Abstract— Cathode‐ray tubes (CRTs) have been the dominant display technology for years, having the best image performance and low cost. During the last several years, flat‐panel‐display technologies, such as liquid‐crystal displays (LCDs), began to replace the CRT mainly because of its favorable form factor. Today, the image performance of LCDs are equal to that of a CRT, and attractive flat‐display products have become so affordable that they have replaced the CRT from its dominating market position and have obtained the largest market share. In the past, the CRT set the standards for digital imaging technologies, but today, modern image capturing, storage, transport, signal processing, and printing technologies have improved to such high levels that they demand better display technologies and standards. At present, the LCD is at the forefront of this display‐technology evolution. This paper will focus on the latest image‐quality improvements in LCD technology and briefly touch alternatives such as plasma‐display panels (PDP) and microdisplay projection. Special attention will be given to the latest developments in wide‐color‐gamut technologies and methods to reproduce accurate colors within a display device.

It is demonstrated that a bistable electro-optic effect can be obtained in a nematic liquid-crystal configuration having a 270° twist and a 30° boundary tilt. In this effect, which we call Bluebird (blue birefringent display) very rapid switching is possible in one direction, leading to write times of 0.2 ms at 14 V. Furthermore, the necessity is shown of a minimum repetition time of 200–400 ms between two subsequent write-refresh cycles and of a blanking pulse of about 50 ms before writing new information. The effect is compared with other existing bistable nematic liquid-crystal effects and its switching times appear as rather fast for a nematic effect.

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