Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!jarthur!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!nadst2
From: nadst2@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Nilanjan Adhikari)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Life of LCD Panels
Message-ID: <25269@unix.cis.pitt.edu>
Date: 27 Jun 90 21:35:31 GMT
Reply-To: nadst2@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Nilanjan Adhikari)
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh, Comp & Info Services
Lines: 35



  I posted the following article in the rec.photo newsgroup. I am
posting it here too, hoping for some theoretical input as well as any
in-life experiences (personal or commercial) of netters about the
ubiquitous lcd panels. Has anybody seen lcd's die of old age ? 
What's the longest one has seen an lcd panel to work ?

=========================================================================

>Then again, there's the likelihood of having to replace the LCD screen
>after it's about five years old.  (LCD's have an unfortunate tendency
>to degrade after some period of time...newer ones are better in this
>respect, but they'll eventually die.)
>
  The above is something I heard/read several times about, including at least
once in the Modern Photography. This is something expected in theory, having
to do with dc leakage or something ( I may be wrong, being too lazy to go read
about it ). I am curious, how much of it has been proven correct in real life ?
I know of lcd's rated for about 50,000 hours. I presume that is for continuous
use. That is equivalent to about 5.5 years. This may be applicable to watches 
and such. But how about lcd's subject to only intermittent use, like those in 
cameras, calculators etc. ? I have a casio calculator from 1980, which is doing
fine even today, after seeing me through 10 years of moderate use.  It seems 
rather surprising that manufacturers would put in things supposed to die in only
5 years or so in such durable things ( for amateurs ) as cameras. How many 36 
exp. rolls of film would an average amateur shoot in 5 years, -- 100 ? , 200 ? 
In the same magazine ( Mod Photo ), I also read that average amateur cameras 
should have a life of at least 30000 shots (833 rolls ). Where average life of 
a model is about 2--3 years these days, how could one expect to find replacement
lcd panel(s) for a given camera after 5--10 years ?  
Does anyone out there have a real life experience of lcd's dying of age in 
cameras or calculators, or even in watches ? I think Ricoh introduced lcd panels
in their cameras in early 80's ( if not even earlier). 
Awaiting some informative discussion...