1.10 Compare and contrast types of display devices and their features 9

backlighting or brightness brightness is

measured in cd/m2 (candela per square meter), which is the same as lumens/m2 (lumens per square meter). In addition, the best leD backlighting for viewing photography is class IpS, which provides the most accurate color.

Plasma monitor

provides high contrast with better color than LCD monitors. They work by discharging xenon and neon plasma on flat glass and don't contain mercury. Plasma monitors are expensive and heavy and are generally available only in large commercial sizes.

viewing angle

the angle of view when a monitor becomes difficult to see. a viewing angle of 170 degrees is better than 140 degrees.

Refresh rate

the number of times a monitor screen is built or refreshed in one second, measured in hz (cycles per second). the ad in Figure 9-41 shows the monitor refresh rate as 60 hz (60 frames per second)—the higher, the better. related to refresh rate, the response time is the time it takes to build one frame, measured in ms (milliseconds)—the lower, the better. the ad in Figure 9-41 shows a response time of 8 ms (time to build one frame).

Screen size

the screen size is the diagonal length of the screen surface in inches.

To see the video memory available to Windows,

use Control Panel to open the Screen Resolution window (refer back to Figure 9-55). Click Advanced settings. The video properties box appears. Figure 9-58 shows two properties boxes for two sys- tems. Figure 9-58a is for a laptop computer, and Figure 9-58b is for a desktop computer.

An OLED (organic light-emitting diode) monitor

uses a thin LED layer or film between two grids of electrodes and does not use backlighting. It does not emit as much light as an LCD monitor does, and, therefore, can produce deeper blacks, provide better contrast, work in darker rooms, and use less power than can an LCD monitor. On the other hand, LED monitors give less glare than OLED monitors. OLED screens are used by digital cameras, camcorders, mobile devices, and other small portable electronic devices. OLED monitors are just now appearing for desktop systems

Video cards have their own processor called a graphics processing unit (GPU) or visual pro- cessing unit (VPU). These processors use graphics RAM installed on the card so that RAM on the motherboard is not tied up with video data.

(If a motherboard offers a video port rather than using a video card, the GPU is part of the onboard video controller and is called inte- grated video. For integrated video, RAM on the motherboard is used for video data, or some video RAM is embedded on the motherboar

Connectors

Options for connectors are vGa, DvI-I, DvI-D, hDMI, Displayport, and apple's thunderbolt. Some monitors offer more than one connector (see Figure 9-42). these and other connectors used by video cards and monitors are discussed later in the chapter.

If an application, such as a game or desktop publishing app, that relies heavily on graphics is not performing well or giving errors, the problem might be video memory or the version of DirectX the system is using.

You can use the dxdiag.exe command to display information about hardware and diagnose problems with DirectX.

Here is an explanation of the four entries in the dialog box that concern video memory:

-- Total Available Graphics Memory is total memory that may be available to the video subsystem. -- Dedicated Video Memory is found on a video card or embedded on the motherboard. The motherboard in both the laptop and desktop have 32 MB of graphics memory. -- System Video Memory is system RAM dedicated to video. No other application or component can use it. --Shared System Memory is system RAM that might be available to video if another application or com- ponent is not already using it.

Here are the steps to configure dual monitors: 1. Connect two monitors to your system. Open Control Panel in Classic view, click Display, and then click Adjust resolution. The Screen Resolution window appears (

2. Notice the two numbered boxes that represent your two monitors. When you click one of these boxes, the drop-down menu changes to show the selected monitor, and the screen resolution and orientation (Landscape, Portrait, Landscape flipped, or Portrait flipped) follow the selected monitor. This lets you customize the settings for each monitor. If necessary, use drag-and-drop to arrange the boxes so that they represent the physical arrangement of your monitors. 3. Adjust the screen resolution according to your preferences. For the sharpest images, use the native resolution for each monitor. Most often, the native resolution is the highest resolution listed, but this is not always the case. To know for certain the native resolution, see the documentation that came with the monitor. 4. The Screen Resolution window (refer back to Figure 9-55) allows you to select how to handle multiple dis- plays. You can extend your desktop onto the second monitor, duplicate displays, or disable display on either monitor. To save the settings, click Apply. The second monitor should initialize and show the extended or duplicated desktop. 5. Close the Screen Resolution window. For an extended desktop, open an application and verify you can use the second monitor by dragging the application window over to the second monitor's desktop

To install a second monitor in a dual-monitor setup using two video cards, follow these steps: 1. Verify the original video card works properly and decide whether it is to be the primary monitor. 2. Boot the computer and enter UEFI/BIOS setup. If UEFI/BIOS setup has the option to select the order in which video cards are initialized, verify the currently installed card is configured to initialize first. For example, for the UEFI/BIOS system in Figure 9-54, the video adapter in the PCIe slot initializes first before other video adapters. If it does not initialize first, then, when you install the second card, video might not work at all when you first boot with two cards.

