From CRT to OLED: A History of Displays (and a Lot of Acronyms)

Displays are the primary output device that most consumers tend to interact with, and therefore tend to have the most attention of the average consumer. A display is defined as "an output device that visually conveys text, graphics, and video information."1 For most intents and purposes, displays are screens. However, they weren't always the razor-thin panels that today's laptops, TVs, and smartphones have, and they won't always be, either.

The Past: CRT

While rudimentary display technology existed before the cathode ray tube (CRT) screen, no other display technology advanced the field nearly so much as the CRT did. While the roots of the CRT were planted in the mid-1800s, they came into their prime when the television was invented and became widely available, and progressed into a computer peripheral in the early days of the personal computer. According to ThoughtCo, "a cathode ray tube is a specialized vacuum tube in which images are produced when an electron beam strikes a phosphorescent surface."2 The CRT was widely used for decades, and eventually led to color screens and HD capabilities. However, CRTs require large containers and have clarity limitations, which have seen them fall behind better current technologies.3 While some CRT monitors are still found in the wild, most of their use lies in the museum and not on the computer desk.

http://clubmnt.mothernaturesteam.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/lcd_vs_crt.jpg

The Present: LCD, OLED and Touchscreen

The death of the CRT display is sad, but it's replacement has made the world forget it in a heartbeat. The liquid crystal display, or LCD, took the world by storm at the turn of the century and now rules the computer display market. It has allowed computers to output far larger images and visuals, as well as at a high resolution for increased clarity. In addition, the technology is far more efficient than the CRT and can be unthinkably thin. LCDs are what are primarily used in the TV and computer screens of today.4

An interesting different display technology that has caught fire in smartphones is OLED. Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays are similar to LCDs in size, but "offer better viewing angles and deeper blacks."5 OLEDs turn individual pixels on and off based on use which makes those deep blacks, while LCDs use one backlight. However, OLEDs are more expensive, which has left them behind in the TV market.

Speaking of smartphones, the touchscreen was a revolutionary change in display technology. The ability for consumers to physically interact with visuals from a computer was a total change in how the everyday person used computers, and allowed computers to be put in our pockets in those very smartphones. Touchscreens are unique because they are both input and output devices all in one, unlike their display predecessors. Most of today's touchscreen are capacitive touchscreen, which use the body as an electrical conductor to determine location and require little physical force to use.6

The Future: Pixels, Getting Thinner, and Mounting Plastic on Your Face

The future of displays lays less in display technologies themselves and more in applying and improving them. The buzz word of the technology world of today is 4K, a term generally used to denote the resolution of a screen being more than 4000 pixels across in one direction. In addition, displays continue to get thinner. LG has developed (expensive) consumer smart TVs that are less than a quarter inch thick.7 In addition to this, augmented and virtual reality devices will attach screens to our heads regularly in the future. Whatever the application, it is a safe to say that display technology has yet to see its golden age.


1 - http://uwf.edu/clemley/cgs1570w/notes/Concepts-6.htm
2 - https://www.thoughtco.com/television-history-cathode-ray-tube-1991459
3 - http://www.foxnews.com/story/2006/10/23/cathode-ray-tube-tv-format-dying-slow-quiet-death.html
4 - https://techterms.com/definition/lcd
5 - https://www.androidauthority.com/oled-lcd-poll-809377
6 - http://www.mobileburn.com/definition.jsp?term=capacitive+touchscreen
7 - https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-77-class-76-7-diag--wallpaper-oled-2160p-smart-4k-ultra-hd-tv-with-high-dynamic-range/5833900.p?skuId=5833900&ref=212&loc=1&ksid=68e5a666-b804-4b42-83ab-72c0b6eaae11&ksprof_id=16&ksaffcode=pg70949&ksdevice=c&lsft=ref:212,loc:2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqJP_n5eI1wIVgSSGCh1nxgz7EAQYASABEgJLOvD_BwE

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 25, 2017 at 6:16 AM

    I defiantly agree with you on the fact that displays have come a long way. While I was at Google I was talking to an engineer about the typical black screen, green text terminal, and he was saying that that's the association with hacking because of the CRT displays during the birth of the computer. I also think it's interesting how smartphone competitors battle between the types of displays they use. I think Apple finally made it to OLED displays but Samsung has been there for a while. And as far as the world of gaming is concerned, 4K is everything, although I will never understand why you need that many pixels, I'm sure my gaming brothers would love the graphics and such.

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