led vs lcd monitors comparison for sale

There are tons of screens available in the market today. However, LED screens and LCD screens are by far the most popular. But what is the difference between LCD vs. LED screens?

LED screens feature light-emitting diodes lights installed in the screens. The screens can be volatile or static, with some of them only responding to touch. Other LED screens will display pictures even when turned off.

Some of the benefits of LED monitors nclude enhanced picture quality and local dimming. Local dimming helps to dim down certain areas of your TV"s backlight. This helps to make the screen appear darker and better in displaying blacks.

LED backlighting is an essential feature in offering realistic pictures. The features enhance the popularity of the LED screens (check out the Viewsonic TD2230 Review).

The main difference between LCD and LED displays is that the LCD screens come with a layer of liquid crystals. The liquid crystal layer is put between two plates. Images are made when light passes through parts of the liquid crystal.

The liquid crystal part either block or enhance an area which helps to create the image. Most LCD panel types have LED lights that help bring out the image.

Older LCD screens and use Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFLs) to light the screen. The CCFLs use electron discharge and fluorescence to light the screen.

LEDs like the one from our "Dell Computer Ultrasharp 24.0-Inch Screen LED Monitor Review" are taking over the market while LCD screens with CCFLs are fading away. LCD screens are used in watches, some notebook computers, and calculators.

OLED stands for organic light-emitting diodes, and it uses an organic compound to create outstanding high-contrast images - OLED screens are more environmentally friendly. They are also thinner than a standard LED screen as they don"t require a thick LED backlighting behind the screen to illuminate it.

On the other hand, you have QLED screens that are created and patented by Samsung. The QLED screens offer more crisp images as they create light with a shorter wavelength.

The Q in QLED stands for Quantum Dot (see Quantum Dot and IPS). The screens have an additional layer between the LCD screen and the backlight of the monitor. The layer allows light to pass through easily and produce better colors than an ordinary LED screen.

Slimmer design:LED screens to come in a slimmer design than their LCD counterparts. This gives them a sleek and elegant look, and it also takes less space.

Cheaper to run:If you are trying to cut down on energy cost, an LED screen will be a better option between the two as it is more energy-efficient. However, LED screens are more expensive than their LCD counterparts. As such, you can expect to pay more initially.

Better color:If you want to enjoy more realistic images, LED will be the better option. The screen offers you better color than other screens in the market. Additionally, it offers a better contrast, which is the range between the darkest blacks and brightest whites on the screen. The enhanced contrast ensures you end up with the most realistic images.

However, if you are working on a tight budget, you may consider an LCD screen. Besides the cost, LED performs better than the LCD screen in all the other aspects.

If you want to find out the type of screen you already have, you can check out the screen"s model number. The model number can tell you if the screen is an LED or LCD.

When it comes to picture quality, LED TVs look better than older LCD TVs. Manufacturers also make a big deal out of LED backlighting because sets that use the technology are usually more energy-efficient than CCFL LCD TVs. Therefore, the money you save on your power bill could eventually offset the extra cost of an LED TV.

You"ll be happy with the picture regardless of what kind of display you buy. Still, LED TV have a few practical advantages that make them a better purchase than the older LCD TVs.

With an LED light, the pixels are either edge-lit or backlit. As such, the lights behind the screen are designed to light up all the pixels in your monitor at once.

An edge-lit monitor may not be the best for picture quality as the lights are only at the edges of the screen. However, screens with edge lighting have become very popular nowadays as the best budget choice. The edge lights allow for the creation of thin monitors at a low price which enhances their affordability.

LED monitors feature better dimming options without sacrificing picture clarity. They also come with features that reduce eye strain, making them the ideal option if you are spending long hours in front of the screen.

Alternatively, you can go for LCD screens that offer arefresh rate of 120Hz or more. The LCD screens also offer a wider variety of viewing angles, which can offer better comfort.

You can trust an LED monitor to offer you the best resolution for the most precise and crisp images. This enables you to enjoy clear and lifelike images.

When choosing between LED and LCD monitors, there are several factors to consider. Besides the backlighting technology, you should also consider the panel type - see also what types of monitors are there. Various panels have their benefits compared to others.

LED monitors tend to be more expensive than LCD screens, thanks to LED technology being newer and featuring pricier components. Additionally, there is a newer form of LED called the OLED, which stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes. These OLED displays are extremely expensive, especially at high resolutions. LED technology, on the other hand, is extremely cheap and readily available.

Are you lost on the best choice between LCD and LED monitors? If you spend a lot of time in front of your monitor, you should ensure you end up with the best quality screen. This will ensure that you get high-quality images and also minimize eye strain.

In the battle between LCD and LED displays, LED comes out as the better option. It offers more crisp and clear images, and it also comes with a sleek and elegant design. However, it can be a little expensive. If you are working on a budget, LCD monitors can make a perfect choice.

LED technology has improved drastically in recent years improving picture quality while driving costs down. LED is a bigger investment up front but generally has a lifespan of about 100,000 hours. LCD is cheaper and generally more familiar. A LCD screen typically has a lifespan of about 50,000 hours.

Sort of. Older technologies like LCD technology and Plasma displays are becoming obsolete due to the intrinsic properties of LEDs like brightness, efficiency, maintainability, and sustainability.

LCD screens emit blue light and thus negatively affects not only vision but also overall health. Continual extended screen time mainly can impact your eyes in two major ways. When we look at a screen, our blink rate drops significantly, thus causing digital eye strain.

LCD monitors have been around longer, so they’re more affordable. However, LED monitors are more energy-efficient, lighter and support 4K resolutions.

LCDs feature a layer of liquid crystal embedded between two panels. Images are created when fluorescent lamps behind the screen shine through the crystals and illuminate them.

