Choosing a TFT display in today's market is never easy, what with a whole bewildering range of technologies out there and the ever changing trends in monitor specs and performance.

The aim of this article is to make the process simpler for you, the buyer, by demystifying some of the more important aspects to consider when looking for a TFT monitor, as well as looking at some of the recent trends in the market which may impact your purchasing decision -- Which panel technology is most suited to your needs? Does bigger mean better? What else should you consider when choosing a screen? I'll attempt to answer these questions, and along the way we'll look at some specific models worth looking out for.

The Premise

There is often a lot of discussion in forums about the various technologies used in LCD displays today. While it's important to realise that all these different technologies do indeed vary in their performance characteristics, it is equally important not to jump to conclusions about which one is "best" without looking at what you actually need or want from a display. There are a reasonable amount of people out there who seem keen to jump on the bandwagon of one particular technology being superior to others, something which at the moment often surrounds IPS panels. Rather than go too in-depth about each technology, something which you can read about in a previous article, I'll summarize what you should expect from each, along with their pros and cons.

TN Film - Samsung SM226BW	P-MVA - Viewsonic VX2025WM	S-IPS - NEC 20WGX2