How CRT and LCD monitors work

Next up: unscrew the metal backing and prise it off - not an easy task, these things are put together pretty solidly.

Here you can see we're getting to the guts of the panel. The big white board is the major part of the diffusing mechanism, with multiple layers of thing plastic in front and behind it to provide extra relectivity and diffusion.

Here are the actual cathodes that are attached to the display on the top and the bottom. This particular model has dual-dual cathodes for maximum brightness.

With the diffusing material and backlight pulled away, we're left with the panel. Attached to the bottom of the panel is a secondary circuit board that controls the electrodes used to manipulate the liquid crystals.

Here you can see the polarising filters that are on each side of the display. They are incredibly sticky and rather hard to peel off! We managed to prise back a couple of corners. Of course, they look pretty similar to the eye but allow light 'waving' in different directions to pass through.

If you look closely at the panel here, you can just about make out the individual pixels that make up the display matrix.