The Evolution Of Lcd Monitors: A Historical Perspective

The liquid crystal display (LCD) has become a ubiquitous feature of modern life, with applications across a range of devices from televisions to computers. But when did the first LCD monitors come out?

The history of LCDs can be traced back to 1888 when Austrian botanist Friedrich Reinitzer first observed the liquid crystal structure and behaviour of cholesterol extracted from carrots. However, it wasn't until the 1960s that the first LCDs were built. In 1962, RCA researcher Richard Williams discovered that liquid crystal structures had electro-optical effects that could be controlled through an applied voltage. This led to the creation of the first working LCD by George H. Heilmeier of the RCA in 1968, using something called a dynamic scattering mode (DSM) that turns the clear liquid crystal layer into a more translucent state when voltage is applied.

The Eizo L66 was one of the first LCD desktop monitors

The history of computer monitors is a fascinating one, with the technology evolving from cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to the LCD monitors that are now commonplace. The first computer monitor was included with the Xerox Alto computer, released on March 1, 1973, and it used CRT technology with a monochrome display.

The Eizo L66 was a significant product for the company and the industry. Introduced in the mid-1990s, it was the world's first monitor to offer a resolution of 1280 x 1024. This was a notable advancement in desktop monitor technology, as it provided users with a higher-resolution display option. The L66 was part of Eizo's FlexScan series, which also included the L23 13.8 LCD monitor.

The development of the Eizo L66 was a step towards the evolution of LCD monitors, which would eventually surpass CRT monitors in popularity. By 2003, LCD monitors began outselling CRT monitors, and by 2007, they had become the most prominent type of computer monitor worldwide, offering improved image quality and resolution.

LCD monitors became popular in the 2000s

The first LCD display was created in 1972, but it was not until the early 2000s that they began to replace CRTs as the most common type of monitor. The shift towards LCDs was gradual, with CRTs dominating the market for several decades. However, by the 2000s, LCDs had improved in quality and affordability, making them a more attractive option for consumers.

One of the key advantages of LCDs over CRTs is their slim design. LCD monitors are built from layers of filters, glass, and liquid crystal, which do not require the same bulky cathode ray tubes as CRTs. This allowed manufacturers to create thinner and more ergonomic designs, freeing up space on users' desks. Additionally, LCDs offered sharper images and lower energy consumption, further contributing to their popularity.

The advancements in LCD technology during the 1990s played a crucial role in their widespread adoption in the 2000s. Improvements in optical properties, such as viewing angles and colour accuracy, made LCDs more desirable to consumers. The development of thin-film transistor (TFT) LCDs, which offer higher resolution and better image quality, also contributed to the popularity of LCD monitors.

By 2003, LCD monitors outsold CRT monitors for the first time, and by 2007, they had consistently outsold CRTs, becoming the most prominent type of computer monitor worldwide. This marked a significant shift in display technology, as CRTs had been the standard for over half a century. The rise of LCDs also brought an end to health concerns related to radiation associated with CRTs.

LCD monitors outsold CRT monitors for the first time in 2003

The first LCD (liquid-crystal display) monitors for desktop computers were manufactured and released in the mid-1990s. However, it wasn't until 2003 that LCD monitors outsold CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors for the first time. Sales of LCD monitors topped $20 billion in 2003, surpassing the revenue from sales of CRT monitors. This shift was driven by improving manufacturing technology, which helped achieve lower prices for LCD monitors, and the failure of CRT manufacturers to effectively communicate the advantages of their products to end users.

LCD monitors steadily increased in size due to advancements in manufacturing technology, which also contributed to the decreasing prices. In 2003, the predominant LCD size was a 15-inch screen, but by 2005, the market shifted towards 17-inch screens.

One challenge for LCD monitors was meeting the required specification for displaying fast-moving graphics, such as those found in games. Experts state that the human eye needs to see 25 frames per second to perceive continuous motion. However, LCD monitors often struggled to meet this threshold, making them less appealing for certain applications. Nevertheless, improvements in LCD technology, such as the Diamond View DV159 LCD monitor from Mitsubishi Electric, addressed this issue by enhancing pixel response time and achieving over 60 frames per second.

As the prices of LCD monitors continued to decrease, manufacturers began offering them bundled with PCs, leading to a decline in the standalone LCD monitor market. By 2007, LCD monitors had consistently outsold CRT monitors and became the most prevalent type of computer monitor globally, surpassing CRT displays in both image quality and sales.

LCD monitors were preceded by CRT monitors

The first LCD (liquid-crystal display) monitors for desktop computers were manufactured and released in the mid-1990s, with the Eizo L66 being one of the first of its kind. However, LCD monitors were preceded by CRT monitors, which have a much longer history.

The earliest form of electronic display, the cathode-ray tube (CRT), was first demonstrated in 1897 and made commercially available in 1922. These early CRTs were monochrome and were primarily used in oscilloscopes and black-and-white televisions. The technology behind CRTs involves an electron gun that forms images by firing electrons onto a phosphor-coated screen. While they offered monochrome displays initially, the first commercial colour CRT was produced in 1954.

CRTs became the most popular display technology used in television sets and computer monitors for over half a century. Their dominance was such that it wasn't until the 2000s that LCDs began to gradually replace them.

The Uniscope 300 machine, while not a true computer monitor, is considered a precursor to CRT monitor technology. It featured a built-in CRT display. The Xerox Alto computer, released on March 1, 1973, was the first to include a computer monitor, which utilised CRT technology and had a monochrome display.

The Apple II, released in June 1977, was a significant step forward as it allowed for colour display on a CRT monitor. This marked the beginning of a shift towards colour CRTs, which, by the late 1980s, were capable of a 1024 x 768 resolution display.

While CRTs were widely used, they were eventually surpassed by LCDs, which offered superior image quality and sales across the world by 2007. This shift can be attributed to the continuous advancements in LCD technology, such as the discovery of liquid crystals and their electro-optical effects, as well as the development of thin-film transistor (TFT) LCDs, which improved resolution and reduced power consumption.

LCD monitors were first invented in the 1960s

The first LCD (liquid-crystal display) monitors were invented in the 1960s, marking the origin of a whole new generation of technical devices. The liquid crystal research of the 1960s was characterised by the discovery of and experiments on the properties of liquid crystals.

In 1962, RCA researcher Richard Williams discovered that liquid crystal structures had electro-optical effects that could be controlled through an applied voltage. He generated stripe patterns in a thin layer of liquid crystal material by applying a voltage, creating what is now called "Williams domains".

Following on from Williams' research, George H. Heilmeier of the RCA focused on the electro-optical nature of the crystals. After many attempts to use liquid crystals to display different colours, he created the first working LCD using something called a dynamic scattering mode (DSM). When a voltage is applied in the DSM method, the clear liquid crystal layer turns into a more translucent state.

In 1968, Bernard Lechner of RCA created the idea of a TFT-based LCD, and in the same year, he and several others brought that idea into reality using Heilmeier's DSM LCD. The DSM design, however, proved to be too power-hungry and was soon replaced by an improved version that used the twisted nematic field effect of liquid crystals, invented by James Fergason in 1969.

The first LCD monitors for desktop computers were manufactured and released in the mid-1990s. By the late 1990s, LCDs were being produced as prototypes with diagonals of up to 40 inches. In 2003, LCD monitors outsold CRT monitors for the first time, and by 2007, they had consistently outsold them, becoming the most prominent type of computer monitor.

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