What is a TFT LCD Monitor?
A TFT LCD monitor is a type of flat-panel display that works as either a computer monitor or as a television. 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 the TFT from the name. TFT simply refers to the type of LCD monitor, and TFT is easily the most popular type of LCD.
The thin film transistor in a TFT LCD monitor consists of a thin film of a semiconductor material applied over a glass substrate. Each pixel in a TFT LCD monitor has its own transistor along with the liquid crystal material. The liquid crystal material exhibits properties of both a liquid, because of its ability to change quickly, and a crystal, because of its ability to remain in an arranged position. The transistor applies a voltage to the pixel, determining the color and intensity of the pixel. A pixel is short for picture element, and the tiny pixels blend together to create the image on a display.
Another name for a TFT LCD monitor is an active-matrix LCD. Although TFT is not the only active-matrix LCD technology, it is overwhelmingly the most common type, causing some people use the two terms interchangeably. However, a TFT is only a small part of an active-matrix LCD. Active-matrix refers to the ability of a TFT LCD monitor to control individual pixels and switch them quickly.
Active-matrix LCDs differ from passive-matrix LCDs in several ways. A TFT LCD monitor has a high refresh rate, high contrast, and high response times, at least when compared to passive-matrix displays. A passive-matrix LCD is commonly found in a calculator display or a digital wristwatch, where the display contains a limited number of segments and does not require full color. Active-matrix displays usually are high-resolution, full-color LCDs, and they include LCDs found in computer displays, cell phones, and TVs.
A few different types of thin film transistor technologies are found in a TFT LCD monitor. The most common technology for computer displays and TVs is called a twisted nematic (TN) display, which features quick response times. However TN displays do not excel in the areas of screen viewing angle and color reproduction. Another common TFT LCD monitor technology is IPS, short for in-plane switching. An IPS display offers great color and good viewing angles, but its refresh rates are very slow.
Written by K. Schurman
