What Does the Future Hold for Digital Display Technology Enhancement?
Digital display technology is advancing and evolving at a much faster pace than ever before. New, exciting, and innovative ideas are constantly being brought to fruition with the intent of making our lives easier through technological improvements. So, what does this mean for the future of commercial monitors and how do you know which ones will suit both your personal and professional applications best? Keep reading to learn more about the different types of digital display technology that’s already available on the market and what you can expect to get out of each of them.
TFT Displays
Thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal displays (otherwise known as TFT LCD monitors) are a more advanced version of passive matrix displays. PMDs are generally inexpensive thanks to how easy and cheap they are to manufacture and distribute, not to mention the fact that they’re strictly monochromatic. They also have a good combination of transmissive and reflective viewing capabilities, which makes them extremely versatile and customizable. TFTs, on the other hand, can include both monochromatic and colour features. They also include LCD displays that are mounted on a silicone-based backplane along with a storage transistor for the electrical charge at each pixel location. They also contain higher contrast than other PMDs, higher viewing angles, along with much greater pixel density.
Monochrome TFTs have no colour filter and only feature black and white capabilities, but as a result, they have drastically higher pixel density that its colour TFT counterpart because it lacks colour capabilities and uses less energy.
Colour TFTs are used mostly for smartphones, LCD TVs, monitors, and in a great deal of other industrial applications because of it’s crisp and clear colour contrast that improves readability in all conditions and for a variety of physical capabilities.
OLED (Organic Light-Emitting-Diode)
OLEDs use thin light-emitting films and have a much thinner display than LCDs and don’t require a backlight. They also possess the highest contrast ratios and widest viewing angles above all other types of digital display technologies featured on this list.
There are a few exciting features that come with OLED displays. They offer sunlight readability, which is becoming a standard feature in most modern tablet, mobile, and computer monitors. However, this isn’t at the same high level as E-Ink displays, which will be discussed below. OLEDs are also known for their high light output, having an extremely high contrast ratio, large colour variety, and a wide range of convenient viewing angles. The fact that a backlight isn’t required for OLED displays also makes it possible for them to be extremely thin and this is a major selling point for a lot of modern consumers.
There are, however, a few challenges or pitfalls presented by OLED displays. One of the main drawbacks with OLED displays is that of all of the digital displays mentioned here, they have the highest potential to burn-in. They also have higher power consumption than most other displays and are more expensive than LCDs. Due to the low-quality materials used to manufacture OLEDs, they also offer very limited long-term use. So, if you’re wondering why the mainframe of your Samsung Galaxy-series phone is so fragile, it’s because it contains an OLED display. That said, there are always improvements being made to this technology.
Electronic Ink (E-Ink)
E-Ink technology is mostly used for e-reader devices; the most prominent example is the Amazon Kindle. The objective of this technology is to replicate the way ink appears on paper in the most naturally and visually appealing way possible. It utilizes a process called electrophoresis, which is when clear fluid is combined with black pigments and positively charged white pigments to create a crystal clear and legible image on your screen that resembles how ink appears on paper.
This relatively new technology boasts high resolutions with sunlight readability and adjustability, as well as very low power consumption which ultimately guarantees a longer lasting battery life and less time charging the device.
The future outlook for this technology is that it could expand its horizons into the realm of digital signage in retail and commercial settings (i.e. electronic shelf labels); traffic signs; various types of architectural applications and practices; mobile phones; and so on.
Some pitfalls include a slow response time, difficulty producing colour displays (most commercial products that use this technology are monochromatic), and the market cost.
Curved Displays
When curved displays were initially brought onto the market, they were mostly used for entertainment purposes such as TVs. However, this technology has seen tremendous commercial success long before that. In fact, it’s also used for gaming machines in casinos, digital signage, and digital displays.
Curved screens have numerous advantages and uses. They reduce reflections and direct ambient light while also providing the viewer with perpendicular views of each area of large screens.
Flexible Display Technology
Flexible display technology is often compared to curved displays, but they’re vastly different in the sense that the former consists of malleable components and can be reshaped in a number of configurations. They’re also shatterproof and unbreakable as they’re mainly comprised of flexible glass, metal, or plastic and have the same basic structure as either E-Ink or OLE devices.
This technology is still going through major changes and thanks to the durability of the materials it’s made of, in the future it’ll most likely see greater use in military endeavours and also break into the smartphone market as well. It’ll likely even be incorporated in X-ray detectors, light panels, and wearable technology.
Nauticomp Inc. has been designing, manufacturing, and distributing state-of-the-art commercial monitors including sunlight readable, dust resistant, and waterproof computer monitors that are built to last for many years to come. We carry a distinctive line of fully customizable cutting-edge digital display technology including TFT, OLED, E-Ink, Curved displays, Flexible displays, and so much more! Whatever you need for your professional or personal uses, we can deliver. Contact us today to learn more about our company and our products.
