The Science Behind TV and Mobile Phone Screens

In today's technology-driven world, TV and mobile phone screens have become an essential part of our daily lives. They allow us to stay connected, access information, and enjoy various forms of entertainment.

But have you ever wondered how the hell do these screens actually work? Yeah us too.

We’ve done some journalistic research and have written the below for your perusal.

The Basics: Pixels and Colour

Both TV and mobile phone screens consist of tiny individual units called pixels.

These pixels are responsible for generating the images we see on the screens. Each pixel is made up of three subpixels - red, green, and blue (RGB).

By varying the intensity of these subpixels, a pixel can create a wide range of colours. When millions of these pixels work together, they form the images that we see on our screens, boom shacka lacka.

Display Technologies: LCD, LED, and OLED

There are several types of display technologies used in modern TV and mobile phone screens, each with its own unique characteristics. The three most common are LCD, LED, and OLED.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

LCD is a widely used display technology for both TVs and mobile devices. It relies on liquid crystals sandwiched between two layers of glass. When an electric current is applied, the crystals reorient themselves, allowing light to pass through in varying amounts. This process, combined with the use of colour filters, creates the image on the screen.

A backlight is needed to illuminate the liquid crystals, typically in the form of a CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) or an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

LED screens are actually a subset of LCD screens. The main difference between the two lies in the backlighting system. While LCD screens use CCFLs, LED screens use LEDs for backlighting. This results in a thinner, more energy-efficient, and longer-lasting screen.

LED screens can be further divided into two types: edge-lit and full-array. Edge-lit screens have LEDs positioned around the edges, while full-array screens have LEDs distributed across the entire screen. Full-array screens generally offer better image quality and more precise control over the screen's brightness.

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode)

OLED screens are a more recent innovation in display technology. Unlike LCD and LED screens, which rely on a separate backlight, each pixel in an OLED screen is capable of emitting its own light. This results in superior contrast ratios, wider colour gamut’s, and faster refresh rates.

OLED screens are predominantly used in high-end mobile devices and TVs, as they offer unparalleled image quality. However, they can be more expensive and prone to image retention, which occurs when static images are displayed for extended periods.

Summary

The science behind TV and mobile phone screens is both intricate and fascinating.

From the use of tiny pixels that combine red, green, and blue subpixels to create millions of colours, to the various display technologies like LCD, LED, and OLED that make these screens possible, there is a lot to appreciate in the screens that surround us.

As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more advanced display technologies in the future, making our screens more efficient, brighter, and more colourful than ever before, then Mark Z or Elon Musk will come in and blow it all away with holographic devices, can’t wait for that.