There’s been a lot of talk around LCDs lately, specifically a phenomenon where the screen takes on a “grainy” or “glinting” appearance. This has been seen across all LCD panels including both notebook displays and desktop monitors and is not specific to any one brand of LCD or computer. Moreover, this is not a manufacturing defect; it is inherent to the way LCDs are designed.

If you know how LCDs are manufactured this phenomenon can be explained in the diffusion process. “Glossy” finished screens undergo a lower level of diffusion than the traditional “Anti Glare” or matte finish LCDs. The lower diffusion on glossy LCDs yields an increase in backlight luminance, which results in a brighter and sharper image without severely reducing battery life. The trade off is what appears to be a glinting or sparkling effect on the LCD, but results in a sharper and brighter image. 

For those who are less familiar with the LCD manufacturing process just think of two plain sheets of printer paper, one behind the other, being held up to the sun. (Don’t try this at home) You would see illumination through the papers, but not the direct sunlight. This is because the paper, like an Anti Glare LCD, is acting as a diffuser, scattering the light before it reaches your eye. Now, if you were to take a needle and poke a hole in one of the papers, stack them on top of each other and then hold them up to the light again, you would see a “glinting” effect where the hole was punched because there is one less layer of paper to diffuse the light. The glossy LCDs work in a similar way except it’s a much more intricate piece of paper, much smaller holes, and, unlike the sun, you won’t be blinded by the backlight.

Because this “glint” is inherent to the LCD design accurate methods for measuring it weren’t available until recently. Although not a defect, our customer feedback and concern around this phenomenon has led Dell to acquire a unique, first of its kind method for measuring the “glint” and is in the process of implementing it into our product design cycle. Once the testing is finalized we believe we will have accurate and reproducible specifications that we can implement in our products.

It is important to note that some customers will prefer different types of LCDs based on what the computer is used for. The glossy LCDs provide a brighter screen, higher contrast and a sharper image for watching video and DVD’s. The traditional Anti Glare LCDs are better suited for editing documents, web surfing, and overall normal computer use.

Mike