LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. Originally designed for electronic display devices,now this technology is widely used to manufacture high-resolution televisions. Liquid crystal televisions work on Thin Film Transistor (TFT) technology. Their screen consists of a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between two transparent layers. A bulb placed behind the screen illuminates the TFT panel. Upon receiving the data, the liquid crystals align themselves in various degrees. The alignment of the crystals blocks unwanted light and only required light gets transmitted. The degree of alignment decides what color and contrast will be filtered through the panel.

When LCD TVs were first introduced, their major competition was the plasma TV. LCD and plasma televisions coexist and compete even today. Each has its own merits and demerits. LCD TVs cannot produce as much color or contrast as plasma TVs, but their overall picture quality remains better than a plasma TV. They can produce better resolution per square inch of their sur face than a plasma TV.

Initially LCD TVs suffered from problems related to viewing angles. They could not be viewed from extreme horizontal angles. But now, LCD TVs are so designed that even at angles as wide as 160 degrees, they can be viewed with clarity.

The brand leaders in the LCD TV market are Sharp, Sony, Philips and LG. Sharp TVs have been consistently the best and they provide the best black to white ratio. Early LCD TVs were designed in a small screen format, but today they are available in screens as wide as 52 inches or even more. However, smaller screens can provide better picture clarity than wide screens.

LCD TVs can also be used as computer monitors. In fact, the technology was originally designed to manufacture laptop monitors. High definition LCD televisions are SVGA adaptable and they can be used to enjoy extreme graphic games on monitors.

The basic advantage of LCD televisions is their flatness. Even a widescreen LCD TV will be no more than a couple of inches thick. This also makes them lightweight. LCD TVs can therefore be fixed to wall mounts with supports. Due to this reason, one finds LCD TVs in hotels, airports, hospitals, discotheques, bars and wherever TVs can be mounted.

LCD TVs are the most expensive television technologies in the market. Their problems are diminishing, as more and more companies are spending millions of dollars on researching better technology. It won't be long before prices spiral down and they become the best value for television technologies.