Understanding LCD Televisions

LCD stands for liquid crystal display and is one of the current types of televisions on the market. It consists of different components to create a picture, including two filters and glass plates. One of the filters is horizontal, the other vertical and electrodes pulsate in one direction between them. When the liquid crystal is created, light pases through the first and is then rotated to pass through the second filter. Light that passes through is controlled by the amount of voltage directed at the electrodes and each pixel displayed can be controlled individually or as a group.

Since LCD sandwiches the crystal between glass, it can create its own light, so a separate light is required within its structure to project the picture. When you turn the power on, the back light is turned on and after a few seconds, will begin showing you what is on TV. This delay is one of the many reasons the LCD has a lower response time than other TVs on the market; since it takes a few seconds to show the picture, the liquid crystal does not respond as fast as other light refracting methods in DLP and plasma displays.

LCD technology is used in televisions and now computer monitors to bring a slimmer TV into a home or office. LCDs are light, movable and they can be mounted as easily as they can stand on their own. LCDs can display more than 150 degrees picture-wise and have the highest viewing angle ranges between DLP and plasma televisions. Most LCD TVs can also double as computer monitors and vice versa with the right converters and hook-ups between your cable and computer.

There are many different types of LCDs. These technologies have developed and evolved over time and add to the increasing picture quality of these types of televisions.

Twisted nemantic technology uses nematic-phase crystals and are untwisted by the amount of voltage coursing through the TV. They are cheap to make and have fast response times but limit the types of angles you can view at a given time. They also have a limited color spectrum and can only produce lower end pictures. In-plane switching technology uses the electrode arrangement to force liquid crystal into non-helical structures. When the structure is not twisted, the angels at which light refracts are not limited to its counterpart. Viewing angles, colors and brightness are increased as a result. These types of displays have a significantly slower response time and can lag between the time the signal reaches the TV and is displayed on it.

Multi-domain vertical alignment LCDs arrange the crystal perpendicular to the glass plates but rotate is as light passes through. Protrusions help control the rotation of the crystal and help channel the angles which pass through the glass plates and are displayed. This gives you a wider viewing angle as well as boosting contrast ratios to their natural display. Response times are faster than the previous types of LCD technology but brightness is reduced to produce better contrast ratios. Patterned vertical alignment produces the same qualities as multi-domain alignments but with higher production of contrast ratios.

Some pros of purchasing a LCD include: They have a sleek size and can easily be mounted, moved or kept upright on a stand. Most come with mounts so they can stand on their on, but you can also purchase addition stands, bases or mounts to work with your set-up. They are lighter, streamlined and not as bulky as other types of TVs. They have higher resolutions than plasma TVs and can achieve 1080p. LCDs can generally showcase full HDTV with a TV as smaller as 37". LCDs are resistant to burn-in and do not contend with glare in bright rooms or during a particularly sunny day.

Some cons of buying a LCD include: Even though light will always display, sometimes liquid crystal can unpredictable and will distort the image into black. They can cause gray scale images to be displayed and distort certain aspect ratios from being displayed. They have smaller viewing angles than their competitors but the technology is evolving over time to compete. LCDs are more expensive to make and that price gets passed on to the consumer to make up for cost of production. LCDs with larger screen sizes can result in more defective pixels out of the box than plasma TVs. Since they use thin-film transistors that can easily be defective from start, this can cause more damage to the LCD than good. LCDs have slower response times and can glitch during fast-moving sequences during display.

A LCD TV could be the right choice for you depending on what you are looking for in a TV. Some of the pros and cons might help you make a more informed decision. The easiest way to find out if LCD is right for you is to head down to a electronics store in you area and watch demos on various models. This is the way to check out picture quality, sound quality and see what a LCD has to offer.

Samsung, Sharp and Sony offer some of the best LCDs on the market at incredible prices. These LCDs can be mounted, connected to a home theater system and will get the clearest quality HDTV in your area. Only by seeing them up close and purpose will you know if the picture quality is right for you, your home, your computer or your office. Other lower end models can be cheap, but you will pay the price in quality.

LCDs come in a variety of sizes, and they can double as computer monitors and vice versa. You can watch both television and your computer display on the same monitor if hooked up properly. There are many different ways you can utilize LCD technology, and if you take the step to purchase on, you will learn all the ways it will work right for you.