Thoughts on LED/LCD/Plasma/3D monitor technologies

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Bolimomo

In the TV world, the LED monitors are graduately overtaking the LCD monitors. They are brighter for sure. Most with fluid refreshes. The slow pixel updates issue with the earlier LCD screens in motion pictures is gone. Looks like they are selling more LED computer monitors now.

Do you think it will make a big difference for us using the computer screen for charts? Most of the charts that I designed, I use black as the background color and the simple colors (red, green, blue, yellow, etc.) for price plots. I don't think having a "brighter" monitor will help me that much. What do you think? You like LED monitors better than LCD for trading?

How about plasma? I don't recall seeing any small plasma screens (e.g. 22"). Is there a technology or economic reason that they won't or can't make small plasma tubes? Most of what I have seen is 42" and up on plasma.

Looks like many vendors are pushing 3D TV and 3D computer monitors now and will be for the next few years. 3D computer monitors? The demos (driving games, shooting games) looked great. But I don't play video game at all so I wouldn't buy a 3D mon for that reason. Have you noticed/heard any trading software venturing into 3D visualization of financial data for retail customers?
 
I've had a 37" plasma since 2005. Paid nearly $3000. (whoops). It's an electricity hog. I went with plasma because, at the time, few lcds could be viewed off-angle. Plasmas have relection issues. The LEDs seem to have a slight reflection. If I were to add a larger tv to my family room, (basement location, no windows)I'd go big plasma. But when the day comes, my living room plasma will be LED, for the thin profile.
 
LED is the backlight, not the actual panel. So, there is no difference in the picture quality or response time.

Brightness of fluorescent lamps (that were used before LED as a backlight) has improved dramatically in recent years. People report a few of the recent monitors (with fluorescent backlight) cannot be used comfortably in a dimmed room unless brightness is turned all the way down.

The only area where LED wins hands down is energy efficiency. Given how low energy consumption of LCD monitors is comapred to computers, using monitors with LED backlight may turn into a meaningful saving for people who use 6 or more emonitors with a single computer.

Plasma TVs have very deep blacks, wich LCD monitors (with fluorescent or LED backlight) can't even approach.

Quote from Bolimomo:

Looks like many vendors are pushing 3D TV and 3D computer monitors now and will be for the next few years. 3D computer monitors? The demos (driving games, shooting games) looked great. But I don't play video game at all so I wouldn't buy a 3D mon for that reason. Have you noticed/heard any trading software venturing into 3D visualization of financial data for retail customers?
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3D requires wearing radio-controlled shatter glasses. This is extremely impractical in large-office environment like a typical trading room. Currently, it is very much a niche technology. The only real use is watching (very few) movies that have come out on Blueray in 3D format. There are also a few satellite channels that show program in 3D from time to time.
 
LED backlighting is about getting the colors perfect (and having them stay that way indefinitely) and increasing the color gamut.
 
Quote from champsawon:

The LEDs of today aren't true leds, they are just edge lit, true LEDs will come in a few years.
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No, the LED refers to the backlighting method, not the pixel, which are stiill LCD.

The advantage is that the backlighting is even in an LED and not subject to the degradation that occurs in the previous generation cold-cathode backlit displays.

As for next generation, OLEDs are supposed to provide much better switching rates and much shorter persistence times. The trade-off is shorter display lifetime.
 
Quote from LeeD:

The only area where LED wins hands down is energy efficiency.
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Another area where LED backlights should be superior is longevity. Most monitor failures are caused by one/both of the cold cathode tube backlights breaking or the inverter (which provides them with the high voltage required for their power). LEDs use low voltage DC and are rated for long life so the monitors should last longer (at least theoretically). Where thickness matters (laptops), LEDs also allow for much thinner displays (ie: MacBook Air).

What no one has mentioned is the LCD panel type. Most current LCD monitors are TN panels (which darken when viewed from the sides or from below). IPS (or S-IPS now) panels eliminate this issue and are vastly superior to TN panels (imho).

Combining these two technologies (LED backlighting & S-IPS panels) would seem to be a no-brainer. Ironically, it is, but to only one company - Apple. Aapl is the only company to offer both technologies in their displays at this time (if someone finds another - let me know).

Supposedly LG and a few others are scheduled to debut new monitors this year with both...
 
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