What is LCD?

LCD is a flat display technology, stands for "Liquid Crystal Display," which is
generally used in computer monitors, instrument panels, cell phones, digital
cameras, TVs, laptops, tablets, and calculators. It is a thin display device that offers
support for large resolutions and better picture quality. The older CRT display
technology has replaced by LCDs, and new display technologies like OLEDs have
started to replace LCDs. An LCD display is most commonly found with Dell laptop
computers and is available as an active-matrix, passive-matrix, or dual-scan display.

All pixels have a sub-pixel, red, green, and blue, which can be turned on or off.
The display appears black if all of a pixel's sub-pixels are turned off and appears
white if all the sub-pixels are turned on 100%.
The millions of color combinations can be possible with the help of adjusting
the individual levels of red, green, and blue light.

As compared to CRT technology, LCD consumed much less power and allowed
displays to be much thinner that also made them very less heavy. Instead of emitting
light, LCDs work on the principle of blocking light. In an LCD , where an LED
ejects light, the liquid crystals produce a picture with the help of using a backlight.
The CRT monitors and TVs have a refresh rate, but LCD screens do not have a
refresh rate. If you feel a problem with eye strain with the CRT monitor, you might
need to change the monitor's refresh rate setting on your CRT screen. But with the
new LCD screen, you do not need to adjust the refresh rate setting. Some LCD
computer monitors provide support for VGA cables, and most have a connection for
HDMI and DVI cables. But offering support for VGA cables is much less common.

Different Types of LCD

There are various kinds of LCD are :

1. Twisted Nematic (TN): The TN LCDs are very common that are used in
several types of displays over the industries, which led to its production much
frequently. As compared to other displays, these displays are inexpensive and
have high response times; therefore, these are most commonly used by gamers.
These displays are more appropriate for daily operations, but they have low
contrast ratios, viewing angles, and reproduction of color. These displays are
available with 240 hertz (Hz) as these are the only gaming displays.
2. In-Plane Switching (IPS): In Panel Switching displays give better picture
quality, vibrant color precision & difference while comparing with TN LCDs.
Graphic designer and some other applications commonly use these displays;
hence, these are considered to be the best LCD.
3. Vertical Alignment Panel (VA Panels): The vertical alignment panels are
considered to deliver the medium quality between in-plane switching panel and
Twisted Nematic technology. As compared to TN-type displays, this kind of
panel has color reproduction with higher quality as well as best viewing angles
features. Also, these panels are much sufficient for daily use and more
 reasonable, but these contain a low response time. As compared to the Twisted
Nematic display, these panels generate deeper blacks with better colors. While
comparing with TN kind displays, numerous crystal alignments can permit
better viewing angle. Additionally, these displays are costly comparing to other
displays. Hence these come with a tradeoff.
4. Advanced Fringe Field Switching (AFFS): AFFS LCD is a top performer
and offers an extensive choice of color reproduction. These displays provide
good image quality. Generally, these displays are most commonly used in
highly advanced applications such as viable airplane cockpits.

How LCDs Work?

The principle behind the LCDs is that for switching pixels on and off to reveal a
specific color, LCD screens use liquid crystals. And, the molecule tends to untwist at
the time of electrical current is applied to the liquid crystal molecule. This becomes
the reason for a change in the angle of the top polarizing filter as well causes the
angle of light, a light that is passing through the molecule of the polarized glass.
Consequently, with the help of an individual area of the LCD, a small light is
allowed to permit the polarized glass.

Thus, as compared to other areas, this particular area will become dark. Instead of
emitting light, LCDs work on the principle of blocking light. A reflected mirror is
arranged at the backside at the time of constructing the LCDs. An indium-tin-oxide
is used to make the electrode plane, which is kept on top of the device. Also, on the
bottom of the device, a polarized glass with a polarizing film is added. With the help
of a common electrode, the LCD's complete area has to be enclosed, and the liquid
crystal matter should be above it.
Then comes another polarizing film on top, and on the bottom, in the form of
rectangle, the second piece of glass comes with an electrode. But make sure that
both pieces are located on the right angles. The light passes through the front of the
LCD when there is no current, reflecting with the help of a mirror and bounced back.
A screen is in front of the light that is made up of pixels colored red, green, and blue.
In order to reveal a certain color or keep that pixel black, the liquid crystals work for
turning a filter on or off. This is the reason; the LCD monitors and TVs consume
much less power as compared to CRT monitors or televisions.

History of LCD

In 1888, Friedrich Reinitzer, chemist and Austrian botanist, discovered the first
liquid crystals in cholesterol extracted from carrots.

In 1962, with the help of the application of a voltage, stripe patterns in a tinny layer
of liquid crystal material were generated by RCA researcher Richard Williams. This
impact is depending upon an electro hydro dynamic instability forming inside the
liquid crystal that is currently known as "Williams’s domains."

