EIZO

It is such a waste to only use the LCD for desktop computers. Connecting it up with a laptop PC has many merits for the user and can also bring out the latent power of the laptop.

Note: Below is the translation from the Japanese of the ITmedia article "The dual display in Windows 7 is now even more convenient" published March 1, 2010. Copyright 2011 ITmedia Inc. All Rights Reserved.

An "external" LCD expands the potential of a laptop computer

Most laptops have a handy "external display output" port. It can be used in the home to transmit videos played on the laptop to a large screen TV or, in the office, to connect up with a projector for presentations. In fact, there must be many users who already use it like this. However, people tend to use just the laptop in their daily routine and there are probably not so many cases where they use the external display output.

A laptop can be put to more effective use if it is connected to an external LCD. The photograph shows an EIZO 23-inch wide-screen LCD connected by HDMI to a Sony VAIO C laptop (VPCCW28FJ/R).

This time we would like to suggest a style that can be used in both the home and the office, where a laptop and stand-alone LCD remain connected. A laptop already has an LCD, but using it with an additional stand-alone LCD offers various merits. Not only does it make the laptop environment more pleasant and convenient, it also expands the potential of the computer itself, for example by making it possible to use it for new purposes.

Even if the LCD is already connected to a desktop computer and being used for something other than the laptop, most monitors nowadays have two or more video inputs and they tend not to use this capability to the full. It is such a waste to let the laptop's external display output function and the monitor's video input function remain dormant, so we would like them to be put to effective use. Of course, we would also recommend the introduction of a new LCD to connect to your laptop.

Using a large screen and high resolution with a laptop makes it even more user-friendly

The biggest merit of connecting a laptop with a stand-alone LCD is that it gives you a large screen and high resolution dual display environment. Standard laptop models usually come with a built-in 13-inch to 15-inch wide-screen LCD with a 1280 × 800 dot or 1366 × 768 dot resolution.

This level of resolution is good enough for basic Windows operations, but it goes without saying that a large, high-resolution computer screen is much more user-friendly. Combining a laptop with one of the latest wide-screen monitors enables you to easily construct a large-screen, high-resolution dual display environment. It is a real boon to dramatically boost the screen size and resolution while continuing to use your familiar laptop.

In particular, the increased vertical resolution makes applications such as web browsers and document display and editing far easier to use. For example, you can do things like check things with the web browser, refer to pdf files, organize data using word processing or presentation software, and create spread sheets and documents without having to change windows.

Another plus is that you can create the luxury of a "watching while" environment where you run the web browser, for instance, on the laptop's built-in LCD and watch the video content on the large screen of the external monitor. This can be really useful for hobbies too. For example, while playing a game on the large external LCD screen you can check out strategies on websites, post information on a BBS or communicate with other users.

You can smoothly use multiple applications at the same time in the large workspace provided by a dual display. The photograph shows an EIZO 24.1-inch wide-screen LCD, the FlexScan SX2462W connected to a VAIO C. By supplementing the laptop's built-in 1366 × 768 dot 14-inch wide-screen LCD with a 1920 × 1200 dot 24.1-inch wide-screen, it is possible to show more data at a time, a huge boost to work efficiency.		With two screens it's easy to have full-screen display of the video content on one screen while you operate the computer on the other. The photograph shows an EIZO 23-inch wide-screen LCD monitor connected to a VAIO C. The VAIO C has HDMI output and the LCD monitor has HDMI input so visuals and sound can be transmitted by a single HDMI cable. The LCD monitor has full HD screen resolution (1920 × 1080 dot), making it the perfect match for HD video content.

At the office, it is very helpful for presentations to use "clone view" for the laptop's built-in LCD and the external LCD screen. Clone view means showing exactly the same content on two display screens. It is normally set by a graphics driver function.

Clone view displaying the same content on two screens is very effective when used in presentations

When holding small meetings it is certainly very convenient to be able to offer simple explanations of the presentation materials displayed on the external LCD, rather than having to ready a projector. Being able to explain about what is displayed on the screen means fewer documents to distribute, helping your office to "go paperless", which can only be a good thing.

We would like to point out here that you should check in advance the maximum resolution that the laptop's external display output can handle. This can be found in documents such as the laptop's specifications chart and support information. This is because, although most laptops can handle output up to 1920 × 1080 dots or 1920 × 1200 dots, some slightly older computers have an upper limit of 1680 × 1050 dots or 1600 × 1200 dots.

