Creating A Picture-Perfect Display
The plethora of choices, however, has saturated the industry with similar products at similar price points. Many of the basic specifications are standard across the board, so solution providers selling LCDs as an upgrade into the small-business market should start looking at add-on features or new innovations to make the sale.
LCD prices have been steadily plummeting for some time now,CRN Test Center engineers were able to find brand-new 17-inch LCDs online for less than $350. So, it will be the value-adds that a manufacturer can bring to the table that will differentiate its offerings from other displays.
For example, companies such as Samsung Electronics America have put a lot of thought into technologies like MagicTune and MagicBright. These innovations provide users with a hands-free display and make the viewing experience more enjoyable.
LCD technology, however, has really turned the corner. BenQ America and Samsung are shipping LCDs with 12-millisecond response times, when just a few years ago the fastest response time on the market was 25 ms. "The 12-ms response-time price points will take 18 months to become mainstream," said Rob Brinkman, executive vice president and general manager at Princeton Graphics Systems, Irvine, Calif. He also predicts that 25-ms/16-ms premium panels at larger sizes will become more affordable.
The majority of LCDs have built-in controls, and many are expandable to include DDC-CI bi-directional command control to allow an even more customized on-screen experience.
Other upcoming developments include wider color gamuts, a 16:9 aspect ratio and larger screen sizes, said Young Bae, senior product manager at ViewSonic, a Walnut, Calif.-based visual technology maker. "The next big thing to look forward to with LCD monitors is multiple monitor usage, which enables multiple-display configurations for powerful multitasking and mixed-media data analysis in businesses," he said.
With improved color technologies and faster response time, the video performance gap is narrowing between LCDs and CRT monitors. One of the last remaining advantages of a CRT over an LCD, other than purchase price, is color performance. However, with the continuing improvements in LCD color gamuts, fidelity and saturation, LCDs overtaking the CRT market seems inevitable.
"We are already seeing healthy responses for BenQ LCD monitors from consumers who are using LCD monitors for IT/television viewing or video game applications," said Thomas Han, vice president of digital display at City of Industry, Calif.-based BenQ.
Monica Islas, product manager of monitors at Samsung, Irvine, said she does not believe CRTs have seen their last days, nor does she think they ever will be completely retired from the market. "There will always still be at least 25 [percent] to 30 percent of the market that is strictly price-driven, and just prefers the CRT over the LCD," she said.
However, Princeton Graphics' Brinkman said he expects CRTs to phase out "rather quickly."
For solution providers, the key point is that the importance of video and multimedia, which dramatically improve communications, has skyrocketed. "Today, video entertainment, teleconferencing communication and active display information have become a mandatory realtime communication application to keep track of the global markets and events," said Bae.
Security and surveillance is another reason for the increased use of video in so many organizations. Being able to offer remote monitoring and intrusion detection from various critical locations such as homes, offices, schools, child-care centers and hospitals has become an enormous opportunity for solution providers. "Business, as we know it today, is intertwined with the visual medium in a huge way," said Han.