Author Topic: A Simple Filter Could Make LCDs More Efficient (Read 1766 times)

DaBees-Knees · « **on:** September 02, 2010, 06:33:16 am »

http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/26151/?a=f

Quote

A new type of color filter could significantly increase the energy efficiency of liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), which dominate the market in everything from televisions to cell phones.

The best LCDs today only emit about 8 percent of the light produced by their backlights. This means that they drain batteries in portable electronics and ramp up electricity bills in homes (the California Energy Commission estimates that televisions consume 10 percent of the electricity in homes).

Normally, LCDs use several layers of optical devices to colorize, polarize, and shutter light from a backlight, and inefficiencies emerge at every step. Now researchers at the University of Michigan have made an optical film that promises to boost the overall efficiency of LCDs by more than 400 percent - so that 36 percent of light makes it through. The new optical film was developed by researchers led by L. Jay Guo, professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the university. The film colors and polarizes the light that passes through an LCD more efficiently than conventional components can.

If you are thinking of upgrading your TV or monitor it might be worth waiting a while.

White Stripes · « **Reply #1 on:** September 02, 2010, 07:18:46 am »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLPC_XO-1#Display

the OLPC program used a similar concept with their displays quite some time ago.... ...was wondering if the idea would ever spawn anything mainstream...

GhostShip · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2010, 09:02:37 am »

I suspect if folks aw the amount of electricity their plasma tv consumes they would say LCD was already the smart users choice even without this new developement.

White Stripes · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2010, 09:30:14 am »

if you can afford a decent plasma TV for your home theatre i dont think the electric bill is much of a concern....

altho if you are 'going all out' a 3chip DLP projector is the way to go

--edit--

more efficient LCD = more battery time for portable devices.... so its not just the electric bill....