There are various types of backlights used in LCD monitors, but the most common is cold cathode fluorescent lamps. Essentially, the lights used for CCFL displays are akin to those you see in offices, classrooms and stores, except much smaller.

The first few generations of LCD monitors and televisions used this type of backlight and while you can still find LCD monitors with this backlight, it"s becoming less and less common.

Since it’s an older technology, LCD monitors are generally much cheaper than LED monitors. However, despite being less advanced, they still provide a high-quality image. They’re also better suited for brighter environments like living rooms and kitchens since they provide an overall brighter image.

LCD monitors are also less prone to suffer from burn-in image issues. Burn-in refers to an image becoming “stuck” on the screen. This can happen if a static image is left displaying on the screen for too long. Image retention is more likely to happen if you’re a gamer since some video games feature heads-up display elements that rarely move out of place.

Because of the backlight, LCD monitors are bulkier and thicker than LED monitors. They’re also much less energy-efficient due to the energy required to power the fluorescent lamp backlight.

Finally, you’ll get a crisp 1080p high-definition resolution using an LCD monitor, but if you plan to stream 4K content, it’s best to steer clear from them as most LCDs don’t support 4K.

An LED monitor is also an LCD monitor since it also uses a liquid-crystal screen. However, this specific type of display where the backlight is composed of light-emitting diodes instead of fluorescent lamps. You can imagine light-emitting diodes as a series of tiny light bulbs.

Most LED displays feature edge lighting, which means that the LEDs are positioned around the edge of the screen. Some LED displays have a wide-array setup where the LEDs are placed all over the screen.

The overall image quality of an LED monitor is superior as well. Producing true black contrasts is an issue with LCDs due to the type of backlight, but LED screens reduce this problem significantly.

LED displays also have a fast refresh rate and low lag, which makes them ideal for gamers. Also, unlike with older LCD monitors, you’ll be able to stream 4K content.

Since LED monitors are the newer technology, they’re considerably more expensive than LCD monitors. There’s also a higher risk of image retention with LED displays.

This screen is relatively basic but it’s the best LED monitor you’ll get at its price point. It’s sleek, provides a crisp image and comes with both HDMI and VGA ports.

Although the initial price point of an LED monitor is higher, they’re more energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan. You’ll end up saving money in the long run, which makes it a much better investment than an LCD screen.

From panel technology to refresh rates, there are a lot of things to consider when looking for a new gaming monitor. To aid you on your journey for the perfect setup, we"re breaking down two of the most common display technology terms: LED and LCD. Here"s what you need to know about LED and LCD screens, what the terms stand for, and how they factor into modern gaming monitors.

LCD stands for liquid-crystal display, which refers to how the monitor works. Behind the screen, liquid crystals are sandwiched between two layers of glass and used to change the colors of pixels to create the images that you see. The whole process is a lot more complicated, but that"s the gist of how LCDs function.

In the past, some LCDs were backlit by CCFLs (cold-cathode fluorescent lamps). LCDs with fluorescent backlighting have been around longer, so if you can find one, they will be cheaper than LED monitors. However, if you"re a gamer looking for decent refresh rates and response times, it"s going to be hard to find a monitor with fluorescent backlighting. They"ve almost completely been replaced by LCD monitors with LED backlights.

LEDs work in a similar way; in fact, you can consider LEDs a subcategory of LCDs. The only difference between some LCDs and LEDs is the type of backlighting: LEDs use LED (light-emitting diodes) backlighting.

In contrast to fluorescent backlighting, LED backlighting generally provides brighter colors and sharper contrast. The monitors are also thinner in size and, in the long run, more energy efficient than LCDs with fluorescent backlights. LED backlighting is the newer technology and the current standard for monitors with high refresh rates and fast response times. When you see LCD in product descriptions, they"re almost always LCD monitors that use LED (as opposed to fluorescent) backlighting. For example, BenQ"s EL2870U monitor is listed as an LCD, but it"s an LCD with LED backlighting.

There are different types of LED backlighting: edge-lit and array-lit. In edge-lit monitors, the lights are placed around the edges of the monitor. Light guides are then used to diffuse the light evenly across the screen. In array-lit monitors, lights are placed behind the screen in a pattern.

For example, some edge-lit and array-lit LEDs have local dimming capabilities, a feature that can selectively dim certain zones of LED lights. Local dimming improves contrast ratio and provides deeper blacks in dimly lit scenes. These monitors, however, tend to be pricey. Some well-reviewed options include the Samsung Odyssey G7 and Philips Momentum 436M6VBPAB, both of which are edge-lit monitors with partial local dimming capabilities. The Acer Predator X35 is an (expensive) full-array monitor with full local dimming (FALD) capabilities.

You won"t have much of a choice between LED or LCD. Most monitors, regardless of whether they"re marked as LED or LCD, will use LED backlights. LED backlights became the new standard because they allow manufacturers to make thinner, more energy-efficient monitors with better graphics. It"s not worth going out of your way to find an LCD with fluorescent backlighting, unless you really, really hate LED lights.

Which backlights a monitor has isn"t as important as other factors such as panel technology, refresh rates and response time, G-Sync vs. FreeSync, and HDR --those are the characteristics you should pay more attention to when choosing a monitor. If you"re not looking to break the bank, a couple of great LED monitors at excellent price points we can recommend are the Asus VP249QGR, a nice budget 1080p monitor, and Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx 24.5, a well-reviewed budget 240Hz monitor.

Check out our guide to the best cheap gaming monitors for more budget options; plus, see our picks for the best monitors for PS5 and Xbox Series X, best 144Hz monitors, and the best 4K gaming monitors for more LED displays worth picking up.