3. Install a second video card in an empty slot. A computer might have a second PCIe slot or an unused PCI slot you can use. Attach the second monitor. 4. Boot the system. Windows recognizes the new hardware and launches Device Setup. You can use the utility to install the video card drivers or cancel the utility and install them manually as you learned to do earlier in the chapter.

Projector

A digital projector (see Figure 9-40) is used to shine a light that projects a transparent image onto a large screen and is often used in classrooms or with other large groups. Several types of technologies are used by projectors, including LCD. A projector is often installed on a computer as a dual monitor, which you learn how to do later in the chapte

There are two common types of backlighting:

Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) backlighting, also called fluorescent backlighting, is an older technology first used in laptop monitors. It uses one or two fluorescent tubes to light the panel. An inverter circuit board provides power to the fluorescent light. Two fluorescent tubes (CCFL-2) requires two inverter boards. LED (light-emitting diode) backlighting receives its DC power directly from the motherboard and doesn't use an inverter. The growing trend for most monitor manufacturers is to use LED backlighting, which provides a better range and accuracy of color and uses less power than fluorescent backlighting. LED technology also uses less mercury, and is, therefore, kinder to the environment when an LCD monitor is disposed of. When you see a monitor advertised as an LED monitor, know the monitor is an LCD monitor that uses LED backlighting.

VGA. The 15-pin VGA port is the standard analog video port and transmits three signals of red, green, and blue (RGB). A VGA port is sometimes called a DB-15 port.

DVI ports were designed to replace VGA, and variations of DVI can transmit analog and/ or digital data. The five DVI standards for pinouts are shown in Figure 9-44. Three DVI connectors are shown in Figure 9-45. The DVI standards specify the maximum length for DVI cables is 5 meters, although some video cards produce a strong enough signal to allow for longer DVI cables.

Here are the variations of DVI: DVI-D. The DVI-D port only transmits digital data. Using an adapter to convert a VGA cable to the port won't work. You can see a DVI-D port in Figure 9-46a.

DVI-I. The DVI-I port (see Figure 9-46b) supports both analog and digital signals. If a computer has this type of port, you can use a digital-to-analog adapter to connect an older analog monitor to the port using a VGA cable (see Figure 9-47). If a video card has a DVI port, most likely it will be the DVI-I port (the one with the four extra holes) so that you can use an adapter to convert the port to a VGA port. DVI-A. The DVI-A port only transmits analog data. You don't see these very often. Composite video. Using a composite video port, also called an RGB port, the red, green, and blue (RGB) are mixed together in the same signal. This is the method used by television and can be used by a video card that is designed to send output to a TV. Composite video uses a round RCA connector that is usually yellow and has a single pin in the center. Figure 9-48 shows a laptop that has a composite video input port so that you can use the laptop as your display for a game box. Composite video does not produce as sharp an image as VGA video or S-Video. Video (Super-Video) ports. An S-Video port is a 4-pin or 7-pin round port used by some televisions and video equipment. An S-Video cable is shown in Figure 9-49. A few older video cameras use a 6-pin varia- tion of S-Video. The connector is called a Mini-DIN -6 connector and looks like a PS/2 connector used by a keyboard or mouse. (In general, a DIN connector is always round with multiple pins in the connector.) Component video. Whereas composite video has the red, green, and blue mixed in the same signal, com- ponent video has been split into different components and carried as separate signals. Figure 9-50 shows five RCA connectors on one component video and audio cable. Three lines carry video (red, blue, and green), and the red and white lines are used for audio (audio in and audio out) DisplayPort. DisplayPort was designed to replace DVI and can transmit digital (not analog) video and audio data. It uses data packet transmissions similar to those of Ethernet, USB, and PCI Express, and is expected to ultimately replace VGA, DVI, and HDMI on desktop and laptop computers. Besides the regular DisplayPort used on video cards and desktop computers, laptops might use the smaller Mini DisplayPort. Figure 9-51 shows a DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable. Some DisplayPort controllers allow you to use a DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter so the port can be used with an HDMI connection. Maximum length for DisplayPort cables is 15 meter HDMI and HDMI mini connectors. HDMI trans- mits both digital video and audio (not analog), and was designed to be used by home theater equip- ment. The HDMI standards allow for several types of HDMI connectors. The best known, which is used on most computers and televisions, is the Type A 19-pin HDMI connector. Small mobile devices can use the smaller Type C 19-pin HDMI mini connector, also called the mini-HDMI connector. Figure 9-52 shows a cable with both connectors that is useful when connecting some devices like a smart phone to a computer. Figure 9-53 shows an HDMI to DVI-D cable. Because HDMI does not transmit analog data, the connector works only on DVI-D and DVI-I ports, not DVI-A ports. To connect HDMI to VGA, you need an HDMI to VGA adapter with signal conversion because VGA is analog and HDMI is digital. The maximum length of an HDMI cable depends on the quality of the cable; no maxi- mum length has been specified.

