Poll

What is your favorite technolgy used for displays?

LED
12 (25.5%)
Numeric LCD (7 segment, 14/16 segment, 5x7 matrix)
4 (8.5%)
Graphic LCD (Pixels)
13 (27.7%)
VFD
11 (23.4%)
Other (Name Below)
7 (14.9%)

Total Members Voted: 47

Author Topic: Poll: Favorite Display Technology  (Read 4190 times)

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Offline james_s

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #25 on: February 20, 2021, 07:12:46 pm »
I have an emotional fondness for a traditional CRT but let's be honest, it's inferior to at least one other modern display technology in every parameter.

There is one parameter that no other display technology has matched, at least to my knowledge - dynamic range. The best example I can think of is the vector arcade game Asteroids, blinding white missiles flying across an inky black background, it's impossible to emulate properly on any modern display technology. The only possible exception I can think of would be laser projection but a laser projector relies on mechanical galvos to scan the beam and even the best hardware can't match the write speed possible with even a magnetic deflection CRT.

Technically perhaps OLED could be made to allow very high dynamic range like this but I don't think anything currently on the market can do it.

There is another advantage that CRTs have that is unique to them, they are inherently analog without fixed pixels so they can natively display a wide range of resolutions without scaling. This is especially true of monochrome CRTs which lack a shadow mask or aperture grill, they are just painting a picture in real time on a phosphor screen. The resolution is limited only by spot size, maximum beam current and the speed of the deflection.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2021, 07:15:56 pm by james_s »
 

Offline IDEngineer

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #26 on: February 20, 2021, 08:16:32 pm »
There is one parameter that no other display technology has matched, at least to my knowledge - dynamic range. The only possible exception I can think of would be laser projection but a laser projector relies on mechanical galvos to scan the beam and even the best hardware can't match the write speed possible with even a magnetic deflection CRT.
Good point and I agree. On both counts. To your second point, I've worked on and off with galvo-scanned lasers since the 70's and it's not even a fair comparison, if only due to the masses involved! Electrons vs. shaft + mirror mass, hmm.

Quote
There is another advantage that CRTs have that is unique to them, they are inherently analog without fixed pixels so they can natively display a wide range of resolutions without scaling. This is especially true of monochrome CRTs which lack a shadow mask or aperture grill, they are just painting a picture in real time on a phosphor screen. The resolution is limited only by spot size, maximum beam current and the speed of the deflection.
Agreed again. Particularly monochrome screens. It's going to be hard to match the theoretical minimum spot size, though phosphor blooming will get in the way at any useful brightness level.
 

Offline IDEngineer

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #27 on: February 20, 2021, 08:20:29 pm »
those electron gun assemblies were simultaneously the most precision and the least appreciated devices most people would encounter in their lives.
I'd go for VCR head drum for that title, with hard disk and floppy disk heads as runners up, and honorable mentions to reel to reel heads.
I'll admit those are good runners-up, but while they're very finely machined (smooth) and have incredible tolerances (photolithography?), the electron gun is an assortment of gossamer components held in purely mechanical alignment. They couldn't be photolithographically replicated in mass volume, each one was almost hand assembled and tweaked. No matter which one is the "winner" the electron gun, in mass production, was an amazing accomplishment.
 

Offline Cyberdragon

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #28 on: February 20, 2021, 08:56:29 pm »
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Overall winner: LCD. Can be made visible in any amount of light from absolute darkness to intense sunlight.

Except prolonged exposer to heat and sun destroys monochrome LCDs. My dad had a '89 truck often used in the hot desert sun while prospecting and the radio LCD got absolutely cooked black.
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Offline gnuarm

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #29 on: February 20, 2021, 09:37:32 pm »
Quote
Overall winner: LCD. Can be made visible in any amount of light from absolute darkness to intense sunlight.

Except prolonged exposer to heat and sun destroys monochrome LCDs. My dad had a '89 truck often used in the hot desert sun while prospecting and the radio LCD got absolutely cooked black.

The claim of viewability in sunlight is a bit overstated.  While there are displays that work outdoors, they are not the same displays that are used indoors.  It requires MASSIVE backlighting to view an LCD outdoors making them rather expensive and power hungry.  So while the technology allows for outdoor viewing, LCDs can not be considered to be suitable for *all* environments. 

Most LCDs are marginally viewable even in many indoor environments.  To view passive LCDs under a wide range of indoor lighting a compromise is used where there is a slightly reflective backing that reflects some light but also allows for a backlight.  The key word there is "compromise".  The result does not work well under any lighting condition and is particularly bad in the mid range where neither the backlight on or off helps.  A stronger backlight helps, but then uses more power, which may or may not matter.

