life of lcd display price
How long will your LED display last? In nearly every industry, from retail businesses to concert halls to corporate centers, decision makers need to evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of their LED signage. In most cases, potential buyers go straight to the obvious place: the LED manufacturer’s spec sheet. The industry standard for LED lifespan is 100,000 hours, or about 10 years, and most people assume that’s how long their display will last. But it’s not quite that simple.
The 100,000-hour figure assumes that every diode will be running at full brightness, consistently — which, on an LED screen, is virtually never the case. The lifespan figure can also be misleading because it indicates when a diode degrades to half-brightness, not completely dark. Many other variables affect an LED display’s lifespan; you can’t rely solely on the number on the diode spec sheet.
“The reality is, your screen can often last significantly longer than 100,000 hours,” says Kevin Izatt, a senior product manager in Samsung’s Display division. “We’ve had displays that have been up for 15-plus years with more than adequate brightness. Because the diode is actually only one factor in the lifespan of your LED display.”
The biggest contributor to diode degradation is heat. As you increase a diode’s brightness, it produces more heat. Your display’s physical environment also contributes to the temperature of the diodes, especially for outdoor displays.
The quality of your display’s power supply — and how hard it drives the diodes — can have a significant impact on your screen’s lifespan. The other components being powered, such as fans and electrical components, have their own lifespans as well, which are also impacted by the power supply.
“Fans are mechanical; they break down,” explains Izatt. “And similar to your computer, the electrical components don’t last forever. Together, these factors all contribute to the lifespan of an LED display. Looking at just the diode lifespan doesn’t give you the complete story — almost always, another part will go out first.”
“Something like airflow is very important,” says Izatt. “You need a screen that has good cooling, and a design that allows heat to flow out of the back through vents.”
It’s easy to see why: The circuit boards powering the display release heat, and that heat needs to go somewhere. Without a strong design, thermal stress will degrade the life of the display, except for the highest-quality parts — optimal conditions notwithstanding.
“Lots of variations on the color and brightness you use will impact the life of the diode,” explains Izatt. “For instance, black doesn’t use any of the diodes at all. And if your content is using lots of gray, that’s a much lower power output than white.”
That’s not to say you should hold back on displaying rich, vibrant colors — after all, that’s what LED does best. But it does factor into your product’s life expectancy.
To help businesses transition from LCD to longer-lasting LED signage, Samsung has launched a trade-in program. Samsung will come on site to remove your existing display and provide a discount on a new LED bundle kit.
Traded-in LCD displays that are still operating will be refurbished and resold, and your business will receive a cash rebate. Nonworking displays will be recycled and their parts reused.
You can’t rely on the number on the diode spec sheet; the lifespan of your LED display depends on many more factors. “Overall quality has a tremendous impact on the life of the display that diode specs just don’t take into account,” says Izatt. Your best bet is to look at the purchase holistically and invest in a top-tier product.
As you plan your LED signage rollout — or an upgrade — learn how to configure and tailor your screens’ real-time messaging with an integrated CMS in thisfree guide. And if you haven’t decided what kind of display is best suited to your current project, compare all ofSamsung’s LED displays.
Perhaps you’ve wondered how long a digital display lasts. It’s a great question. One quick search on Google will tell you that an LCD panel has a lifespan of about 60,000 hours, which is equivalent to almost seven years.
Of course, LCDs aren’t the only kind of displays. You also have LED, OLED, QLED, ELD, PDP, and MicroLED, plus many other variations. Obviously, that 7-year estimation will not apply across the board. For the sake of ease, let’s just focus on some of the common types of displays that most of us are familiar with.
Here’s some LCD alphabet soup: There are LED LCD displays, CFFL LCD displays, LED displays, and more. With all these acronyms, it can get a bit confusing. What"s important to note is whether or not the display uses an LCD panel, and how the LCD panel is illuminated. You can read more about thedifferences between types of LCD and LED signage, but these are the most common types:
LCD displaysgenerate images and colors via a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel, which is not self-emitting and requires an external light source to illuminate the image, typically an LED backlight. Their full name "LED-backlit LCD display" is commonly shortened to "LED displays", which is why they"re often confused with the true LED displays we"ve identified above.
Unfortunately, LED backlights used in LCD displays burn out over time. If used at high or maximum brightness, which is necessary for outdoor applications,an LED backlight will last between 40,000 to 60,000 hours. Or, about 4.5 to 7 years.
OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. OLED displays differ from common LCD displays in that their pixels are self-illuminating. In other words, there is no LED backlight required to illuminate the the display image; everything occurs within the OLED pixels themselves. According to onearticle from the US Department of Energy,OLED screens have a life expectancy of about 40,000 hours at 25% brightness, and 10,000 hours at full brightness. That equates to about 1 to 4.5 years, which is a much shorter (albeit, brilliant) lifetime than an LCD display.
Perhaps you noticed that the acronym QLED closely resembles the acronym OLED. This is not accidental. QLED is basically Samsung’s original design built to compete with OLED technology. However, the two are not the same. QLED stands for Quantum Light Emitting Diode. While QLED is similar to a regular LED design, it in fact differs by using nanoparticles called “Quantum dots” to achieve its unique brightness and color. Samsung approximates that the lifespan ofQLED panels are likely to last 7-10 years. After that, a user is likely to notice traces of degradation.
MicroLED is an emerging display technology, consisting of small LEDs in tiny arrays within each pixel. This technology goes beyond the offerings of the formerly frontrunning OLEDs, with much darker blacks and more radiant contrast levels. And, unlike OLEDs, MicroLEDs are not organic. They are not as subject to burn-in, and thus, have a longer lifespan than OLEDs. However, they are significantly more expensive - so much, in fact, that they aren’t considered a viable option for the majority of consumers.According to Samsung, the lifespan of its MicroLED panels should last about 100,000 hours, or, roughly 11 years.
PDP stands for Plasma Display Panel, and it refers to displays that use small cells full of plasma. The atoms within the plasma emit light upon being charged by electricity. While PDP is generally considered to offer better colors than LCDs, they consume a lot more power and usually cannot be battery-operated.The average lifespan of the newest generation of PDPs is approximated to be 100,000 hours, or 11 years of continual use.
In some ways,reflective LCD panelsoperate similarly to other LCDs, only they have one key difference - they do not require a backlight. Instead, they rely on ambient light (or sunlight) in order to produce images. This opens the door to some groundbreaking possibilities. The first (and most appreciable) is low power consumption. Reflective displays use up to 95% less energy. Not bad - especially in a world that is continually looking for new ways to go green. Take into consideration the financial implications of this. Lower power means less money spent on operating costs.
Being that reflective displays do not require a backlight (a component that is particularly subject to degradation), and since they do not generate as much heat, it is safe to say that the lifespan of these displays should far exceed that of backlit LCD panels (which was 7 years at the high end). However, being that thisinnovative technologyis relatively new, its actual lifespan is therefore more difficult to estimate -- simply because it has yet to be reached.
There are also a few challenges that can affect reflective displays. For one, they rely on ambient light. On a nice sunny day, these displays perform beautifully and can be easily seen in even the brightest of conditions. This performance wanes as the available ambient light decreases. And, since they do not generate light of their own, they are not designed to be viewed under nighttime or extremely low light conditions (without additional lighting features). In short, their images are visible to the degree that ambient light is present. However, in light of this, side light (and front light) options are being explored.
One company at the front lines of this research isAzumo. Azumo has created a light guide that laminates to the front of a display. It requires 90% less energy than the backlight of a traditional LCD display. This greatly improves the problem of low light visibility otherwise encountered, and keeps reflective displays in the same low energy consumption ballpark. One issue, however, is that Azumo currently only offers its light guides for smaller-sized units. If you happen to want this feature applied to a display that is over 10” diagonally, then you’re still on the search for a solution.
Other “pioneer companies” are at the frontier of this research as well, and many are already innovating new solutions to increase the viability of reflective technology - both in their low light visibility and in the screen sizes they are available in. Due to the huge potential offered by reflective technology, it is fair to assume that we will see even greater enhancements to it in the very near future.
One other factor to consider regarding reflective technology is its cost. That reflective layer is more costly to manufacture than many of the backlights it replaces, creating a seemingly greater upfront cost for those who are interested in investing in energy-efficient signage. However, these initial price points are quickly justified as buyers will recognize the significantly lower operating costs and increased longevity (not even including replacement costs of other “expired” displays) that comes with their purchase of reflective display signage. If a backlit LCD panel only lasts 7 years, for example, you’ll have paid for that LCD twice in the period of ten years. A very valid question arises… is that “cheaper” backlight really cheaper? Probably not. It only feels that way at first.
