For a long time, Tom's Hardware has been testing TFT screens using a LaCie colorimetry calibration sensor to evaluate the quality of color rendering. So we've been able to give you an idea of the quality of the displays in the areas of:

• Black depth
• Maximum brightness
• Average contrast

In addition, as we'll see, this equipment also performs other additional measurements such as:

• Uniformity of brightness over the entire panel
• Variation of ANSI contrast at the chosen brightness level

But obviously we aren't going to short-change you on practical tests. There's no substitute for them when it comes to evaluating a monitor's true worth under conditions for normal use. Therefore we will always perform tests with:

• video games (FPS and RTS)
• video DVDs
• office applications (under Windows and Linux)

In addition, we evaluate the monitor's finish, the choice of materials, its overall ergonomics and its design.

In short, Tom's Hardware now has a method that can give a complete look at the quality of TFT displays. We felt it was important to detail the stages of the process in its own article.