Advantages and disadvantages of LCD technology
LCD Display Advantages and Disadvantages
Viewing angle
LCDs have a narrower usable viewing angle than CRTs due to the features of the technology used. Luminance and contrast can vary significantly as viewing angle changes. LCD devices should be viewed from directly in front of the display. However, it should be noted that recent advances in are significantly increasing the usable viewing angle for such displays.
Refresh rate
The technology used to construct flat-panel displays means that there is no “flicker” apparent to the viewer. However, the screen refresh rate is relatively slow compared to CRT displays and so motion artefact can be apparent with moving or fast-changing images.
Luminance
Flat-panel displays are capable of high luminance and can work well in brightly-lit areas. However, they are often not capable of black levels as low as CRT displays and so often suffer from reduced contrast.
Resolution
The resolution of an LCD display is fixed at the time of manufacture. At the native resolution of the panel the resolution is exact. Sho uld it be required to display images at different resolutions, the image data will need to be rescaled before display. This rescaling can introduce distortion in the displayed image.
Displays using CRT technology, however, can easily be switched between different resolutions without noticeable loss in display quality.
Size and shape
Flat-panel displays are, in general, lighter than CRT displays and have a smaller footprint. Their screens are flat, thus providing a more faithful reproduction of the original captured image.
Power consumption
Flat-panel displays consume less electricity and produce less heat than CRT displays.
Focus/sharpness
Where CRTs require careful focussing to produce the sharpest image, LCDs are perfectly sharp – although consideration must be given to any difference in resolution between image data and the display (see Resolution, above).
Geometric distortion
In general there is no geometric distortion with flat-panel LCD displays. If images require to be rescaled for display it is possible that this may introduce minor distortion.
Bad pixels and screen uniformity
LCDs can have “stuck” pixels – pixels which are permanently on or off. Some pixels may be improperly connected to adjoining pixels, rows or columns. Also, the panel may not be uniformly illuminated by the backlight resulting in uneven intensity and shading over the screen. The screen glass itself may also contribute to non-uniformity in the displayed image.


