New Kind of LCD Promises Better Viewing

Watch out, plasma TVs. A new kind of LCD screen in development at Samsung overcomes the weaknesses of ordinary LCD displays. A prototype of the blue-phase liquid crystal screen has a wider viewing angle and doesn’t blur fast-moving images as much. What’s more, it could wind up being less expensive than current LCDs, reports MIT Technology Review.

Still, Samsung says it doesn’t have any plans to sell the new LCDs. Researchers have known about blue-phase liquid crystals for years, but no one had used them in a display before. The blue-phase crystals offer advantages over traditional LCDs, letting viewers see the image even when they move to the side and displaying moving images more clearly. (More LCD stories.)