led vs lcd monitors quotation

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. SMD refers to Surface Mounted Diode, a technology that utilizes a process of mounting each LED chip (pixel) directly to a printed circuit board (PCB). Mounting the diodes in this fashion allows displays to be thinner and sleeker than older LED technology. SMD also allows for finer pixel pitch. Simply put, pixel pitch refers to the distance between the diodes and is responsible for resolution. Fine pixel pitch translates into high resolution. Fine pixel pitch is what makes HD and UHD LED possible.

LCD panels are made of a layer of liquid crystal between two pieces of polarized glass. Liquid crystal can not emit light. Backlights are therefore used to illuminate the display. LCD panels are sleek in design, but typically limited to specific sets of dimensions.

LEDs are their own light source. This means that LED video walls are glare free and not subject to many of the problems ambient lighting creates for other video display types.

LED technology is modular in nature. This means that LED panels fit together seamlessly and can be used to make displays to fit any space. Custom cabinets can even be built to accommodate unusual shapes or dimensions.

LCD video walls on the other hand take on a tiled approach. This means that screens are jutted against one another. This approach creates bezels or seams and the final dimensions of the wall is directly dependent on the dimensions of the individual screens.

LED is a versatile display option. Thanks to various IP options, LED video walls can be displayed indoors or outdoors. LED video walls can be built with a variety of internal mechanisms as well. Quick refresh rates and dual power backup can ensure that LED video walls look great on camera. Various pixel pitches can ensure the proper resolution for the right context.

LCD is a more straightforward product and consumers are generally more familiar with LCD. LCD is used for cell phones, computer screens, and most TVs, but is it the best choice for video walls? Ultimately that choice is up to the consumer. LCD is cheaper, but generally less customizable. LCD does not work well for outdoor uses and is generally very limited in terms of size and shape.

LED technology has improved drastically in recent years improving quality while driving costs down. LED is a bigger investment up front but generally has a lifespan of about 100,000 hours.

Just like anything else, the best video wall product is largely dependant on context. If you like LED technology but are unsure of the process associated in obtaining a LED video wall read: How to Purchase a LED Video Wall Display.

LCD monitor and LED monitor are the popular displays these days. Whether it was a computer monitor or a TV, there was a time when cathode ray tube ruled supreme and it was common to see CRT monitors everywhere. Display is important as we continue to stare the screens for hours whether watching TV or working on a computer. With the advent of newer technologies such as LCD, LED, and Plasma, people are confused about the difference between LCD and LED monitor as to which is better for them. This article will highlight the features of both the technologies to make it easier for a person to choose between the two.

LCD is the abbreviation of Liquid Crystal display. There are two layers of glass in this technology that are joined together with liquid crystals in between. These crystals help pass or block the light. However, crystals do not produce any light and it comes through fluorescent lamps (CCFL) situated at the back of the screen.

The technology in LED TV’s is much the same with the difference being the source of light at the back of the screen. Whereas it is CCFL in the case of LCD, there is Light emitting Diodes (LED’s) in the case of LED TV’s.

The lighting at the back of the screen decides the quality of display thus you must enquire about it before buying your next TV or monitor. There are 3 major types of backlighting techniques known as RGB dynamic LED, Edge LED, and Full Array LED.

•LED’s are environment friendly as there is no mercury used during their manufacture. On the other hand LCD TV’s require mercury for their production.

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.

Light Emitting Diode (LED): LED is a type of LCD that actually accompanies the advancement of technology. This replaces the fluorescent tube with backlight technology, which produces a clearer picture than the LCD. LED have wider viewing angle than the LCD. It have better black level and contrast in comparison to LCD LCD display. LED delivers better color accuracy in comparison to the LCD. Advantage:LED have very long life.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD): An LCD is a passive device, which means that it does not deliver any light to display characters, animations, videos, etc. LCD uses fluorescent tubes to lighten the picture, but can’t provide a clearer picture as LED delivers. It delivers good color accuracy, but we can notice the difference if we compare LED and LCD color accuracy. In LCD, the wide-angle decreases with 30 degrees from the center in the image then the contrast ratio.

6.LED delivers better color accuracy in comparison to the LCD.While it also delivers good color accuracy, we can notice the difference if we compare these two.

