Issue 10.15
Every so often I am reminded that, when talking about computers, there is a whole different language and often people do not understand the abbreviations and terms that are frequently used. Knowing these terms can help you know what to ask for or what to expect when working with repair people or computer professionals. Over the next couple of weeks we are going to review some of the more used terms. Hopefully that will be of service to those who are trying to understand or communicate about their computers.
Today we are going to visit about Monitor or Display terms. The older monitors were called CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors and looked like old TV sets with a more or less cubical box. They generated a lot of heat and radiation and took a lot of energy to run. Now we have a variety of flat panel displays. Some are specifically monitors dedicated to displaying computer output, either as a stand-alone device or as part of a laptop or all-in-one computer. Most of these are one of two types.
First are the LED (Light Emitting Diode) displays. These are very common and are made up of thousands of small dots that can change color almost instantly. If you have seen multi-color led lighting for your home or Christmas tree, you will understand the basic principle. What is different is that they (the LEDs) are extremely small and packed together incredibly tight. They generate their own light and the control boards tell them which color and brightness to display. They take very little energy and do a pretty good job of creating accurate pictures or displays of the content your computer wants you to see. Alternatively the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors have thousands of miniature crystals that change color because of the electrical charge applied to them. They do not create light in themselves as the LEDs do, but a light tube is place in such a way as to illuminate the crystals and give you a fairly bright and beautiful display.
Both of these have their pros and cons, but repairing them is often different. With the LEDs, you generally replace the screen if it quits working because it is the light source. In the case of LCDs, the screen may be the problem, but it also may be the light tube (similar to a small fluorescent light) or it might be the power inverter (similar to a ballast like those used in fluorescent fixtures). You can often tell which kind you have if the screen goes dark but the computer seems to be booting up correctly. If you hold an LED screen in the light it will still show nothing, but an LCD may show you the icons barely visible on a dark background. This is because the crystals are still changing color but are not being illuminated.
More and more, flat panel televisions are being used as secondary monitors in combination with one of the above. They offer the advantage of lower price for a larger screen but do not have quite the clarity or resolution (how many dots of light or pixels per square inch) that a monitor does. TVs come in the same two types as above, but are also available in plasma (brighter but more energy intensive and heat generating) and a few other technologies. The new 4K televisions have the same kind of resolution and clarity as monitors do but in a larger size. They are also quite a bit more money, but for someone that likes large and clear at the same time, they are definitely the choice of the upscale crowd. Hopefully that will help you know some of the terms. Have fun – and always remember to back up anything on your computer that is important to you.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 33 years, 26 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or shaun@musicomp.net.