Display Types

LCD

The liquid crystal display (LCD) offers several advantages. With its flat screen and slim footprint, an LCD takes up much less space than a cathode ray tube (CRT) display. A 15" LCD has approximately the same viewable area as a 17" CRT. LCDs are available in brightness levels that far exceed those of typical CRTs, which makes them the right choice for high-ambient-light environments. An LCD also delivers a flicker-free image with as little as two-thirds of the power consumed by a CRT. An LCD provides a lower lifetime cost than a CRT because the average expected life of an LCD backlight is 25,000 to 30,000 hours. This represents three to four years of use for a display operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These benefits do come at a higher price; a typical LCD costs one and a half to three times more than a typical CRT.

CRT Display

The key advantage of CRT technology is the low initial purchase price. A CRT is the right choice for ultra-high-resolution applications such as medical imaging. In addition, because the viewing angle of a CRT is greater than that of a flat panel display, a CRT is preferable for applications where multiple viewers will be looking at the display from different angles. A CRT is also ideal for displaying full-motion video.