About LCD Screens and Plasma Screens, Flat Panel Display

Other benefits aside, several decades of lap top proliferation made most people familiar with an LCD screen, but the screen has been gaining the most of its popularity in the last couple of years thanks to lowered prices, reduced latency and increased overall performance. LCDs have developed to become desktop or arm-mounted computer monitors and the same technology is finding its mainstream application in television sets design. LCDs boast a physically (not only visually) perfectly flat screen, completely eliminating screen curvature, and the 1" to 4" inch thick monitor body-type fits them into the category known as flat panel display. Rear projection ... read moreTVs (RPTV) can be manufactured using liquid crystal display technology.

Another type of flat screen technology is plasma television. Based on a significantly different manufacturing process plasma sets can boast a viewable size of up to 60" diagonal and are considered the "coolest" technology by many customers who accept their obvious drawbacks (such as "bluish" fading of the screen with the time) over the visibly higher performance. Available in flat screened sizes from the mid 30" models up to 60", these bigger plasma panels will come in handy with the universal adoption of HDTV (high definition television). Their slim body types from 3" to 6" deep also put them in the "flat panels" category. Plasma monitors can also be used as computer monitors.

How do plasma screens work? A plasma screen generally delivers a more detailed image than that of LCDs and the conventional CRT sets, because of the very large quantity and extremely small size of phosphor cells (and pitch sizes) that are foundational to this technology.

Care must be taken to protect the display screens from damage. More delicate by design physically damaged pixels will render sections of the screen un-viewable which is true both of the LCDs and plasma screens.

Why might you select plasma? Key advantages and disadvantages are listed below, but the three primary points in favor of plasma screen displays are: (1) availability of screens larger than 37" (which is not economically feasible in the case of LCDs; (2) Clear, colorful, and responsive video images (their colors are more saturated, the latency is lower and the contrast is generally higher compared to LCDs and are on-par with conventional CRTs; (3) A wider viewing angle means more people are able to watch the set with no compromise to image quality.

Drawbacks of LCD technology Because light always has to pass through an LCD chip to create an image and because LCDs, unlike plasma screens, do not create their own light source (they have to use a sort of background light source), it is impossible for LCD monitors to produce a true black color (in CRTs and plasma black means no light in the pixel spot, while in LCDs the pixel out shades the backlight, producing a dark greyish spot instead). LCD images are best viewed with a straight angle, because moving to either side causes the image quality to diminish and disappear (see your LCDs’ specifications for the viewing angle parameter).

LCDs are commercially available as both computer monitors and television screens. They are flat panels per se because their depth is only a couple inches. Their lack of screen curve may be referred to as flat screen, as well, but they are most suitable to be called "flat panel." Their light build enables them to be mounted conveniently.

Why might you select an LCD? (1) LCDs are excellent as computer screens (with the exception of computer games with rapid change of scenery), because those images are static (at least in office applications), compared to video images which can create a jagged "image delay" appearance; Most particularly, it’s often recommended that when you will be using your screen for dual video and computer use, you consider purchasing a LCD TV with a computer input, rather than a LCD computer screen with a tuner. (2) When few people in a contained area will be watching the LCD television, to ensure viewing is from "straight-on." (3) LCDs allow you to enjoy more accurate and vibrant color, though calibrating the color might be painstaking for most graphic designers - that is why they prefer to stick to high quality CRTs.

Mounting your LCD and Plasma screens. Their thin design takes up less desk or floor surface area. You can hang LCDs and plasmas from a wall, ceiling mount them, attach them to articulating arms, or place them on desk mounts or floor stands or even cabinets designed to meet your office or home decor.