Sun Vision Displayis working hard to create reflective display solutions for the digital signage world. We are currently offering them in 32" and 43" diagonal sizes, with a 55” size in development. These displays are built formany environments. We are thrilled to be bringing such innovative solutions to the market.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to talk to a representative about how our solutions might work for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Simply scroll down to the bottom of the page to our form, and we’ll get back to you in a timely manner. We look forward to the possibility ofworking with you!
Have you ever thought How long does a monitor last? or wondered what the lifespan of a monitor is? After all, monitors are the significant peripheral device of a PC.
Furthermore, much of the time it possibly winds up changing for another one when we need a new one, with a bigger screen and/or with a higher resolution. In this article, I will answer this question, which we are sure that more than one of you have ever asked yourself.
If you’re thinking about buying a new LCD monitor in today’s technological progress, though, you might be wondering how long they last. At the end of the post, you will find tips for extending the life of your Monitor.
LCD monitors usually have a lifespan of 30,000 to 60,000 hoursof use, which equals 10 to 20 years if the monitor is used for eight hours a day. It has a longer life than the plasma and CRT monitors and is somewhat shorter than that of current LED Monitors.
In general, I think that many people turn off the power when they are not using a computer, so if you use it for 12 hours a day, it will take about 10 to 15 years.
To ensure your LCD display’s lifespan, you definitely need to adjust the contrast setting (an important factor) for the conditions under which you view your LCD display. Higher light levels and contrast levels affect the life expectancy of the LCD monitor and vice versa.
A LED monitor’s lifespan range between 80,000 to about 120,000 hours. Which is equivalent to about 20 years, if we use 8 hours a day, depending on its materials and manufacturers.
LED monitors that are being sold right now in stores to come with the latest screen materials and technology. Their main advantage if they live longer than LCDs, and CRTs by providing bright and vivid display features that are energy efficient.
A significant factor that influences the life span of a LED monitor is the conditions like Usage, Temperature, and Brightness. The harsherthe use, the higher the temperature and brightness can reduce the lifespan, and the less you can expect a LED to last.
That’s why it is recommended to properly optimized and well adjust the brightness and usage as per the need and let LED works in optimal conditions to enhance life expectancy.
A typical CRT monitor only lasts for about 20,000 to 30,000 hours of use, which equates to 10 years if the monitor is run for eight hours a day. At this point, it must be replaced or repaired (if possible).
The CRT monitor is old since they were used old technology of cathode-ray rubes that illuminate the corresponding pixels ( typically old backlighting technology) leads to less efficiency, often heavy, bulky, and fragile units. result in a short lifespan.
Today the world is moving with great speed along alongside innovative progress. Also, no one will surprise anyone with a thin LCD monitor or TV. They can be seen in almost any office. Many have already swapped out their old fat CRT TVs for new thin LCD panels. Laptops also have an LCD screen, so this also applies to them.
The life expectancy of OLEDs really depends upon your usage. If you play a lot of games or uses it constantly all day, the organic components degrade over time and it will not be a very long life, as it can get burn-in.
In fact, there is no exact answer to the lifespan of OLED. However, as per the report and research, the OLED monitor can have a lifespan of 100,000 hours. And it can be last long about 8 – 15 years if you use it 8 hours a day.
One should use the monitor’s “Power Saving features” and “standby mode” and always turn off your TV, even when you go out for coffee in order to extend its life. These features turn off the monitor’s light source when not in use.
There isn’t any certain time period as to when a monitor should be replaced. But, it is worth it when you notice the degradation of the monitor in the form of dead pixels, stuck pixels, dim and greenish image screens.
It may be repaired depending on the failure. However, many people opt for a new one instead of sending it out for repair, in general. It is the better option to buy a new computer monitor as cost performance by considering the time and cost of repairs.
Also, if you have purchased a desktop PC with a monitor set, the life of the main unit may come to an end even if you repair the monitor. So, it is better to buy it again as a set to improve the stability of your PC life.
In most cases, visual abnormality like “Stuttering” and “flickering” is a very common sign of understanding the end of the monitor’s life. When it reaches the end of its life, the screen will disappear even when the power is turned on.
At least once per year do preventive cleaning of the “internals” of the monitor from dust. Dust combined with moisture is an excellent conductor of electrical current, and breakdown or short circuit is a common sign of any monitor failure.
