difference between led and lcd monitors price
If you spend long durations in front of a screen, it"s essential to make the best choice when buying one. Getting a high-quality screen will go a long way in enhancing your gaming, working, and watching experience. Additionally, it will help relieve eye strain even with prolonged use of the screen.
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.
Local dimming helps a lot in enhancing your screen"s contrast ratios. The higher the levels of the contrast ratios, the more enhanced difference between blacks and whites.
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.
If you are working in an office, you may have to spend eight or more hours in front of your monitor. If you keep looking away from the screen due to eye fatigue and strain, it will affect your productivity. The eye strain can also cause headaches to some people.
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.
Apart from watching movies and working, you can also get a monitor for gaming. Whether you are a gaming enthusiast or gaming for fun, you want a monitor to offer you the best picture clarity.
A perfect monitor for gaming should offer you a high refresh rate, low lag, and low response times. A screen response time refers to how fast the pixels change from one image to the next. Lag refers to the delay you experience between pressing a button and seeing the corresponding action on your screen.
You can trust an LED monitor to offer you the best resolution for the most precise and crisp images. This enables you to enjoy clear and lifelike images.
When choosing between LED and LCD monitors, there are several factors to consider. Besides the backlighting technology, you should also consider the panel type - see also what types of monitors are there. Various panels have their benefits compared to others.
LED monitors tend to be more expensive than LCD screens, thanks to LED technology being newer and featuring pricier components. Additionally, there is a newer form of LED called the OLED, which stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes. These OLED displays are extremely expensive, especially at high resolutions. LED technology, on the other hand, is extremely cheap and readily available.
Are you lost on the best choice between LCD and LED monitors? If you spend a lot of time in front of your monitor, you should ensure you end up with the best quality screen. This will ensure that you get high-quality images and also minimize eye strain.
In the battle between LCD and LED displays, LED comes out as the better option. It offers more crisp and clear images, and it also comes with a sleek and elegant design. However, it can be a little expensive. If you are working on a budget, LCD monitors can make a perfect choice.
LED technology has improved drastically in recent years improving picture quality while driving costs down. LED is a bigger investment up front but generally has a lifespan of about 100,000 hours. LCD is cheaper and generally more familiar. A LCD screen typically has a lifespan of about 50,000 hours.
Sort of. Older technologies like LCD technology and Plasma displays are becoming obsolete due to the intrinsic properties of LEDs like brightness, efficiency, maintainability, and sustainability.
LCD screens emit blue light and thus negatively affects not only vision but also overall health. Continual extended screen time mainly can impact your eyes in two major ways. When we look at a screen, our blink rate drops significantly, thus causing digital eye strain.
LCD monitors have been around longer, so they’re more affordable. However, LED monitors are more energy-efficient, lighter and support 4K resolutions.
LCDs feature a layer of liquid crystal embedded between two panels. Images are created when fluorescent lamps behind the screen shine through the crystals and illuminate them.
There are various types of backlights used in LCD monitors, but the most common is cold cathode fluorescent lamps. Essentially, the lights used for CCFL displays are akin to those you see in offices, classrooms and stores, except much smaller.
The first few generations of LCD monitors and televisions used this type of backlight and while you can still find LCD monitors with this backlight, it"s becoming less and less common.
Since it’s an older technology, LCD monitors are generally much cheaper than LED monitors. However, despite being less advanced, they still provide a high-quality image. They’re also better suited for brighter environments like living rooms and kitchens since they provide an overall brighter image.
LCD monitors are also less prone to suffer from burn-in image issues. Burn-in refers to an image becoming “stuck” on the screen. This can happen if a static image is left displaying on the screen for too long. Image retention is more likely to happen if you’re a gamer since some video games feature heads-up display elements that rarely move out of place.
Because of the backlight, LCD monitors are bulkier and thicker than LED monitors. They’re also much less energy-efficient due to the energy required to power the fluorescent lamp backlight.
Finally, you’ll get a crisp 1080p high-definition resolution using an LCD monitor, but if you plan to stream 4K content, it’s best to steer clear from them as most LCDs don’t support 4K.
