LCD monitor or Liquid Crystal Display works by liquid crystals being activated by electric fields to produce the display image. Each crystal is like a shutter, which either allows light to pass through or blocks the light.

Choosing the right monitor

CTR's or Cathode Ray Tube monitors are almost in existent now, so when deciding a LCD monitor keep these things in mind.

Video Quality

One factor to consider when shopping for a monitor is what video quality you are looking for and what your computer’s video card can produce. You may have the best monitor in the world but if your video card can’t provide the output then its not going to matter.

Resolution

Resolution is the amount of pixels present on the screen or the number of pixels in an image. The more pixels there are, the higher the resolution. The higher the resolution, the sharper the image will be. Certain monitors support certain levels of resolution and your video card will support a certain resolution as well. Resolution is a number expressed in dots per inch (dpi) such as 1024 x 768.

Dot pitch

Dot pitch refers to the distance between each pixel. The lower the dot pitch, the less distance between pixels and therefore the sharper the image.

Aspect ratio

 Aspect ratio is the ratio of the width of the image to the height of the image. For most monitors the current aspect ratio is 4:3. This is changing now that wide screen monitors are becoming more popular.

Response time 

Response time is the time it takes for a pixel to turn on and off and is measured in milliseconds. Response time is an indication of how fast motion such as video will appear on the screen. The lower the number the better. Typical speeds are 5-8 ms.

Monitor Size

One of the most important decisions you will make is choosing the size of your monitor. Bigger, of course is always better.

Analog vs. Digital Inputs

Most of the higher quality LCD monitors will come with an analog and digital input. The standard VGA input is analog where the newer DVI (Digital Visual Interface) is a true digital input and eliminates the conversion to analog. All computers and all monitors should have the standard VGA connections on both ends. To use DVI you will need the connections on the video card on your computer and your monitor. You will also need a DVI cable to make the connection. There is more than one type of DVI cable so make sure you get the correct type.

Pricing

The cost of monitors is constantly dropping since there are always bigger and better models coming out. As of now you can get a 17 inch LCD monitor for well under $200 depending on the brand and features. There are even several nice 19 inch LCD monitors in the low $200s. Just remember if you can afford to go bigger and better then you should because the monitor is what you will be staring at for hours at a time so you should do what is best for your eyes.

Also keep in mind

Nowadays 17 inches is a minimum for new monitors with 19 inches becoming more standard. Keep in mind that a resolution such as 1024 x 768 on a 17 inch monitor will look better than on a 19 inch monitor. So the bigger the monitor, the higher resolution you must use to get the best picture. Higher resolutions make the items on your screen smaller but you can fit more on the screen at the same time. So its best to get a bigger monitor so you can have a high resolution for clarity and still be able to see what you are working on.

Also many companies are making wide screen monitors, which have a different aspect ratio from the standard 4:3. These are better for watching wide screen DVD movies and some people like having the extra width to work with.