Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Reduce Computer Monitor Eye Strain in 2 Easy Steps

I tried these 2 simple steps after reading an article on reducing eye strain by use of computer monitor and it worked like a wonder. You may also try these 2 simple fixes.

Turn on ClearType in Microsoft Windows XP
ClearType delivers improved font display quality over traditional forms of font smoothing or anti-aliasing. It improves readability on color LCD displays with a digital interface, such as those in laptops and high-quality flat panel displays. Readability on CRT monitors can also be improved. You see better and see clearer with reduced eyestrain.

Increase your Monitor Refresh Rate
The basic thing is that monitors flicker. Many users are used to the computer monitor flicker, or your eyes are not sensitive enough to detect it, but the flicker is there. And till it flickers, it will irritate your eyes and cause eye strain. Higher refresh rates are less likely to cause eyestrain. See what is the optimal refresh rate for your monitor and reduce flicker induced eyestrain and headache in the following way.

What is the refresh rate?

The refresh rate (or frequency) refers to the number of times per second that the video board redraws the entire screen.

How to change the refresh rate in Windows XP?

Go to Control Panel > Display
In Settings > Advanced > Monitor
Always Check the box for ‘Hide modes that this monitor cannot display’ to avoid hardware disputes. This will then give a drop down list of refresh rates that your monitor safely supports and you may set it up without error.

And then increase the monitors refresh rate. Most users agree it should be 75 Hz or more for optimal results. My computer was set to 60 Hz, the minimum by default.

Note, some monitors shiver at higher rates and some of the higher resolutions and color depths may be unavailable at the higher frequencies. My computer displayed resolutions from 60Hz to 200Hz. When I clicked the ‘Hide modes that this monitor cannot display’ box, the choices were only few from 60-70Hz. So I was glad I did not mess up by selecting a higher value which my CRT monitor did not support. I decided to select the recommended 70Hz.

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