Frequently Asked Questions Q: How is the LCD TV panel designed and how does it function?A: Two sheets of polarized transparent material, one with a special polymer coating that holds liquid crystals, are adhered together. Electric current is passed through individual crystals, which interpret the information from the broadcast signal to allow or disallow light through each one to create an image. Fluorescent tubes housed behind the transparent material illuminate the image.
The crystals themselves do not produce light, so the technology is "non-emissive" and therefore does not give off radiation like an older television. The florescent tubes that do produce light require less power to operate than cathode ray tubes (CRT) and plasma televisions, which require powering hundreds of electrodes to stimulate the phosphorous.