It is recommended to use a voltage stabilizer potentially uninterruptible power supply. Power surges happen at the most unexpected moments and can cause a lot of trouble.
I’d say that usually it isn’t safe for monitors to be overclocked. So long as the specs (of the monitor) are high enough, then it should be alright though!
The LCD monitor is turned on and off frequently or used in an extreme temperature environment, the LCD monitor’s backlight life will be significantly shortened. Therefore, if you want to extend the life of the LCD monitor as much as possible, neither turn it on and off every few minutes nor use the LCD monitor in a harsh temperature environment.
It usually depends on the factors like the price of a new one, the monitor’s age, and repairing cost. Still, it is not worth repairing in the case of a high-end monitor that will cost similar expenses as much as replacing it with a new one. But at the same time, low-end, mediocre, and special monitors are most probably worth repairing.
You shouldn’t leave the monitor all the time, this significantly affects the expected service life of the monitor. Instead, you can leave your monitor on it goes into sleep mode not just displaying a black screen unless it shortens the life of the monitor as well as consume a lot of electricity
It depends on the situation. When you take a small quick break put the computer monitor on sleep or hybrid mode, which keeps it not only active but also saves a bit of power in short term. On the other hand, when you take a break for a while put it on shutdown almost uses no power, and use it again with the full startup to keep it fresh.
You can spread the knowledge and care for others by sharing the article “How long does a monitor last?” to make aware known of the lifespan of monitors.
Early flat-screen TVs, especially plasmas, were notorious for their limited lifespan. This has improved dramatically with the latest technology, however. You can rest assured that any new TV you buy now should last you until you decide to change it.
A screen"s lifespan is measured as "half life", which is the time it takes for the internal lamp to fade to half its original brightness. Your old CRT set has an average half life of around 25,000 hours, but the latest flat screens claim to last up to twice as long.
LCDs are said to have a slightly longer lifespan to plasmas, but the difference is not particularly significant. Plasma"s half life ranges between 30,000 to 50,000 hours, while LCD offers around 60,000 hours.
In real terms, if you watch the TV for an average of 4-6 hours a day, then a screen with a half life of 30,000 hours will last you over 16 years -- by which time we"ll probably all be watching holograms!
It"s possible to change the lamp for both plasmas and LCDs, but not all manufacturers offer this service and the cost is usually greater than the expense of simply buying a new TV.
There are several technical problems that can afflict flat screens during their lifespan, including dead pixels, backlights and, in plasmas, screen burn -- where a lasting image leaves an imprint on the screen. But manufacturers don"t usually offer repairs and it"s best to find a screen with a good guarantee.
Equally important to extending the lifespan of a flat-screen TV is finding a model with a future-proof specification. This includes features such as integrated Freeview, high-definition compatibility and multiple HDMI connections.
Sony claims the model you mentioned, the KDL-40W2000, has a half life of around 60,000 hours -- more than enough in this day and age. The screen also features a future-proof specification and comes with a free three-year warranty from good suppliers.
Knowing the average lifespan of your monitor is the first step in ensuring the monitor lasts longer. The second tip is to establish how best you can use your monitor while maintaining it in the best condition. Finally, you need to know the signs of a malfunctioning monitor.
This article is a complete guide to monitors" lifespan. We"ve discussed in detail the average lifespan of cathode ray tube monitors, LCD monitors, and so on. Most importantly, we"ve included ways in which you can maintain your monitor to last longer.
A cathode-ray tube monitor has a lifespan of between 20,000 to 30,000 hours. This duration means that your CRT monitor will last up to 10 years of active use. This duration will last if you use the monitor for eight hours every day. After lasting for ten years, you"ll need to repair it or replace it if it"s in an unworthy condition.
The CRT monitor has a shorter lifespan because it uses less efficient cathode-ray tubes. Besides, these monitors are bulky and have fragile units with low durability.
Expectedly, LCD monitors last longer than CRT monitors. Depending on use frequency and maintenance practices, a typical LCD monitor will last for about 30,000 hours to 60,000 hours. This duration translates to between 10 to 20 years of active use, given that you use the monitor eight hours a day.
The reason for the improved lifespan of the LCD monitors is the robust, durable components and the use of more advanced technology. This monitor uses a liquid crystal solution in a polarized material to produce light.
You"ll know that your LCD monitor has reached its lifespan if you notice a drop in the brightness level, display fades on the screen edges, and its backlight tint becomes yellowish.
