oth the conventional shadow mask and that in the ChromaClear tube are stiff and can be blocked like a hat, while the aperture grille is stretched like the strings in a harp.
The stripe geometry of both the ChromaClear tube and the Trinitron favors sharper images, but the ChromaClear does not suffer from two prominent defects of the Trinitron: Dampering wires produce horizontal shadows in the image, and multimedia applications can produce image degradation caused by visible vibrations -- visible howling of the aperture grille. NEC also claims to have better electron guns for better focus in the corners.
The new Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) standard moves the vertical frequency from 75 to 85 Hz, according to Hermit Huang, display director for Acer Peripherals, Inc. (API). He also said that though most manufacturers offer high-end monitors with 1600- by 1200-pixel resoluti
on, 1280 by 1024 pixels is still the most popular model. Lewis Huang, marketing manager for Chuntex Electronic (CTX), agreed. He said that for 1600 by 1200 pixels, a 160-Hz vertical frequency is needed, something that is not offered by many monitor makers.
On the low end are technologies that help CRT monitors maintain their cost advantage over alternative display types. According to CTX's Huang, budget 14-inch monitors use a supertwist-type CRT. This type of CRT uses a wrapped coil instead of a ferrobar to control the electron beam. It can't run over 40 kHz but cuts the cost of a monitor by $10 to $12. At the 17-inch level, CTX offers a monitor with a low-tech 0.39-mm dot pitch that allows for an $80 cost saving, moving the monitor's price nearer that of a 15-inch monitor.
Most new features in CRT monitors are at the interface level. Monitors with a universal serial bus (USB) control hub are getting the most press. CTX offers monitors with one type B USB port and four type A ports. CTX's Huang says,
''The type B port is a hub port that connects to the system's USB out port. The four type A ports go to other USB peripheral devices.'' One of the type A ports needs to go to the VGA card, however, leaving only three free ports for nondisplay peripherals.
API's Huang says that there are still technical problems with USB at the hub level, specifically driver software. He believes that the entrance of multiple USB chip vendors will drive the cost of the chip down to about $2. At that price, he believes USB will become an industry standard.
Companies other than Intel that are making USB chips include Winbond Electronics, Acer Laboratories, Philips Electronics, and VIA Technologies. Making the monitor the hub-controller peripheral is a logical move. Certainly, keyboard makers can't afford the additional cost of a hub-controller USB chip. Printer or scanner makers could afford the extra component cost, but only monitors have the necessary widespread use to make USB truly take off.
Windows 97 compatibil
ity is another consideration for monitor makers. Windows 97 may not support a new monitor if the manufacturer didn't get its technical specifications to Microsoft before the end of 1996. Such models need to have their driver information updated into Windows 97's driver library. If a particular model is not present in Window 97's library, the manufacturer sends a floppy disk with the driver or posts its new driver information on its Internet site, where customers can download it.
On Screen Display (OSD) digital control at even the 14-inch level is another new trend. CTX's Huang mentions that OSD at the 14-inch level is cheaper, on a companywide level, than using the old analog controls. This is because the manufacturer can cut down on the number of components it has to order and stock as well as standardize monitor assembly and case designs by just using digital controls. Citing one drawback to OSD, Huang says it's becoming more difficult to find universal icons that don't violate other manufacturers' inte
llectual property rights.
CRT-Monitor Trends
