Display life

All displays slowly decline in performance from their new condition by gradually loosing brightness. This decline is measured as the period of time required for the display to drop to 50 percent of its original brightness. Displays in touch applications often operate around the clock because any are in public-access settings.

• LCD: the average expected life of a LCD backlight is 30,000 to 50,000 hours. This represents three to four years of use for a display operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The backlight of a LCD can be replaced economically, prolonging the life of the display.
• CRT: the average expected life is 12,000 to 15,000 hours. This represents one and a half to two years of use for a display operating 24 hour a day, seven days a week. It is rarely economical to replace the tube within a CRT.

Footprint

LCD takes up less space than a CRT with its flat screen and slim footprint. 15-inch LCD monitor fits into about 40 percent of the space occupied by a 17-inch CRT, yet has approximately the same viewable area. In addition, LCD can be mounted on a wall or on special arms to save desktop space and can fit into smaller available spaces inside industrial equipment.

Appearance

The futuristic look of LCD increases their appeal for customers who want to associate their company or application with leading edge technology.

Weight

LCD weighs much less than comparable CRT, which can be a consideration for displays mounted on mechanical arms in settings such as hospitals or when shipping kiosks that use LCDs.

Image quality

• LCD is approximately twice as bright as CRT, which makes it a right choice for environments with high ambient-light levels and for applications, such as public access kiosks, where a brighter display attracts attention and invites usage. LCD also delivers a flicker-free image.
• CRT is the right choice for ultra-high-resolution applications, such as medical imaging. In addition, because the viewing angle of CRT is greater than that of LCD, CRT is preferable for an application where multiple viewers will be looking at a display from different angles. An example is a public access kiosk used by children and adults or by a group of people at one time. CRT is also ideal for displaying full-motion videos.

Power consumption and heat generation

A LCD consumes up to one-third less power than the same-sized CRT monitor and thus generates less heat than a CRT. This saves money and makes LCD the right choice for installation in industrial equipment and other applications where displays in confined spaces would otherwise require special HVAC equipment and expense.

A 15-inch LCD touchmonitor has about the same viewing area as a 17-inch CRT touchmonitor, but costs approximately one and a half to two times more. However, in comparing the TCO of a LCD versus aCRT, it is important to also take into account the LCD's longer life-span, space-saving ability and lower power consumption. The cumulative effect of these variables may make the LCD a more cost-effective choice despite its higher purchase price.

Advantages of the LCD

• Lower lifetime cost
• Smaller footprint for space-saving ability
• Right choice for high-ambient-light environments
• Delivers a flicker-free image
• Consumes up to one-third less power

Advantages of the CRT

• Low purchase price
• Right choice for ultra-high-resolution applications
• Greater viewing angle allows multiple users from different angles
• Better display for full-motion video