How LCD TVs Work

Generating Images

LCD TVs initially create light in the back of the display using thin, energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs, although some newer designs employ bright LEDs. The fluorescent lights last on average 65,0001 hours, meaning if used 8 hours a day, every day, the lights would last 20 years. The light is then spread evenly across the entire display and its angle optimized by a series of optical films.

Creating Pictures

TVs create images by manipulating polarized light. Light emitted by the backlight first passes through a polarizer, and that light then goes through a layer of liquid crystal. The crystalline fluid acts as a switch, regulating the flow of light through the second polarizer and, subsequently, onto the screen. The process of manipulating light is repeated for each pixel - the smallest element of an image.

Producing Bright Color

In LCD TVs, color images result from a color filter overlaying the black-and-white image created by the liquid crystal.