Monitor

It is a device for presenting information in a visual form.

Parameters

• Brightness – is a maximum level of white color on the screen.
• Contrast – is the ratio of brightness of the lightest shade to the darkest shade that the monitor can display simultaneously.
• The aspect ratio of the monitor screen - is standard (4:3), widescreen (16:9, 16:10), or another ratio (e.g., 5:4).
• The size of the monitor is usually given by the diagonal size in inches.

Resolution – is the number of pixels horizontally and vertically. The higher the display's resolution is, the better is the image quality.

• 720 pixels horizontally and 480 vertically;
• HD - 1280 pixels horizontally and 720 vertically;
• Full HD - 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 vertically;
• Ultra HD - 3840 pixels horizontally and 2160 vertically;
• 4K - 4096 pixels horizontally and 2160 vertically;
• 8K UHD - 7860 pixels horizontally and 4320 vertically.
• The screen refresh rate (Hz) is the display's refresh rate. The time between refreshes is measured in milliseconds (ms), and the display refresh rate is measured in Hertz (Hz). A high refresh rate ensures a smoother image and a higher FPS.
• Viewing angle – is the angle from which the viewer can distinguish a clear image on the screen.

Types of monitors by screen type

Cathode ray tube (CRT)

It is a monitor based on a cathode ray tube. The first available monitors came from this technology.

Monitors and televisions that have been made with this technology are harmful to the eyesight as the eyes are overworked and always under strain.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

It is a liquid crystal screen. The main component of this monitor is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) matrix.  

A matrix consisting of several plates is used to receive and display the picture on the screen. The backlight is also used, which is a fluorescent lamp with a cold cathode.

LED monitor

It is a monitor whose pixels are one or more semiconductor diodes.

The difference between LCD and LED monitors is the backlighting. LED monitors use light-emitting diodes to provide an equal distribution of light rays. This affects the depth of reproduction and the high level of contrast.

OLED monitor

These are organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) monitors.

Light in an OLED monitor is emitted by each pixel individually. A bright white or colorful colored pixel can sit next to a black or completely different colored pixel, and they will not affect each other.

OLED monitors are thinner and lighter than LCD or LED-backlit monitors. OLEDs also have a much wider viewing angle and a much shorter refresh time.  

QLED monitor

In QLED, each pixel emits its own light using quantum dots - tiny fragments of semiconductors only a few nanometers in size. Quantum dots can produce bright, vivid, and varied colors, surpassing OLED in this respect. However, QLED technology requires additional backlighting for high-quality images. And the need for additional backlighting means that QLED panels cannot be as ultra-thin as OLED.

Types of monitor interface cables

1. RCA type composite connector

These connectors are used in video and audio equipment. They are cylindrical in shape. The signal contact is positioned in the center. There is a ground contact in the form of a cylinder that covers the signal contact.  

Yellow is for video transmission only.

Red connector is used to transmit two-channel audio signal in stereo mode in relation to the right channel.  

The white connector is used for the monaural signal. It can also be used for the left-hand channel of a stereo two-channel audio signal. 

2. Component

A component cable splits the video signal transmission into 3 components (3 cables) and is used for separate transmission of luminance and color signals.

3. S-Video

This connector provides higher transmission of brightness, color, and image quality than composite standards

4. VGA (D-Sub)

VGA (D-Sub) is an analog fifteen-pin connector. It is used to connect a computer or laptop to a monitor.

5. DVI

This is a digital video interface. It is designed to transmit video images to digital devices (monitor, TV, projector).

6. USB

USB 2.0 and newer connectors allow the connection of video devices.

7. HDMI

This interface enables high-resolution, high-definition digital video data to be transmitted.

8. DisplayPort

This is the interface standard for digital monitors. Version 1.4 is a more modern interface for connecting audio and video equipment. The difference to HDMI is a wider channel for data transfer.

9. Thunderbolt

This hardware interface connects peripheral devices to the computer at a maximum data transfer rate.