You might believe that LCD Screens originated in the early 2000s, when in fact, they were developed by an Austrian botanist, Friedrich Reinitzer, in 1888. The truth is that it took a long time to go from the creation of liquid crystals to a wide range of LCD applications. The first modern LCD was commercially produced in 1972 by the International Liquid Crystal Company, ILIXCO. The LCDs were initially used in digital wristwatches, and most people are unaware of that. Finally, between 1990 and 1997, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan developed them for larger displays. Since the technology has been widely used, it’s imperative to know the Advantages and Disadvantages of LCD monitors and screens in today’s age.
Advantages of LCD
Computer users switched to lightweight and space-efficient LCD monitors right after the technology entered the consumer market. There are several advantages of LCD over the traditional ones such as CRT. Some of the prominent ones are described below.
1. Less Power Consumption
LCD screens consume less power because they do not need a backlight to function. This makes them an excellent choice for smartphones and tablets manufacturers, where battery life can be a major concern. LCDs do not require the high voltage backlighting required by other technologies like plasma, LED, or CRT Monitors. This is also great for businesses looking to save money on manufacturing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions created when fossil fuels are burned in electricity production. LCD Screens can also use fluorescent lighting, which saves even more energy.
2. High Definition Display
LCDs are known for their high-definition display. They can produce a very clear, crisp image if they have an HD resolution screen. The advantages of having a high-definition display are many, but the biggest is that it allows you to see details in pictures and images with greater ease. This technology would be best for graphic designers or photographers because they need to have every detail displayed clearly to do their job properly.
The picture difference is also noticeable when watching movies or playing video games. It can even reduce eyestrain if you work on your computer for long periods each day because LCDs have a flicker-free display, so there isn’t any screen flickering, which sometimes causes eye fatigue.
3. High Contrast Ratio
LCD screens have very high contrast ratios when compared to other display technologies. That means the blacks are deeper and richer than many other visual displays, leading to more vibrant colors overall. This is especially useful for photos or videos that need rich color to look their best. It’s really helpful if you’re an artist who wants your work displayed with vivid detail because it enhances realism in art pieces. The higher contrasts also make details easier to see, so they can help reduce eyestrain during computer use since there is less glare on the screen from intense lighting sources nearby due to darker black levels.
4. No Image Retention
LCD screens don’t suffer from the same image retention problems that plasma TVs do. This means that if you leave something static on the screen for too long, it won’t be burnt into your television’s display like a ghost would linger in the corner of your computer monitor. It is especially useful to gamers or people who watch movies and TV shows with subtitles because there won’t be any distracting shadows created by text sitting on top of already displayed content. You can also play games for longer periods without worrying about the damaged screen because there is no phosphor involved in creating images on an LCD panel.
5. Slim, Lightweight, and Energy Efficient
LCD panels are very lightweight compared to other display technology types, which means that they can weigh less than 15 pounds. This makes them easy to transport from place to place for presentations or showing off your displays at a trade show booth. The list of advantages of LCD monitors doesn’t stop there, though; imagine being able to have multiple monitors without having bulky equipment taking up all the space in your office. That’s right; since LCD screens only need one cable connection to connect to a power source, and you won’t have any issues with tangled cords making things look messy during business hours.
6. LCDs last longer
LCDs or Liquid Crystal Displays have longer shelf lives. That is why despite being costlier than the older CRT technology, people try LCDs because they are cheaper in the long run as they tend to last 13000 to 14000 hours more. Typically, an LCD can have a life span of 60000 hours on average. But with proper care and stable electricity flow, they more so than not tend to last longer. Roughly, it all translates into the fact that an LCD can last nearly two decades if used with care.
Disadvantages of LCD
LCDs offer several benefits over CRT and plasma display technologies. However, they also have some disadvantages that may make them less suitable for certain applications or undesirable in some situations.
1. High Cost to Produce due to their Complexity
The main reason why LCD screens tend to be more expensive than other displays like CRTs or OLEDs is that they require backlighting since there isn’t anything illuminating the pixels from behind, so manufacturers need multiple layers with different material compositions, which makes it difficult and costly to manufacture these types of displays. Obviously, developing larger displays takes effort, money, and time; the bigger the picture, the more expensive it is to buy.
2. Poor Performance at Higher Brightness Levels
When the backlight brightness is turned up, ghosting and blurring can occur. This is a problem because users need to see details clearly to work or play games with high-performance standards. Displays that have “power-saving” features will show fewer problems when they’re at higher brightness levels, but it’s still an issue for people who want optimal performance from their displays. Also, the picture performance is compromised in the absence of light in the area where the screen is placed.
When an LCD screen is viewed under bright light, the pixels are lit by phosphors. However, when a light source is destroyed, the LCD no longer produces an image on the display because it requires additional light sources to illuminate the pixels.
3. LCDs are Less Reliable
LCDs are less reliable than other types of monitors, especially when it comes to the number of hours they can be used before failing. Displays that have been around for a few years will need more frequent repairs and replacements because their internal components wear out with time. Displays used often will also need to be repaired more frequently than those that aren’t, especially if they’re damaged by mishandling. Displays can fail for several reasons, including dead pixels and backlight failures.
Displays with lots of dead pixels will need to be replaced. Displays with backlight failures won’t produce an image on the screen, which means they must either be repaired or returned for a full refund from where it was purchased.
4. Lower Picture Quality Plasma and OLED Displays
While LCD screens do have some advantages over other TV types, they also have disadvantages that may make them less desirable for your needs. This can be especially true if you want a large display with the best possible picture quality. LCDs are different from plasma TVs and OLED displays in image quality, motion handling, and input lag. The screens also differ in power consumption, resolution signal-scaling on PC monitors or HDTVs with 720p inputs, viewing angle limitations compared to OLED/plasma technologies, and contrast ratio issues. Since Plasma and OLED displays outperform LCD, users are more likely to opt for them.
5. Restricted Viewing Angles
LCD Displays have inferior viewing angles compared to Plasma and OLED Displays. This means that as you move from side to side or up and down, the image quality diminishes on LCD Displays. In other words, if you’re not sitting directly in front of an LCD TV at a proper seating distance for your room size, some parts of the picture will appear washed out. This is different from plasma TVs because they have better off-angle color reproduction, making them suitable for those who plan to watch with a group of people where everyone can’t sit right in front – even if they are large displays.
There’s no risk of burn-in with plasma sets also helps their cause here since it allows more flexibility for those who like to move their seating positions around.
6. LCD black-level is poorer
While LCDs are great for viewing, they do require an additional source of light for standard performance. Why do you ask? Because LCDs have a poorer black level. The technology cannot create dark or deep gray shades, compromising the user experience. Hence, you should place the display at perfect viewing angles to enjoy uninterrupted services.