7.LED has a wider viewing angle than the LCD.While in LCD, the wide-angle decreases with 30 degrees from the center in the image then the contrast ratio.

Light-Emitting Diodes (or LEDs) are electrical components that emit light when current flows through them, very similar to a common light bulb. You’ve probably seen these tiny lights around your home, in modern Christmas light strands, night lights, flashlights, lightbulbs, and more.

LED displays are a self-emitting display technology made up of a matrix of red, blue, and green LEDs forming the individual pixel elements. Standard LED displays have hundreds to thousands of LED pixels and project light directly to the viewer. These are often called “Direct View LEDs”, because there is no LCD layer at all in the display. MicroLED is one of the newest forms of these displays, which uses millions of microscopic LEDs producing a much higher-resolution image. However, they are still too expensive to be adopted by many applications. All types of LED displays provide excellent brightness and visibility both indoors and outdoors, but can also be heavy, bulky and require more complex installation. They tend to be expensive upfront but offer some cost savings over time since the light diodes that they rely on require little power. However, LEDs are at a higher risk for poor image retention or what many people refer to as “screen burn”.

Sometimes, LEDs are also used to form a backlight panel which is used to illuminate an LCD. These LED-backlit LCDs are frequently misnamed “LED displays”, however they are not true LED displays. True LED displays do not have an LCD layer.

If you’re in the market to rent a video wall, you’ve probably run into all sorts of confusing info. Here’s the lowdown on LCD vs. LED video walls so you can make the right choice for your next conference, trade show, or other event.

We’re about to throw a whole lot of info at you. So let’s first take a second to remember why both LED and LCD video walls are a good investment in the first place.

Price – A video wall system is always going to cost more than monitors, projectors, or other digital signage. Make sure you have enough room in your budget for a video wall — which can start in the ballpark of $10,000 and go upwards from there.

Once reserved for stadiums and shopping malls, LED walls have become much more accessible for corporate events in recent years. An LED wall is made of many smaller LED panels. Each panel has hundreds of tiny light sources called “light emitting diodes” that can change color to create a large, seamless image.

Technicians can add panels until the LED wall is as massive as you need it to be. Random fact: The Suzhou Sky Screen in China is the largest LED video wall in the world, measuring 1,640 feet long — about 4.5 football fields.

Meanwhile, an LCD video wall is a large surface for video or images built from many LCD screens. You’ve interacted with an LCD screen before — they’re on your laptop, TV monitor, and more. However, the LCD video wall screens are designed to run longer and have thinner edges, called bezels.

Technicians use special hardware and tools to stack the LCD screens on top of one another, and calibrate the wall so that an image shows up across every screen. Temporary LCD walls can usually only be about five screens across and five screens high.

Temporary LCD walls can be configured to be in many different sizes and shapes, both large and small, but typically don’t go larger than five screens across and five screens high.

Our most popular LCD walls are about 16’ wide by 10’ tall. Also, when measuring your ceiling height, keep in mind that most walls don’t go all the way down to the floor. So you’ll need to add that into your total height need.

People need to view LED walls from a distance to get the full picture. Think of them like a Lite Brite, or an impressionist painting — you get the full picture when you’re further away. Though made of LED panels, there are no seams.

The image on an LCD wall will be sharper than on LED walls, especially while standing nearby, since it’s made from HD panels. Will have very thin seams between each LCD screen, called bezels.

Since an LCD Wall are basically fancy computer monitors, it’s typically easier to create content. If your content looks great on a standard computer monitor with a 16:9 aspect ratio, it will look good on an LCD wall. Your AV provider will give you dimensions and resolution requirements once you decide on the size you need, and can also help you determine where the seams (or “bezels”) will be so none of your image gets cut off.

Much lower than LCD — but you’ll still need to make sure your venue has enough power capabilities. Your video wall provider can tell you how much power you’ll need.

Imagine an LCD video wall is like a tray of lasagna. Reliable, beautiful, and sturdy — but you can only increase the size of a tray of lasagna so much. Affordable, but it has a limit in size.

Meanwhile, imagine an LED wall like a limitless, footlong sub. It might not be quite as satisfying and vibrant as a steaming tray of lasagna, but you can keep adding to it until it’s as massive as you’d like.

