Drawing upon laboratory notebooks, internal reports, and interviews with key participants, Benjamin Gross reconstructs the development of the LCD and situates it alongside other efforts to create a thin, lightweight replacement for the television picture tube. He shows how RCA researchers mobilized their technical expertise to secure support for their projects. He also highlights the challenges associated with the commercialization of liquid crystals at RCA and Optel-the RCA spin-off that ultimately manufactured the first LCD wristwatch. 'The TVs of Tomorrow' is a detailed portrait of American innovation during the Cold War, which confirms that success in the electronics industry hinges upon input from both the laboratory and the boardroom.

Intro; Contents; Introduction: A World of Screens; 1. The Quest for Magnalux, 1951â#x80;#x93;1956; 2. A Fumbling Prelude, 1956â#x80;#x93;1966; 3. Scattered Origins, 1961â#x80;#x93;1968; 4. Disruptive Displays, 1968â#x80;#x93;1971; 5. The Changing of the Guard, 1969â#x80;#x93;1976; Conclusion: An Invisible Monument; Acknowledgments; Notes; Bibliography; Index.