Display device

A display device is an output device that shows information in a visual form. Some displays show information for people with vision problems through touch, like Braille displays for blind people.

Common uses for electronic displays are television sets and computer monitors.

Types of electronic displays

Common types

The following are the most common types of display devices:

• Liquid-crystal display (LCD) – Common in TVs, monitors, and smartphones.
  • LED – A type of LCD that uses LED backlighting.
  • QLED – An LCD with quantum dots for better colors.

• OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) – Used in high-quality TVs and phones; each pixel lights up independently.

Segment displays

Some displays can show only numbers or alphanumeric characters. They are called segment displays because they have parts (segments) that turn on and off to make the needed shapes. Segment displays are commonly used in digital watches and pocket calculators.

Other display types

• Plasma displays – Older technology once used in large TVs.
• CRT – Old type used in traditional TVs and monitors.
• E-paper – Used in e-readers like the Kindle.

Related pages

• Graphical user interface
• User interface