Yaham LED displays are an excellent option for businesses who want a high-quality display that is flexible, durable, and energy-efficient. In addition, our LED displays use less power than LCDs, making them an eco-friendly choice for your business.

On the other hand, LCD screens are preferred for displays that are needed up close because of their high resolution—for example, handheld gadgets such as smartphones or TV screens. In addition, LCD screens can produce 4K displays which are perfect for watching vivid displays or videos from a closer perspective.

LED screens are flexible, so they can fit various forms and shapes, even fitting round edges. This is why you can see LED displays on corners of buildings or spaces uneven in the area and dynamic in form.

That is why you will not see an LCD screen used on round edges. LCDs are sleek and lightweight which is perfect for mobile devices making them look more attractive and feel handier.

The LCD screens commonly found in outdoor uses can be problematic because they struggle to withstand the elements. On the other hand, LEDs have been improving steadily with higher quality and lower costs, making them a better option for long-term use.

LED technology is more expensive upfront but provides an illuminated life span of up 100 thousand hours or about 4-5 years without any significant drops (based upon current models).

Energy-efficient backlighting indeed allows LED televisions to have an almost 40% lower power consumption than LCD screens and significantly less than a plasma television.

The energy efficiency of LED backlighting translates into significant reductions in power consumption and, as such, can help your business save money on your electric bill.

LED technology has become popular because they’re not as easily damaged by weather fluctuations, making them the perfect choice for outdoor advertising needs!

LCD stands for “liquid crystal display” and technically, both LED and LCD TVs are liquid crystal displays. The basic technology is the same in that both television types have two layers of polarized glass through which the liquid crystals both block and pass light. So really, LED TVs are a subset of LCD TVs.

LED, which stands for “light emitting diodes,” differs from general LCD TVs in that LCDs use fluorescent lights while LEDs use those light emitting diodes. Also, the placement of the lights on an LED TV can differ. The fluorescent lights in an LCD TV are always behind the screen. On an LED TV, the light emitting diodes can be placed either behind the screen or around its edges. The difference in lights and in lighting placement has generally meant that LED TVs can be thinner than LCDs, although this is starting to change. It has also meant that LED TVs run with greater energy efficiency and can provide a clearer, better picture than the general LCD TVs.

LED TVs provide a better picture for two basic reasons. First, LED TVs work with a color wheel or distinct RGB-colored lights (red, green, blue) to produce more realistic and sharper colors. Second, light emitting diodes can be dimmed. The dimming capability on the back lighting in an LED TV allows the picture to display with a truer black by darkening the lights and blocking more light from passing through the panel. This capability is not present on edge-lit LED TVs; however, edge-lit LED TVs can display a truer white than the fluorescent LED TVs.

Because all these LCD TVs are thin-screen, each has particular angle-viewing and anti-glare issues. The backlit TVs provide better, cleaner angle viewing than the edge-lit LED TV. However, the backlit LED TV will usually have better angle viewing than the standard LCD TV. Both LED and LCD TVs have good reputations for their playback and gaming quality.

One of these choices is deciding between an LCD display or an LED video wall. Continue reading to find out more about the basics, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each solution.

Most people are familiar with LCD technology, which stands for Liquid Crystal Display. These types of displays have a massive presence in this world, used in living rooms to watch movies, fast-food restaurants to showcase menus, airports to show flight schedules, and everything in between. LCD technology was developed in the 1960s and has been used worldwide as a standard for roughly 20 years. It is a tried-and-true technology that has stood the test of time and will be around for the foreseeable future.

On an LCD screen, the panel is illuminated by a light source and works through reflection or transmission of light. Overall, LCD displays have better viewing angles and less glare than LED screens. This technology was designed to be energy efficient and tends to be lighter in weight.

An LCD video wall is made up of multiple LCD panel monitors mounted on a surface to create a digital canvas, which then work together to create a unified experience. They operate 24/7 at a high brightness and have thin bezels that help create a seamless look when the displays are placed next to one another.

Nits:Brightness is measured in Nits. A higher Nit value means the display will be brighter. A brighter display is necessary in a room that sees plenty of direct sunlight, or if the intent is to draw in visitors from far away. With LCD video walls, the price of the hardware goes up as the display size and brightness increase, and the bezel width decreases.

