LCD technology can be seen almost anywhere. From the digital clock that beeps away at you in the morning to the microwave that nuked your last late night snack, you have been utilizing LCD technology for quite a while, probably without you even knowing it. The digital watch on your wrist, the laptop at your office, even the MP3 player you have makes use of LCD innovations.
These are only a few examples of everyday electronics that take advantage of LCD technology. The most well-known use of LCD technology today is the ever popular LCD television.
Liquid Crystal Displays or LCD TVs are those that use flat, thin displays made up of a series of monochrome pixels that are in turn displayed in front of a reflector or other source of light. That is where the image display comes from. More times than not, the technology used is that of the Thin Film Transistor or TFT that is a specific type of field effect transistor made by layering thin films designed for metal contacts along with dielectric and semiconductor layers. As such, the LCD television is much different than other image producing technologies such as a plasma display or older cathode ray tubes.
At one point in time, the general consensus was that LCD technology was only okay to use when used on televisions of smaller size and that it could not hold a candle to plasma technology when it came to the big screen sizes. With the invention of seventh generation panels by such giants as Samsung, Sony, Westinghouse Digital, Sharp and LG Philips, those beliefs have proven to be out-dated information.
In October of 2004, LCD screens where as large as 45 inches and were readily accessible by several companies and the Sharp Corporation took charge with the introduction of the first 65 inch panel TV. By 2006, LG Philips had introduced the biggest picture yet with their 100 inch LCD television.
Today's LCD television sets are universal, in that they include a multi system tuner that displays NTSC, SECAM and PAL standards. They also offer electronic transformers that automatically use 110/250 voltage without hassle, as well as universal grounded adapter plugs. In addition to that, LCD televisions are no longer limited to the family room and now serve as computer monitors everywhere.
According to respected professionals, manufacturers continue with plans to invest loads of money on the production and development of LCD television technology in the future. It is highly un-likely that LCD technology is going anywhere, in fact, if recent trends maintain its course for LCD TVs, then better advancements are yet to come!
