Category Report - Monitors

Category Report
01 May, 2008 12:25

Monitors: clear vision

by Ian Thomson

The changing monitor market means buyers have to wade through an ever-increasing list of demands. Today it seems that the humble monitor is as much about fashion as it is about technology. The growth of the monitor market has been accompanied by an explosion in the different types available and the number of brands. There are now countless models ranging from value-for-money options at one end of the scale to those which are design and style-led at the other.

Suppliers are adopting evolving technologies so users can find the exact monitor that suits their individual requirements, different skill-sets and business models - and ultimately tap into trends as the once-lowly held monitor increases in variety.

Multiple monitors

DisplayLink, a software company that creates simple connections between computers and displays, said that with data as king, monitors are the centre-piece of a business.

"We live in an information-saturated world where the measure of productivity is no longer computer processing power; it is the area of your display," said Jason Slaughter, DisplayLink

"We live in an information-saturated world where the measure of productivity is no longer computer processing power; it is the area of your display," said DisplayLink director of marketing Jason Slaughter. "Users must contend with a multitude of applications on a daily basis, including email, the internet and company databases, and the need for more screen space has never been greater."

He said this trend is compounded by mobile workers who may compromise on screen size to get a lightweight laptop for portable reasons, but also require easy access to larger monitors when working in the office.

LG IT marketing manager Fiona Landsberg said LG introduced the FLATRON L206WU earlier this year for businesses which are looking for value-for-money monitors to improve work output and that can be assimilated into their existing workplace. This particular LCD monitor can connect up to six additional screens through an inbuilt USB connection.

Wide format monitors

There is also strong demand for wide format monitors following the industry move initiated by flat panel TVs as well as notebooks, said HP SMB PC and displays category manager Lauren Jones. "It was also helped along by new software solutions that are enhanced by using widescreen such as Microsoft Vista and Office 2008," she said.        

Within the retail industry, HP has seen the emergence of OLEDs and this will lead to gains for other types of businesses. Jones said: "It is still being developed, but it is a technology that the commercial industry will watch closely as it matures in five to six years (when the cost/feature ratio tipping point is reached) and, by that time, business users may benefit from the stylish, thin design and lower power consumption that it provides."

Market trends

Yet, despite a flourishing monitor market, a couple of segments have been slow to gain acceptance. First, the uptake of wide displays in the corporate market has not been as quick as anticipated, said NEC sales manager for Specialist Displays Richard Wilks. This is mainly due to the potential additional costs from graphics controllers and the general change in management culture. "The 20" and 22" wide displays are the natural progression from 17" and 19" desktop displays," said Wicks.

Secondly, the uptake of multiple monitors has been limited to date, but will burgeon once technology comes to the rescue. "Today's PCs are evolving to accommodate such flexibilities. User-friendly USB technology, coupled with the tumbling costs of display
panels across the market, mean that soon multiple monitors will become more than a just a trend; they will become the norm," said Slaughter.

"Wide is the new visual reference for users using large documents or spreadsheets. It reduces the need for horizontal scanning of the file," said Lauren Jones, HP

What's new?

Each new display offering is always looking to improve on the last, and additional technology and style are being built into displays.Quite simply, as Landsberg said, "monitor aesthetics is of more importance than it used to be," highlighting the launch of the style-led LG L206WU primarily for business and the L197WH for personal use.

She added: "We have recently expanded our high ratio, widescreen monitor range with the introduction of the world's first 22" 10000:1 DFC ratio monitor. The W2252TQ offers the ultimate viewing experience and its sleek design also appeals to the design conscious. To complement this, we have also launched our 8000:1 DFC 22" model, the W2242S." Both these monitors are encased in a black glossy curved frame with an electric blue power light.

Buyers should also look at widescreen, urged Jones. The key benefit is enhanced
productivity. For example, a 22" wide display offers 33 per cent more data and is 20 per cent larger than a standard 19" square format. "Wide is the new visual reference for users using large documents or spreadsheets," she asserted. "It reduces the need for horizontal scanning of the file, leaving only the much easier vertical scrolling."