The point is LCD is not a universal solution to all display problems.
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Offline wraper

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #30 on: February 21, 2021, 12:14:00 am »
The claim of viewability in sunlight is a bit overstated.  While there are displays that work outdoors, they are not the same displays that are used indoors.  It requires MASSIVE backlighting to view an LCD outdoors making them rather expensive and power hungry.  So while the technology allows for outdoor viewing, LCDs can not be considered to be suitable for *all* environments. 
Do you realize there are reflective LCD such as in most of multimeters?
 

Offline Nusa

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #31 on: February 21, 2021, 12:15:41 am »
The question was "favorite" display technology. If you're looking for "winners", that's an entirely different question.

Dried blood on cave walls was a winner at one time. Some of those displays have lasted for thousands of years!
« Last Edit: February 21, 2021, 12:17:15 am by Nusa »
 

Online bdunham7

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #32 on: February 21, 2021, 12:19:29 am »
The point is LCD is not a universal solution to all display problems.

That's a pretty high standard! 

The displays in a car would seem to be one of the most difficult, except of course power doesn't matter much.  I can see the LCD displays in my car right up to the point that I can't see anything at all due to sun glare or whatever.  I don't think any technology could be any better.
A 3.5 digit 4.5 digit 5 digit 5.5 digit 6.5 digit 7.5 digit DMM is good enough for most people.
 

Offline Cyberdragon

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #33 on: February 21, 2021, 03:52:09 am »
The point is LCD is not a universal solution to all display problems.

That's a pretty high standard! 

The displays in a car would seem to be one of the most difficult, except of course power doesn't matter much.  I can see the LCD displays in my car right up to the point that I can't see anything at all due to sun glare or whatever.  I don't think any technology could be any better.

Have you parked in in the blazing desert sun for hours on end repeatedly? Granted, that was old tech LCD, but I doubt modern ones would survive harsh environments much better unless they are ruggedized (aka mil/space spec).
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Online bdunham7

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #34 on: February 21, 2021, 03:56:52 am »
Have you parked in in the blazing desert sun for hours on end repeatedly? Granted, that was old tech LCD, but I doubt modern ones would survive harsh environments much better unless they are ruggedized (aka mil/space spec).

Well, actually, yes I have.  The car has been parked mostly outside in SoCal for going on 7 years now.  It's not a Tesla, so the screen is 'automotive grade'.  I don't know how that compares to mil-spec.
A 3.5 digit 4.5 digit 5 digit 5.5 digit 6.5 digit 7.5 digit DMM is good enough for most people.
 

Offline gnuarm

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #35 on: February 21, 2021, 10:12:31 am »
The claim of viewability in sunlight is a bit overstated.  While there are displays that work outdoors, they are not the same displays that are used indoors.  It requires MASSIVE backlighting to view an LCD outdoors making them rather expensive and power hungry.  So while the technology allows for outdoor viewing, LCDs can not be considered to be suitable for *all* environments. 
Do you realize there are reflective LCD such as in most of multimeters?

That's my point.  To say LCDs work in all conditions you have to pick a different type of LCD for each lighting condition.  It's a bit like saying autos work well in all conditions because you can get autos to work in highways, autos to work in desserts, autos to work in rocky terrain, autos to work in mud...  there's even an auto in outer space!  Well, another one.  We already had some on the Moon and a few on Mars.
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Offline gnuarm

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #36 on: February 21, 2021, 12:27:00 pm »
To say LCDs work in all conditions you have to pick a different type of LCD for each lighting condition.

How about transflective LCDs? They suck under the sun, they suck indoors, but they will work under the sun and they will work indoors.

Exactly, they suck! 
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Offline Nominal Animal

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #37 on: February 21, 2021, 12:46:06 pm »
I like turtles IPS TFT displays for general use; e-paper for low-energy persistent stuff; and OLEDs for small displays.

Yeah, each one of them has their downsides, but I'm old enough to remember the alternatives.  These rule.

If I ever get a large manual mill, I'll still want a DRO with seven-segment LED display, though.  Best tool for the task.
 

Offline andy2000

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Re: Poll: Favorite Display Technology
« Reply #38 on: February 21, 2021, 04:35:23 pm »
It's hard to have one favorite when there are so many different situations.  For small battery operated devices like DMMs and calculators, it's hard to beat a reflective LCD. 

For line powered devices that are on all the time like clocks, LEDs are good because they a last a long time.  For more complicated displays that aren't on all the time I prefer VFDs.  They're more vivid, and can display more complicated information.  Good quality VFDs can last for decades, even when they are always on, but they do dim with age.

For TVs, I have never seen an LCD I like.  I was always a fan of plasma, and now OLED.  You can't beat an emissive display for video.  I just wish they'd make smaller OLEDs (in the 15"-32" range).
 
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