Then there are the technical terms to deal with, such as LED TV, LCD TV, QLED TV, UHD TV, OLED TV, and more. You might feel like you need to be a tech pro just to watch your favourite TV show in the evening or enjoy a game with your friend.

First, an important thing to understand is that the LED (Light Emitting Diode) monitor is an improvised version of the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). This is why all LED monitor is LCD in nature, but not all LCDs are LED monitors.

LCD technology revolutionized monitors by using cold cathode fluorescent lamps for backlighting to create the picture displayed on the screen. A cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) is a tiny fluorescent bulb. In the context of this article, LCDs refer to this traditional type of CCFL LCD TVs.

LED monitors took the old technology a step further by replacing the fluorescent bulbs with LED backlight technology. And OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology improves it even further by eliminating the need for backlighting.

The quality of direct-view LED screens is measured by pixel pitch. The pixel pitch is the distance between two adjacent LEDs on the display. The smaller the pixel pitch, the better the quality of the image.

Since LEDs replace fluorescent bulbs with light-emitting diodes, LED TVs are more energy-efficient than LCDs. A 32-inch LED TV screen consumes 10 watts less power than the same size LCD screen. The difference in power consumption increases as the size of the display increases.

Light-emitting diodes are considerably smaller than fluorescent lamps used in LCD monitors. Fluorescent lamps have a considerable thickness, but the thickness of diodes is next to none. Moreover, countless diodes are assembled in the same plane, so the thickness of the array isn’t increased no matter how many diodes are present.

Edge-lit LEDs have a slight drawback in viewing angle compared to LCDs, because of the position of the light source. However, direct-view LEDs offer a better angle for viewing than LCDs as the light source is evenly spread on the screen.

Since LED displays use full-array LED backlighting rather than one big backlight, LED TVs offer significantly better contrast than LCDs. LCD backlighting technology only shows white and black, but LED backlighting can emit the entire RGB spectrum, thereby providing a deeper RGB contrast.

If you wonder which display will last longer, this debate is also won by LED displays. LED televisions have a longer lifespan of 100,000 hours on average, compared to 50,000 hours provided by LCD televisions.

An LED display provides the option to dim the backlight, along with other eye comfort features. Not only that, it provides a wider viewing angle without harming image quality. Therefore, an LED display is far better for your eyes than an LCD.

In an LED display, a lot of smaller diodes are used and if a diode is damaged, it can be replaced. In an LCD, you will need to replace the entire bulb in case of damage. Therefore, an LED display is easier and cheaper to maintain than an LCD.

Since LEDs are a better and newer technology, the price of an LED display is higher than an LCD. However, this is only when we are considering the purchase cost.

The picture quality of an LED display is far better than an LCD. Due to modular light-emitting diodes, an LED screen produces better control over the contrast, rendering a clear picture. Also, LED provides RGB contrast, which can show truer blacks and truer whites.

Not to forget, they provide a shorter response time as well. Both of these factors result inLED displays having a better picture quality compared to LCD displays.

Since LED displays are considerably thinner than LCDs, they weigh considerably less. On average, an LED screen weighs about half of an LCD screen of the same size.

As you might have noticed by now, LED wins the battle with LCD without any doubt. This is because LED displays have an advantage in all the factors that matter when considering a purchase, except price.

Even when you consider the price, you will find that while LED technology is costlier, it provides better value for money in the long run. This is because of the longer lifespan and easier maintenance of LED screens.

They are more attractive too. With the increasing shortage of space in new residential complexes, what better solution than an ultra-thin LED display giving a cinematic experience in the comfort of your home.

LED screens are the first choice among the public today, across generations. All are opting to switch to LED from LCD to make their lives more enjoyable and better.

Shopping for a new TV is like wading through a never-ending pool of tech jargon, display terminology, and head-spinning acronyms. It was one thing when 4K resolution landed in the homes of consumers, with TV brands touting the new UHD viewing spec as a major marketing grab. But over the last several years, the plot has only continued to thicken when it comes to three- and four-letter acronyms with the introduction of state-of-the-art lighting and screen technology. But between OLEDs, QLEDs, mini-LEDs, and now QD-OLEDs, there’s one battle of words that rests at the core of TV vocabulary: LED versus LCD.

Despite having a different acronym, LED TV is just a specific type of LCD TV, which uses a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel to control where light is displayed on your screen. These panels are typically composed of two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. When an electric current passes through the liquid, it causes the crystals to align, so that light can (or can’t) pass through. Think of it as a shutter, either allowing light to pass through or blocking it out.

Since both LED and LCD TVs are based around LCD technology, the question remains: what is the difference? Actually, it’s about what the difference was. Older LCD TVs used cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) to provide lighting, whereas LED LCD TVs used an array of smaller, more efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to illuminate the screen.

Since the technology is better, all LCD TVs now use LED lights and are colloquially considered LED TVs. For those interested, we’ll go deeper into backlighting below, or you can move onto the Local Dimming section.

Three basic illumination forms have been used in LCD TVs: CCFL backlighting, full-array LED backlighting, and LED edge lighting. Each of these illumination technologies is different from one another in important ways. Let’s dig into each.

CCFL backlighting is an older, now-abandoned form of display technology in which a series of cold cathode lamps sit across the inside of the TV behind the LCD. The lights illuminate the crystals fairly evenly, which means all regions of the picture will have similar brightness levels. This affects some aspects of picture quality, which we discuss in more detail below. Since CCFLs are larger than LED arrays, CCFL-based LCD TVs are thicker than LED-backlit LCD TVs.

