The Evolution and Industry Impact of Consumer-Grade Display Technology

Display technologies have evolved significantly from the former cathode-ray tube (CRT) and liquid-crystal display (LCD) systems to the latest organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and micro light-emitting diode (micro-LCD). This paper categorizes these display technologies into two groups: traditional display technologies (CRT & LCD) and emerging display technologies (OLED and micro-LED), and analysis their respective structure, compositions, working principles and applications. CRT was once the major consumption of projectors because of its inherent advantages in motion rendering and color accuracy. However, limitations such as large size and low efficiency led to its eventual replacement by LCD technology. LCDs contains advantages of lower power consumption, thinner form and cost effectiveness, but has some shortcomings like slower response time and limited contrast ratios. The development of OLED resolved these shortcomings, though challenges related to cost, device lifetime and blue emitter degradation remain. Meanwhile, micro-LED shows potential in brightness, efficiency and durability. By reviewing these technologies, this work shows the balance between performance, cost and scalability, pointing out the solutions of next generation display.