HP offers several widescreen commercial displays, including two new 22" wide models; a model for budget-conscious businesses L2208w and an advantage range monitor, the L2245w, with advanced performance as well as full ergonomics.

The scope of DisplayLink's technology has seen interest from the LCD display industry. Samsung, in particular, has been successful with its 19" Syncmaster 940UX and plans to release a full range of monitor sizes, based on DisplayLink's USB technology, later this year.

Both Samsung and ASUS unveiled new displays at the CeBIT exhibition this year. Samsung launched an interesting 7" display - the Ubisync7 - a simple and lightweight monitor designed for instant messaging, Skype video and Vista ‘gadgets' to clear-up screen clutter. ASUS has launched the VW223B, the first 22" monitor with built-in DisplayLink technology.

Buying advice

Screen size: bigger is better as you can fit more onto the screen, saving time and working faster, effectively saving money

Resolution: users should use the product in native resolution only

Panel quality: establish the pixel policy of the manufacturer/supplier, and the LCD panel technology - improving in quality TN, (P)VA, IPS

Security protection: look for theft deterrence software and Kensington lock compatibility

Standard warranty: look for three years minimum (including the back-light), either on-site or return to base. The TFT standard lifecycle is generally five years

Read the specifications: make sure the power supply is internal
Inputs - DVI and analogue (DVI is future-proofed)

Height adjustable stand: ideally it should be fully adjustable minimum 110mm travel, ideally 150mm (it is also good if the stand pivots)

Power consumption and maximum brightness: the lower the power the better. Having a higher maximum brightness display means that you can reduce the brightness without loss of quality and increase the life of the display

Speakers: the higher the wattage, the better the quality

Bezel width: important for applications where you will be using more than one monitor

On desktop products, the trend is towards wide displays, but there is still high demand for the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio displays as well.

NEC is one of a few manufacturers committed to both 4:3 and wide display products in the medium term from 15" to 21" display size.

On large format displays, demand for the distribution of content on network displays is being met with slot-in modules for its 40", 46", 52" and 65" displays that fit directly into the side.

If a computer is remotely located then NEC has a CAT5 module which will allow content to be sent to the display up to 300 metres away; wireless network connectivity is also an option.

Connectivity options are being expanded to allow video and data input from more sources: analogue and DVI video sources as well as integrated speakers, USB hub, component video and HDMI.

Looking forward to 2009, the expectations are for products to integrate wireless USB, which will bring wireless monitors and wireless notebook docking stations to the PC industry.

Green business

Green is the colour driving business decisions currently. As a consequence, manufacturers are prepared for questions about their green policies on product supply.

NEC plans a number of product launches in the summer, which will enable SME and corporate customers and their clients to be more aware of the energy they are using and the carbon footprint savings they can make.

HP is demonstrating its commitment to the environment by offering a number of software tools as standard on their business displays. For example, the ‘HP Display LiteSaver' powers a display up and down at pre-determined hours of the day, saving power and backlight life. All HP monitors are also TCO 03 and Energy star 4.0 certified, reducing energy consumption.

From witnessing an increased interest in ‘green IT' - both in terms of limiting power consumption and reducing cooling requirements for users with multiple monitors - DisplayLink's USB technology saves users the hassle and expense of installing additional graphics cards and eliminates high power consumption and overall operating costs.

All LG monitors have low energy consumption rates - something it is committed to further developing in all future products.

Contact file

Apple
www.apple.com/uk/

ASUS
www.asus.com/uk/

Displaylink
http://www.thedisplaylink.com/

HP
http://welcome.hp.com/country/uk/en/welcome.html

LG
http://uk.lge.com/products/category/list/itproducts.jhtml

NEC
http://www.neceurope.com/products/display_products/commercial_desktop_lcd_display.html

Samsung
http://www.samsung.com/uk/business/index.html

Sony
http://www.sonybiz.net/