Full-array backlighting swaps the outdated CCFLs for an array of LEDs spanning the back of the screen, comprising zones of LEDs that can be lit or dimmed in a process called local dimming. TVs using full-array LED backlighting to make up a healthy chunk of the high-end LED TV market, and with good reason — with more precise and even illumination, they can create better picture quality than CCFL LCD TVs were ever able to achieve, with better energy efficiency to boot.

Another form of LCD screen illumination is LED edge lighting. As the name implies, edge-lit TVs have LEDs along the edges of a screen. There are a few different configurations, including LEDs along just the bottom, LEDs on the top and bottom, LEDs left and right, and LEDs along all four edges. These different configurations result in picture quality differences, but the overall brightness capabilities still exceed what CCFL LCD TVs could achieve. While there are some drawbacks to edge lighting compared to full-array or direct backlight displays, the upshot is edge lighting that allows manufacturers to make thinner TVs that cost less to manufacture.

To better close the local-dimming quality gap between edge-lit TVs and full-array back-lit TVs, manufacturers like Sony and Samsung developed their own advanced edge lighting forms. Sony’s technology is known as “Slim Backlight Master Drive,” while Samsung has “Infinite Array” employed in its line of QLED TVs. These keep the slim form factor achievable through edge-lit design and local dimming quality more on par with full-array backlighting.

Local dimming is a feature of LED LCD TVs wherein the LED light source behind the LCD is dimmed and illuminated to match what the picture demands. LCDs can’t completely prevent light from passing through, even during dark scenes, so dimming the light source itself aids in creating deeper blacks and more impressive contrast in the picture. This is accomplished by selectively dimming the LEDs when that particular part of the picture — or region — is intended to be dark.

Local dimming helps LED/LCD TVs more closely match the quality of modern OLED displays, which feature better contrast levels by their nature — something CCFL LCD TVs couldn’t do. The quality of local dimming varies depending on which type of backlighting your LCD uses, how many individual zones of backlighting are employed, and the quality of the processing. Here’s an overview of how effective local dimming is on each type of LCD TV.

TVs with full-array backlighting have the most accurate local dimming and therefore tend to offer the best contrast. Since an array of LEDs spans the entire back of the LCD screen, regions can generally be dimmed with more finesse than on edge-lit TVs, and brightness tends to be uniform across the entire screen. Hisense’s impressive U7G TVs are great examples of relatively affordable models that use multiple-zone, full-array backlighting with local dimming.

“Direct local dimming” is essentially the same thing as full-array dimming, just with fewer LEDs spread further apart in the array. However, it’s worth noting that many manufacturers do not differentiate “direct local dimming” from full-array dimming as two separate forms of local dimming. We still feel it’s important to note the difference, as fewer, further-spaced LEDs will not have the same accuracy and consistency as full-array displays.

Because edge lighting employs LEDs positioned on the edge or edges of the screen to project light across the back of the LCD screen, as opposed to coming from directly behind it, it can result in very subtle blocks or bands of lighter pixels within or around areas that should be dark. The local dimming of edge-lit TVs can sometimes result in some murkiness in dark areas compared with full-array LED TVs. It should also be noted that not all LED edge-lit TVs offer local dimming, which is why it is not uncommon to see glowing strips of light at the edges of a TV and less brightness toward the center of the screen.

Since CCFL backlit TVs do not use LEDs, models with this lighting style do not have dimming abilities. Instead, the LCD panel of CCFL LCDs is constantly and evenly illuminated, making a noticeable difference in picture quality compared to LED LCDs. This is especially noticeable in scenes with high contrast, as the dark portions of the picture may appear too bright or washed out. When watching in a well-lit room, it’s easier to ignore or miss the difference, but in a dark room, it will be, well, glaring.

As if it wasn’t already confusing enough, once you begin exploring the world of modern display technology, new acronyms crop up. The two you’ll most commonly find are OLED and QLED.

An OLED display uses a panel of pixel-sized organic compounds that respond to electricity. Since each tiny pixel (millions of which are present in modern displays) can be turned on or off individually, OLED displays are called “emissive” displays (meaning they require no backlight). They offer incredibly deep contrast ratios and better per-pixel accuracy than any other display type on the market.

Because they don’t require a separate light source, OLED displays are also amazingly thin — often just a few millimeters. OLED panels are often found on high-end TVs in place of LED/LCD technology, but that doesn’t mean that LED/LCDs aren’t without their own premium technology.

QLED is a premium tier of LED/LCD TVs from Samsung. Unlike OLED displays, QLED is not a so-called emissive display technology (lights still illuminate QLED pixels from behind). However, QLED TVs feature an updated illumination technology over regular LED LCDs in the form of Quantum Dot material (hence the “Q” in QLED), which raises overall efficiency and brightness. This translates to better, brighter grayscale and color and enhances HDR (High Dynamic Range) abilities.

And now to make things extra confusing, part of Samsung’s 2022 TV lineup is being billed as traditional OLEDs, although a deeper dive will reveal this is actually the company’s first foray into a new panel technology altogether called QD-OLED.

For a further description of QLED and its features, read our list of the best TVs you can buy. The article further compares the qualities of both QLED and OLED TV; however, we also recommend checking outfor a side-by-side look at these two top-notch technologies.

There are more even displays to become familiar with, too, including microLED and Mini-LED, which are lining up to be the latest head-to-head TV technologies. Consider checking out how the two features compare to current tech leaders in

In the world of TV technology, there’s never a dull moment. However, with this detailed research, we hope you feel empowered to make an informed shopping decision and keep your Best Buy salesperson on his or her toes.

