LCD screens in a nutshell (page 1: LCD screens in a nutshell)

LCD screens are the unavoidable CRT screen successors. For now, choice is still possible to choose between CRT and LCD but it is not going to last. The more optimistic people estimate the end of CRT screens in the next ten years, but some (CRT screen!) manufacturer estimates the end in a more realistic four year. Nonetheless it is not the end of the world as LCD screens have improved a lot. And even if they are not perfect as we will see in the following pages, they are bringing some very exciting improvement.

LCD strengths

To begin with, LCD screens are light and compact, three times smaller and four times less greedy in energy than traditional CRT screens. They are not sensible to interference (radio, TV, cell phone…), their picture geometry is perfect, they last twice longer and last but not least they are restful for your eyes than CRT screens.

If you are not fully convinced, try this simple experiment. For two weeks, replace your CRT screen by a LCD display. After that deadline, get back to your CRT screen. And unless if you have a very good screen; you will wonder how you could have stand such an image. The picture quality will look quite bad, with a serious lack of sharpness and washed away colour.

Between all CRT screen weaknesses, the lack of sharpness due to ageing screens is the most annoying. This progressive loss added to the flickering and the radiance of the screen strain the eyes. So from that point view, the coming of flat screen is already appreciable.

LCD weaknesses

However LCD screen aren’t perfect. Even if their price dropped of two-thirds last year, they remain twice more expensive than CRT screens.

Moreover, CTR screen resolutions are adjustable as opposed to LCD’s. Their screen resolution varies with the screen size. 15” screens have 1024 x 768, 17 and 19” 1280 x 1024 resolutions and 20” and above a 1600 x 1200 pixel resolution. Finally, CRT screens are faster than liquid crystals. While playing game or watching movies it is possible to notice a slight blurred picture during movements on flat screens.