The lifespan of a LED monitor is higher than that of a CRT monitor and LED monitor. On average, it has a lifespan of 80,000 hours to 120,000 hours of active use. This duration translates to 30 to 40 years if you use it for 8 hours every day.
The reason behind the long lifespan of LED monitors is its production of bright displays with energy efficiency. Its screen technology is also efficient in energy consumption, making the monitor last longer.
Little is known about the lifespan of OLED monitors. However, various research and experiments show that an OLED monitor can last 100,000 hours of active use. This duration implies that your OLED monitor can last for 35 years if you use it for 8 hours a day.
How long your OLED monitor lasts largely depends on how you use it. Exposing the OLED monitor to harsh working conditions degrades its components, resulting in early burn-in. Long session gaming on these monitors also limits its lifespan.
From a general point of view, any monitor will last longer when built with durable and quality materials, provided you use it under the recommended conditions.
The number of hours you use your monitor per day can extend or lower the computer monitor lifespan. The average estimate of hours per day you should use your monitor is 8 hours. Keeping the monitor active past 8 hours can lower its lifespan. Similarly, using the monitor for fewer hours than 8 hours per day may increase its duration, provided you keep it at optimum condition.
In this regard, you should clean your monitor frequently using a soft microfiber cloth. Also, repair the monitor immediately you notice a malfunction.
The tips for improving the lifespan of your monitor are listed below.Always observe the recommended usage condition of the monitor as stipulated by the manufacturer.
Once in a while, open up the monitor to clean the internal components—dust off any dust and dirt. When dust combines with moisture, it can result in short-circuit as they conduct electricity.
Keep the monitor"s air vents open. The air vents are found at the sides of the monitor. Keeping them open eliminates heat buildup in the monitor. If the air vents are blocked with dust, you can remove them using a vacuum cleaner or soft brush.
Calibrate the screensaver to solid black mode. This mode has low power consumption and the LCD"s backlight bulb to last longer. With this mode, you won"t experience burn-in issues easily.
If your monitor has a burn-in, it will frequently display some unintended graphics on the screen. You can address the burn-in issue by placing a screensaver at the exact point the graphics show up. You can also use JScreenFix software.
Your monitor may develop unusual behavior when it nears the end of its lifespan. It may switch on or off unexpectedly, hibernate suddenly, and show a black screen more often. The most common cause of this malfunction is a faulty power supply unit.
A faulty screen display does not display images or graphics. Instead, it lights up but shows a blue screen. You shouldn"t confuse this problem with the black screen. If the screen is black, then it is a power supply issue.
Computer monitors have no scheduled replacement timelines. How often you replace it depends on how well you use the monitor. If you observe the recommended operating conditions and observe maintenance practices, the monitor will last longer, eliminating the need to replace it.
Faulty monitors have many signs. You can tell your monitor is faulty when it turns on and off unexpectedly, black or blue display, or horizontal and vertical lines on the screen.
You can extend the life of your monitor by following the recommended operating conditions, observing maintenance practices, lowering brightness and gamma settings, and using voltage stabilizers.
Choosing whether to repair or replace your monitor depends on the monitor"s condition, age of use, and the repair price vs. purchase price. You can repair your monitor if its damage can be repaired at a lower cost. However, replace the monitor if it is old and the repair cost equals the purchase price for a new one. Also, you can buy a refurbished monitor, but they come with some risks. For instance, they may not be reliable and long-lasting as the new monitors. Additionally, the warranty policy may be for a limited time.
Responsible for performing installations and repairs (motors, starters, fuses, electrical power to machine etc.) for industrial equipment and machines in order to support the achievement of Nelson-Miller’s business goals and objectives:
• Provide electrical emergency/unscheduled diagnostics, repairs of production equipment during production and performs scheduled electrical maintenance repairs of production equipment during machine service.
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.
One of the most difficult things about digital signage is evaluating the cost of a deployment and the true return on any investment, especially for advertisers. Unlike other advertising, where accurate audience figures, demographics and other feedback can be delivered to advertisers, digital signage success can be vague at the very best.
And when it comes to the cost of deployment, not are only are there the initial costs of the digital signage screen, networking, installation, software management and developing content, but there can be a lot of hidden costs too: Repair, maintenance and replacing screens are often areas not thought about during initial proposals for projects, but these costs can soon mount up.