Explore your options from a wide selection of LCD and LED monitors. They come in an array of sizes and with different features. Choosing the right monitor will depend on your needs. Ultra-wide business computer monitors boast generous displays that allow for productive split-screen setups. In contrast, gaming monitors offer faster refresh rates and high-resolution drivers that deliver vivid HD images for a captivating gaming experience. Some monitors provide work-friendly features, like blue-light filtering and anti-glare treatment, making them a suitable pick for the office. Many modern monitors offer built-in speakers and strategically placed USB ports for charging smart mobile devices. Other factors to consider when choosing a computer monitor include the screen size, resolution and ergonomic flexibility.

Most modern flat panel monitors offer sleeker designs that make them easier to fit in almost any workspace. Some models even have innovative cable management to help ensure your workspace is clutter-free for optimal productivity. They also provide energy-saving features, so you spend less on your power bill. Widescreen business computer monitors often boast strategically placed controls that allow for easy manipulation. They also offer lighting modes structured to reduce eyestrain during extended use, making them suitable for multi-tasking professionals. Some Full HD LED monitors come with multiple connectivity options, giving you a lot more flexibility.

If you’re a professional content creator in the digital arts, opt for LCD and LED monitors with higher pixel densities that deliver clear, lifelike images. Some monitors feature slim and trendy designs, making them an aesthetic addition to your workstation. Profession monitors feature HDMI™ 2.0 ports, allowing for more consistent multimedia output. Capable of decoding HDR™ video, these computer monitors support fast and detailed video playback. Some feature sleek, frameless designs with screen panels that offer near-seamless wide-angle viewing. Touch screen monitors help improve productivity by providing a convenient alternative to clicking or scrolling with a mouse or trackpad. Many LCD and LED monitors feature built-in speakers, reducing the cost of procuring external speakers.

Gaming monitors are a vital component of any serious gaming set up. The larger models may offer a wide aspect ratio that allows for viewing high-definition media. Some come with functionalities to deliver crisp and bright images with vibrant colors. Gaming LCD and LED monitors may also feature adaptive synchronization technology designed to reduce input latency for smoother gameplay. Often, gaming monitors  offer connectivity to various sources, and feature Picture-In-Picture (PIP) functionalities, enabling convenient multitasking. Most full HD LED monitors feature fast pixel response and refresh rates that reduce motion blur and image lag. Some HD models boast curved screens for an optimal gaming experience, while others offer even sharper 4K resolutions. They also feature USB 3.0 ports for connection to other monitor accessories.

Even though some say the picture quality of an LED TV is better, there is no straight answer for which has better picture quality since both TVs use the same kind of screen. For instance, a higher-end LCD TV can have a better quality than a low-end LED TV, but if you look at high-end models of either TV, the picture quality will be comparable.

RGB Dynamic LEDs show truer blacks and whites and thus get higher dynamic contrast ratio (which is desirable in a TV), at the cost of less detail in small bright objects on a dark background (such as star fields)

LED TVs use energy-efficient light emitting diodes (LED) for backlighting. These consume less power than cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) used in traditional LCD televisions. Power savings are typically 20-30%.

Edge-LEDs (the most common) are positioned around the rim of the screen and use a special diffusion panel to spread the light evenly behind the screen.

Flat Screen LCDs, about an inch or two thick are more expensive, but also more popular because of their sleek look and the flexible options of standing on a surface or mounting on a wall.

Front projection LCDs or projectors, which project an image onto the front of the screen. The TV itself is just a box installed anywhere in a room, which projects the image onto a flat screen hung on the wall as large as 300 inches.

Rear projection LCDs, where the image is sent from the rear of the TV to the screen in front. Rear projection LCDs are wide, heavy and only available in large sizes (60" and up).

There are plenty of new and confusing terms facing TV shoppers today, but when it comes down to the screen technology itself, there are only two: Nearly every TV sold today is either LCD or OLED.

The biggest between the two is in how they work. With OLED, each pixel provides its own illumination so there"s no separate backlight. With an LCD TV, all of the pixels are illuminated by an LED backlight. That difference leads to all kinds of picture quality effects, some of which favor LCD, but most of which benefit OLED.

LCDs are made by a number of companies across Asia. All current OLED TVs are built by LG Display, though companies like Sony and Vizio buy OLED panels from LG and then use their own electronics and aesthetic design.

So which one is better? Read on for their strengths and weaknesses. In general we"ll be comparing OLED to the best (read: most expensive) LCD has to offer, mainly because there"s no such thing as a cheap OLED TV (yet).

At the other side of light output is black level, or how dark the TV can get. OLED wins here because of its ability to turn off individual pixels completely. It can produce truly perfect black.

The better LCDs have local dimming, where parts of the screen can dim independently of others. This isn"t quite as good as per-pixel control because the black areas still aren"t absolutely black, but it"s better than nothing. The best LCDs have full-array local dimming, which provides even finer control over the contrast of what"s onscreen -- but even they can suffer from "blooming," where a bright area spoils the black of an adjacent dark area.

Here"s where it comes together. Contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest and the darkest a TV can be. OLED is the winner here because it can get extremely bright, plus it can produce absolute black with no blooming. It has the best contrast ratio of any modern display.

One of the main downsides of LCD TVs is a change in picture quality if you sit away from dead center (as in, off to the sides). How much this matters to you certainly depends on your seating arrangement, but also on how much you love your loved ones.

A few LCDs use in-plane switching (IPS) panels, which have better off-axis picture quality than other kinds of LCDs, but don"t look as good as other LCDs straight on (primarily due to a lower contrast ratio).

OLED doesn"t have the off-axis issue LCDs have; its image looks basically the same, even from extreme angles. So if you have a wide seating area, OLED is the better option.

