We all spend an awful lot of time sat in front of computers. Whether we’re gaming or working, we are at the mercy of what many would argue is the most important element of any system–the monitor. A well-defined monitor can make using a system a pleasure. Likewise, being forced to squint at a 15-inch CRT at 60Hz can make us weep in pain and long for a nice LCD to while away our hours at. A good display makes all the difference. This article investigates how CRTs and LCDs work, and also examines some of the issues pertaining to monitors, such as Refresh Rate and Vsync as well as looking into our crystal ball to see the future of displays.