All screens, whether commercial grade or consumer grade will have a limited lifespan. While the old CRT TVs could often to run for decades (well my trusty portable did, anyway) before expiring, the same cannot be said for modern LCDs and plasmas.
The lifespan of a modern flatscreen is measured by a half-life, when the screen’s dims to half its original brightness. With LCDs, while the actually display itself could perhaps run for decades, the TV’s half-life is governed by the backlight. And depending on what system provides the backlight (LEDs seem to have the longest life), a typical LCD display will last between 30,000-80,000 hours before the screen reaches its half-life, with commercial grade screens at the higher end.
Plasmas have less longevity with the plasma/gases powering the image decaying over time, providing a half-life perhaps half of that of LCDs, which is one of the reasons that plasmas are utilized less than LCDs for digital signage.
Unlike consumer TVs, which operate for a limited period each day, depending on how much programming we watch, digital signage screens are typically left on 24 hours a day. And unlike consumer TVs, which operate in the warmth and comfort of our homes, the locations where digital signage has to operate can affect life-span too.
All screens are designed to operate under set parameters. Variable temperatures, pollution, bright light, exposure to the elements and the shock of impacts, all have a dramatic effect on a screen’s life, severely shortening the intended life-span; however, by minimizing these variables and keeping the screen as near to the manufacturers optimum conditions as possible will ensure you get the most out of your screen; saving money in the regularity a screen has to be replaced.
LCD enclosures are commonly used for outdoor digital signage and information screens in drafty concourses and manufacturing facilities as they weatherproofing and a ruggedness essential in these conditions; however, LCD enclosures also contain environmental systems such as air-filters, cooling fans, heaters (in cold areas), anti-glare screens—all ensuring the internal conditions of the LCD enclosure are the optimum for a screen to operate in, helping to the maximum the life-span of the screen, and ultimately saving money.
Lately, choosing a TV has become like walking into a candy store. There are so many TV technology options to choose from, and each of them seems just as good.
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.
This turns a single monitor into a modular assortment of countless light-emitting diodes. Additionally, this expands how big the monitor can be without blowing up the cost exponentially.
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.
This is the time it takes to shift from one colour to another. Response times are generally measured in milliseconds (ms). The shorter the time to respond, the better the quality of the images produced.
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.
Contrast ratio is a measure to compare the darkest black with the whitest white. Plasma TVs score well on this parameter with a contrast ratio of up to 3000:1. LCD TVs have a contrast ratio of up to 1000:1; however, this metric is calculated differently for LCDs so it"s not an apples-to-apples comparison. Plasma TVs, in general, offer a better contrast than LCDs.
Older models of Plasma TVs can suffer from burn-in produced by static images. After extended periods, stationary images "burn in" the screen and produce an after-image ghost which remains permanently on the screen. This no longer affects new Plasma displays, as they continually shift the image around to prevent the image from being stationary.
LCD TVs do not suffer from burn-in. However, it is possible for individual pixels on an LCD screen to burn out. This causes small, visible, black or white dots to appear on the screen.
Plasma TVs are capable of displaying deeper blacks. Improved black levels help render better those difficult-to-define quality attributes like picture depth, scene detail - especially in television and movie scenes where lots of dark and light content is shown simultaneously, and color richness. Indirectly, a better black level also leads to better rendering of picture contrast.
In comparison, the nature of LCD technology – where a backlight shines through the LCD layer – makes it hard for it to achieve true blacks, i.e. true absence of light. There is always some light leakage from adjacent picture elements in an LCD panel.
LCD TV displays reproduce colours by manipulating light waves and subtracting colours from white light. This makes it more difficult for maintaining colour accuracy and vibrancy. But, LCD TVs have colour information benefits from the higher-than-average number of pixels per square inch found in their displays.
In plasma TVs, each pixel contains red, green, and blue elements, which work in conjunction to create 16.77 million colours. Colour information is more accurately reproduced with plasma TV technology than it is with any other display technology, including LCD TVs.
Plasma TV displays refresh and handle rapid movements in video about as well as normal CRT TVs. LCD TVs were originally designed for computer data displays, and not video. Refresh rates are therefore not as good, but LCD TVs are fast catching up.
LCD TVs life span is typically 50,000-60,000 hours, which equates to about 6 years of 24/7 use. However, LCD TVs will actually last as long as its backlight does, and those bulbs can be replaced - so in essence there"s nothing which can wear out.