Nearly all current TVs are HDR compatible, but that"s not the entire story. Just because a TV claims HDR compatibility doesn"t mean it can accurately display HDR content. All OLED TVs have the dynamic range to take advantage of HDR, but lower-priced LCDs, especially those without local-dimming backlights, do not. So if you want to see HDR content it all its dynamic, vibrant beauty, go for OLED or an LCD with local dimming.

In our tests comparing the best new OLED and LCD TVs with HDR games and movies, OLED usually looks better. Its superior contrast and lack of blooming win the day despite LCD"s brightness advantage. In other words LCD TVs can get brighter, especially in full-screen bright scenes and HDR highlights, but none of them can control that illumination as precisely as an OLED TV.

OLED"s energy consumption is directly related to screen brightness. The brighter the screen, the more power it draws. It even varies with content. A dark movie will require less power than a hockey game or ski competition.

The energy consumption of LCD varies depending on the backlight setting. The lower the backlight, the lower the power consumption. A basic LED LCD with its backlight set low will draw less power than OLED.

LG has said their OLED TVs have a lifespan of 100,000 hours to half brightness, a figure that"s similar to LED LCDs. Generally speaking, all modern TVs are quite reliable.

Does that mean your new LCD or OLED will last for several decades like your parent"s last CRT (like the one pictured). Probably not, but then, why would you want it to? A 42-inch flat panel cost $14,000 in the late 90"s, and now a 65-inch TV with more than 16x the resolution and a million times better contrast ratio costs $1,400. Which is to say, by the time you"ll want/need to replace it, there will be something even better than what"s available now, for less money.

OLED TVs are available in sizes from 48 to 88 inches, but LCD TVs come in smaller and larger sizes than that -- with many more choices in between -- so LCD wins. At the high end of the size scale, however, the biggest "TVs" don"t use either technology.

If you want something even brighter, and don"t mind spending a literal fortune to get it, Samsung, Sony, and LG all sell direct-view LED displays. In most cases these are

You can get 4K resolution, 50-inch LCDs for around $400 -- or half that on sale. It"s going to be a long time before OLEDs are that price, but they have come down considerably.

LCD dominates the market because it"s cheap to manufacture and delivers good enough picture quality for just about everybody. But according to reviews at CNET and elsewhere, OLED wins for overall picture quality, largely due to the incredible contrast ratio. The price difference isn"t as severe as it used to be, and in the mid- to high-end of the market, there are lots of options.

When you are looking to purchase a monitor for your computer, you will come across two categories of monitors broadly. They are LCD and LED monitors, and it is going to be quite confusing for you to decide which one to buy unless you have proper knowledge about them.

Both types of monitors have their equal share of pros and cons, and they have several variants to choose from. In this article, we will discuss all the different aspects of LCD and LED monitors so that you can decide which one is best for you.

An LCD monitor has thousands of pixels that can display light. LCD stands for liquid crystal display and the pixel has different layers which make the monitor work.

Now let’s see how LCD monitors work. During the absence of electricity, liquid crystals can rotate and twist to up to 90 degrees. This further lets the light flow through the crystals. During this process, the light will pass through the second filter and it will go through the green, red, or blue light filter. When there is electricity, liquid crystals block the light from behind which can turn the pixel off. When you look at the LCD screen, there are individual pixels of different colors.

There is no burn-in issue with LCD monitors and hence, they are best for gamers. Burn-in issue refers to an image getting stuck on the screen when it is shown for too long.

TN Panels:One of the first LCD monitors was of TN panel. Twisted Nematic has improved response time and is being used in some of the fastest gaming monitors. It also supports an extremely fast refresh rate of 240 Hz. With this refresh rate, there will be reduced motion blur as well as image transition smoothness.

VA Panels:Also called the vertical alignment panel, this came into existence in the 1990s. The VA panel is aligned vertically and has liquid crystals. It can produce deep blacks with a vibrant array of colors. One of the best things about the VA panel is that it can also provide better contrast. However, compared to the TN panel, it has a slower refresh rate. Another disadvantage is that it can cost more and is not a popular LCD panel technology.

IPS Panels:The best LCD panel technology is the IPS or in-plane switching panels. It can provide wide viewing angles and supports faster refresh rates. Even though it is not as fast as TN panels, the IPS panel comes with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. The IPS panel also provides excellent color reproduction.

Both LCD and LED monitors work in the same way. However, LED or light-emitting diodes come with LED backlighting. With LED backlighting, there will be sharp contrast and bright colors. Additionally, LED monitors are also slim in size and make sure there will be maximum energy efficiency.

LED backlighting comes with a higher refresh rate so that there will be a fast response time. There are many types of LED backlighting like array-lit and edge-lit that help to provide the perfect image. Array-lit monitors are behind the screen and edge-lit monitors are around the edges. You can even find the one that can come with local dimming capabilities for deeper blacks.

Edge-Lit LED:One of the best things about Edge-Lit LED is that it comes in a slim design. It uses fewer LEDs that help to lower the new screen cost. An Edge-Lit LED monitor has a rim of LED on the display while facing the screen. This makes sure there will be uniformity of screen that helps to create the image. However, it does come with a disadvantage. It has dark contrast and features the brightest closer on the edges. This can lead to black levels and color uniformity. It can provide some areas looking darker than others.

Full-Array LED:In the Full-Array LED display, there is a grid of LED lights right behind the LCD. It can create a uniform and bright picture as the LEDs shine outwards. Even full array LED panels offer efficiency benefits of LED. An advantage of having this type of monitor is that it can come with local dimming. It helps the group of LEDs to switch on and off when you need it. This helps to provide optimum brightness level as well as control.

