As camera quality and clarity improves, so must monitor quality and clarity – a fact often overlooked by most. What good is a high-end security camera if your picture quality is skewed by an inferior monitor? If the quality of the display does not match the quality of the video, it will negatively affect the way the user perceives the picture.
This was the case for most until the television industry developed the High Definition Television Standard – HDTV. The same technology that has been taking the consumer television market by storm is now being integrated into the security field.
This article from IP Security Watch breaks down the future of video monitoring.
Today’s HDTV displays are traditionally manufactured with a 16:9 aspect ratio, ideal for large flat-screen video monitors because it coincides with the new wider format streaming from more advanced HDTV-quality cameras. The three categories of HDTV are:
- LCD — Pros: Higher resolution than plasma, no danger of burn-in. Cons: Cannot achieve true black, narrow viewing angle, brightness and color shift when viewed away from screen’s sweet spot.
- LED — Pros: Excellent black levels, low heat emission, substantial energy savings, long lifespan, slim and lightweight design. Cons: Relatively narrow viewing angle.
- Plasma — Pros: Wide viewing angle, excellent black levels, great for viewing moving images, lower cost. Cons: Potential image burn-in if scene remains static for hours at a time or there is fixed text in the viewing window, brightness fades over time.
But there is a new technology gaining more and more popularity – Organic Emitting Diode (OLED), which uses organic compounds sandwiched between two layers of transparent plastic that emit light when an electrical charge is passed through them. These new displays consume very little energy while still producing an amazingly crisp image. But OLED does still have two big limitations – size and price. As of right now, these displays can only be produced up to 50 inches. And they are expensive. Though OLED displays boast small operating costs, the initial upfront cost of these displays can be pricey.
Until manufactures can mass-produce larger OLED displays, they will remain an expensive alternative to traditional security operations.
For any questions about HDTV or OLED displays, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.