Computer Hardware Terms, Glossary and Dictionary

Passive-matrix display is type of flat panel video display that uses a series of criss-crossed wires with an LCD element at each intersection to produce a picture. Each element represents a pixel and can either allow light to pass or not. In contrast, an active-matrix display has a single transistor to represent each picture element (pixel). Passive-matrix displays are cheaper to produce but can't produce as sharp a picture as an active-matrix display.

Related Terms

passive-matrix display