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is meant to protect digital content and prevent piracy. DRM involves both software and hardware. HDMI and DVI allow for protected content to stay encrypted until it is on the presentation device.

If you end up with a blank screen when playing a movie or no sound when listening to a CD, the problem may be that DRM is blocking the signal to prevent it from being pirated. In addition to protecting content from being pirated, DRM also limits quality of content based on its authorization. For example, a high-definition movie must be limited to DVD quality on video outputs that are not approved by DRM.

Each intersection of a row electrode and a column electrode forms one pixel on the LCD panel.

Software can address each pixel to create an image

Other features lCD monitors can also provide a privacy or antiglare surface, tilt screens, microphone input, speakers, USb ports, adjustable stands, and perhaps even a port for your ipod.

Some monitors are also touch screens, so they can be used with a stylus or finger touch

aspect ratio

The aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between width and height. Common aspect ratios are 4:3, 16:9, and 16:10. Sometimes, an image must be converted from one aspect ratio to another. three ways to convert a standard 4:3 image to a wide screen 16:9 is to add black bars to either side of the image to fill in the space; stretch the image horizontally, which creates distortion; or zoom without distorting the image until the image touches the sides, which will crop the top and bottom of the image.

Contrast ratio

The contrast between true black and true white on the screen—the higher the contrast ratio, the better. 1000:1 is better than 700:1. an advertised dynamic contrast ratio is much higher than the contrast ratio, but is not a true measurement of contrast. Dynamic contrast adjusts the backlighting to give the effect of an overall brighter or darker image. For example, in Figure 9-41, the contrast ratio is 1000:1, and the dynamic ratio is 20,000,000:1. When comparing quality of monitors, pay attention to the contrast ratio, more so than the dynamic ratio.

The LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, also called a flat-panel monitor, was first used in laptops.

The monitor produces an image using a liquid crystal material made of large, easily polarized molecules.

native resolution

The number of pixels built into the lCD monitor. Using the native resolution usually gives the highest-quality image.

resolution =

The number of spots or pixels on a screen that can be addressed by software. values can range from 640 × 480 up to 4096 × 2160 for high-end monitors. popular resolutions are 1920 × 1080 and 1366 × 768.

The primary output device of a computer is the monitor.

The two necessary components for video output are the monitor and the video card (also called the video adapter and graphics adapter) or a video port on the motherboard.

DirectX is a Microsoft software development tool that software developers can use to write multimedia applications such as games, video-editing software, and computer-aided design software. Components of DirectX include DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay, and Direct3D.

The video firmware on the video card or motherboard chipset can interpret DirectX commands to build 3D images as pre- sented to them by the WDDM. In addition, Windows relies on DirectX and the WDDM to produce the Aero user interface.

Two common classes of LCD monitors are:

Twisted Nematic (TN) LCD monitors are preferred by gamers because they have fast response times to keep fast-moving images crisp. However, TN monitors are brighter, consume more power, and have limited viewing angles. In-Plane Switching (IPS) monitors are a newer technology that offers truer color images and better viewing angles. However, IPS monitors are expensive and have slower response time

pixel pitch

a pixel is a spot or dot on the screen that can be addressed by software. The pixel pitch is the distance between adjacent pixels on the screen—the smaller the number, the better. an example of a pixel pitch is .283mm.