Asus is known for making products with gamers in mind. On that note, this monitor delivers with a super-fast response time and a 165-hertz refresh rate. Also, it supports 16.7 million colors for vibrant images.
This monitor has an ergonomic and elegant design which makes it great for everyday use. It looks excellent and features BlueLightShield Technology to reduce blue light exposure.
An LED monitor is also an LCD monitor since it also uses a liquid-crystal screen. However, this specific type of display where the backlight is composed of light-emitting diodes instead of fluorescent lamps. You can imagine light-emitting diodes as a series of tiny light bulbs.
Most LED displays feature edge lighting, which means that the LEDs are positioned around the edge of the screen. Some LED displays have a wide-array setup where the LEDs are placed all over the screen.
The overall image quality of an LED monitor is superior as well. Producing true black contrasts is an issue with LCDs due to the type of backlight, but LED screens reduce this problem significantly.
LED displays also have a fast refresh rate and low lag, which makes them ideal for gamers. Also, unlike with older LCD monitors, you’ll be able to stream 4K content.
Since LED monitors are the newer technology, they’re considerably more expensive than LCD monitors. There’s also a higher risk of image retention with LED displays.
This screen is relatively basic but it’s the best LED monitor you’ll get at its price point. It’s sleek, provides a crisp image and comes with both HDMI and VGA ports.
ViewSonic offers an excellent 24-inch gaming monitor featuring a blazing fast refresh rate, top-notch image quality and an array of pre-set visual modes.
Although the initial price point of an LED monitor is higher, they’re more energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan. You’ll end up saving money in the long run, which makes it a much better investment than an LCD screen.
Kevin Luna is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
From panel technology to refresh rates, there are a lot of things to consider when looking for a new gaming monitor. To aid you on your journey for the perfect setup, we"re breaking down two of the most common display technology terms: LED and LCD. Here"s what you need to know about LED and LCD screens, what the terms stand for, and how they factor into modern gaming monitors.
LCD stands for liquid-crystal display, which refers to how the monitor works. Behind the screen, liquid crystals are sandwiched between two layers of glass and used to change the colors of pixels to create the images that you see. The whole process is a lot more complicated, but that"s the gist of how LCDs function.
In the past, some LCDs were backlit by CCFLs (cold-cathode fluorescent lamps). LCDs with fluorescent backlighting have been around longer, so if you can find one, they will be cheaper than LED monitors. However, if you"re a gamer looking for decent refresh rates and response times, it"s going to be hard to find a monitor with fluorescent backlighting. They"ve almost completely been replaced by LCD monitors with LED backlights.
LEDs work in a similar way; in fact, you can consider LEDs a subcategory of LCDs. The only difference between some LCDs and LEDs is the type of backlighting: LEDs use LED (light-emitting diodes) backlighting.
In contrast to fluorescent backlighting, LED backlighting generally provides brighter colors and sharper contrast. The monitors are also thinner in size and, in the long run, more energy efficient than LCDs with fluorescent backlights. LED backlighting is the newer technology and the current standard for monitors with high refresh rates and fast response times. When you see LCD in product descriptions, they"re almost always LCD monitors that use LED (as opposed to fluorescent) backlighting. For example, BenQ"s EL2870U monitor is listed as an LCD, but it"s an LCD with LED backlighting.
There are different types of LED backlighting: edge-lit and array-lit. In edge-lit monitors, the lights are placed around the edges of the monitor. Light guides are then used to diffuse the light evenly across the screen. In array-lit monitors, lights are placed behind the screen in a pattern.
The tricky thing, however, is that it"s pretty much impossible to tell what type of backlight and how many backlights a monitor has based on a typical product description. Some manufacturers will share that info, but generally they won"t unless the backlight setup is a premium feature you"re paying for.
For example, some edge-lit and array-lit LEDs have local dimming capabilities, a feature that can selectively dim certain zones of LED lights. Local dimming improves contrast ratio and provides deeper blacks in dimly lit scenes. These monitors, however, tend to be pricey. Some well-reviewed options include the Samsung Odyssey G7 and Philips Momentum 436M6VBPAB, both of which are edge-lit monitors with partial local dimming capabilities. The Acer Predator X35 is an (expensive) full-array monitor with full local dimming (FALD) capabilities.
