A thin-film transistor screen, better known as TFT, is a form of flat-panel liquid crystal display screen that is commonly found on an assortment of electronic devices, including computers, mobile phones and MP3 players. Of all the flat-panel screen technologies in use, TFT screens offer the highest resolution and are also the most expensive.
Technology
TFT display screens, also known as active-matrix LCD screens, are typically used on MP3 players because of their high-quality display features. TFT technology assigns a single transistor to each pixel on the device's display screen, sending an electrical current to each pixel to turn the display screen on and off quickly. This technology displays more brightly and shows motion more smoothly than other types of display screens. TFT technology replaced passive-matrix technology, which was much slower in its response time.
LCD
Your MP3 player's TFT LCD screen is made of two sheets of polarizing material that have a solution made of liquid crystals placed between them. As an electrical current passes through the solution, the crystals align themselves so that light either passes or does not pass through. In TFT LCD screens, that electrical current passes through the solution along tiny transistors that connect to each pixel on the display screen. In addition to mobile devices, such as your MP3 player, LCD technology is also used in digital watches.
Touch Screens
If your MP3 player has a touch screen, it also uses one of two types of technology: capacitive or resistive. Resistive touch screens respond when a certain amount of pressure is applied to the screen, usually with a stylus or eraser tip. Capacitive touch screens, on the other hand, are designed to respond only to the electromagnetism emitted by human flesh, which means they do not react when touched with a stylus or eraser tip. Unlike resistive touch screens, capacitive touch screens are less prone to accidental activation in tight quarters, such as your pocket or backpack.
Considerations
Because of the complexity of the technology involved, if your MP3's TFT screen malfunctions or burns out, it is less expensive to have the screen replaced entirely than to have it repaired. Depending on the price of your MP3 player, it might even be cheaper to purchase a new device should your TFT screen become non-functional. If your MP3 player has a capacitive touch screen and you use a protective cover on the device, its screen might not respond as well to your fingertips.
Tags: display screen, your player, each pixel, electrical current, current passes, current passes through