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Flat Future
LCD Flat-Panels Overtake CRTs
By Joaquim P. Menezes
Is the world going flat? According to many analysts, the answer is an emphatic “yes.”
Sleek, flat-panel liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are displacing traditional cathode-ray tube (CRT) units as the PC monitor of choice, according to a study by IDC in Framingham, Mass. The study forecasts that in 2004 global LCD shipments will surpass those of CRT units, approaching 119 million units by 2007. In that year, CRT sales will reach a modest 30 million units.
These trends are reflected by the Canadian market. “Our research reveals that Canadian LCD monitor sales this year will nearly equal CRT shipments – maybe even overtake them,” says Michelle Warren, an analyst with Mississauga-based Evans Research, who tracks PC and monitor markets in Canada. “That’s a far cry from 2003, when CRT shipments dominated the market with 69 per cent.”
The trend is partly manufacturer- and vendor-driven. “BenQ and Sony have announced their new focus will be LCDs rather than CRTs. As the year progresses other manufacturers are likely to make the same choice.” However, the biggest driver is buyer demand. “Vendors don’t need to hard-sell LCD features. An LCD monitor can sell itself.”
Jennifer Gallo, a displays and projectors analyst at IDC, makes the same point. “There’s a universal attraction to these thinner, lighter, less cumbersome displays,” says Gallo, who authored the IDC study. “Throw out an appealing price and you’ve got a formula for shaking up the marketplace.”
Virtually every week, vendors announce new, feature-rich models at bargain-basement prices. One such model is Samsung’s SyncMaster 150N, a 15-inch TFT-LCD analog monitor, which retails for around Cdn$400. It has a 0.5” ultra-thin bezel and wall-mount capability, delivers a 350:1 contrast ratio, 0.297mm pixel pitch, 1024 x 768 resolution, scanning frequency of 30-60 KHz horizontal and 56-75 vertical, and a 1500/1200 horizontal/vertical viewing angle.
For around $100 more, one can get the NEC MultiSync 1560M – rated by independent reviewers as one of the best 15-inchers now on the market. The thin frame LCD is priced around Cdn$500, has a four-port USB 2.0 hub and built-in speakers. Its 25-millisecond response time means that moving images (like a scrolling Web page or game) are smoother than on cheaper 15-inchers.
To lure prospective customers, leading PC vendors now offer LCDs as options with their new desktop PCs. Gateway, Dell, NEC and Acer, among others, provide flat panels as part of low-cost desktop system packages or all-in-one PCs targeted at small to mid-sized business. And sometimes LCDs are offered as cheap upgrades.
“Today a mere $100-$200 gets you an upgrade from a CRT to an LCD monitor,” says Warren. “So for a firm that’s buying a $1,000 desktop system, having a 17-inch LCD thrown in for another $100 is pretty good value for money!”
Sleuthing the Specs
When promoting their products, vendors pitch features such as brightness, response time, viewing angle and (this is a favourite) contrast ratio – a measure of the range between a screen’s whitest white and its blackest black.
However, vendors sometimes overstate features and don’t always use identical methods to measure specs. For instance, tests have revealed that certain LCD models with impressive brightness values under optimum conditions – such as in a darkened room – perform significantly less well in normal lighting conditions. And in normal light the contrast ratio may drop by as much as 50 per cent.
Some industry insiders argue that those serious about image quality should stick with their CRTs, claiming that the technology, besides being far less expensive than LCDs, generally delivers superior colour fidelity, a nearly infinite colour range, and superior video. But Warren doesn’t buy it.
“Those features appeal mainly to CAD-CAM designers and hardcore gamers, and out of the total market they are a relatively small segment. Besides many use CRT models that are larger than 20 inches and carry a hefty price tag.”
Warren adds that LCD manufacturers are pushing the envelope and releasing large-screen models with exceptional colour and video performance. In the circumstances, “the only reason you’ll hang on to your CRT is because it works… so you don’t want to junk it.”
Joaquim P. Menezes is a Toronto-based freelance business and technology writer. He can be reached at joaquimmenezes@rogers.com or (905) 615-9388.
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