Patent ID: 8339547

Claim:
A liquid crystal display, comprising: a vertical alignment type liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules, a retardation of the liquid crystal layer being configured to be about 600 nm or more; a first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate provided to respective sides of the liquid crystal cell, the first and second polarizing plates each having an absorption axis and being cross-Nicol disposed, the first and second polarizing plates being disposed such that the respective absorption axes form an angle of 45 degrees±several degrees with respect to a direction in which the liquid crystal molecules are slanted by application of a voltage greater than a threshold voltage; a first C-plate and an A-plate provided between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizing plate in this order, the first C-plate plate being directly optically coupled to the liquid crystal cell, the A-plate being directly optically coupled to the first C-plate plate and the first polarizing plate, respectively, the A-plate having refractive indices nx, ny, and nz in in-plane directions and in a thickness direction, respectively, in which a relationship of nx>ny=nz is satisfied, the first C-plate having refractive indices nx, ny, and nz in in-plane directions and in a thickness direction, respectively, in which a relationship of nx=ny>nz is satisfied, the A-plate having its optical axis disposed such that the optical axis is substantially perpendicular to the absorption axis of the first polarizing plate; and a second C-plate provided between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizing plate, the second C-plate being directly optically coupled to the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizing plate, respectively, the second C-plate having refractive indices nx, ny, and nz in in-plane directions and in a thickness direction, respectively, in which a relationship of nx =ny >nz is satisfied, wherein the C-plate disposed between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizing plate is formed of two or more stacked C-plates.