laptop lcd is cheap but external lcd so exp?

[suffian]

Why are laptop lcds (which can go up 1900x1280 or so) seemingly so cheap compared to external monitors?

For example, I can buy a high grade dell laptop for about 2000 (w/1900x1200 screen) but if I want to get an external lcd screen at just 1600x1200, it will be over 2000 for just the screen itself.

What's going on?

[BoulderHead]

I've often wondered about that too. I suppose you might be getting a TV tuner with the stand-alone but I don't think this is really the answer. You can get a pretty good used laptop for the price of many new stand-alones and have lots more functionality.

[damgo]

Laptop screens are usually much smaller, right?

[Greg Bernhardt]

Laptop screens are like 14.1in and 15.1in

LCD screens are at 15in,17in,19in

[russ_watters]

Marketing. Its all marketing. If you go to the computer section of Best Buy, you can buy a 15" lcd display for ~$300. If you go to the TV section of Best Buy, you can buy a 15" lcd tv for ~$1200. The difference? A $30 tv tuner and $870 of marketing.

[screwball]

the screen itself (laptop screens sold for parts) are cheep because they dont contain anything but that one part

the lcds sold as monitors cost more because they have video converters built in that does all that really complicated work that needs to be done before it can be displayed (NOT like a video card, and pretty difficult to build on newer screens like active matrix)

plus there getting us good with marketing[s(]

[BoulderHead]

...That's what happens every time I put my faith into something and try to think positive, dissapointment.

[J-Man]

If you think a laptop LCD screen is cheap, try ordering a replacement one. It's usually more cost effective to get a new laptop, or at least an external monitor.