Reflective liquid-crystal television display

To our knowledge this represents the first report of a reflective television display operating "off-the-air." The display uses the dynamic scattering mode (DSM) in nematic liquid-crystals and can be viewed in high-brightness ambients. The liquid-crystal cell, 1/4 - 1/2 mil thick, was addressed in real-time by means of an electron beam, using a wire-mosaic faceplate on a demountable cathode-ray tube. Two different liquid-crystal materials: anisylidene para-amino phenyl acetate (APAPA) and an RCA-proprietary room-temperature liquid-crystal were tested, with similar results except for the difference in operating temperature (82-110°C and room-temperature, respectively).