This paper reviews the main results obtained to date in the recrystallization of thin Silicon On Insulator films by means of incoherent light sources. Different sources such as graphite heaters, halogen tungsten filament lamps and mercury arc lamps have been investigated. Large area monocrystalline Si films have been obtained using these various means. The defects remaining in the films are discussed, i.e. grain and/or subgrain boundaries, precipitates and strain. Electrical measurements are also reported. Current research is devoted first to the design of appropriate set-ups and shaping of the energy beams and, second, to film patterning in an aim to reject grain boundaries out of the active areas of devices