Although video walls are relatively new, LCD technology has had the benefit of decades of mainstream adoption. With that comes familiarity and lower costs. If those factors are important to you, then an LCD video wall is likely the right choice.

The next item to consider is the type of content that will be displayed on your video wall. Another benefit of LCD displays is that the resolution is incredibly high on the displays—modern 4K displays have over 8 million pixels! This means that the content being displayed is highly detailed and crystal-clear. A viewer could stand less than 1 foot away from the screen and be able to see exactly what is being shown on the screen.

Like previously mentioned with LCD video walls, an important consideration in the decision-making process is the type of content that will be displayed on the video wall. LED video walls suffer from image degradation and pixilation from up close, so fine details will be lost, and text will be illegible. If detail from up close is important, LCD displays are much better suited for that situation.

LED video walls are similar to LCD video walls, but the digital canvas is built using LED panels. Individual LED panels can be anywhere from 12”x12” to 36”x18”, which is much smaller than LCD displays. LED panels have a larger presence in this world than most might think—they are found indoors and outdoors at stadiums, arenas, concert venues, airports, and in use as large digital advertisements in iconic places such as Times Square.

The module is a small rectangular board that contains all the individual LEDs (light-emitting diodes).Unlike LCD, there is no glass or color filter on the LED panels. The individual diodes that are placed on the modules produce both color and light.

One of the most impressive features of LED panels is that they can be combined to create almost any shape, without a bezel interrupting the digital canvas. LED panels can be placed on curved surfaces, 90-degree edges, and other non-standard surfaces. The smaller size of the panels in relation to LCD displays means they can fill more space on a surface—they aren’t limited to standard 46” and 55” sizes as are LCD video wall displays.

The most important factor to consider when scoping LED panels for a video wall is what is referred to as “pixel pitch.” The pixel pitch is effectively the distance between each pixel on the LED panel—a pixel pitch of 6mm means each pixel is spaced 6 millimeters away from the adjacent pixel. The smaller the pixel pitch, the smaller the distance is between each pixel, which means there are more pixels per square inch on the digital canvas.

The image below helps visualize how pixel pitch factors into viewing distance. When the pixels are close together, the image is more detailed and can be viewed comfortably from a close distance. Conversely, when the pixels are spaced further apart, a viewer needs to stand further away to view the image clearly.

Lastly, pixel pitch contributes to the price of the LED video wall more than any other factor. For example, a 2mm pixel pitch LED video wall costs significantly more than its 10mm pixel pitch counterpart.

As is the case with an LCD video wall, an LED video wall will add exciting drama and premium value to showcase spaces. LED panel displays don’t enjoy the benefit of decades of mainstream adoption as do their LCD counterparts. However, the technology curve is increasing their availability and lowering their costs. At this time, an LED video wall will have higher upfront costs compared to an LCD video wall. If cost is the main concern, then an LED video wall will likely not be in the running for your project.

An LED video wall would be well-suited and cost-justified if the intent of the video wall is to provide an immersive viewing experience from a further distance. This could be content with lots of movement, animation, imagery, and bright colors to draw viewers into your space or provide a unique experience.

Aside from cost, there are other factors to consider which could make LED panels the frontrunner for your video wall solution. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages to consider:

Limitless shapes and sizes:the smaller size of LED panels allows them to be combined to create unique canvases, including curved, 90-degree edge, and other combinations not possible with LCD displays

Easy maintenance and service; high reliability:LED module replacement takes seconds with little effort; LED panels are rated with a lifetime of 80,000-100,000 hours, depending on the product

On home appliances, it is often necessary to display numbers and words to convey information, such as the current time displayed on the clock, the current temperature information on the kettle… etc. The two most commonly used displays are LED displays and LCD displays, this article will compare the advantages and disadvantages of LED displays and LCD displays, and provide a two-step quick way to quickly determine whether this product is an LCD or LED display.

LCD displays are the most common displays in daily life, from your mobile phone screen to home appliances, you can use LCD displays, but whether it is a color or black and white LCD display, in fact, the principle is the same. There are two main components within the LCD display:Backlight module

Black-and-white LCD displays are widely used in a variety of low-cost products, and the picture above is a black-and-white LCD display used in science calculator.

