What is Monitor and different types of Monitors

Monitor is also known as VDU (Visual Display Unit) or Screen. It is Similar  to  a  television, monitor  is a commonly used output device. A Keyboard is used to input data and receive massages from the computer. Whatever is typed on keyboard gets displayed on the monitor. The monitor displays text, pictures, graphics and other items from the computer on a screen.  A monitor has its own box which is separated from the main computer system and it is connected to the computer by cable. A basic monitor displays up to 24 lines of 80 columns of standard characters..

There are different types of monochrome (single color) and color monitors available in the market.

(i) Monochrome Graphics Adopter (MGA):
It works as a color graphics adopter without a color card.

(ii) Monochrome Display Adopter (MDA):It does not have color or graphics capability. It can display only text characters in one color, bright or dim underlined in the reverse image.

(iii) Color Graphic Adopter (CGA):It can display both text and graphics. It can display upto 16 different colors. It cannot display text characters clearly as the MDA.

(iv) Enhanced Graphics Adopter (EGA) :It can also perform in its own modes display upto 64 colors and monochrome graphics and text characters.

(v) Herculer Graphics Adopter (HGA) :It can produce both quality text images and very high revolution of color graphics. It can display only 2 colors of graphics.

(vi) Visual Graphics Adopter (VGA):It has a range of high resolution. It also supports upto 256 colors of grey. Today the upper end varieties of this adopter called super Visual Graphics Adopter (SVGA) are also available.

There are different types of computer monitors  available  in a variety of colors, shapes and designs

Look at the Three main types of monitors:

1) CRT (Cathode Ray Tube monitor)
2) LCD monitor (Liquid Crystal Display)

3) TFT monitor (Thin Film Transistor)

CRT Monitor (Cathode Ray Tube):

CRT stands for cathode ray tube. The cathode ray tube made up of metal and glass. Cathode Ray Tube technology was invented more than 100 years ago. A CRT monitor contains millions of tiny red, green, and blue phosphor dots. It uses the pixels created to project an image on the screen. The CRT monitor comes in 15 inch to 21 inch sizes and larger, It looks like TV screen. It resolution up to 2048 x 1536 pixels.

-> Measuring Quality of CRT Monitor
The quality of CRT monitor depends on the following factors.
i)   Resolution
ii)  Dot pitch
iii) Refresh rate

- Different types of CRT Monitors measurements

Screen Size (Diagonal)	Width (inches)	Height  (inches)
9”	7.2	5.4
14”	11.2	8.4
15”	12.0	9.0
17”	13.6	1.2
21”	16.8	12.6

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LCD Monitor (Liquid Crystal Display) :

In 1888, the Austrian botanist Friedrich Reinitzer discover liquid crystals. This type of monitors based on LCD (liquid crystal display) technology. LCD also called flat panels.   LCD monitor is also called an Flat Panel Monitor because they are flat and thin. Liquid Crystal Displays are smaller size and use less energy than a CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor. These types of monitors are most popular for flat panel desktop monitors.

- Different types of LCD Monitors Size and  Resolution.

LCD Size	Resolution
13.5”	800X600
14.5”	1024X768
18”	1600X1200

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TFT Monitor (Thin Film Transistor) : 

It Stands for Thin Film Transistor. TFT monitor that uses thin film transistor (TFT) technology. The color per pixel is due to the frequency of power put through the pixel. TFT technology is much secure, reliable and generates better picture quality.

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- Different types of Display Standards :

MDA	Monochrome Display Adapter
CGA	Color Graphics Adaptor
EGA	Enhanced Graphics Adaptor
VGA	Video Graphics Array
SVGA	Super Video Graphics Array
WVGA	Wide Video Graphics Array
FWVGA	Full Wide Video Graphics Array
QVGA	Quarter Video Graphics Array
WQVGA	Wide Quarter Video Graphics Array
HQVGA	Half  Quarter Video Graphics Array
QVGA	Quarter Video Graphics Array
HVGA	Half-size Video Graphics Array
WSVGA	Wide Supper Video Graphics Array
XGA	Extended Graphics Array
WEGA	Wide Extended Graphics Array
SEGA	Super Extended Graphics Array
UEGR	Ultra Extended Graphics Array
WUXGA	Wide Ultra Extended Graphics Array
QEGA	Quad Extended Graphics Array
WQXGA	Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array
QWXGA	Quad Wide Extended Graphics Array
QSXGA	Quad Super Extended Graphics Array
WQSXGA	Wide Quad Super Extended Graphics Array
QUXGA	Quad Ultra Extended Graphics Array)
WQUXGA	Wide Quad Ultra Extended Graphics Array
HXGA	Hex Extended Graphics Array
WHXGA	Wide Hex Extended Graphics Array
HSXGA	Hex Super Extended Graphics Array
WHSXGA	Wide Hex Super Extended Graphics Array
HUXGA	Hex Ultra Extended Graphics Array
WHUXGA	Wide Hex Ultra Extended Graphics Array
WQHD	Wide Quad High Definition
QFHD	Quad Full High Definition

- Display Standards Color and Resolutions (in pixels)

Display	Resolution	Color
MDA	720x350	1
VGA	640x480	16
XGA	1024x768	8 bits 256 16 bits 65,536
SVGA	800x600 1024x768 1280x1024 1600x1200	16.7 million 16.7 million 16.7 million 16.7 million
SXGA	1280 x1024	16.7 million
WSXGA	1600 x 1024	16.7 million
UXGA	1600x1200	16.7 million
WUXGA	1920x1200	16.7 million