quality.
The basic features to examine in making a purchase after determining size are: native resolution, response time, contrast ratio, viewing angle, adjustability, connections, and system compatibility. The native resolution refers to how many pixels are displayed on the screen at once and LCDs work best at their native resolution (no scaling). The contrast ratio determines how rich colors will be displayed on-screen and refers to the brightest white and deepest black. Response time is the speed in which pixel’s change color and the picture is re-drawn. This is a feature to look at for serious gamers. The viewing angle gains importance with larger monitors where a wider viewing angle is useful. It is important to test this before making a purchase if this is an issue in a work environment for example. Adjustability is important if features more than the standard tilt are required. Height adjustability seems to be a desirable feature for many. Connectivity options are wide ranging from VGA and DVI connections to HDMI and USB ports. A HDMI connection is useful for connecting to a Blu-ray disc player or any high definition source. This seems to be a common feature on the larger LCD displays since movie viewing is probably an expected use. HDCP support is necessary if high definition copyright protected content is viewed via a HDMI or DVI connection. Lastly, check the monitor’s compatibility with either the system’s installed graphics card or operating system. For example, some monitors state if they are Windows Vista certified and older systems might need some type of graphics card upgrade to support the latest technology offered.
What differentiates monitors of the same size at varying price points? It is the bell and whistles that come with it. A budget monitor will not have all the ergonomic features of a higher priced model. It typically will have only a tilt option while higher priced models may have tilt, swivel, 90 degree pivot and height adjustments. Pivot is a great feature to have for portrait and landscape viewing. Connectivity options are most likely broader on a higher priced model featuring an HDMI connection, HDCP (High Definition Copyright Protection) support, and multiple USB ports. Other features that increase price are a webcam, integrated speakers, microphone, media card reader, cable manager, and even being environmentally friendly with low power consumption and an energy saving mode.
The best piece of advice in purchasing a monitor is to shop around and test drive. Examining monitors of varying sizes and price points will help narrow down the decision making process. Seeing the picture quality and performance before making a purchase can be time consuming but worthwhile. Shopping around also shows one to examine the build quality of the numerous vendors and the different designs available. Monitors today look like art on the desktop!