Advantages of monochrome LCD displays:Can show very compact information.Each display point of the calculator as shown below is very close to each other, and high-resolution text can be displayed

Power savingBlack and white LCD displays can operated without a lot of power compared to full-color LCD, when products that do not require full-color demand and need to control power consumption are often used.

CheapIf you just want to display a set of numbers or a few ICONs, the price of using a black-and-white LCD display is much cheaper than that of a full-color LCD, and it is often used in a large number of consumer products.

Disadvantages of monochrome LCD displays:Small viewing angle, not easy to use for outdoor application.Usually black and white liquid crystal display in the front view, the display is the clearest, but due to the LCD panel characteristics, as long as the side view, the clarity will be declined, outdoor will be affected by strong light, the viewing angle is not large, the clarity is not enough, LED display due to the word luminescence characteristics, there is no viewing angle problem.

Can only be used in monochromeIf you need multi-color applications, you can only upgrade to a full-color LCD display that is many times more expensive, and the LED display can simply add different colors to the LED display without significantly increasing the cost

The structure and basic introduction of the display in this article this article, compared with LCD displays, self-illumination characteristics, so that LED displays in the outdoor visibility is high, high brightness, but also no viewing angle problem. LED displays are the same as black and white LCD liquid crystals, and the display information must be designed in advance and cannot be arbitrarily transformed. The price of LED displays is between full-color LCDs and monochrome LCDs, and if properly designed, they can save the cost of achieving display performance.

This article briefly introduces the basic principles and advantages and disadvantages of two common LCD displays, and provides two steps to quickly determine whether the display in hand is an LED display, and product designers can follow these two steps to understand which display the product is used when observing the product.

Adding these variations into the mix can definitely complicate your decision. However, by understanding the fundamental differences between common screen types, you should find it much easier to find the right monitor for you. Let’s dive into what makes LED and IPS monitors tick and the pros and cons that come with each type.

The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is currently the most common and popular flat panel display type. It’s display functions with an active backlight that is modulated via liquid crystals that allow for thinner, lighter, and more responsive displays.

The LCD slowly improved and beat out CRT and plasma display types over the years, and now includes TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) technology to enhance the quality of images even further. While virtually every screen these days is made up of some sort of LCD screen, there are still different types to consider. Which brings us back to LED and IPS displays.

In an LED display, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) serve as a backlight to light up individual pixels. LED displays are broken up even further into Edge-Lit and Direct-Lit, which differ in the way they’re positioned within the screen.

The overall benefit of LED displays is the fact that they’re generally brighter than comparable types, yet require less power. They’re often seen as the traditional, durable, and reliable option for gaming monitors.

IPS (In-Plane Switching) is probably the most common TFT LCD panel you’ll encounter when shopping for PC monitors. It’s often compared against TN (twisted nematic) and VA (vertical alignment) panel types. But IPS is viewed as the higher image quality option of the bunch.

The primary benefit of IPS displays is the high quality and detailed graphics it’s capable of producing. It’s often seen as the go-to for those desiring high visual fidelity and gorgeous visuals.

While the two may be often compared, they are actually functionally different pieces of technology. LED is backlight technology, while IPS is a panel technology, which makes a direct comparison difficult. But we can still run through how each type affects performance to give you a better idea of how your monitor will perform with one option or another – or maybe even both.

From the get-go, LEDs use very little energy. However, it’s worth noting that basic LED monitors will use even less power than their IPS LED counterparts. This has to do with the visuals on screen and how much light is necessary to illuminate them. Darker visuals, as well as those that are less vivid, require less light, meaning the LED screen can reduce power to conserve energy.

LEDs, on the other hand, are allabout brightness. While coloration may become washed out depending on the brightness settings, you can rest assured that the screen will always be illuminated.

Those beautiful visuals do bring down response time on IPS monitors depending on the speed of what you’re viewing. FPS titles, for example, can easily lead to extreme input lag without the right setup or setting variations to compensate for the displays focus on visual fidelity.

Basic LED monitors usually have consistently minimal input lag and the capability to reach high refresh rates. If you’ve read any of our game settings guides, you know that 144Hz – 250Hz is the sweet spot for most shooters, and you should have no problem hitting this with a standard TN LED display.

