Two things that have held up the widespread adoption of LCD flat panel technology for monitors--high prices and the lack of standards--are now changing. In the past year, digital flat panel prices have dropped to the point where a 15-inch LCD monitor costs under $1,000. While still double the price of a CRT monitor, the difference is erased by the fact that an LCD monitor lasts five to eight years, while a CRT monitor lasts an average of three years. The only part of an LCD monitor that deteriorates is the back light lamp, which is inexpensive and easy to replace.
The lack of standards has made it difficult to interface LCD monitors with PCs. To address that problem, industry giants Compaq, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard have invited a number of their competitors to join their Digital Flat Panel Group. The group has already drafted a standard for an interface and plans to lobby for its adoption by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). VESA already has a committee which has been working on a standard. The hope is that a standard will be published within a year.
