Whenever a consumer enters an electronics store, they are met by the ubiquitous wall of large screen TVs. Liquid crystal display (LCD) technology is used in electronic equipment because it is lightweight and uses little electricity. This has made LCD monitors suitable for many battery operated devices such as computers. LCD technology has also provided consumers with another option when it comes to watching and enjoying television. Should a problem arise with the TV, it is important that the owner know the difference between an LCD monitor and an LCD display module.

The LCD monitor is the term used to describe the entire television unit. In this instance, the term “monitor” and “television” are interchangeable when the customer and sales associate are referring to the unit. This, despite that fact that a television screen receives input from an internal receiver that a monitor normally does not have. 

The LCD display module on the other hand is a specific part of the overall unit. The module is a component of the monitor screen that houses the liquid crystals between two panes of glass. Varying electrical impulses cause the liquid crystals to turn on and off creating the display that viewers see on the monitor.

A majority of LCD television manufacturers include the unit’s back-light assembly as a component of the LCD display module. The back-light is the source that illuminates the liquid crystals when they flick off and on. The unit’s external housing, the electrical wiring, tuner, back-light assembly and the LCD display module combine to form the LCD television. This total unit is the item that is ultimately purchased by a consumer.