When we watch events on TV or reply to messages on our phones, the LCD screen is presenting a colorful world through a set of precise "light control techniques". In the current era when OLED technology is highly sought after, LCD still occupies half of the global display market thanks to its mature and stable display principle and affordable cost advantage. With Chinese enterprises' deep technological research and integration of production capacity in the LCD field, this classic display technology is regaining new vitality.
LCD, or Liquid Crystal Display, lies in its core secret of precise light control. Unlike OLED pixels that emit light independently, LCD is a "journey through light" - the backlight layer on the back of the screen is like a continuous "light source base", and the current mainstream LED backlight technology can emit more uniform and efficient white light, replacing the earlier CCFL fluorescent tubes. This beam of white light must pass through two key "checkpoints" to be transformed into a colorful image: the liquid crystal layer and the color filter.
The liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are the core actors in this "magic" phenomenon. They are like millions of precisely adjustable "optical valves". The thin film transistors (TFT) at the bottom of the screen apply specific voltages to each pixel, controlling the rotation angle of the liquid crystal molecules. "Without applying voltage, the liquid crystal molecules naturally align and can rotate the polarization direction of light by 90 degrees, allowing it to pass through the upper polarizing filter smoothly; when voltage is applied, the alignment of the molecules changes, but the polarization direction of the light remains the same, and it will be blocked by the upper polarizing filter." An expert in display technology from the Electronic Enthusiasts Network explained. This precise control of light transmittance forms the basis of the gray scale of the picture.
After the light passes through the "filtering" layer of the liquid crystal, it reaches the color filter stage. This filter layer, which is covered with red, green, and blue (RGB) color units, allows the corresponding colored light to pass through. By combining the three colors in different proportions, various rich colors such as the deep blue of the sky, the emerald green of the plants, and the bright red of the flames are displayed on the screen. From backlight emission to polarization control and then to color filtering, this complete "light control process" enables LCD to achieve a leap from black and white to color, and from low resolution to 4K in picture quality.
In the competition of display effects, LCD and OLED each have their own merits. OLED, thanks to its self-illuminating feature, achieves extremely high contrast ratio and fast response speed. However, LCD also has significant advantages in terms of eye protection, lifespan and cost. The DC dimming technology commonly used in LCD can effectively avoid flickering and is more suitable for long-term use; its feature of no aging problem of organic materials makes its lifespan far exceed that of OLED, and also avoids the risk of "burning screen". Especially in the large-size field, the cost advantage of LCD is more obvious. The price of a 65-inch LCD TV is often only half of that of the same size OLED product.
The technological innovation of Chinese enterprises is continuously filling in the shortcomings of LCD. TCL Huaxing has significantly improved the viewing angle and color accuracy of LCD by integrating LGD's IPS technology with its own HVA panel advantages. Nowadays, the viewing angle of mainstream LCD products has reached 170° - 180°, comparable to OLED. BOE's Mini LED backlit LCD TV achieves precise light control through thousands of micro backlight units, raising the contrast ratio to the level of tens of thousands, narrowing the gap with OLED.
Industrial data confirm the resilience of the LCD market. In the third quarter of 2025, LCD panels still accounted for 58% of global smartphone panel shipments. In the large-screen segment, it is estimated that the total LCD shipments for the entire year will reach 874 million units, with a year-on-year growth of 2.2%. China has become the core force in the global LCD industry. Companies such as BOE and TCL Huaxing have occupied over 50% of the global LCD panel market share. After TCL Huaxing acquired the production line in Guangzhou of LGD, its production capacity exceeded 50 million pieces, forming a "dual-leading" pattern with BOE.
Xie Qinyi, the general manager of Display Research at Omdia, pointed out that before emerging technologies such as Micro LED have achieved scale effects, LCD, due to its economic efficiency and maturity, will maintain a long-term foothold in areas such as televisions, vehicles, and esports. Chinese enterprises are promoting the transformation of LCD from "manufacturing advantages" to "technical + ecosystem advantages" through technological integration and capacity consolidation.
From the research on liquid crystal molecules in the laboratory to the precise manufacturing on the production line, the light control technology of LCD has gone through several decades of development. Today, this optical magic show has not come to an end. With the support of Chinese manufacturing, it is writing the chapter of perseverance and innovation in the display industry.
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