A array of vertical and horizontal lines is used in the passive-matrix LCD technology to show a picture on the screen. An junction of two lines in the matrix controls each image. The hue and luminance of the matching cell can be altered by changing the electrical charge at a specific junction.

Despite being reasonably straightforward and affordable to manufacture, passive-matrix screens have some limitations. The reaction time of passive-matrix screens is comparatively sluggish due to the requirement that the charge of two lines (both vertical and horizontal) be changed in order to change a single image. This means that rapid movement may look fuzzy or blurred on a passive-matrix display because the electrical charges cannot keep up with the motion. Moving the pointer rapidly across the screen may cause "ghosting" on some passive-matrix screens.

The majority of contemporary flat screen displays use active-matrix technology because passive-matrix monitors struggle to show rapid movements. In active-matrix screens, each pixel is controlled by a separate capacitance rather than by wire junctions. As a result, cells can alter their luminance and hue states much more quickly. Although the majority of modern flat-screen TVs and computer monitors have active-matrix screens, some smaller devices still use passive-matrix displays because they are less costly to manufacture.