Due to the high variation in the number of uses for computer systems, and their associated display devices, there is a common need to have to configure the devices to meet those uses. This post looks at the various settings and features that may need to be considered when configuring a display device.
In the majority of cases, display devices can either be configured using buttons on the device itself or, in the case of computer systems, using a form of setting application within the computers OS. One such example of this is the ‘Control Settings’ application on the Windows Operating System.
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| A dual, twin-monitor workstation. |
Resolution
The ‘resolution’ is the name used to describe the number of pixels that make up the dimensions of a computer display. The value of the resolution is given as the number of horizontal pixels on the display by the number of vertical pixels (e.g. 1280 x 960). In older displays, this was very often in the ratio of 4:3 (e.g. 1024 x 768). In present day, widescreen display devices, including both computer display devices and televisions, have become much more popular.
Display device resolutions are significant because they represent how much information is able to be fitted onto a screen at the same time. For example, a widescreen display device with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 would be able to fit more than twice as much information, than a 4:3 ratio monitor with a resolution 800 x 600.
Table of various display device resolutions
| Resolution | # of Pixels | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 320 x 200 | 64,000 | 8:5 |
| 640 x 480 | 307,200 | 4:3 |
| 800 x 600 | 480,000 | 4:3 |
| 1024 x 768 | 786,432 | 4:3 |
| 1280 x 1024 | 1,310,720 | 5:4 |
| 1600 x 1200 | 1,920,000 | 4:3 |
| 1600 x 900 | 1,440,000 | 16:9 |
| 1920 x 1080 | 2,073.600 | 16:9 |
| 1680 x 1050 | 1,764,000 | 16:10 |
| 1920 x 1200 | 2,304,000 | 16:10 |
In 2015, information gathered from two surveys✝ indicated that the current most popular display device resolutions are 1920 x 1080 and 1366 x 768.
✝ Information taken from Wikipedia
Native Resolution
Some LCD or other flat panel display devices can have a fixed resolution, otherwise known as a ‘native resolution’. Devices which have a native resolution will only display a best quality image when the input signal is operating at the same native resolution of the display device. A display device with a fixed resolution may display signal inputs at other resolutions, but this will always result in a loss of image quality.
Refresh Rate
Refers to the number of times per second that a CRT monitor is ‘refreshed’, meaning that the screen image is redrawn. The rate of refresh is always described in hertz (Hz). The most common value for refresh rate is 60 Hz, meaning that a screen with this value will get ‘redrawn’ sixty times every second.
It’s worth noting that these refresh rates are only applicable to CRT display devices and do not apply to LCD display devices.
The refresh rate may also be referred to as the ‘frame rate’, although this term is very often also applied to the rate at which software, such as games other resource heavy applications, are able to refresh their image on the screen. In this latter example, the ideal ‘frame rate’ is still considered to be 60 Hz.
Brightness
Brightness simply refers to the amount of light being emitted from the display device. Measured in lumens, the standard unit of measurement for visible light emitting from a light source. On practically every display device manufactured, it’s possible to increase or decrease the amount of light that is emitted.
If the brightness is set too high, it can cause an aura effect to be displayed on the screen. If it’s set too low, it may make information difficult to read. In either case, it’s important to consider how extended use of an incorrectly set monitor may affect a users eyesight.
Analogue Versus Digital
This is largely dependent on the make and type of the display device. In the majority of cases, devices providing the input signals for a display device are inherently digital. Display devices such as LCD or LED also innately support those digital input signals.
Privacy/antiglare filters
Privacy or antiglare filters are a physical accessory that can be attached onto a display device. They can provide a number of benefits. For example;
- Reduction of the glare from the screen (in relation to the user sitting in front of it)
- Protecting the screen from scratches or dust
- Prevents others, who are not sitting in front of the screen, from being able to view the information being displayed. This can assist in enhancing privacy and protecting confidentiality.
Colour Depth Quality
Relates to the number of bits used to store the colour of a pixel. The more bits that a pixel has, the more colours are able to be displayed. It’s important to note that colour depth is only one aspect of the quality of the colours on a display device. The other is gamut, but for the purposes of this information it’s not necessary to go into detail.
Table of various display device resolutions
| Bit Depth | # of Colours | Scheme Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bit | 2 colours | Monochrome |
| 2 bits | 4 colours | – |
| 4 bits | 16 colours | – |
| 8 bits | 256 colours | Colour |
| 8 bits | 256 colours | Grayscale |
| 15 bits | 32,758 colours | High Colour |
| 16 bits | 65,536 colours | High Colour |
| 24/32 bits | 16,777,216 colours | True Colour |
| 30/36/48 bits | 1 billion + colours | Deep Colour |
For further information on colour depths, click here.
Contrast Ratio
The contrast ratio of a display device is defined as the difference, in luminance, of the ‘white’ brightness being divided by the ‘black’. This figure is expressed as a ratio.
For example; a contrast ratio of 500:1 means that the ‘white’ areas of the screen are 500 times brighter than those of the ‘black’. A high contrast ratio is a desired aspect of any display device.
Multiple Displays
As technology has improved and computer systems have become more and more able to run a number of different software packages at the same time, many users have chosen to use more than one display device, in order to monitor or perform a number of concurrent tasks and increase the amount of display space.
Typically, a multiple display setup will include two display devices, although more than two devices can be configured with the appropriate expansion card(s) that are able to support such a setup. Multiple displays like this are commonly used for professional computer workstations or for higher end gaming environments, where an extended desktop space is useful.
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| A multi-monitor gaming station, powered by the AMD Infinity |
Within the display properties within a computer settings system, it’s possible to designate one of the monitors as the ‘Primary’. This monitor typically displays the controls where all of the desktops administrative features can be called on (note: Since the release of Windows 10, these functions can be called upon from either monitor). The second monitor would typically contain extra ‘workspace’, extending the available visible area to work in.
Whilst it would normally be the case in the situations described above to have the desktop span the different monitors and have alternative windows in each, it’s also possible to set the system up to duplicate the desktop image onto both windows. This latter setup is useful to offer presentations.
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