Native Resolution? crt? lcd?

[ComatoseDelirium]

Ahh okie im looking for an LCD something that is 17 inches, which is pretty standard for lcd's now, although.. what I dont truly understand is the native resolution.. I've been reading up on it and just want people to confirm.. what I think I know.. 17 inch LCD's are truly 17 inches of screen space, while a comparable 17 inch CRT is an inch or more smaller in screen space, so an lcd that is advertised generally has a native resolution that is 'one' step up, like how a 15 inch crt operates native at 800 x 600, a 15 inch lcd operates at 1024 x 768, etc?

 

[ZYFER]

no, screen size has no basis o na monitor's resolution capability, it has other factors relating to refresh rate and video card support. LCD's and CRT's are alike in the way they are advertised. They are sold as a specific size, say 17" but this isn't the viewable size, so remember that

 

[ComatoseDelirium]

So whats the general rule with Lcd's? a 17 inch lcd will be the same size as my crt? but with a smaller boarder?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Sort of.

It's true that LCD screen size is "true" size while CRTs are typically an inch smaller because they're sold by the glass tube size which is partly covered by the plastic case.

CRTs don't have a native size quite like LCDs.

An LCD has a fixed set of pixels and can only show smaller resolutions by blacking out part of the screen or by spreading out the low resolution pixels and creating other pixels in-between (which can be blurry).

CRTs can truly adjust the number of pixels shown, anywhere from 320x240 up to a limit that usually increases with larger screens. There is no "native" resolution for a CRT, just a generally recommended one. Many people with good eyesight run a 15" CRT at 1024x768, I have lousy vision and ran my 17" CRT at 800x600.

LCDs are sharper than CRTs, so while the recommended resolution for a 17" (=16") CRT is 1024x768, 17" LCDs are all 1280x1024.

If you want to buy an LCD and aren't sure you'll like a 17", 1280x1024 one, then go to a computer or office supply store and look at one in person. If you find yourself squinting, then you probably want to get a 19" LCD which also usually has a 1280x1024 resolution (so the pixels are bigger / easier to read).

 

[ComatoseDelirium]

ahh, I see, thanks Dave.

 

[Blain]

If you do go to a store to view an LCD display. Make sure and see how that monitor looks at the resolution you'd likely be running most of the time.
I've got a 21" CRT and would love to have a big LCD. But the highest resolution I run on my 21" is 1280x1024. I'm afraid a big LCD would lose its visual quality if cut down to that.
So it's the old CRT for me, for the time being.