You won"t have much of a choice between LED or LCD. Most monitors, regardless of whether they"re marked as LED or LCD, will use LED backlights. LED backlights became the new standard because they allow manufacturers to make thinner, more energy-efficient monitors with better graphics. It"s not worth going out of your way to find an LCD with fluorescent backlighting, unless you really, really hate LED lights.
Which backlights a monitor has isn"t as important as other factors such as panel technology, refresh rates and response time, G-Sync vs. FreeSync, and HDR --those are the characteristics you should pay more attention to when choosing a monitor. If you"re not looking to break the bank, a couple of great LED monitors at excellent price points we can recommend are the Asus VP249QGR, a nice budget 1080p monitor, and Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx 24.5, a well-reviewed budget 240Hz monitor.
Check out our guide to the best cheap gaming monitors for more budget options; plus, see our picks for the best monitors for PS5 and Xbox Series X, best 144Hz monitors, and the best 4K gaming monitors for more LED displays worth picking up.
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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.
LED monitors took the old technology a step further by replacing the fluorescent bulbs with LED backlight technology. And OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology improves it even further by eliminating the need for backlighting.
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.
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.
LED and LCD monitors share a lot of the same scientific qualities. For instance, they each consist of liquid crystals that are used to emit light through a screen and present specially designed images to the human eye. But the way in which these different technologies execute this objective is where they differ from one another. Depending on their main applications, industrial computer monitors can feature either LEDs or LCDs. Keep reading to learn the differences between the two, so you can determine which one is suitable for your specific commercial or industrial applications.
The relationship between LED and LCD monitors is a little bit complex. All LEDs are technically LCDs. LCDs aren’t the same as LEDs. However, both have similar technical properties even though they’re not entirely the same thing and can each be used for various applications.
Eyestrain is one of the most serious and pervasive health risks associated with and caused by ongoing computer and technical device usage. Whether you spend most of your time working at a desk, gaming, or mindlessly scrolling through social media, staring at a screen for endless hours can cause fatigue, blurred vision, headaches, watery or dry eyes, and a string of other physical symptoms.
Both LED and LCD monitors utilize liquid crystals to present images on a screen with the main difference being the type of backlighting that they use. LCD monitors feature fluorescent backlighting, whereas LED monitors use light emitting diodes. The latter has been proven to significantly reduce symptoms of eyestrain by providing a much wider viewing angle and more adjustability. This improves user comfort for long periods of time without causing image distortion.
By far, LED monitors are a lot more suitable for gaming. Just avoid LED screens with edge lighting, as these are very monolithic and don’t allow for any adjustability whatsoever. You have to be sitting directly in front of the screen the entire time for optimal visibility, which can put a lot of strain on your neck shoulders, back, and eyes. Opt for a full-scale LED monitor that’s customizable and adjustable according to your sitting position, height, and optimal viewing angles instead.
OLED, which stands for organic light-emitting diode, plays up the energy efficiency aspect of regular LEDs by allowing individual pixels to be shut off at any given time. OLEDs are also more space efficient than their LED predecessors as they can be made in a much thinner design and the pixels only use power when they’re in use.
QLED, which stands for quantum light-emitting diode, consists of quantum dots. These miniscule phosphor particles become illuminated when a backlight is shone directly on them, which enhances the brightness capabilities of a regular LED.
LCD and LED industrial and commercial monitors consist of liquid crystals and some form of backlighting. Fluorescent backlighting found in industrial LCD monitors consume a lot of energy and place a great deal of strain on the eyes.
Commercial LED displays, on the other hand, softer light-emitting diodes that reduce energy consumption even when they’re turned on for long periods of time and reduce the rate of eyestrain without compromising the video and image quality.
Nauticomp Inc.is a world-renowned designer and distributor of high-efficiency, low energy consumption, and durable LED and LCD displays that are capable of withstanding all kinds of weather conditions and applications. Contact us today to learn more about our products.
