LCD vs LED: Comparison of LCD Types, What's the Difference and Which Monitor is Better? Is LED TV different from Smart TV?

Modern TVs and monitors take up almost no space - they have become so thin thanks to new technologies. Now it’s rare in which house you don’t see the attribute of a quiet evening leisure - LCD or. And if you only want to buy it, for sure you are faced with the question of LCD or LED - which is better? Let's figure it out.

LCD and LED TVs: the difference

In fact, the difference between LCD and LED is quite small. Both types refer to modern technologies that use a liquid crystal matrix, which consists of two plates. Between them are liquid crystals that change their position under the influence of an electric current. When using special filters and a backlight lamp, light and dark areas are highlighted on the surface of the matrix. If color filters are applied behind the sensor, a color image appears on the screen. What kind of backlight is used is exactly what distinguishes LCD from LED.

LCD monitors or televisions are backlit by cold cathode fluorescent lamps enclosed in cathode ray tubes. They are arranged horizontally in the matrix. At the same time, the lamps in the LCD are constantly on, and due to the fact that the liquid crystal layer cannot completely dim the backlight, we see black on the screen as dark gray.

LED monitors are actually a subspecies of LCD, but they use a completely different type of backlight - LED. In this case, the LEDs are located on the side or directly in large numbers. Since they can be controlled, that is, darkening or lighting certain areas, the image contrast of LED monitors or TVs is much higher than the contrast of LCDs. In addition, the color reproduction is better: you can watch your favorite movies and programs without distortion. By the way, the black color is really deep.

A significant difference between LCD and LED is the fact that the power consumption of the latter is much lower. Thanks to LED backlighting, the power consumption of the TV and monitor is reduced by up to 40% compared to LCD. And the image does not suffer from this in any way!

For LED TVs and LCDs, the comparison lies in thickness. The use of LEDs allows the production of ultra-thin LED monitors with a thickness of 2.5 cm.

But the advantage of LCD devices is their prevalence and low cost compared to LED.

Is it time to buy a new TV? You are probably choosing between different technologies and you are wondering what is the difference between LCD and LED? So, you should definitely get acquainted with this article, which dot the "and".

What is the fundamental difference between LCD and LED?

This is the main question for many people who are planning their home theater. Yesterday we were considering buying a cathode ray tube (CRT) TV or even a projector. And today we see other names: LCD, DLP, OLED, laser TVs. There were also LED (light-emitting diode) TVs. Let's look at what these letters mean and which ones indicate the best purchase.

LED TVs are also LCD TVs. Just a slightly different type. The real name for this technology is "LED-backlit LCD TVs" to be quite correct, but it's too long a name and most people simply won't remember it, so we usually only see three letters - "LED".

Liquid crystals are used to control the brightness of individual dots on both types of TV screens. If you do not go into details, then such a display consists of two sheets of polarizing material, between which there is a solution of liquid crystals. When an electric current passes through liquid crystals, they are ordered, which changes their ability to transmit light. One can imagine each such crystal as a damper, which can be open or closed.

Thus, both LED and LCD TVs use LCD technology. You may ask: “So what? Are they any different from each other?" There is a difference and it consists in the way the backlight is generated - the light that has to pass through the liquid crystals. This is the difference between LCD and LED. Conventional LCD TVs use a fluorescent lamp as the light source, while LED TVs use a set of small LEDs that turn electricity into light more efficiently.

Benefits of LED

Televisions, which, among other characteristics, have the abbreviation LED, have a number of advantages.

1. Firstly, LEDs can be significantly smaller than fluorescent lamps, which means that the matrix has smaller dimensions and weight. As a result, the thickness of the entire TV can fit in one inch.
2. Secondly, LED TVs are more energy efficient. But most importantly, they can form deeper blacks, which gives the picture extra depth.
3. Several fluorescent lights are used to illuminate the entire screen and cannot be turned off in individual locations. At the same time, in order to form a completely black color, we need to turn off the backlight completely. LED-displays have this possibility, in which you can “turn off” individual pixels and areas of the image.

This results in deeper blacks and increased contrast. Let's imagine that the starry sky is displayed on the screen. It should be almost completely filled with black, and only single dots (stars) have high brightness. Traditional LCD screens are not capable of displaying such an image in high quality. And if it is possible to completely turn off the highlighting of entire areas in the image, then it will benefit in many ways. As a result, we see a really black sky, on which only single dots glow.