Even if the upper limit is 1680 × 1050 dots, the LCD can still display the data if its own resolution is 1680 × 1050 dots or higher. In such cases, it is better to use a monitor that offers dot-by-dot display, which displays the input resolution as it is, or enlarged display, which maintains the screen's aspect ratio as it is. You do not need to worry because EIZO wide-screen LCDs can handle such display methods (although in some cases they do not function properly depending on the laptop computer or input resolution).

This is an example of a low-resolution display on the 1920 × 1200 dot display SX2462W. Since dot-by-dot display outputs the physical "1 dot" of the LCD and the input resolution "1 dot" without enlargement or reduction, it is shown small in the center of the screen (photo on the left). The display is a little blurred if it is enlarged while maintaining the aspect ratio, but this method is suitable for displaying images as they are shown large with low resolution to make the most of the screen size (photo on the right). Many monitors that cannot handle such display methods enlarge the display to full screen regardless of the input resolution. In such cases you have to be careful as the aspect ratio of the image is altered (for example, people appear to be thinner or fatter).

The dual display environment in Windows 7 is now even more convenient

It is easy to set up a dual display in Windows 7. A menu is displayed when you right-click on the desktop. From "Screen resolution" it is possible to detect and align the external LCD, and set details such as resolution, display method and which will be the main display screen. The "Screen resolution" menu. If the external LCD is not automatically recognized, click on "Detect". After the monitor has been recognized, you can select the display mode from the "Multiple displays" drop-down menu. Select "Extend display screen" to make the laptop screen and the external LCD into a single display screen (dual display). Select "Duplicate display screen" from the "Multiple displays" drop-down menu to display the same content on the laptop screen and the external LCD screen (clone view). With this drop-down menu you can also set it to display video on one of the LCDs. You can also call up a settings menu to decide the display method for a projector or external display by pressing the "Windows" and "P" keys. This is a tip worth remembering as selecting "Extension" for dual display or "Duplicate" for clone view here allows you to switch swiftly between them as necessary. The menu launched by simultaneously pressing the "Windows" and "P" keys. You can easily switch between display methods such as dual display or clone view. It is also worth noting that Windows 7 has added functions so that dual display can be used more effectively. An active window can be moved to the screen of another LCD by simultaneously pushing "Windows" + "Shift" + "→" (or "←"). It is also possible to maximize the window by pressing "Windows" + "↑", minimize it by pressing "Windows" + "↓", and shift it to the left or right of each screen by pressing "Windows" + "→" (or "←"). Making good use of these shortcuts should enable the efficient placing of windows in the two screens.   In Windows 7, pressing "Windows" + "Shift" + "→" instantly moves the active window from the left-hand screen (photo on the left) to the right-hand screen (photo on the right). Conversely, you can move the active window from the right-hand screen to the left-hand one by pressing "Windows" + "Shift" + "←".

The superb usability of an EIZO wide-screen LCD to connect with a laptop computer

We would recommend a wide-screen model with a screen resolution of 1920 × 1080 dots (Full HD) or 1920 × 1200 dots (WUXGA) as the LCD to connect to a laptop, so that you can make full use of the advantages of dual display. EIZO has an extensive line up of wide-screen LCDs which can offer many benefits, in addition to the merits of a large screen and high resolution, when used with a laptop for dual display.

One such feature is the flexible stand adjustment. For example, the tilt, swivel and height can be adjusted for the FlexScan SX2462W, a 24.1-inch WUXGA model, and the FlexScan EV2333, a 23-inch full HD model. This enables users to adjust the screen position for easy viewing according to their own posture, which not only boosts work efficiency but also reduces physical strain.

The SX2462W stand. The simultaneous adjustment of its tilt, swivel and height enables the optimum screen position to be aligned for its operating environment.

The SX2462W is also equipped with vertical display function, turning the screen through 90 degrees. Vertical display is really handy when viewing elongated documents, graphics or web pages. In addition, when used as a standard horizontal screen, a 24.1 wide-screen, with its 518.4 × 324.0 mm display area, can display two A4 sheets, in other words one A3 (420 × 297 mm) in actual size. As well as being very useful in areas such as graphics or desk top publishing, this is also bound to come in handy when checking large business or accounting documents.

