An apparatus provides optimal on-off contrast ratio in a liquid crystal display panel. The apparatus includes a capacitive temperature sensing device for sensing the temperature of liquid crystal display pixels and having an output voltage according to an applied input voltage and a sensed temperature; a monitoring device including differentiator and sample and hold circuit for obtaining a peak voltage corresponding to a maximum change of the voltage output from the temperature sensing device; and a device for measuring a difference between the peak voltage with a predetermined reference voltage and outputting a signal representing the difference. Heat is consequently applied to the liquid crystal display panel in accordance with a measured temperature difference. Advantageously, the capacitive temperature sensing device is formed as part of the liquid crystal display element.