(adj.) A type of LCD screen in which the pixels are illuminated from in front of the monitor’s screen (the same side as the user). Reflective LCDs reflect polarized light from the environment in which they are functioning and bounces the light back to the user through the monitor. They are well-suited for bright and medium light conditions, such as an office or outdoors. However, they have lower contrast than other forms of LCD illumination because the light passes through the monitor’s screen twice. Because reflective LCDs require less power than other forms of LCD screens, they typically are used in devices such as PDAs and other devices that have low battery life.
