If you're wondering whether to choose between a CRT monitor or an LCD panel, don't bother: LCDs have won the argument flat out. Not surprisingly -- LCDs offer a smaller desktop footprint, much lighter weight (the typical 19-inch LCD has a native resolution of 1280 x 1024; an equivalent CRT would probably weigh over 60 pounds) and savings in both heat and power.

More recently, the price of LCDs has dropped to the extent that you no longer have to have a corporate budget to afford one. While LCD displays used to run over a thousand dollars for even a simple 15-inch unit, you can now find a solid 17-inch display for under $300.

		Five 19-Inch LCDs
		•  Introduction •  Getting The Best View •  AG Neovo AGM A-19 •  BenQ FP93G X •  Rosewill R913J •  Samsung 940BF •  ViewSonic VX922
		•  Comparison Chart

For this roundup, we assembled five 19-inch LCDs that hover around the $250 price point, from both popular and lesser-known manufacturers: the AG Neovo AGM A-19, the BenQ FP93G X, the Rosewill R913J, the Samsung SyncMaster 940BF, and the ViewSonic VX922.

However, CRTs have been so much a part of the computer landscape for so long that many of us may not be aware of the different factors involved in buying and using an LCD monitor. There are a number of differences between the two types of monitors that it would be wise to keep in mind when you shop for your next desktop display.

Forget About Flicker
We've become used to looking for a monitor with the highest refresh rate possible. However, the average LCD prefers a refresh rate of 60 Hertz -- something that would have a CRT flickering like a candle. Why? Because LCDs don't actually have a refresh rate.

CRTs use scan lines to display an image. Every pixel is a section of the phosphor coating that's on the inside of the screen, and is "painted" by electrons from the cathode ray tube, left to right, top to bottom, over and over again. LCDs don't use scan lines. In fact, they don't actually have a refresh rate. They have a response/recharge time.

That's because the pixels in an LCD are actually physical objects -- transistors sandwiched between plates -- and not the result of electron guns scanning the screen. An LCD simply needs to have its pixels recharged periodically so they'll stay lit -- there is no movement across and down the screen.

The response rates of today's LCDs, measured in milliseconds, range between 8ms and 12ms. (Some of the more expensive LCDs go as low as 2ms.) That equates roughly to 125Hz and 83.3Hz , respectively -- more than enough to compensate for the flickering 60Hz fluorescent lights we've hung in our homes and offices.

But while LCDs don't suffer from flicker, they can have a problem with smear. That occurs when the behind-the-screen recharging can't keep pace with the onscreen action. However, that's rare in models at or below 8ms.

The Right Height
Also be aware that none of these five LCDs is vertically adjustable. They all tilt about 5 degrees up and 20 degrees down, but their heights are fixed -- short of stuffing last week's bestseller under the base. That may be an issue for you, depending on your desk and chair height.

	Sidebar: LCD Or SED?
	Sidebar: LCD Or SED? Forget about CRTs vs. LCDs. The next real question might well be whether to purchase a monitor based on LCD or SED (Surface-conduction Emission Display) technology. SEDs use an energized phosphor to display an image (similar to a CRT rather than the backlit panel typical of LCDs). As a result, they can reproduce color far better than any current LCD technology. But don't hold your breath -- SEDs won't be available until at least the winter of 2007, and even then, current plans are for televisions to be available first, with monitors following at some point thereafter.