Everything you ever wanted to know about screen technology

When it comes to the business of lighting up individual subpixels, the majority of desktop and laptop screens use either twisted nematic (TN) or in-plane switching (IPS) technology. Both work in roughly the same way, employing a backlight with a matrix of liquid crystal subpixels in front, each of which can be controlled electronically to block the light or allow it to shine through. As such, both types of display can therefore accurately be referred to as LCD monitors. Similarly, since both use thin-film-transistor technology to control the state of individual pixels, both can correctly be referred to as TFT displays.