As LCD manufacturers make improvements to compete with the cheaper CRT monitors, other performance differences that were a problem with older LCD models, such as lower contrast, brightness, and color display, have become less of an issue for general users. Coupled with the computer's graphics card, a CRT monitor can produce a sharp image in more than one resolution. For example, a CRT monitor may be capable of a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 pixels, but to enlarge the type and images on the screen, the user can change the resolution to 800 x 600 pixels without losing sharpness. An LCD monitor is preset at a maximum native resolution, say 1,280 x 1,024, but when the user switches to 800 x 600 pixels or any other lower resolution, the images are no longer sharp. Because the light source on a CRT comes from phosphors on the screen surface, CRTs offer a wide viewing angle of about 160 degrees.
Users can clearly see images from almost any position.
In an LCD monitor, the effective viewing angle is limited because the light source is behind the screen. Until recently, LCDs offered a 140-degree angle at best. However, flat panel monitors are considerably more expensive than CRT monitors, and although prices are coming down, this new technology is not as cost-effective as CRT technology for the time being. For CRT buyers, prices are low, leaving energy management and size as the variables to consider in making an informed purchase decision among the different models available. Pick a monitor with Energy Star labeling.