Flat Panel TV: LCD
Rated: 
An LCD (which stands for “liquid crystal display”) is one of the more popular types of flat panel televisions. Its main rival (in terms of popularity and usage) is the plasma TV, and comparisons between the two have often been made.
According to Wikipedia, an LCD is “a thin, flat display device made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed in front of a light source or reflector.” The screen uses liquid crystals (hence the name), which is placed in between two glass plates. These crystals are manipulated via an electrical charge that alters their position and pattern to form the desired image on screen, as the light that shines through is polarized.
The concept of liquid crystals was already with us since the turn of the century, when Otto Lehman published his work on liquid crystals in 1904. Seven years later, Charles Maguin described the structure and properties of these crystals. More than half a century later, Dr. George Gray released the first major English publication on liquid crystals, entitled “Molecular Structure and Properties of Liquid Crystals”.
In 1968, the first operational liquid crystal display was introduced to the world by an RCA group headed by George Heilmeier. The year 2004 marked the prevalence of 40 to 45-inch LCD TVs. Samsung announced an 82-inch LCD television on March 2005.
Most LCD TVs use TFT (thin-film transistor) technology. Also, some LCD models (mostly recent releases) use Bluetooth or WiFi technology to connect to a host computer.
True to its status as a flat panel display, an LCD is sleek and slim. Though it is usually smaller than a plasma television, an LCD uses a very small amount of electric power, making it the apple of the eyes of engineers and the power consumption-conscious.
LCDs can be used both as televisions and as computer monitors, making them very versatile. However, LCDs suffer from poorer picture quality when compared with plasma TVs; LCDs fare poorly at high viewing angles.
Print Article
Send to a friend
Save as PDF