How Computer Monitors Work

Other Technologies

Touch-screen Monitors

Displays with touch-screen technology let you input information or navigate applications by touching the surface of the display. The technology can be implemented through a variety of methods, including infrared sensors, pressure-sensitive resistors or electronic capacitors.

Wireless Monitors

Similar in looks to a tablet PC, wireless monitors use technology such as 802.11b/g to connect to your computer without a cable. Most include buttons and controls for mousing and web surfing, and some also include keyboards. The displays are battery-powered and relatively lightweight. Most also include touch-screen capabilities.

Television and HDTV Integration

Some displays have built-in television tuners that you can use for viewing cable TV on your computer. You can also find displays that accept S-video input directly from a video device. Additional features include picture-in-picture or picture-on-picture capability, a remote control and support for high-definition television (HDTV).

VESA Brings Standardization

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) is an organization that supports and sets industry-wide interface standards for the PC, workstation and consumer electronics industries. VESA promotes and develops timely, relevant, open standards for the display and display interface industry, ensuring interoperability and encouraging innovation and market growth.

In August of 1992, VESA passed the VESA Local Bus (VL-Bus) Standard 1.0. This standard had a significant impact on the industry, because it was the first local bus standard to be developed, which provided a uniform hardware interface for local bus peripherals. The creation of this standard ensured compatibility among a wide variety of graphics boards, monitors, and systems software.

Today, VESA is a worldwide organization that promotes and develops open display and display interface standards for interoperability. VESA is a formative influence in the PC industry and a contributor to the enhancement of flat panel display, monitor, graphics, software and systems technologies including home networking and PC theater.