DSTN (double super twisted nematic), also known as dual-scan super twisted nematic or simply dual-scan, is an
LCD
A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly but in ...
technology in which a screen is divided in half, which are simultaneously refreshed giving faster refresh rate than traditional
passive matrix Passive matrix addressing is an addressing scheme used in early LCDs. This is a matrix addressing scheme meaning that only ''m'' + ''n'' control signals are required to address an ''m'' × ''n'' display. A pixel in a passi ...
screens.
It is an improved form of
supertwist nematic display that offers low power consumption but inferior sharpness and brightness compared to
TFT screens.
History
For several years (early 1990s
to early 2000s), TFT screens were only found in high-end
laptop
A laptop, laptop computer, or notebook computer is a small, portable personal computer (PC) with a screen and alphanumeric keyboard. Laptops typically have a clam shell form factor with the screen mounted on the inside of the upper li ...
s due to them being more expensive and lower-end laptops offering DSTN screens only. This was at a time when the screen was often the most expensive component of laptops. The price difference between a laptop with DSTN and one with TFT could easily be $400 or more. However, TFT gradually became cheaper and has essentially captured the entire market.
DSTN display quality is poor compared to TFT, with visible noise, smearing, much lower contrast and slow response. Such screens are unsuitable for viewing movies or playing video games of any kind.
References
Liquid crystal displays
{{electronics-stub