RGB LED:LEDs don’t produce pure white light. However, it is closer to yellow. When there is a difference, it can lead to a color shift in the image. Owing to this, some manufacturers have come up with white LEDs with groupings of RGB (red, green, and blue) LEDs. When there is a combination of RGB LED colors, it helps to provide pure white so that there will be true and clear colors. RGB LED uses advanced programming and electronics for vivid colors. This can lead to an increase in the cost of the RGB LED screen.

OLED:An advanced form of LED lighting is OLED. Organic Light-Emitting Diodes can dim or glow independently so that there will be better black levels. It also helps to improve the contrast ratio and make sure there will be sharp colors. Additionally, OLED monitors and TVs come with excellent color quality and viewing angles. In this type of monitor, you will find a high dynamic range programming for better color accuracy. It has a better color depth making it perfect for a smartphone screen. However, it consumes a lot of power and is expensive.

QLED:Quantum Dot LED or QLED improves color accuracy by 90% compared to a regular LED monitor. With it, there will be high levels of color depth and brightness. Quantum dots are in the form of semiconductor nanocrystals that provide different wavelengths. It reflects the blue LED light into red and green shades for a complete picture. In a single Quantum dot monitor, there are billions of nanocrystals that give outstanding color depth and black range.

For gaming, you need a monitor that has a low response time and a high refresh rate. Response time is the time a monitor takes to change pixels when it moves from one image to another. High refresh rate is needed to avoid any lag issue. On all these parameters, LED monitors score higher than LCD monitors, and on top of that, the picture and video quality and clarity are better in LED monitors.

The primary difference between LED and LCD monitors is the picture quality. LED monitors have far better picture quality than LCD monitors. You will understand it only when you play high-quality videos or play high-end games. Starting from sharper and clearer picture to faster rendering and refresh rate, LED monitors score over LCD monitors in terms of picture quality.

LED monitors are more energy-efficient than LCD monitors. The light-emitting diodes consume less power. In fact, if you compare the energy consumption, an LED monitor of size 32-inch will consume 10W less power than an LCD monitor of the same size. The bigger the size, the bigger will be the difference in power consumption.

The LED monitor has a lifespan of 50,000 hours, while the lifespan of an LCD monitor is around 30,000 hours. Naturally, the longevity of LED monitors is longer, and hence, it is compensated for in its price. Additionally, LED monitors are thinner and lighter than LCD monitors of the same size.

Except for burn-in issues and cost, LED monitors beat LCD monitors on all parameters. Therefore, if budget is not an issue for you, an LED monitor should be your first priority. As a matter of fact, if you are buying a monitor for gaming and video streaming, there is no alternative to an LED monitor. However, if you are buying a monitor for regular work and there is a budget constraint, you can do it with an LCD monitor pretty well.

For companies interested in jumping into the world of video walls, or even upgrading your existing technology, the biggest question you’ll have to deal with is whether LED or LCD is right for your video wall.

Technically, LED displays are just LCD displays. Both use Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology and a series of lamps placed at the back of the screen to produce the images we see on our screens.

The main difference between the two technologies is that for LCD displays, the lamps at the back of the screen are fluorescent, whereas LED displays use Light Emitting Diodes.

There are two types of LED backlighting technologies; edge lighting and full array lighting. In edge lighting – as the name suggests – the LEDs are placed along the edge of the screen whereas in full-array lighting, an array of LEDs spans the back of the LED screen. In both cases, local dimming may or may not be used. The majority of LED displays are edge-lit without local dimming.

Image quality is one of the most contentious issues when it comes to the LED vs. LCD video wall debate. LED displays generally have better picture quality compared to their LCD counterparts. From black levels to contrast and even colour accuracy, LED displays usually come out on top. Among LED screens, full-array back-lit displays with local dimming provide the best picture quality. There is usually no difference in terms of viewing angle. This instead depends on the quality of glass panel used.

The question of viewing distance may crop up in LED vs. LCD discussions. In general there is not a huge distance between the two technologies. If viewers will be watching from up close the screen needs a high pixel density regardless of whether your video wall uses LED or LCD technology.

It’s generally accepted that LED displays have the lowest energy consumption levels of all displays. LCD displays commonly consume more energy than plasma and CRT displays, neither of which are in production.

In their research, CNET found that “No question, LED LCDs have the lowest energy consumption” in a comparative test between plasma, LCD and LED displays.

LED displays also win in terms of thickness, or lack thereof The reason, once again, being the advanced lighting technology. To start with, light emitting diodes are much smaller compared to the fluorescent lamps used in LCD displays.

Secondly, when the LEDs are placed at the edges as opposed to the back end of the display, the resulting screen will obviously be thinner. This explains why edge-lit LED screens are the slimmest displays available.

If your main concern is budget, then LCD is the obvious choice. As this article points out, you can usually buy a much bigger LCD display for vastly less money than an LED. LCD video walls are generally much cheaper compared to similar sized LED displays.

LCD software allows you to select the right amount of output for a video wall. You can plug a media player into a video wall processor or a daisy chain of displays. With LED displays, however, all cabinets have to plug directly from the video encoder or player. Either that or all cabinets have to be daisy chained together.

A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is one of the most enduring and fundamental technologies found in monitors, televisions, tablets, and smartphones. TVs and monitors once used cathode ray tubes (CRTs) to provide the image on your screen. But CRTs were bulky and contained dangerous chemicals. Once LCDs became affordable, they replaced CRTs.

An LCD features a panel of liquid crystal molecules. The molecules can be induced using an electrical current to take certain patterns which either block or allow light to pass through. An LCD TV or monitor has a light source at the rear of the display, which lights up the crystals. LCDs commonly use Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL) to provide the TV or monitor backlight.