The life span for Plasma TVs is 25,000 to 30,000 hours, which equates to about 3 years of 24/7 usage before the TV fades to half the original brightness.
Plasma TVs do not use Mercury while LCD TVs do in their CCFL backlight. However, this issue is a red herring. Most common high-efficieny phosphorescent lamps use mercury and it is not a big deal. The amount of mercury used in LCD TVs is very small and besides, the user never comes in contact with it.
Most electronics retailers carry both LCD and Plasma TVs, including Best Buy, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, Dell, Target, P.C. Richard & Son, Sears, Costco and hhgregg.com.
LCD display screens are everywhere. You probably own one or more devices with an LCD display screen at home and at work. This includes your TV, computer monitor, watches, clocks, smartphones, and even calculators.
But have you ever wondered about how your LCD display screen works, its lifespan, components, and how it holds up to other emerging display technologies today?
Knowing all these things about your LCD display lets you appreciate your screen all the more. Caring for your device becomes easier when you’re armed with this knowledge.
LCD display screens make use of Liquid Crystal Display technology. The screen is embedded with liquid crystals, a substance that has properties in between a conventional liquid and a solid crystal. Liquid crystals can flow, but their molecules carry a crystal-like solid orientation.
Liquid crystals are responsible for producing an image flashed onto the LCD screen. They don’t emit light, though. Backlights are used to illuminate these crystals.
A display screen is made up of several tiny color blocks called pixels. The term is a portmanteau of “picture” and “element”, denoting pixels as little elements making up an entire screen picture. A screen is typically made up of millions of pixels.
Every pixel on the display screen is made up of red, blue, and green light. These lights can be quickly turned on or off to create an overall moving picture or image.
Now, in LCD displays, pixels are regulated by using liquid crystals for rotating polarized light. Polarized light denotes light waves with vibrations occurring in a single plane. In LCDs, this is achieved by using polarized layers.
Each pixel has polarizing filters on both its front and back. Tiny nematic (twisted) liquid crystals are placed in between these filters. The liquid crystals can be switched on or off electronically through tiny electronic transistors.
When the liquid crystal is turned off, electricity controlled by the transistor stops flowing. The pixel is then turned on, brightening up due to the 90-degree twisting of the nematic liquid crystal. This allows light to pass through both polarizing filters on the pixel, illuminating the pixel by letting light pass through.
When the liquid crystal is turned on, electricity flows through the nematic liquid crystals. They completely straighten out from their twisted state. The polarizing filter in front of the liquid crystal blocks out the light, resulting in the pixel turning off and becoming dark.
A single LCD contains millions of pixels, nematic liquid crystals, polarizing filters, and transistors. They all work together to create images on the screen.
Most LCD monitors have a lifespan ranging from 30,000 to 60,000 hours. That’s equivalent to 5-7 years using the monitor for 24 hours per day. It could also translate to 10-20 years with running the monitor for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
The backlight’s life expectancy is the biggest factor in determining the LCD display lifespan. It’s because liquid crystals do not give off light from themselves. The liquid crystals depend on the backlight for illuminating them. Hence, the LCD screen wears off when the backlights dim as it reaches its maximum lifespan.
The backlight serves as the illuminator of the entire LCD display device. Without a backlight, the LCD device remains darkened and hard to use. Backlights are installed directly behind the LCD panel to lighten up the display.
Simple devices such as pocket calculators don’t use a backlight for their LCD screens. Users rely on natural light to see the numbers displayed on such calculators. However, the majority of modern LCD screens such as televisions, computer monitors, smartphones, aviation screen panels, outdoor signages, and medical monitoring devices use backlights as their internal light source.
This type of backlight is the most popular and widely-used light source for LCDs today. Light-emitting diodes are semiconductors that emit light once electric current flows into it. Particles carrying the electric current are called electrons holes. These combine with electrons in the semiconductor, releasing photons (light particles).
Band separations called bandgaps determine the photons’ energy. Furthermore, the photon’s energy dictates which color the LED emits, depending on the emitted light’s wavelength. Various kinds of semiconductors and their corresponding varying bandgaps create different light colors.
Edge-Lit White LED (EL-WLED)– One or more LED rows are placed on the screen’s edge. A special light diffuser is used to scatter the light evenly across the entire display screen. Computer monitors, laptops, notebooks, and even HDTVs are now lit in this way.