Setting the connected monitor into a vertical position is very convenient when displaying elongated web pages and documents or photographs that were taken vertically		With a 24.1 inch wide-screen like the SX2462W, an A3 sheet (two A4 sheets side by side) can be viewed in actual size, particularly effective for paper-based creative work ITmedia LCD Course II, Lesson 3: Which is better, 16:10 or 16:9 ? – "Screen size / resolution / aspect ratio"

We must not forget that EIZO's wide-screen LCDs have non-glare screens (processed to reduce ambient light reflection). Nowadays the trend is for laptops to have an LCD with glare (glossy) surface treatment. While these can display images in bright color, reflected ambient light can sometimes be distracting.

A laptop screen is not so large and adjusting its angle can avoid the reflection of lights and so on, however it is not so easy with the large screen of an external LCD. When it comes to the large screen of an LCD in habitual use, a non-glare type that is not reflective is probably easier to see, as well as being kinder on the eyes. A large screen, high resolution and non-glare ensure that you can comfortably continue viewing over a prolonged period of time.

The surface treatment of an LCD makes a difference to the background reflection. Glare panels do not diffuse background light, making it easier to achieve high color purity, but easily reflect the user or lights (photo on the left). If the lights are similarly trained on a non-glare panel they do not have much effect, only appearing as a fuzzy brightness (photo on the right).

Another distinctive feature of EIZO wide-screen LCDs is a commitment to energy saving. They incorporate various power saving features that support "EcoView". A pivotal feature is the "EcoView Sense" adopted in the FlexScan EV series, such as the EV2333W.

The EV2333W has a built-in motion sensor on its front

This is the motion sensor on the front of the LCD. It constantly monitors the user's movements to automatically take finely-tuned power saving measures. To be more precise, if the user's presence is not detected for a specified period of time, for example if he leaves his seat, the monitor automatically switches to power save mode, and then automatically switches back when the user's presence is detected again.

Other features include "Auto EcoView", which automatically optimizes the brightness of the LCD based on ambient lighting, and "EcoView Index", which displays a meter on the screen showing how much power is being saved. All these features can be expected to have a strong energy saving effect and to boost the user's awareness of power saving, making them particularly useful in the office.

Try using a laptop like a desktop PC

A standard laptop computer switches to sleep mode if the built-in LCD is closed while it is running but, if this function is turned off, a laptop can be treated as a "small desktop computer." It can be set to use only the connected external LCD and not to react when the laptop's built-in LCD is closed. The transformation into a small desktop PC is complete if you add a keyboard and mouse connected to the laptop via USB ports, for example. The OS is still running even though the laptop's built-in LCD is closed, so you can carry out normal operations using the external keyboard and mouse, and also use the laptop's built-in optical drives. The idea is to use a large screen, high resolution external LCD at home or in the office, and to use the laptop's built-in LCD as usual for mobile purposes. This helps to boost the longevity of the laptop's built-in LCD and many people do use their laptop in this way. If you feel reluctant to use a dual display environment, where the screen is split in two, why not give this a try? Select "Only show the desktop on 2" from the "Multiple displays" list in the "Screen resolution" menu. The laptop's built-in LCD will be switched off and the external LCD will become the main display. In the case of Windows 7, open "Alter power button operation" from the "Power options" list in the Control Panel's "Hardware and sound", and alter the "Operation when the cover is closed" to "Do nothing". By making this simple setting your laptop can be used as a space saving desktop computer. Another plus is that the laptop's built-in LCD will last longer.

Insist on good image quality for your laptop with an EIZO display

Recently some high-end laptop computers, such as the Sony VAIO F, are insisting on good display quality for their LCDs. However, a typical laptop's built-in LCD does not have as good image quality as a stand-alone LCD. This is only natural since the costs allowed for display quality are completely different for an LCD incorporated into the PC as one of its parts and a specialized LCD.

However, by using an EIZO wide-screen LCD a laptop user can still fully enjoy such benefits of a stand-alone high-quality LCD as excellent color reproduction, a wide viewing angle, more even display and a wealth of items that can be adjusted to improve image quality. This is a crucial point for people who use their computer for photographs and videos in particular.

EIZO's wide-screen LCDs emphasize color reproduction, and the coloration in sRGB mode has a high degree of accuracy. The standard color gamut used in PC environments and Internet content is sRGB, so you need have no worries about viewing or editing videos and photographs. They can also display images on web pages, such as products in online shops or goods for sale in online auctions, in colors that are very close to the real thing. (This is also influenced by how the seller took the photographs and processed the images, so we cannot say that the colors will always be accurate.)