To provide a color image on your screen, the LCD has red, green, and blue sub-pixels in each screen pixel. Transistors within the display control the direction of light each pixel emits, which then passes through either a red, green, or blue filter.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are small semiconductors that emit visible light when an electrical current passes through them. LEDs are typically more efficient and longer-lasting than traditional lighting.

While manufacturers often use "LED" in place of "LCD," an LED TV is also a type of LCD. Instead of CCFL tubes to provide the LCDs backlight, rows of LEDs provide the backlight. The LEDs give better control of the light, as well as greater efficiency as it is possible to control individual LEDs.

For accuracy, a TV or monitor description should read "LED-Backlit LCD Monitor." But that is a) a mouthful and b) doesn"t allow for the creation of a separate marketable product. That"s not to say there aren"t differences between the two.

However, both LED and LCD monitors have different technologies that make certain panels more appealing to gamers, film buffs, designers, and so on. You should also note that on older screens, the difference between an LCD and LED TV or monitor is more pronounced, due to the relative age of the two lighting options.

There are several different types of LED and LCD monitors. When you"re trying to buy a new TV or monitor, understanding the differences and the terminology will help you bag a better deal. Here are some of the most common variations of the LED and LCD panels.

An Edge-Lit LED TV or monitor has its LEDs arranged around the rim of the display, behind the LCD panels facing the screen. The Edge-Lit option allows for slimmer designs, uses fewer LEDs, and can bring the cost of a new screen down. Light reflects across the screen uniformly to create the image.

One downside to an Edge-Lit screen is the dark contrast. Because the Edge-Lit LED display is brightest closer to the edges, color uniformity and black levels can become an issue, with some areas appearing darker than others.

A Full-Array LED display uses a grid of LED lights behind the LCD. The LEDs shine outwards directly towards the LCD, creating a bright and uniform picture. Full-Array LED panels enjoy the efficiency benefits of LEDs.

For the best image reproduction, a Full-Array LED display may include local dimming. Local dimming means that groups of LEDs can switch on and off as required to provide better overall control of the brightness level.

LEDs are often referred to as emitting white light. Actually, LEDs produce light closer to yellow than a pure white. That difference can create a color shift in the image you see on your screen. To improve on this issue, some manufacturers replace white LEDs with groupings of red, green, and blue (RGB) LEDs.

The display uses advanced electronics and programming to control the RGB LEDs accurately, along with more LEDs. The combination increases the cost of an RGB LED screen significantly for what most viewers would consider a marginal improvement. RGB LED displays never became mainstream because of their higher cost.

Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLED) are an advanced form of LED lighting found in some LED monitors. Each pixel of an OLED TV can glow or dim independently, resulting in much better black levels, extremely sharp colors, and better contrast ratios. The majority of OLED TVs and monitors have excellent viewing angles and color quality.

Without a doubt, OLED TVs and monitors (and even smartphone screens) have incredible color depth. But that does come at a cost. The latest generation of flagship smartphones all feature OLED screens, and it is a contributing factor to their massive cost. Another consideration is power. An OLED screen consumes more power than other LED-backlit screens and standard LCD screens.

The acronyms continue with QLED, which stands for Quantum Dot LED. Samsung"s QLED improves color accuracy as much as 90-percent from a regular LED TV or monitor and can hit the high levels of brightness and color depth that HDR requires.

So, what is a quantum dot monitor? In short, quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals that absorb light at one wavelength and output it at a different wavelength. The LEDs in a QLED emit all of the blue shades the picture requires. But a blue picture isn"t what consumers want. The quantum dots refract the blue LED light into the green and red shades needed to complete the picture.

A single quantum dot monitor or TV contains billions of semiconductor nanocrystals. Those nanocrystals give QLED screens outstanding black range and color depth, as well as excellent color saturation and contrast.

Just as there are types of LED monitor technology, so is there LCD monitor and TV technology, too. The type of LCD tech powering your screen makes a difference to the final picture. Here"s what you need to look out for.

Twisted nematic (TN) was one of the first LCD panel types, dating back to the 1980s. TN panels have fast response time. Most of the fastest gaming monitors use a TN LCD panel to offer exceptionally fast refresh rates, up to 240Hz. That level of refresh isn"t necessary for most people, but it can make a difference for top-level gamers (for instance, in reducing motion blur and image transition smoothness).

Vertical alignment (VA) panels originated in the 1990s. The liquid crystals in a VA panel are aligned vertically, as the name suggests. The vertical alignment structure allows VA panels to produce much deeper blacks and more vibrant array of other colors in comparison to a TN panel. A VA panel usually has better contrast, too.

While a VA LCD panel has a better color range than a TN panel, they also have a slower refresh rate. They also usually cost more and, as such, are rarely marketed toward gamers. Between TN panels and IPS panels (read below), VA is the least popular LCD panel technology.

In-Plane Switching (IPS) panels are considered the best LCD panel technology for a variety of reasons. An IPS panel offers very wide viewing angles with very fast refresh rates. They"re not as fast as a TN panel, but IPS panels are widely available at 144Hz. At the time of writing, the first few 240Hz IPS LCD panels are hitting the market, although they are extremely expensive for a marginal gain.

Color-wise, IPS panels are excellent. High-quality IPS LCD panel prices continue to fall. However, there are several reasons why you shouldn"t buy a ridiculously cheap IPS gaming monitor.

The type of LCD panel you need depends on its use. Gamers want fast response times and rich depth of color, which is why IPS panels are a great option. If you"re more concerned about picture quality for your favorite films, an OLED panel will perform extremely well.

Still, now you know the terminology behind LCD panels and the pros and cons to each type, you can make an informed decision for your TV or monitor upgrade. But wait, the type of LCD or LED panel isn"t the only thing to consider. Take a moment to learn about the differences between 4K, Ultra HD, and 8K screens.