According to the IEEE, a method for electronic control of light was planned by
George Heilmeier with Louis Zanoni and Lucian Barton led by a team of engineers
and scientists at the RCA David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, New Jersey,
in the mid of 1964 and 1968. And, they demonstrated the liquid crystal display for
the first time.

Additionally, a global industry was launched by their work that now produces
millions of LCDs. He used Heilmeier's liquid crystal displays as dynamic scattering
method (DSM), in which an electrical charge is implemented to scatter light by
rearranging the molecules. The dynamic scattering method was proved to be
consumed high power and worked badly. Hence, an improved version of DSM
replaced the older one. And, in 1969, James Fergason invented the twisted nematic
field effect of liquid crystals, which was used by this improved version.

James Fergason

In the early 1970s, in liquid crystal displays filed, James Fergason is hold some of
the fundamental patents. Also, for "Display Devices Utilizing Liquid Crystal Light
Modulation, he holds a key US patent number 3,731,986. Later in 1972, the first
modern LCD watch based on James Fergason's patent was produced by the ILIXCO,
International Liquid Crystal Company owned by inventor James Fergason.
Advantages of LCD

LCD panels are increasingly rapidly and replacing CRT monitors and televisions in
many homes and offices. These displays provide multiple benefits while comparing
with CRT technology. Some advantages are discussed below:

o Space: LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) technology made display screens much
thinner as compared to CRT technology, through which they take up much less
space. LCD displays do not take space taken up by the cathode ray tube;
therefore, they are also called flat panel screens. Thus, there is much space on
the table that allows keeping other documents and peripheral computer
equipment easily on the desk. Hence, LCD panels have almost replaced the
CRT displays.
o Power Consumption: One of the best advantages of LCD displays is less
energy Consumption. It takes very less energy as compared to CRT
technology. If the size increases of LCD monitors, its power consumption is
also increased; But it still takes low power while comparing with CRT
monitors. On the basis of the size, the power consumption of LCD monitors is
around 25 to 50 watts, but the same size of CRT monitor takes 60 to 80 watts.
If the size of the CRT monitor is 19-inch, it will consume anything between 70
and 150 watts.
o Brightness: As compared to CRT technology, LCD monitors provide output
with brighter pictures as they generate the high peak intensity. Due to high-
intensity results, LCD panels illuminate the screen through a constant
backlight. Thus, LCD monitors are sufficient for use in brightly lit areas.
o Screen Flicker: The screen viewing area is scanned as horizontal lines in CRT
monitors. And, the rate at which the entire screen is scanned is called refresh
 rate. Typically, CRT monitors have a flickering effect as they contain a low
refresh rate. The flickering effect can be caused to detrimental health and eye
strain, and headaches if anyone is viewing for a long time period. LCD
monitors have a very high refresh rate in comparison to CRT monitors. They
have a refresh rate of 75 and 85 hertz being common, which means the
flickering effect is very low in LCD displays that made them much
comfortable to use anywhere.
o No burn-in: With the LCD displays, you can end up with a lot of static
content (images that don't change or move around) when you watch the stock
ticker on MSNBC, play a lot of video games, or do other things. But CRT
displays involve those images and content that cannot end up. It is done with
LCD because instead of creating its own light with phosphors, it utilizes a
separate backlight. Hence, they are sufficient in this problem; however,
plasmas are unable to do that.

Disadvantages of LCD

LCD has many advantages, but it also has some disadvantages, which are :

o Expensive for their size: As compared to plasma flat panels, LCDs can be
more costly in order to increase the size. However, while comparing with
CRTs, it may be at in low price. Currently, LCD screens are produced by some
of the manufacturers in Taiwan, and Japan, which led to the technology is not
much popular and has not completely spread. Also, the price can be different
in the international market as much as tens to hundreds of dollars.
o Interfaces: Although the LCD displays (LCDs) are at the top in the case of
digital interface, some of the low-priced LCDs have problems like the inability
 to upgrade to digital interfaces, vulnerable signal transmission interference,
etc. Furthermore, the analog signal, vector, and clock frequency must be
consistent in order to avoid the occurrence of the flicker effect. Additionally,
the display CARDS with digital output are rare, and the digital interfaces of
LCD have not yet been standardized.
o Small viewing Angle: Typically, LCDs have poor viewing angle; however,
manufacturers are improving by giving some intensive efforts. Poor viewing
angle results that you do not get a better image quality if you are watching the
screen on some of the left and right sides, but not almost directly in the front of
the screen.
o Limited brightness: Compared with plasma TVs, LCD displays are harder to
view in a brightly lit room and have lower contrast because these displays
depend upon external light sources to assist in emitting light as they are unable
to emit light by themselves. In this case, LCD TVs with LED backlights are
more appropriate.
o Poor reproduction of blacks: The reproduction of black images in LCD
displays is poor as compared to direct-view tube displays. That means the
darker screen images will look like various shades of gray but not show up as
true black. Also, there can be difficult to discern the actions happening in these
darker areas.