The LCD face consists of two transparent layers which



polarize a liquid crystal layer sandwiched in between. The

front layer of glass is etched with a grid pattern on the

inside surface to form a template for the liquid crystals.

Liquid crystals are rod shaped molecules that bend light

in response to an electric current; the crystals align so

that no light can pass through. Each crystal acts like a

camera's shutter, either blocking light or allowing it to

pass through. A pattern of transparent or dark crystals

forms the image. This same technology has been around for

awhile, even in such unsophisticated items as digital watches.

LCD TVs use an "active matrix" LCD; the most advanced type

of LCD. The active matrix design is based on TFT, or thin

film transistors. These are tiny switching transistors and

capacitors that are arranged in a matrix on a glass substrate,

they switch the LCD pixels on and off. In a color TV's LCD,

each color pixel is created by three sub-pixels with red, green,

and blue color filters.

One of the biggest challenges for LCD TV manufacturers has

been speeding up the pixel response time, (how fast an

individual pixel's color can change without blurring) so that

fast moving images don't exhibit motion lag or "ghosting".

This is especially critical for larger-screen LCD TVs, or

for LCD TVs on which much of the viewing will be HDTV, or

DVD movies.

An important difference between LCD technology and Plasma is

that an LCD screen doesn't have a coating of phosphor dots;

LCD TVs color is created through the use of filters. This

keeps image burn-in from being a problem--- which is good

news in-particular for people who might use a video gaming

system or PC on their TV. Another benefit of owning an LCD

TV is the energy efficiency of this technology. LCD TVs

typically consume 60% less power than comparably sized

tube-type, direct-view TVs.

In most ways that really matter there isn't much difference

between LCD TVs and Plasma TVs. Both of these highly popular

types of flat panel TVs are thin enough to be placed virtually

anywhere, and both produce images that are startlingly clear,

sharp, and bright. The most notable difference is screen size.

The majority of LCD TVs have a screen size measuring 30 inches

and smaller. Plasma TVs are, for the most part, uninhibited

by measurement restrictions.

Basically, LCD and Plasma TVs are different approaches to the

same result because the both create superior images using

radically different technology.

Article written by Mitch Medford.