LCD Technology

If you read any advertisement today, you will see many references to “LCDs“. But what does LCD really mean?

LCD is short for liquid crystal displays. Liquid crystals are a unique form of matter, both a solid and a liquid, that reacts to energy. These liquid crystals are filled within pixel sized compartments. Most of the time, liquid crystals known as nemantic liquid crystals are used. Behind those pixels are electrical currents, which when charged against the pixels cause the liquid crystals to react. One can shape and mold programmed displays for the electrical currents so that the pixels react to form specific shapes, images, variables and data on a certain type of screen in front of the pixels.

There are many advantages to this technology. Devices can be made thinner thanks to LCD technology. This helped craft many forms of technology, such as watches or calculators. Another advantage is that they utilize energy more efficiently. LCD products usually last at least twice as long as similar non-LCD devices. If the LCD uses a battery, the battery life will be extended. If the device is plugged into an outlet, then the LCD device will lower your output use of energy.

Devices such as computer monitors and television screens have utilized and popularized LCD technology to the point where the term LCD is an everyday lexicon. With monitors, LCD technology helped make computers sleeker and thinner compared to older models. The thin design not only saves space on desks, but increases color resolution. Flat screens utilize LCD by creating a finer resolution which capture more detail and color. LCD technologies also helped the personal computer become more portable. Desktop computer maintenance and travel is easier using a monitor with LCD as compared to older and bulkier monitors. LCD technology has led to computer monitors display crisper colors. Finally, older monitors tend to strain the eyes more than the newer LCD monitors. This is because the low levels of radiation emitted from the older monitors. LCD technology has minimized this greatly.

LCD technology for television mirrors the technology advances for computer monitors. Television sets are now lighter, crisper in color and more portable. As with space, LCD televisions have saved space in living rooms across the world.