Monitor

Someone could have a top-of-the-line stupidly fast CPU and a host of RAM sticks that populate the motherboard. But what good will these enviable features do if the user was not able to issue commands to the computer? It is one thing to have the capabilities to do something and yet another to actually do them in real-time! Same goes true for the computer. No matter how resourceful a computer may be without a display unit it is simply lame! It is the monitor that gives an insight into all that is going on the inside. It also allows the user to issue commands for processing of the data. The monitor technology has witnessed several changes over the last few decades. The monitors of antique era were bulky hippos that sat lazily atop the desktop. That technology was technically referred to as CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) which accounted for its mammoth size and exceptional weight. LCD (Liquid crystal display) monitors were a revolution in the monitor market. Flat panel displays that were light in weight and portable were invented. The panel consisted of LCD crystals placed in either IPS (In plane switching) or TN (Twisted Nematic) orientation.  In case of IPS displays the crystals were placed in the same plane whereas in TN displays the crystals were placed at the opposite ends. IPS displays are crisper and have wider viewing angle than TN displays. The source of back-light is often a flouroscent lamp. The next logical step was the development of LED (Light Emitting Diode) monitors – so called ‘new technology’. LED monitors aren't so much different from LCDs. The only difference is that they use LEDs as a back-light source instead of the flouroscent lamp. But perhaps all this hype and hoopla woven around the so called ‘new technology’ is a mere marketing strategy. Consumer wouldn’t consider investing their precious bucks if they were told that all that has changed is just the back-light source! People need something radically new to be convinced to swap their old devices for! Coming back to the topic, LEDs consume less power and don't need AC power and so the need of an inverter in case of laptops is eliminated making their displays and bezel thinner and more battery-friendly. But as you might have guessed, LED monitors too have zoomed past their life expectancy! Nowadays, people are clamoring about the new OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) monitors and TVs. Unlike LED monitors OLED is really a game-changer in the world of display and graphics. However, OLEDs are relatively new in the market and hence are not so popular as LED monitors are. Hence they also are inevitably pricier.

Working principle of device:

A typical OLED has an organic compound sandwiched between two protective glass or plastic layers (Seal and Substrate). There are 6 different layers in the OLED. The cathode lies below the seal while the anode lies above the substrate. A conductive layer sits on the anode. The only layer that remains is the emissive layer that actually emits the light. To light up the LED the cathode is connected to the negative terminal and the anode to the positive. As the current flows the cathode receives electrons from the power source while the anode loses them back to the source to complete the circuit. As the conductive layer is in contact with the anode it becomes positively charged. Following a similar logic, it is not hard to predict that the emissive layer becomes negatively charged. The holes from the conductive layer meet the electrons in the emissive layer (extrapolating the analogy of a pn junction diode) causing the energy to be released in the form of light.  Each pixel on the screen consists of three OLEDs each capable of emitting one basic color namely Red, Green and Blue. The various combinations of RGB in differing intensities and can potentially produce millions of shades of colors! Again, millions of such pixels (and in turn the OLEDs) form the OLED monitor which then serves the feast of vibrant, picturesque images to our vista-hungry eyes!

Device installation: Since OLED monitors take digital input they can be connected to the computer via HDMI (High definition multimedia interface), DVI-D or DVI-I, Thunderbolt v3 or display port. No installation is required. Care should be taken that the video card supports sending out digital signals if the video quality has to remain intact.

Standard configuration: OLEDs can be fashioned into the thinnest and lightest screens possible on this planet! No other technology can even think of rivaling its refresh rates, contrast ratio, brightness, resolution, wide viewing angle and energy efficiency. This delivers the best possible picture quality and is used as a display in smart-phones and tablets in addition to the conventional desktop monitors.  Ordinary LCDs cannot display true black effectively (it looks a little greyish) but OLEDs can. Unlike older technologies they don't need any back-light; the OLED bulbs are self-luminescent. Due to this reason the pictures displayed on OLEDs are breath-takingly scenic! One of the selling points of this technology is that it is flexible and can be bent into the desired shape (It actually depends on the organic compound being used. Only certain organic compounds will bend). OLEDs can be chiefly classified into two categories, 1) AMOLED (Active matrix OLED) and 2) PMOLED (Passive Matrix OLED). Out of the two AMOLED is more popular as it produces edgier graphics. Super AMOLED and Super AMOLED plus are the two successors of OLED that have made minor changes in the original version. OLEDs have already taken the gaming and cinema (where 4K and 3D are commonplace) market by the storm. 

 Manufacturer of device and its models:

1.      HP - HP 21.5 Inch IPS LED (Rs. 8,960), 19KA 18.5-inch LED Backlit Monitor (Rs. 4,950), HP Pavilion 27es 27 inch IPS LED Backlit (Rs. 22,799)

2.      Dell - Dell E2016hv Led Monitor (Rs. 5,599), Dell IPS 21.5" S2216H FULL HD LED MONITOR (Rs. 9,250), Dell D2015H/E2016 19.5 inch LED Backlit (Rs. 5,775)

3.      Samsung - Samsung 21.5" Full HDLED Monitor (Rs. 6,999), Samsung 18.5 Inch Led - S19f350hnw (Rs. 5,650), SAMSUNG 24"(23.6) VA PANNEL LS24E310HL/XL LED (Rs. 12,400)

4.      Micromax - Micromax 21.5 Inch Full Hd Led - Mm215fh76 (Rs. 6,299), Micromax MM156HPN1 15.6-inch LED Monitor (Rs. 3,650), Micromax MM215BHDM1 54.61 cm 21.5 Inch LED (Rs. 7,299)

5.      LG - LG 22MP58VQ - 22 Inch IPS (Rs. 7,970), LG 21.5" FULL HD LED (Rs. 7,700), LG 19M38HB-B 20 Inches (Rs. 5,537)

Cost: It is obvious that larger the monitor gets the costlier it is. Also higher the resolution, higher will be the cost. But for an average user a monitor worth about Rs. 8,000 is sufficient.

 Market share of different models (Standard companies only):

l  HP

l  Dell

l  Samsung

l  Micromax

l  LG