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dots (one red, one blue, one green) separated by a mask. The effective resolution of a color monitor is limited by the density of these triads. Furthermore, pixels in the source image will not align precisely to these triads, so moire effects will occur as the image resolution approaches the limit imposed by the size of the phosphor triads. Monochrome monitors were used in almost all
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monitors produce sharper text and images than color CRT monitors. This is because a monochrome monitor is made up of a continuous coating of phosphor and the sharpness can be controlled by focusing the electron beam; whereas on a color monitor, screen space is divided into triads of three phosphor
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in which computer text and images are displayed in varying tones of only one color, as opposed to a color monitor that can display text and images in multiple colors. They were very common in the early days of computing, from the 1960s through the 1980s, before color monitors became widely
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is used, the screen is white monochrome (known as "page white"); this is the same phosphor as used in early television sets. An amber screen was claimed to give improved ergonomics, specifically by reducing eye strain; this claim appears to have little scientific basis.
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The colour scheme, grid layout of characters, and ghosting effects of the now-obsolete monochrome CRT screens have become an eye-catching visual shorthand for computer-generated text, frequently in "futuristic" settings. The opening titles of the first
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Some green screen displays were furnished with a particularly full/intense phosphor coating, making the characters very clear and sharply defined (thus easy to read) but generating an afterglow-effect (sometimes called a "ghost image") when the text
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320×200 pixel, or 640×200 pixel graphic standard. It could also run most programs written for the CGA card's standard graphics modes. Monochrome monitors continued to be used, even after the introduction of higher resolution color IBM
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This ghosting effect is deliberate on some monitors, known as "long persistence" monitors. These use the relatively long decay period of the phosphor glow to reduce flickering and eye strain.
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A free application for Linux terminal software called "Cool Retro Term" is available to accurately emulate old CRT Monochrome terminals for nostalgia or
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is an effect known as "ghosting", wherein a dim afterglow of the screen's contents is briefly visible after the screen has been blanked.
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means "color"). All text and graphics are displayed in that color. Some monitors have the ability to vary the brightness of individual
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558:"Phosphor: Simulates an old terminal with long-sustain phosphor | xscreensaver-extras Games | Man Pages | ManKier"
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character images. The 5151, amongst others, had brightness and contrast controls to allow the user to set their own compromise.
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which was very expensive in the '70s and '80s. Either normal/bright or normal/dim (1 bit) per character as in the
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page up/down operations. Other green screens avoided the heavy afterglow-effects, but at the cost of much more
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720×348 pixel monochrome graphics capability, much used for business presentation graphics generated from
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screen; the term is often misused to refer to any block mode display terminal, regardless of color, e.g.,
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became a popular companion to the 5151 screen because of the
Hercules' comparatively high-resolution
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hack called phosphor which emulates a long-persistence green screen and can be used as a terminal.
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down the screen or when a screenful of information was quickly replaced with another as in
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and were widely used in text-based applications such as computerized cash registers and
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commercially available. They are still widely used in applications such as computerized
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An open
Schneider MM12 from 1988. It uses a GoldStar Type 310KGLA amber tube.
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Typically, only a limited set of brightness levels was provided to save
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systems because of their superior sharpness and enhanced readability.
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A similar grid of amber text is used in the science fiction TV show
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Monochrome monitors are commonly available in three colors: if the
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or black, dark gray, light gray, white (2bit) per pixel like the
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prominently feature computer displays with ghosting green text.
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The most common technology for monochrome monitors was the
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Well-known examples of early monochrome monitors are the
544:"Get a Vintage Linux Terminal with Cool Retro Terminal"
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as the predominant visual output device for computers.
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was the common name for a monochrome monitor using a
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Monochrome monitors are particularly susceptible to
177:Abundant in the early-to-mid-1980s, they succeeded
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
254:is used, the screen is amber monochrome. If the
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154:systems, owing to the age of many registers.
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293:The 5151 was designed to work with the PC's
137:Early Nixdorf computer with an amber monitor
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
129:computer with a green monochrome monitor
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390:Another effect of the high-intensity
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503:"Display Terminals: Market Overview"
383:(hence the advent, and name, of the
44:adding citations to reliable sources
521:Ergonomics in Computerized Offices
519:Grandjean, E (1986), "Chapter 2",
184:and preceded color CRTs and later
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330:standards in the late 1980s, for
295:Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA)
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31:needs additional citations for
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273:Digital Equipment Corporation
486:"Cathode Ray Tube Phosphors"
437:reasons. There is also an
342:Pixel for pixel, monochrome
118:Type of CRT computer monitor
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578:Electronic display devices
324:Enhanced Graphics Adapter
523:, Taylor & Francis,
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319:Color Graphics Adapter
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421:science fiction films
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375:Phosphor limitations
328:Video Graphics Array
55:"Monochrome monitor"
40:improve this article
546:. 23 October 2015.
409:Ghost in the Shell
401:In popular culture
208:, although, e.g.,
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143:monochrome monitor
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530:978-0-85066-350-1
466:Apple Monitor III
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29:This article
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38:Please help
33:verification
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385:screensaver
381:screen burn
315:Lotus 1-2-3
256:P4 phosphor
252:P3 phosphor
248:P1 phosphor
96:August 2010
572:Categories
472:References
297:text-only
288:model 5150
192:CRT Design
66:newspapers
428:Travelers
392:phosphors
369:pixelated
307:bitmapped
214:phosphors
182:terminals
461:IBM 5151
456:IBM 5250
451:IBM 3270
445:See also
361:scrolled
281:IBM 5151
179:Teletype
168:IBM 3279
164:phosphor
338:Clarity
80:scholar
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285:IBM PC
226:pixels
222:chrome
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506:(PDF)
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313:like
271:from
269:VT100
263:Usage
237:VT100
162:"P1"
160:green
87:JSTOR
73:books
525:ISBN
326:and
218:mono
186:LCDs
172:3290
59:news
344:CRT
206:CRT
127:IBM
125:An
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