Don't waste your money

I want to warn buyers that not all LED TVs have this ability. If those LED TV models that can turn off the backlight in local areas are comparable in image quality to plasma ones, then those that can only illuminate the entire field at the same time with LEDs are very close to conventional LED TVs. Therefore, having figured out how LCD and LED TVs differ, it should be remembered that the latter can also produce an image of very different quality. Before shelling out a lot for an LED TV, you should make sure that it has the benefits described above.

However, even if you buy an LED TV that can't darken certain areas, you still get
several advantages. The TV will be lighter and thinner, which means that such a model is easier to mount on the wall. It consumes less electricity. The picture is more lively than in the case of conventional LCD. However, I consider all these advantages only as a free addition to the main one. If your budget is limited, and therefore a plasma TV is not an option, then LED TV can replace it. Otherwise, I would recommend choosing "plasma". They may be too power hungry and look bulkier, but the picture quality on their screen cannot be surpassed by any other type of TV. I advise you to choose a regular LCD screen only if there is not enough money for other options.

Many of any modern flat-screen TV is called "plasma", being mistaken in 9 cases out of 10. The gas-discharge technology that plasma TVs are based on is rare for ordinary people. For all its merits, this is an expensive solution. More often purchased models built using liquid crystal modules. They cost an order of magnitude less, while not inferior in most respects.

It is about LCD monitors that will be discussed below. They come in two varieties: LCD and LED. The difference in technical performance is not as significant as it seems at first glance.

Let's explore this issue in more detail.

Why can't you compare

In fact, it is impossible to compare LED and LCD. Since the first abbreviation means a kind of device group, designated by the second. This is the same as asking which is better - a car or a BMW.

Nevertheless, this is how citizens are used to sharing LCD monitors. Therefore, further, when we say "LED" we mean this technology, and "LCD" refers to all other models of liquid crystal devices.

The structure of LCD displays

It makes no sense to delve deeply into the principle of operation of liquid crystal equipment: it will be difficult for an unprepared reader to navigate in all the subtleties. Within the framework of the article, it is enough to briefly mention the device of the liquid crystal panel.

Simplifying, the LCD matrix is ​​​​two transparent plates, divided into tiny cells. Each of these capsules is filled with a special substance - a liquid crystal. The inside is covered with RGB color filters: red, blue or green. Each screen pixel includes three cells with inserts of different colors.

The liquid crystal substance has an amazing property. If an electric current is passed through it, it becomes translucent, while remaining opaque in its normal state. Thus, if you illuminate the assembly from the inside, you can build a combination of multi-colored dots, which together represent the image.

What is the difference between LED and LCD? Only in the way of implementing backlighting.

LCD technology

The conventional LCD backlight is a simple cold light fluorescent lamp installed in the monitor cabinet in front of the display.

Such lighting allows you to create a palette of different colors. The power consumption of electroluminescent backlighting is relatively low, but it requires a high frequency AC source to operate. Converters for the operation of the light source consume an average of 25 watts per hour.

The durability of the LCD (halving the brightness of the initial) is approximately 5 thousand hours, which is affected by the set glow intensity.

LED technology

This backlight is made from a group of bright LEDs. For models with a small matrix size, tapes with built-in emitters are installed on one side only (most often on the side). In widescreen devices, LEDs are installed over the entire display area.

The technical functioning of the LED can be provided from a 5V voltage source without the use of converters. This solution consumes a minimum of energy and can be used in compact portable devices.

To adjust the brightness of the glow, pulse-width modulators are used.

What type of monitor should you choose?

LED or LCD: which is better? Definitely, LED lighting of LCD matrices is preferable. Semiconductors win on many criteria. Let's list the main ones.

1. Low power consumption. LEDs do not need additional converters for power supply. The current limiter is the only component of the circuit that consumes energy. Backlight consumption, even on screens with a diagonal of 46+ cm, never exceeds 10 watts, for standard household models - 3-5 watts.
2. Durability. LED lifetime is 50,000 hours. At the same time, replacing LED strips is a simple and cheap procedure, repairs are quick and do not involve serious costs.
3. Dimensions. The miniaturization of semiconductor devices makes it possible to make a monitor with a truly “flat” display. In a number of devices (for example, laptops) this is an indispensable solution.
4. Color quality. The difference between LED and LCD is that in the case of LEDs it is possible to distribute the backlight evenly around the perimeter of the screen. This improves the contrast and increases the saturation of the image. In addition, by changing the brightness of the glow of individual sections of the display, the problem of local dimming is solved.

Monitors and displays equipped with LED backlighting are slightly more expensive, but this difference is not so significant. Choosing such a brand is an excellent compromise between price and performance. Efficient, with a bright "live" picture, ergonomic and trouble-free: the main qualities of the "correct" TV.

