Prospects of electroluminescent displays for high-definition television

High-definition television (HDTV) will be the third revolution in home entertainment following the introduction of the first monochrome TV back in 1939 and colour in 1954. The world-wide market for HDTV has been estimated at between $20 000M–$40 000M by the year 2010. The effect of HDTV will be felt in other fields such as advanced semiconductors (e.g. memory chips) and high-resolution display technologies. The present position of electroluminescent (EL) displays is assessed. The requirements for HDTV are outlined first, followed by a review of the state-of-the-art of each of the four principal EL forms. The strenghts and shortcomings of each type are highlighted. Finally, some recommendations for areas of research that must be tackled to render EL a viable technology for HDTV will be presented.