Why is the viewable area less than the stated monitor size?
Typical computer monitors range in size from 14 to 21 inches. Most monitors sold with Microsoft Windows come with either a 15 or 17-inch monitor. The size of the monitor is determined by measuring the diagonal distance across the surface of the cathode ray tube (CRT). Since the CRT is encased in a plastic housing, also called a bezel, the viewable area of a monitor is always less than the stated monitor size. The viewable area is then the diagonal measurement of the portion of the CRT that is visible. Viewable area is often referred to as “vis” for viewable image size and sometimes “dvi” for diagonal viewable area. Typically, the viewable area of a monitor will be about one inch smaller than the stated CRT size.
