Display Technology

Often referred to as a monitor

when packaged in a separate case, the display is the most-used output device on a computer.

The display provides instant feedback by showing you text and graphic images as you work or play.

Most desktop displays use liquid crystal display (LCD) or cathode ray tube (CRT) technology, while nearly all portable computing devices such as laptops incorporate LCD technology. Because of their slimmer design and lower energy consumption, monitors using LCD technology (also called flat panel or flat screen displays) are replacing the venerable CRT on most desktops. This week we will concentrate on LCD displays.
Standards and Resolution

Resolution refers to the number of individual dots of color, known as pixels, contained on a display. Resolution is expressed by identifying the number of pixels on the horizontal axis (rows) and the number on the vertical axis (columns), such as 800x600. Resolution is affected by a number of factors, including the size of the screen.
As monitor sizes have increased over the years, display standards and resolutions have changed. In addition, some manufacturers offer widescreen displays designed for viewing DVD movies.

Common Display Standards and Resolutions Standard	Resolution	Typical Use
XGA (Extended Graphics Array)	1024x768	15- and 17-inch CRT monitors 15-inch LCD monitors
SXGA (Super XGA)	1280x1024	15- and 17-inch CRT monitors 17-and 19-inch LCD monitors
UXGA (Ultra XGA)	1600x1200	19-, 20-, 21-inch CRT monitors 20-inch LCD monitors
QXGA (Quad XGA)	2048x1536	21-inch and larger CRT monitors
WXGA (Wide XGA)	1280x800	Wide aspect 15.4-inch laptops LCD displays
WSXGA+ (Wide SXGA plus)	1680x1050	Wide aspect 20- inch LCD monitors
WUXGA (Wide Ultra XGA)	1920x1200	Wide aspect 22- inch and larger LCD monitors

In addition to the screen size, display standards and resolutions are related to something called the aspect ratio. Next, we'll discuss what an aspect ratio is and how screen size is measured.
Aspect Ratio and Viewable Area
Two measures describe the size of your display: the aspect ratio and the screen size. Historically, computer displays, like most televisions, have had an aspect ratio of 4:3. This means that the ratio of the width of the display screen to the height is 4 to 3.
For widescreen LCD monitors, the aspect ratio is 16:9 (or sometimes 16:10 or 15:9). Widescreen LCD displays are useful for viewing DVD movies in widescreen format, playing games and displaying multiple windows side by side. High definition television (HDTV) also uses a widescreen aspect ratio.
All types of displays include a projection surface, commonly referred to as the screen. Screen sizes are normally measured in inches from one corner to the corner diagonally across from it. This diagonal measuring system actually came about because the early television manufacturers wanted to make the screen size of their TVs sound more impressive.
Interestingly, the way in which the screen size is measured for CRT and LCD monitors is different. For CRT monitors, screen size is measured diagonally from outside edges of the display casing. In other words, the exterior casing i