A monitor is an electronic output device that displays information in pictorial or textual form generated by a connected computer via a computers video card. It is also known as a video display terminal (VDT) or a video display unit (VDU) . The display in modern monitors is typically an LCD with LED backlight, having by the 2010s replaced CCFL backlit LCDs. Before the mid-2000s, most monitors used a CRT. Monitors are connected to the computer via DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C, DVI, VGA, or other proprietary connectors and signals.
The primary use of a monitor is to display images, text, video, and graphics information generated by the computer. It can be referred to as the main output device of a computer device. The first monitor display was introduced on 1 March 1973. Monitors are also known as an input device, as they enable users to interact with the computer by using a finger or stylus instead of using a mouse or keyboard. When users touch the screen by their finger, it occurs an event and forwards it to the controller for processing. These types of screens include pictures or words that help users to interact with the computer.
There are three types of computer displays: CRT monitors, LED monitors, and LCD monitors. The CRT monitor is the oldest technology used by monitors and is based on the cathode ray tube technology that was developed for television. LED monitors are LCD monitors that use light-emitting diodes for backlighting. The first LCD monitors used cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) for backlighting, but by the 2010s, most monitors used LED backlighting instead.
