What is the dot pitch and why is it important?
Jun 12 '00
Monitor specifications are almost as cryptic to a first time buyer as computer "tech talk" as I call it. The most important things to remember when buying a monitor is to ask questions and compare the answers. To be able to ask the right questions you must know a few things about what you are asking.
CRT and Resolution
CRT stands for cathode ray tube, and this is the most common type of monitor. These monitors are similar in construction to your television set but have much higher resolution and a much lower dot pitch. A television has roughly 400 lines of resolution, but a monitor can show 640 lines by 480 lines at the lowest resolution setting. The more lines a CRT can display the sharper the image will be. Most monitors today are capable of at least 1024 lines by 768 lines, making computer use easier on the eyes than watching television. Another reason for this is when you use your computer you are sitting directly in front of the screen not like when you are watching television at least 6 feet away. Also computer monitors must be able to display extremely small fonts and this simply is unfeasible with a common television CRT.
Dot Pitch
The dot pitch of a monitor refers to the size of the pixels on the screen. The pixels are the tiny little dots of color used to make up the entire picture. The lower the dot pitch number the smaller the actual dots are. This also means there are more dots on the smaller dot pitch monitors. This affects the resolution of the image on the screen dramatically when you compare a .29 dot pitch monitor to one with a .22 dot pitch on the same size screen. The .22 monitor will have more dots on the screen and a clearer picture.
Screen Size
The screen size is another confusing term. Most monitors now indicate the "Viewable area" of the screen and not just what size the monitor is. When you see a monitor advertised as a 19" monitor, the 19 inches is the measurement from corner to corner of the monitor. The actual viewable area is usually 18" on a 19" monitor, however, some monitors advertised as 19" only have a 17.6 - 17.9" viewable area.
Flat Panel LCD
Flat panel monitors are measured differently. If a flat panel LCD monitor is advertised as 15", then it has a 15" viewable area measured corner to corner. Flat panel monitors are becoming more and more popular but they are usually not as sharp as CRT monitors. Most of the flat panel LCD monitors have a dot pitch between .26 and .29, where you can get the CRT monitor with a lower dot pitch for less money. LCD monitors are mainly desirable to people who need the reduced footprint. These monitors are really thin and take up very little desk space.
Flat Screen CRT
Flat screen monitors are often confused with flat panel monitors. Flat screen monitors are CRT monitors but offer a totally flat surface that is easier on the eyes over extended use and commonly have a very low dot pitch. Of all the types of monitors these are my favorite type. They give the clarity and sharpness of CRT with reduced eye strain and no curvature making drastic improvements for graphics design and gaming.
There is another type of monitor being made today but most people would never consider buying one simply because the price is way out in the "Donald Trump" range. This is the plasma monitor. These monitors are similar to LCD flat panel monitors being extremely thin and offer unbelievably sharp images, commonly sporting a dot pitch of less than .19. These monitors range in price from $1800 for a low end 15" to over $10,000 for a 40" monitor. These are possibly the monitors of the future but for the time being I'll stick with my 19" flat screen CRT monitor.
I hope this helps with the confusing monitor specifications you will run into when looking for the right monitor for your needs.
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