THE WORLD IS GOING FLAT
But now, the CRT is living on borrowed time. Flat-panel devices – usually based on liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma technologies – are replacing the cathode-ray tube.
The production of flat-panel devices has increased dramatically in the past two years, says LG Electronics commercial business executive Naas Orffer, and electronics manufacturers are constantly striving to make flat panels more affordable.
The advantages to consumers are clear: the quality of images on flat-panel screens is noticeably superior to CRT displays. Also, flat panels can offer far bigger display areas than CRTs. Plasma displays of 107 cm are becoming more commonplace.
Orffer says plasma will become the commodity (mass market) technology used in most homes. But LCD, which is more expensive than plasma and offers better picture resolution, may become the preferred option for those who can afford it.
Flat-panel devices are already outselling CRT displays in some developed markets. Widescreen-format flat panels (with an aspect ratio of 16:9 rather than the traditional 4:3) are becoming the standard in Europe and the US. In developing markets, including SA, CRT displays will remain more popular for longer, simply because of their lower price.
Though plasma and LCD are the two leading contenders for the flat-panel technology of the future, new technologies are already emerging. Displays that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) – the same technology used in miners’ lamps – could become popular in the next decade. Though LED displays are still largely experimental, there have been dramatic improvements in the technology recently, Orffer says.
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