On the flip side, most high-quality LEDs produce very little heat due to the variable display capabilities of the backlit screen. This can be a deciding factor if you’re concerned about overheating or are unable to shell out for other components to compensate.

Meanwhile, typical LED monitors without in-plane switching panels can’t get anywhere close to the same visual fidelity. This really is the primary tradeoff between the two technologies. Standard LEDs perform better, but they sacrifice some level of clarity, while IPS screens are performance hogs that make up for it with gorgeous displays.

However, a good LED monitor can be both inexpensive and reliable, especially if used for gaming. This part can really be a deal-breaker for the IPS panel. It all just depends on how much you’re willing to spend on a monitor for the visual upgrade.

If you’re planning on using the display for graphics work, editing, or some other type of creative visual work, you’ll want to shell out a bit more for an IPS display. If you plan on playing fast-paced shooters or other multiplayer titles, you’ll want an LED monitor with a TN panel for consistent performance.

Again it really isn’t a cut and dry issue between the two types of tech. Opting for an IPS display is a big investment that may not last long. And more than likely, you’ll be able to find an LED display to be the go-to option, with plenty of high-quality displays available for a reasonable price.

Tech SpecsDevice TypeLED-backlit LCD monitor - 24" - touchscreenEnergy ClassClass A+FeaturesUSB hubPanel TypeIPSAspect RatioWidescreen - 16:9Native ResolutionFull HDread more...

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For all the new technologies that have come our way in recent times, it’s worth taking a minute to consider an old battle going on between two display types. Two display types that can be found across monitors, TVs, mobile phones, cameras and pretty much any other device that has a screen.

In one corner is LED (light-emitting diode). It’s the most common type of display on the market, however, it might be unfamiliar because there’s slight labelling confusion with LCD (liquid crystal display).

For display purposes the two are the same, and if you see a TV or smartphone that states it has an ‘LED’ screen, it’s an LCD. The LED part just refers to the lighting source, not the display itself.

In a nutshell, LED LCD screens use a backlight to illuminate their pixels, while OLED’s pixels produce their own light. You might hear OLED’s pixels called ‘self-emissive’, while LCD tech is ‘transmissive’.

The light of an OLED display can be controlled on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This sort of dexterity isn’t possible with an LED LCD – but there are drawbacks to this approach, which we’ll come to later.

In cheaper TVs and LCD-screen phones, LED LCD displays tend to use ‘edge lighting’, where LEDs sit to the side of the display, not behind it. The light from these LEDs is fired through a matrix that feeds it through the red, green and blue pixels and into our eyes.

LED LCD screens can go brighter than OLED. That’s a big deal in the TV world, but even more so for smartphones, which are often used outdoors and in bright sunlight.

Brightness is generally measured as ‘nits’ – roughly the light of a candle per square metre. Brightness is important when viewing content in ambient light or sunlight, but also for high dynamic range video. This applies more to TVs, but phones boast credible video performance, and so it matters in that market too. The higher the level of brightness, the greater the visual impact.

Take an LCD screen into a darkened room and you may notice that parts of a purely black image aren’t black, because you can still see the backlighting (or edge lighting) showing through.

You’ll often see a contrast ratio quoted in a product’s specification, particularly when it comes to TVs and monitors. This tells you how much brighter a display’s whites are compared to its blacks. A decent LCD screen might have a contrast ratio of 1,000:1, which means the whites are a thousand times brighter than the blacks.

Contrast on an OLED display is far higher. When an OLED screen goes black, its pixels produce no light whatsoever. That means an infinite contrast ratio, although how great it looks will depend on how bright the screen can go. In general, OLED screens are best suited for use in darker rooms, and this is certainly the case where TVs are concerned.

OLED panels enjoy excellent viewing angles, primarily because the technology is so thin, and the pixels are so close to the surface. You can walk around an OLED TV or spread out in different spots in your living room, and you won’t lose out on contrast. For phones, viewing angles are extra important because you don’t tend to hold your hand perfectly parallel to your face.

Viewing angles are generally worse in LCDs, but this varies hugely depending on the display technology used. And there are lots of different kinds of LCD panel.

