LCD vs CRT Pros and Cons (A Quick Overview) Version 0.534

This article provides a birds eye view of the differences between CRT and LCD computer display technologies.

MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF LCD (Pros of LCD, Cons of CRT)

	LCD	CRT
Slim Factor	LCDs are much slimmer than their CRT counterparts. This slimness brings along a host of advantages such as space saving and portability.	Bulky, the back size is proportionate to the size of the monitor
Viewable screen	A 15 inch LCD always has a same size of viewable area as the specifications say. Larger displays may have their viewable area reduced by at most 0.1 inches.	The viewable area is always about 0.9 - 1.1 inch smaller than the size specified on paper. This is due to the frame around the glass screen. So a 15" CRT would have only about 14" of viewable area.
Screen Flatness	100% ninety degrees true perfect flat screen	Many manufacturers tout true flatness for their CRT monitors, but the sad truth is that most are fake. In reality it is only the outer glass that is flat, and not the actual screen. The true 100% perfect flat monitors are the aperture grille tubes made by Mitsubishi and Sony. Even then, these tubes have a disadvantage - a faint thin line or two (Depending on size) running through the screen to stabilize the grill. Some people find this distracting, especially if you work on a light background (eg. documents) most of the time.
Radiation	LCDs emit a very small amount of radiation compared to CRTs. Health conscious consumers prefer them for this one reason.	CRTs emit electromagnetic radiation. Much of it is filtered by the lead heavy glass front and the rest that reaches your eyes are mostly harmless. Even then, radiation still passes through the screen and some people regard them as hazardous.
Weight	LCDs are very light, hence being portable. 17 inch LCD weighs around 6kg. 19 inch LCD weighs around 7kg.	CRTs weigh heavier, especially in their front (the display area) 17 inch CRT weighs around 16kg. 19 inch CRT weighs around 20kg.
Power Requirements	Considerably lower power usage. 17 inch LCD requires around 35 watts 19 inch LCD requires around 45 watts	Higher power usage, more than 200% to an LCD of equivalent size. 17 inch CRT requires around 90 watts 19 inch CRT requires around 110 watts
Glare	Little or no glare	Glare is reduced by the use of special filters and treated glass.
Display Sharpness	Sharp (when used at native display resolution)	Slightly less sharp images - but it is noticeable when comparing with LCDs
Automatic Resize	Hit the Auto button, and the display resizes to fit every pixel within its viewable area.	Newer CRTs come with a Auto-Fit feature, but unfortunately it does not work well and requires micro adjustments to fill the screen
Burn-In	LCDs are free from the burn-in issue that plagues CRTs and Plasma displays. However, they do occasionally have Image Persistence problems which can be fixed by switching off the LCD for an extended period of time.	Suffers from burn-in problem. If displaying a same image for a prolonged period, it could be embedded in the display permanently.
Refresh Rate (Screen Flicker)	LCDs do not "paint" their image. They provide a flicker free image every time.	A minimum of 75hz is required for a flicker free image. All CRTs already support this, except at ultra high resolutions 2048++.
Warmness	Little	Back gets noticeably warm after some time

MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF CRT (Pros of CRT, Cons of LCD)

	CRT	LCD
Dead / Stuck Pixel	There is no such problem in CRTs as images are painted on the screen.	LCD panels are prone to dead or stuck pixels (or dots) on the screen due to their manufacturing process. However, stiff competition has made many manufacturers adopt zero dead pixel / stuck pixel warranties for their products.
Response Time	CRTs already have a very fast response time hence this attribute does not apply to it.	This attribute is specially for LCDs as the lower the response rate is, the better the chance of avoiding "ghosting" effect.
Price	Affordable and cheaper than LCDs due to their declining popularity. 17 inch CRT costs around $160 19 inch CRT costs around $225	Considerably more expensive, but prices are dropping fast. 17 inch LCD costs around $275 19 inch LCD costs around $330
Native Resolution	Can be used at any resolution up to the maximum supported. No image quality is lost at any resolution.	Must be used at its native resolution (maximum resolution) for best quality. Using the display at a lower resolution will result interpolation (scaling of the image), causing image quality loss. This is one of the major reasons for CRTs being in use by gamers as the high native resolution that LCD demands may not deliver smooth frame rates.
Max Colors	32 bit	8-Bit max, 16.7 million colors.
Viewing Angle	Wide viewing angle	Narrow viewing angle, depending on technology employed.
Video	Ideal for any video including HD	Not ideal for Standard Definition videos, but great for High Definition videos
Blackness	True Black	Between Dark Gray to Gray

Summary

Pros of LCD vs Cons of CRT

	LCD	CRT
Slim Factor	Slim	Bulky
Viewable screen	Full or very close	Usually 0.9 inches or less than actual size
Screen Flatness	True Flat	Fake Flat (unless aperture grille)
Radiation	Little or none	More Radiation
Weight	Light	Heavy
Power Requirements	Low Power requirement	250% or more power
Glare	No Glare	Reduced Glare
Image Sharpness	Sharp	Slightly less sharp images
Automatic Resize	Perfect	Imperfect
Burn-In	None	Suffers from burn-in problem
Refresh Rate	No refresh rate (60hz fixed)	Needs refresh rate (minimum 72hz)
Warmness	Little	Back gets warm after some time

Pros of CRT vs Cons of LCD

	CRT	LCD
Dead / Stuck Pixel	No such problem	May have dead / stuck pixel
Response Rate	No issue with response rate	Slow
Price	Cheap	Expensive
Native Resolution	None	Has a native resolution
Max Colors	32 bit	8-Bit max, 16.7 million colors.
Viewing Angle	Wide viewing angle	Narrow viewing angle
Video	Ideal for any video viewing including HD	Not ideal for videos, unless HD
Blackness	True Black	Between Dark Gray to Gray