Today's flat-panel displays offer vast improvements over previous-generation monitors. New LCD and digital displays offer higher image quality, enhanced capabilities, and innovative features that not only provide impressive front-of-screen performance but can also increase productivity.
Digital revolution
A major improvement with modern displays is the movement away from analog video technology to digital standards. To display on an analog monitor, the PC's graphic subsystem has to convert the digital binary value of the image an analog signal. This conversion degrades the image quality and slows data transfer to the screen.
With digital monitors, image data goes from the CPU to the screen without conversion, resulting in clearer, sharper graphics, and quicker response rates.
DVI
Analog display technology is still hanging around largely because of competition among interface standards for digital monitors. To overcome this hurdle, HP, Fujitsu, IBM, Intel, NEC, and Silicon Image formed the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) to create an open interface standard. The resulting Digital Visual Interface (DVI) specification ensures the broad interoperability needed for widespread adoption and provides several additional advantages, including:
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Backward compatibility with existing analog and digital standards.
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Common connector for analog and digital monitors.
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Simplified graphics subsystems and monitor technology.
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Longer video cables without signal degradation.
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Improved image quality.
In addition, DVI helps large monitors achieve faster response rates. Large monitors have more pixels than small monitors and therefore require more visual data. The DVI standard allows for establishing two Transmission Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) links that send the millions of image bits to the screen via two simultaneous data streams instead of one.
Improved productivity
Multitasking clutters up a screen in a hurry; especially with smaller displays. Window management - positioning, resizing, and switching between layers of application screens, documents, and folders - ends up consuming an inordinate amount of time. Increasing the screen area, whether by connecting an additional monitor or moving up to large display, helps users keep things organized and can dramatically boost productivity.
In fact, a 2003 University of Utah study found that users with multiple monitors produced 10 percent more work, were 16 percent faster, and had 33 percent fewer errors than single-screen users.
The DualView feature built into Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional enables PC users to connect two monitors to a single PC with both screens working together seamlessly as a single desktop. This capability allows users to, for instance, work on one screen while monitoring email or IM on the other, dedicate one screen for work area and the other for toolbars, or easily drag and drop text between two open documents.
Alternately, a business could opt to upgrade to large-screen monitors that offer ample room to keep things organized on a single pane. In either case, the affordability of today's flat-panel monitors coupled with increased productivity translates into fast ROI for additional or larger displays.
Thin and versatile
The obvious physical advantage of flat-panel LCD displays is the amount of desk space they free up. But beyond eliminating bulky CRT monitors, HP flat-panel displays also include many novel features that let users get more out of their displays:
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Flexible positioning - The HP L1950, LP2065 and LP1965 Flat Panel monitors feature height-adjustable stands and easy tilt and swivel functionality, allowing users to find their ideal screen position. They also have 90-degree pivot - rotate the monitor between landscape and portrait for the best screen orientation for the task.
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Wall mounting - All HP Flat Panels feature an industry standard VESA mount, a fully detachable base and a slim, lightweight design making it simple to hang screens up. The HP L1755 and HP L1955 feature a quick release base allowing for easier mountability.
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Tiling - super-thin bezel edges let you create a panoramic view across several monitors.
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Easy connectivity - built-in USB hub offers convenient plug-and-play connections for a variety of peripherals.
Visit HP's business monitors website to view all of HP's DVI-compliant flat-panel displays.
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