Contrast Ratio

[BloodRaven]

ok i have a guestion for you here. im planning on getting an LCD monitor and i want to get a good one. im looking at the response time and the pixel pitch and stuff but when i get to the "Contrast Ratio" i dont know what it is. can some one explain to me what it is and how it works so i can better choose a nice monitor.

ex. whitch one is better?
a Contrast Ratio of 450:1 or 600:1

 

[Nodsu]

The contrast ratio shows you how big is the difference between "black" and "white" pixels.

500:1 ratio means that a maximum white pixel has 500 times the intensity of a blackest black pixel.

Bigger ratios are better (you get more colour detail).

 

[BloodRaven]

cool. thanks, that really helped me out. i have noticed that the larger monitors have bigger contrast ratios. like a 15" would have a contrast ratio of 350:1 when a 19" would have 500:1. why is it that the bigger the monitor the better the contrast ratio is?

 

[SNGX1275]

Could be because its an older monitor so they didn't have the technology to make it that high cost effectively at the time. Or it could be that companies just release those as their 'budget' monitors so they don't spend the money to make it have a real good contrast ratio if its just going to be sold for somebody's grandmother's comp to get email on.

 

[Goalie]

Well.. with bigger monitors you're not having to be so precise with your energy direction to hit the target illumination area. This allows them to put more energy at a point and still have acceptable "spread" after passing through the liquid crystal. On a smaller monitor this can lead to a fuzzy picture if the contrast ratio is done without great control.

See http://computer.howstuffworks.com/lcd.htm for a little better picture.