White LED (WLED)– The LCD panel’s rear side is lit up with several white-colored LEDs. A diffuser is set in front of the LEDs to help evenly smooth out the light throughout the screen. Some computer monitors and large-screen LCD TVs use this LED technology.
Red-Green-Blue LED (RGB LED)– This technology works like WLED. The difference is that it uses red, green, and blue LED combination lights instead of white lights. Better picture quality and higher color gamut are its advantages over WLED and EL-WLED.
ELP uses electroluminescent materials such as colored phosphors instead of heat to create light. This material is placed in between two conductor layers. The material emits light as a result of an electric current flowing through it. ELPs are mostly used in small LCD screens.
CCFL backlight uses a cold cathode fluorescent lamp as its main light source. This lamp consists of a cathode that isn’t heated electrically by a filament, hence the connotation “cold”. A diffuser is placed in front of the CCFL lamp to evenly distribute light across the entire screen.
The cathodes used in CCFL produce light by creating a non-heated thermionic emission of electrons. This is accomplished by using discharges in mercury vapor to create an ultraviolet light. This light, in turn, creates a fluorescent coating inside the lamp, resulting in visible light.
Computer monitors and TV screens predominantly used CCFLs for backlights. However, modern manufacturers opt for LED technology instead of CCFL for their devices’ backlights.
HCFL backlights have filaments that need to be heated to excite mercury atoms, cause the current to flow, and ultimately emit light. HCFLs are often used in LCD equipment such as medical devices, custom task-oriented lamps, scanners, and outdoor LCD signs.
Liquid crystals are the heart of an LCD display. This unique substance flows like a liquid but retains many characteristics of solid crystals. They have long and cylindrical-shaped molecules that can twist when changes in molecular orientation happen.
Different liquid crystal families are used in LCD displays. One requirement of such liquids is to exhibit mutual attraction. Also, the molecules in the liquid crystal need to be anisotropic. This means that the liquid crystal molecules have that average structural order along a molecular axis.
Liquid crystals are often sandwiched in between the color filters and the polarizers. They twist and straighten in response to electrical currents applied to them. The movement of liquid crystals controls whether polarized light will pass through the filters or not.
The nematic phase is characterized by the crystal molecules freely moving around the liquid. However, these molecules point themselves to one direction only, making it unique from pure liquid molecules. Nematic liquid crystals are the most common liquid used in LCD screens.
Color filters are found in between the liquid crystals. These filters determine whether the pixel shows red, green, or blue colors when activated. The filters work by independently controlling the pixel’s red, green, and blue sub-pixels. With this, the LCD screen can reproduce all possible colors found in the color space.
The color filters aren’t active elements, though. It’s the liquid crystal molecules that control the light passing through the filters. The color filters simply determine the color the pixel shows based on how much light is passing through them, as determined by the applied electric voltage and the movement of the liquid crystal molecules.
An LCD cell is made up of two polarizing filters. They enclose the LCD display and color filters. One polarizing filter is located in front of the backlight and is horizontal in orientation. The other one is found just beneath the pixel in front and is vertical in orientation. Polarizing filters are typically made of transparent crystals or glass substrates.
The role of polarizing filters is to control which light patterns can pass through the LCD screen. Without these filters, visual images generated by the LCD panel will have a poor contrast ratio and an inferior quality image.
Meanwhile, if the LCD display is arranged in a straightened way, the horizontal light waves that came from the first polarizing filter will be blocked from entering the vertical polarizing filter. The pixel is then turned off and no light illuminates it.
The two polarizing filters need to be vertical and horizontal in orientation, respectively. If the filters are oriented in the same way (ie; both horizontal or both vertical) will block all the light passing through, displaying nothing on the screen.
TFTs are responsible for providing electrical voltage to the LCD display. Each screen pixel has a corresponding transistor, enabling the pixels to easily be controlled in unison through changes in electrical current.
Using TFTs requires less charge and less power to operate the LCD display screen successfully. TFT use also leads to sharper images because each pixel has its own transistor controlling it. The charge given to a certain pixel can be actively maintained even if the screen is refreshed to display another image.
That’s all the basic information you need to know about LCD display screens. Now, you know how an LCD screen works, its possible lifespan, its components, and how it compares to other display technologies.
Armed with this information, you can better appreciate and take care of your LCD display devices. And in case you’re planning to add display devices to your business, the information you’ve learned will help you make educated choices regarding the display technologies you’ll utilize.