Types of Monitor - Buying Guide

Confused about the different choices for monitors these days - LED, LCD, CRT, TN, and IPS? Giant hint - don't buy a CRT - do they still make those?

LCD Monitor Expertise: different flavors - TN panels, IPS panels & VA panels

TN panels: Twisted Nematic
• Great response time - lovely for gaming
• Poor viewing angles - siting (or standing) directly in front of monitor is best
• Adequate color reproduction - don't pick a TN panel for graphics design - games & text will be fine
• Cheapest monitors obtainable - most home users will be happy with this type of monitor
IPS Panels: In Plane Switching
• Best for graphics design
• Best color reproduction
• Poor response times - not lovely for gaming (ghosting & blurring can occur)
• Best viewing angles
• Costly
• Can be hard to find (& costly - at least times the cost of a pleasant quality TN panel)
VA Panels: Vertical Alignment
• Best contract ratios - better black levels than TN or IPS
• Slow response times similar to IPS panels
• Ghosting
• Best viewing angles
• Similar color reproduction to IPS panels
• Can be simpler to find than IPS panels with similar qualities
• Middle of the road cost
LED monitors (LCD Monitors with different back lighting expertise)
• Makes use of LED (light emitting diode) for back lighting in lieu of CCFL (Chilled Cathode Fluorescent Lamps) types of back lighting are obtainable
• Dynamic RGB LED's positioned behind the panel - best blacks & far higher dynamic contrast rations (insanely costly in the event you can find)
• Edge LED - light diffused from the sides of the monitor - uniform color across the screen (least costly - simple to find, most consumer LED monitors use this type of back light)

• Makes use of less power
• Generate tiny heat compared to standard back lighting (CCFL)
• Most are TN panels
• Thinner & lighter than typical TN panel
• Same overall picture quality as TN
Which expertise to choose: TN is an excellent choice for gaming & general use with either LED or CCFL back lighting. You will notice tiny if any difference in picture quality between LED or CCFL back lighting. LED is the "green" choice. Led is also simpler to mount due to the lighter weight (check & make positive the LED has VESA mounting holes - plenty of new LED monitors offer adapters but are not VESA compliant). Longevity is similar in CCFL & LED panels, with a slight edge to LED. Graphics designers who must have the most correct color reproduction ought to choose the VA or IPS panels. In the event you have money to burn ($3,000 - $5,000) look for a dynamic RGB panel.