Perhaps the most basic is twisted nematic (TN). This is the type used in budget computer monitors, cheaper laptops, and very low-cost phones, and it offers poor angled viewing. If you’ve ever noticed that your computer screen looks all shadowy from a certain angle, it’s more than likely it uses a twisted nematic panel.

Thankfully, a lot of LCD devices use IPS panels these days. This stands for ‘in-plane switching’ and it generally provides better colour performance and dramatically improved viewing angles.

IPS is used in most smartphones and tablets, plenty of computer monitors and lots of TVs. It’s important to note that IPS and LED LCD aren’t mutually exclusive; it’s just another bit of jargon to tack on. Beware of the marketing blurb and head straight to the spec sheet.

The latest LCD screens can produce fantastic natural-looking colours. However, as is the case with viewing angles, it depends on the specific technology used.

OLED’s colours have fewer issues with pop and vibrancy, but early OLED TVs and phones had problems reining in colours and keeping them realistic. These days, the situation is better, Panasonic’s flagship OLEDs are used in the grading of Hollywood films.

Where OLED struggles is in colour volume. That is, bright scenes may challenge an OLED panel’s ability to maintain levels of colour saturation. It’s a weakness that LCD-favouring manufacturers enjoy pointing out.

Both have been the subject of further advancements in recent years. For LCD there’s Quantum Dot and Mini LED. The former uses a quantum-dot screen with blue LEDs rather than white LEDs and ‘nanocrystals’ of various sizes to convert light into different colours by altering its wavelength. Several TV manufacturers have jumped onboard Quantum Dot technology, but the most popular has been Samsung’s QLED branded TVs.

Mini LED is another derivation of LED LCD panels, employing smaller-sized LEDs that can emit more light than standard versions, increasing brightness output of the TV. And as they are smaller, more can be fitted into a screen, leading to greater control over brightness and contrast. This type of TV is becoming more popular, though in the UK and Europe it’s still relatively expensive. You can read more about Mini LED and its advantages in our explainer.

OLED, meanwhile, hasn’t stood still either. LG is the biggest manufacturer of large-sized OLED panels and has produced panels branded as evo OLED that are brighter than older versions. It uses a different material for its blue OLED material layer within the panel (deuterium), which can last for longer and can have more electrical current passed through it, increasing the brightness of the screen, and elevating the colour volume (range of colours it can display).

Another development is the eagerly anticipated QD-OLED. This display technology merges Quantum Dot backlights with an OLED panel, increasing the brightness, colour accuracy and volume, while retaining OLED’s perfect blacks, infinite contrast and potentially even wider viewing angles, so viewers can spread out anywhere in a room and see pretty much the same image. Samsung and Sonyare the two companies launching QD-OLED TVs in 2022.

And for smartphones there’s been a move towards AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) screens for Android screens, while Apple has moved towards OLED for its smartphones and tried Mini LED with its iPad Pro. Technologies are consistently evolving with Superand Dynamic AMOLED versions available, more performance is being eked out.

While LED LCD has been around for much longer and is cheaper to make, manufacturers are beginning to move away from it, at least in the sense of the ‘standard’ LCD LED displays, opting to explore the likes of Mini LED and Quantum Dot variations.

OLED has gained momentum and become cheaper, with prices dipping well below the £1000 price point. OLED is much better than LED LCD at handling darkness and lighting precision, and offers much wider viewing angles, which is great for when large groups of people are watching TV. Refresh rates and motion processing are also better with OLED though there is the spectre of image retention.

If you’re dealing with a limited budget, whether you’re buying a phone, a monitor, a laptop or a TV, you’ll almost certainly end up with an LCD-based screen. OLED, meanwhile, incurs more of a premium but is getting cheaper, appearing in handheld gaming devices, laptops, some of the best smartphones as well as TVs

Which is better? Even if you eliminate money from the equation, it really comes down to personal taste. Neither OLED nor LCD LED is perfect. Some extol OLED’s skill in handling darkness, and its lighting precision. Others prefer LCD’s ability to go brighter and maintain colours at bright levels.

How do you decide? Stop reading this and go to a shop to check it out for yourself. While a shop floor isn’t the best environment in which to evaluate ultimate picture quality, it will at least provide an opportunity for you to realise your priorities. Whether you choose to side with LCD or OLED, you can take comfort in the fact that both technologies have matured considerably, making this is a safe time to invest.