Furthermore, in addition to sRGB color gamut accuracy, the high resolution-oriented FlexScan SX has the added benefit of covering more than 95% of Adobe RGB. Adobe RGB is a color gamut whose definitions encompass more highly-saturated colors than sRGB. In other words, it can represent a larger number of colors and brighter hues than sRGB.

Adobe RGB is the de facto standard in the publishing field and, closer to home, is used in digital SLR cameras and high grade compact digital cameras. The FlexScan SX series can reproduce the colors of photos taken in Adobe RGB mode with almost perfect accuracy on the screen. Retouching photographs proceeds more efficiently since subtle differences in color can be checked on the screen.

ITmedia LCD Course II, Lesson 1: The important thing is being able to display "true color" – An explanation of LCD "color gamut".

An example of sRGB color gamut image data displayed on a standard laptop and on the SX2462W. The SX2462W's reproducibility of sRGB mode is of a considerably high standard but the color balance on the laptop has been lost. This would make it difficult to perform rigorous photo retouching.		In this case, if the image is edited on the external LCD with its high color reproducibility and the many tool palettes in the application are grouped in the laptop's built-in LCD, there is less need to display or hide the tool palettes or to switch back and forth, and the image data to be edited can be displayed in a large form, making for more efficient work.

In this case, if the image is edited on the external LCD with its high color reproducibility and the many tool palettes in the application are grouped in the laptop's built-in LCD, there is less need to display or hide the tool palettes or to switch back and forth, and the image data to be edited can be displayed in a large form, making for more efficient work.

When doing things like photo retouching, using software where there is a lot of switching between tool palettes it is very handy to display the image data to be edited on the external LCD with its high color reproducibility, and to gather the palette tools to be used on the laptop's built-in LCD.

Going back to the subject of laptop computers, it is not going too far to say that applications and functions are being spoiled in laptops whose built-in LCD's image quality is not too good. Connecting a laptop to a monitor with high image quality dispels any concerns about work that deals with colors and also helps to bring out the laptop's potential.

Combining an EIZO wide-screen LCD with a laptop computer makes viewing videos and images even more fun. Just being able to see them on a large screen is a pleasure, but what makes it even better is that our LCDs are equipped with Fine Contrast, the optimum image quality mode for video and visuals. You can also use the Custom mode to create the image quality you prefer.

We recommend a EIZO wide-screen LCD for connection to a laptop

We expect that you now understand how displaying screens from a laptop computer on a stand-alone LCD can create a very pleasant environment. It feels as if your everyday laptop has been transformed into a completely different desktop machine. Even if you only use laptop computers, it is definitely worthwhile to add a stand-alone LCD.

When choosing the type of LCD the most important consideration is to choose one with overall high quality. When it comes to that, we can recommend EIZO wide-screen LCDs to a broad range of laptop users. In addition to their high image quality, EIZO wide-screen LCD are built with careful attention to detail, including non-glare screens, versatile stand features, dot-by-dot capability, abundant image quality modes, and our proprietary eco-functions. We want you to make full use of your beloved laptop computer along with an EIZO wide-screen LCD.

Dual display is good with a desktop computer too

This time we have spoken about how an external LCD can be connected to a laptop computer, but if your main machine is a desktop computer then you probably already have a LCD. In which case, why not consider adding a full HD (1920 × 1080 dot) or WUXGA (1920 × 1200 dot) wide-screen LCD and creating a more advanced dual display environment to further enhance your computer's usability. Recently many computers can handle dual display output with their chipset integrated graphics function, and nearly all of them are capable of dual display output with a stand-alone graphics card. The dual display environment of a desktop PC has a wider range of options than a laptop computer, which is already installed with an LCD. Depending on the combination of products used you can seek for a larger screen, higher resolution and better image quality. The photograph below shows two EIZO 24.1-inch WUXGA (1920 × 1200 dot) models being used side by side for an overwhelming super high resolution of 3840 × 1200 dots in total. You can get a super high resolution of 3840 × 1200 dots in total by putting two 24.1-inch 1920 × 1200 dot wide-screen LCDs side by side. The advantage in this is that a larger screen and higher resolution are achieved at a lower cost than buying a single 30-inch high resolution model