The Invention that Changed Television
Posted on Tue, Oct 25, 2011 @ 08:19 AM
Right after the news of Steve Jobs’ passing, someone sent me a Facebook posting asking where Steve should rank among the likes of Marconi, Sarnoff and others who created great milestones in communications history. It’s a great question and one that will be debated for a long time. But that question reminded me of a huge communication milestone that came and went with little fanfare or recognition. Its invention has changed the way we communicate at every level, and it’s hard to picture life without it – the invention of the color liquid crystal display (LCD).
Just stop and think about how many different color liquid crystal displays you look at on a single day. From your phone, to your computer, to your tablet or reader, to your car’s GPS, to the cash register at Starbuck’s, to the gas pump, the list goes on and on. And that’s not to mention all the television screens you see in a single day, at home, at work, at the gym, at bars and restaurants, at the doctor’s office, in grocery stores, while standing in line at the bank or DMV, or at the gas pump (again). For us working in television broadcasting, it’s important to realize that the color LCD has allowed the fruits of our labor to be viewed virtually everywhere. It’s truly mindboggling.
So who do you have to thank for all of this? Like with so many of the other milestones in broadcast technology (AM radio, FM radio, B&W television, color TV, the TV remote control, satellite broadcasting, etc.) the modern day color LCD has several fathers starting as far back as 1888 when Fredrick Reinitzer discovered the strange behavior of liquid crystals when playing around with carrots. Then there's George Heilmeier and James Fergason are credited with inventing the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) in 1968 and T. Peter Brody who invented the Active Matrix LCD, the technology behind today’s color LCD.
It’s hard to imagine life without the visionary influence of Steve Jobs. It’s also hard to imagine life without the ubiquitous color LCD.
- Dave Tressel