Tube monitors have been used very actively in the past. They were also called CRT. However, with the advent of liquid crystal matrices, such monitors began to disappear. And all because the LCD devices could give a better picture and at the same time use the minimum amount of electricity. In this article we will talk about tube monitors. About how they appeared, how much were used and how they sunk into oblivion. But first, some general information.
What is a CRT monitor?
Under the abbreviation "CRT" is a rather long phrase - "electron beam tube." This is the main device in the tube monitor. It is she who is responsible for the formation of the image on the screen. If in LCD panels matrix crystals do this, then in CRT models everything is a little more complicated. Inside the monitor is a vacuum tube into which a signal from the computer's video card is supplied.
At the same time, electrical impulses are fed into the tube. Charged particles of current bombard the screen of the device and as a result, the signal from the video card is transformed into a picture on the screen. if we explain it simplistically. It’s better not to climb into the jungle of physics. there is a great risk of confusion.
Simply put, such monitors used amperage and some features of the vacuum in order to display a picture on the screen. Naturally, it was impossible to achieve special quality and high resolution under such conditions. Therefore, the old tube monitors are almost never used at the moment. With modern permissions, they simply can not cope. And their development stopped about fifteen years ago.
LCD panels looked much more promising than ancient models with a cathode ray tube. Nevertheless, such monitors can still be found in the secondary market. But only the sense of them is not very much. After all, even the aspect ratio does not fit modern content.
When was the first instance created?
The year of birth of the first tube monitor for a computer (exactly the one we are used to) is considered to be 1961. Naturally, a lot has passed since then and the technologies are outdated. It was then that IBM released a computer with an integrated monitor. And then just CRT technology was used. However, this monitor cannot be called modern. He was monochrome and was able to display exclusively certain characters.
He was not designed for more. And yet, it was a breakthrough. This was the beginning of the era of tube monitors. Further, the development of this technology took place exclusively. But the release of a full-fledged CRT monitor with RGB support and other amenities was still very far away. But the beginning has already been made. And this served as a powerful impetus to the development of this technology.
Who released the first modern CRT unit?
The first device, which was similar to modern ones, was the Samsung tube monitor. It was released in 1988. It was then that multicolor picture technology first began to be used. At that time, the monitor was able to work only with an 8-bit image. But that was already enough. Over time, CRT monitors were modernized, new technologies were introduced, and so on. That is, technology has developed rapidly.
Around the end of the nineties of the last century, ViewSonic launched the first tube monitor with VGA technology, marking a revolution in the production of CRT units. This connector is used to this day on many computers. Although considered a hopelessly outdated analog anachronism. Be that as it may, in the early 2000s, CRT monitors were the most popular product.
Although already at this time there were liquid crystal models. Nevertheless, manufacturers relentlessly upgraded CRT technology, achieving high resolutions and an acceptable color depth. And they even did something.
Why did CRT aggregates disappear?
Because tube monitors could not withstand the competition from more advanced LCD panels. They gave a better image, consumed less energy and took up much less space on the table. While LCD panels were expensive, CRT monitors still somehow lived. But as soon as the price of a new technology fell, it was then that users began to replace their old devices with new ones.
As a result, by 2010, there was not a single CRT monitor in the houses that would be used constantly. Soon, manufacturers decided to close the further development of cathode ray tube displays. LCD panels looked more promising. And so it happened.
Conclusion
So, in this article we tried to tell in an accessible language about tube monitors from the past. At one time these were powerful and innovative devices. But they came to an end. Perhaps in the future it will be waiting for modern LCD panels.
But that will be a completely different story. CRT monitors who survived live their lives in dusty lofts or basements. And their place was taken by more compact and high-quality successors. This is a common thing. Technologies do not stand still.