How to choose a 19-inch monitor

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For some people, monitors are not the most important parts of a home or office computer. Yet, most users tend to buy reliable models with high image quality, stylish design, and preferably with an adequate price. When choosing, first of all, you should pay attention to its matrix and the type of its illumination, as they seriously affect the quality of the picture. Usually, the best result is provided by RGB-LED illumination. However, most users do not see much difference in the operation of modern lighting. Despite this, be sure to check the type of screen coverage. For example, glossy displays are great for frequent watching of movies, but to work with texts it is better to choose models with a matte coating. Such a type reduces the amount of glare. And, of course, one of the key parameters is the diagonal of the monitor. Models with a 19 inch monitor are the best option for a PC assembled for business purposes. Also, they are suitable for entry-level gaming stations.

Who can like 19-inch monitors

Nowadays, large-format monitors take a strong position in the range of almost all manufacturers. Summing up the past year, 19-inch widescreen monitors with 16:10 aspect ratio and 1440×900 resolution have been chosen by a great number of people. From their traditional (format 5:4) brethren, they have a little smaller screen area. This allows to reduce the cost of such monitors and opens the way to the wallets of buyers. For example, from one standard substrate measuring 1100×1300 mm, either nine 19-inch panels come out, or 12 widescreen panels with the same diagonal. That is why each widescreen 19-inch monitor is much cheaper than a traditional one.

Yet, low price is not the main advantage of 19-inch widescreens, for instance: 

  1. On the widescreen is much more comfortable to watch the video (16:9 is recorded in the absolute majority of modern movies), when playing on widescreen monitors are only very narrow black stripes on top and bottom (since the film’s frame ratio is usually a little bit different from the screen aspect ratio of 16:9 versus 16:10), while on traditional monitors much more of the screen is lost. 
  2. Another argument in favor of widescreen monitors is the peculiarities of human vision. People find it more comfortable to perceive visual information in a horizontal plane than in a vertical one. 
  3. In addition, due to the 19-inch monitors by Beetronics Inc., it’s more convenient to work with some programs, like spreadsheet processors or graphic editors. They are provided with numerous side toolbars, palettes, menus, etc. 19-inch monitors allow you to work with two adjacent windows of text editors, and the text will be quite readable. 

By the way, the increase in popularity of wide displays is facilitated by the Windows Vista operating system, which is focused on the use of widescreen displays. Yep, many modern PC games are also adjusted to the 16:10 format.

Consider the type of backlight

All monitors except OLED use LED matrix illumination. At the moment, manufacturers in addition to the standard LED versions also apply improved technologies:

  • Nano IPS is an LG technology that eliminates parasitic shades on illuminated LEDs. This significantly improves color rendering compared to conventional LED versions.
  • QLED is a popular Samsung standard that extends the color coverage of the LCD monitor. This technology uses blue LEDs, which form the missing red and green for the RGB, using a layer with quantum dots.
  • Mini-LED is illumination on mini-LEDs with the local dimming of pixels and high luminosity. So far it is only used in expensive monitors.

Consider screen refresh rate and response time

The screen refresh rate in one second is measured in hertz (Hz, Hz). The higher the frequency, the smoother the dynamic moments. For example, in video games. 

Here are some relevant options:

  1. 60-75 Hz are the most common indicators in most monitors. This frequency is sufficient for all everyday tasks.
  2. 100-120 Hz is a range that often occurs in ultra-wide devices. Suitable for watching movies and console gaming.
  3. 144 Hz is a refresh rate that is considered the minimum required for comfortable play in dynamic shooters and similar projects where the speed of response is important.
  4. 240 Hz and above is recommended for professional cybersports models.

Monitor response is the minimum time in milliseconds (ms) that a pixel needs to change brightness. The indicator is very important for competitive dynamic games. 

Here is the most common screen response time:

  • less than 1 ms is optimal for expensive cybersports models;
  • 1 ms is enough for a good gaming monitor;
  • 4-8 ms is a response time, which is suitable for watching movies and working;
  • 10 ms or more is an indicator for ordinary everyday tasks, for games, this will be little.

The coolest types of modern large-format LCD monitors

19-inch monitors with 1440×900 resolution use only one type of matrix – TN+Film. As for the functionality of such monitors, it is minimal and mostly based on the affordable price. Variations in technology are mainly limited by the presence of certain inputs, the presence or absence of integrated acoustic systems, and the ability to adjust the screen position. To get a really clear picture, it is recommended to choose an LCD monitor with a digital DVI connector. The analog D-Sub (VGA) video interface introduces even slight, but still sometimes noticeable distortions due to double signal conversion. Whereas when connected via DVI, the signal conversion from digital to analog does not occur at all. Another important characteristic of the DVI interface is support for the HDCP hardware video copy protection system, in the absence of which HDTV movies protected by HDCP will only be played in a reduced (960×540 pixels) resolution.

Based on these simple criteria, 19-inch monitors with DVI input can be recommended for home use. Models without digital input and with an unregulated stand fall into the class of devices with an attractive price. In addition, gamblers should pay attention to models equipped with fast RTC matrices. And for video fans, the best choice will be monitors with dynamic contrast.

Summing it up

To summarize our brief review, it is worth noting that today 19 inch monitors by Beetronics Inc. are quite affordable. In some sense, this fact rules their high popularity. Moreover, such monitors use matrices that are quite enough for watching movies, as well as for 3D games. As for the viewing angles and color quality, 19-inch monitors show perfect performance. And even a relatively small resolution of 19-inch wide-format monitors (1440×900 pixels) compared to 20/22-inch items (resolution 1680×1050 pixels) is a proven additional benefit.