LCD technology is becoming a thing of the past, many manufacturers have already stopped mass production of devices with fluorescent lamps. The future belongs to semiconductor emitters.

Among the most common technologies on which the operation of modern TVs and displays is based are LED and OLED. What are they?

Facts about LED

LED is a Light-Emitting Diode. This technology is based on the use of LEDs in the design of displays and televisions.

The principle of operation of the corresponding elements is as follows: electrons generated by applying voltage are passed through a semiconductor, after which they are converted into light radiation. The main advantage of LEDs is a very high level of brightness. Therefore, they are ideally suited for use as illuminating elements of displays, most often liquid crystal displays.

LEDs are much more efficient than traditional lighting elements such as fluorescent lights. First of all in terms of size and brightness, as well as power consumption. The use of LEDs as elements of the backlight of liquid crystal displays makes it possible to provide a higher image contrast.

It may be noted that LCD displays - television and computer displays that use traditional backlight technologies - are most commonly referred to as LCDs.

Facts about OLED

OLED is an organic light-emitting diode (Organic Light-Emitting Diode). Thus, OLED technology is the application of the corresponding type of LEDs in the design of displays.

The principle of their operation is similar to that characteristic of LED-elements. However, the transformation of the electron flow into light is carried out in them by means of semiconductors made from organic materials. The main useful properties of OLED elements are small size and energy efficiency. Therefore, LEDs of the corresponding type can be used as structural elements of the screen matrix, which do not complement liquid crystals (as in LED technology), but are used instead of them. Each pixel on a monitor or TV can thus be illuminated by a separate OLED.

OLED monitors have several advantages over LCD and LED displays:

• providing a brighter and more readable picture in direct sunlight;
• no noticeable color distortions when viewing images from different viewing angles;
• higher brightness and contrast of the picture;
• wider range of displayable colors.

It can be noted that OLED technology has gained particular popularity in the industry of mobile gadgets. Due to the small size and high efficiency of OLEDs, smartphone and tablet manufacturers are able to bring devices to the market with displays that have excellent performance.

Comparison

The main difference between LED and OLED is that the first technology involves the use of classic light-emitting diodes - fairly large and bright - as backlight elements for the matrix of liquid crystal displays. OLED technology, in turn, is associated with the use of organic light emitting diodes (which have a small size and high energy efficiency) as independent elements of the screen matrix.

Thus, despite the consonance, LED and OLED technologies are very different. Although they use electronic components that operate on similar physical principles - traditional and organic light-emitting diodes, respectively.

Having determined what is the difference between LED and OLED, let's fix the conclusions in the table.

Table

When choosing a TV, you need to think very carefully. It is important to choose a good TV, but is it worth paying extra for the technology? Today, we will deal with this. The subject of our article is the difference between LED TVs and LCD monitors. So, how is LED different from LCD? Let's look at what principle works in each of the technologies.

LCD monitors

The technology is based, as the name implies, on liquid crystals. But not only they give us a beautiful image. There are also two polarized transparent plates. Between them is a layer of liquid crystals. On each of the plates there are electrodes that supply current to each cell of the matrix. The light beam passes through this structure and is rotated by 90 degrees as a result of the operation of the polarizer. There is also a light filter and a backlight. In other words, the main difference between LCD and LED is the principle of crystal illumination - in the first we are dealing with a fluorescent lamp, and in the second, economical LEDs work.

LED TVs

When we talk about LED technology, we mean the same liquid crystal monitor, only LED technology is much more modern. The main difference is in the way the crystals are illuminated. LED technology uses LED backlighting. With the help of LEDs, it became possible to improve 4 image parameters - these are brightness, contrast, image clarity and color gamut. Also, a very important factor that suggests tangible differences is that the LED backlight allows you to illuminate the crystals as evenly as possible. This is necessary to obtain completeness of perception when viewing scenes with initially low contrast values. What's more, LED TVs have been proven to be much more economical than LCDs. This is justified by the fact that LEDs consume little energy and are able to maintain their characteristics much longer than conventional lamps in LCDs.

How LCD differs from LED: the result

LED TV technology may soon replace LCD panels, as they work much more efficiently and economically. As a result, having bought an LED TV, we get greater energy savings and a much better picture on the screen. Although the differences between the two TVs are very small. Only in the way of illumination. It is worth considering that modern films are created for the most modern technologies, so to get the full experience, it is better to watch any movie on LED TVs.