So I’m lookin’ at Computer Monitors right? And the 17"ers are 16" viewable. Same with the 15"ers, is only 13.5" Viewable. Now I ask: What is this Shit? Are they doing this with Televisions too? Sorry if this has been asked before.
That’s how they’ve measured monitors for years. At least CRT monitors. With LCD (flatscreen) monitors the measurement they give is the viewable size. I don’t really know why they do this.
I believe that to get 16" diagonal of viewable area out of a CRT monitor you need an ~17" tube. The active matrix on the LCD display is very close to the viewable size, so the distinction becomes irrelevant. I’m guessing that when ordering a tube for a 16" CRT monitor, you have to order by the physical size of the tube and that measurement flows up the pipeline to the market specs. That doesn’t answer the question completely, but it may be a peek at the logic.
I agree with the rant. If they’re going to tell you the smaller viewable size anyway, why not start with that? As it is, when I only get one size, I’m not sure which they’re talking about.
stoli
“There’s always a little dirt, or infinity, or something.” -Feynman
For years, monitors were measured by the size of the tube, no matter how much was covered by the ‘bezel’, or plastic surrounding. Thus, if the glass front screen measured 16 inches on the diagonal, even if you lost 2.5 inches to plastic covering the glass, it was a 16-inch monitor.
Then, a class-action suit was filed alleging false advertising. The monitor manufacturers lost and paid damages; anyone who had purchased a monitor during a certain period was due a portion of the settlement payment, which was usually around $10.
So now, rather than altering their entire advertising philosophy and calling a 15-inch monitor a 13.5-inch monitor, they use the doublespeak you listed. Gotta have truth in advertising, you know; plus, everyone’s used to calling those 13.5 inchers “15-inch monitors,” so why change horses midstream.