TFT LCD monitors are flat panel displays used as computer monitors or TV displays. Each pixel has a transistor and liquid crystal material that determines color and intensity. TFT is the most common type of active matrix LCD, with high refresh rates and contrast. Different types of TFT technology exist, with TN being the most common for computer and TV displays, and IPS offering great colors and viewing angles but slow refresh rates.
A TFT LCD monitor is a type of flat panel display that functions as a computer monitor or as a display for a TV. TFT LCD is short for thin film transistor liquid crystal display. Most of the time, manufacturers shorten the term for such displays to LCD, dropping TFT from the name as this abbreviation simply refers to the type of LCD monitor and TFT is easily the most popular type.
The thin film transistor consists of a thin piece of semiconductor material applied to a glass substrate. Each pixel has its own transistor along with the liquid crystal material. The liquid crystal material exhibits properties of both a liquid, due to its ability to change rapidly, and a crystal, due to its ability to remain in an orderly position. The transistor applies a voltage to the pixel, determining its color and intensity. A pixel is short for picture element and tiny pixels blend together to create the image on a display.
Another name for a TFT LCD monitor is active matrix LCD. While TFT isn’t the only active matrix technology, it’s overwhelmingly the most common type, causing some people to use the two terms interchangeably. However, a TFT is only a small part of an active matrix LCD. The term active matrix refers to the monitor’s ability to control individual pixels and switch between them rapidly.
Active matrix LCDs differ from passive matrix LCDs in several ways. They have a high refresh rate, high contrast, and fast response times, at least compared to passive matrix displays. A passive matrix LCD is commonly found in the display of a calculator or digital wrist watch, where the display contains a limited number of segments and does not require full color. Active matrix displays are usually high-resolution color LCDs and include those found in computer displays, cell phones, and televisions.
A few different types of thin film transistor technology can be found in a TFT LCD monitor. The most common for computer and television displays is called a twisted nematic (TN) display, which features fast response times. However, TN displays don’t excel in the areas of screen viewing angle and color reproduction. Another common monitoring technology is IPS, short for in-plane switching. An IPS display offers great colors and good viewing angles, but its refresh rates are slow.
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