Modern technology is incredible---a marvel of ingenuity, creativity, and talent. The technological revolution of the past century continues to change the world, mostly for the better. Alongside technological innovation, a new vocabulary exists to describe technological advances.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the television market. Understanding terminology is critical to getting the best quality at a reasonable price when upgrading your TV.
A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is one of the most enduring and fundamental technologies found in monitors, televisions, tablets, and smartphones. TVs and monitors once used cathode ray tubes (CRTs) to provide the image on your screen. But CRTs were bulky and contained dangerous chemicals. Once LCDs became affordable, they replaced CRTs.
An LCD features a panel of liquid crystal molecules. The molecules can be induced using an electrical current to take certain patterns which either block or allow light to pass through. An LCD TV or monitor has a light source at the rear of the display, which lights up the crystals. LCDs commonly use Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL) to provide the TV or monitor backlight.
To provide a color image on your screen, the LCD has red, green, and blue sub-pixels in each screen pixel. Transistors within the display control the direction of light each pixel emits, which then passes through either a red, green, or blue filter.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are small semiconductors that emit visible light when an electrical current passes through them. LEDs are typically more efficient and longer-lasting than traditional lighting.
While manufacturers often use "LED" in place of "LCD," an LED TV is also a type of LCD. Instead of CCFL tubes to provide the LCDs backlight, rows of LEDs provide the backlight. The LEDs give better control of the light, as well as greater efficiency as it is possible to control individual LEDs.
For accuracy, a TV or monitor description should read "LED-Backlit LCD Monitor." But that is a) a mouthful and b) doesn"t allow for the creation of a separate marketable product. That"s not to say there aren"t differences between the two.
However, both LED and LCD monitors have different technologies that make certain panels more appealing to gamers, film buffs, designers, and so on. You should also note that on older screens, the difference between an LCD and LED TV or monitor is more pronounced, due to the relative age of the two lighting options.
There are several different types of LED and LCD monitors. When you"re trying to buy a new TV or monitor, understanding the differences and the terminology will help you bag a better deal. Here are some of the most common variations of the LED and LCD panels.
An Edge-Lit LED TV or monitor has its LEDs arranged around the rim of the display, behind the LCD panels facing the screen. The Edge-Lit option allows for slimmer designs, uses fewer LEDs, and can bring the cost of a new screen down. Light reflects across the screen uniformly to create the image.
One downside to an Edge-Lit screen is the dark contrast. Because the Edge-Lit LED display is brightest closer to the edges, color uniformity and black levels can become an issue, with some areas appearing darker than others.
A Full-Array LED display uses a grid of LED lights behind the LCD. The LEDs shine outwards directly towards the LCD, creating a bright and uniform picture. Full-Array LED panels enjoy the efficiency benefits of LEDs.
For the best image reproduction, a Full-Array LED display may include local dimming. Local dimming means that groups of LEDs can switch on and off as required to provide better overall control of the brightness level.
LEDs are often referred to as emitting white light. Actually, LEDs produce light closer to yellow than a pure white. That difference can create a color shift in the image you see on your screen. To improve on this issue, some manufacturers replace white LEDs with groupings of red, green, and blue (RGB) LEDs.
The display uses advanced electronics and programming to control the RGB LEDs accurately, along with more LEDs. The combination increases the cost of an RGB LED screen significantly for what most viewers would consider a marginal improvement. RGB LED displays never became mainstream because of their higher cost.
Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLED) are an advanced form of LED lighting found in some LED monitors. Each pixel of an OLED TV can glow or dim independently, resulting in much better black levels, extremely sharp colors, and better contrast ratios. The majority of OLED TVs and monitors have excellent viewing angles and color quality.
Without a doubt, OLED TVs and monitors (and even smartphone screens) have incredible color depth. But that does come at a cost. The latest generation of flagship smartphones all feature OLED screens, and it is a contributing factor to their massive cost. Another consideration is power. An OLED screen consumes more power than other LED-backlit screens and standard LCD screens.
The acronyms continue with QLED, which stands for Quantum Dot LED. Samsung"s QLED improves color accuracy as much as 90-percent from a regular LED TV or monitor and can hit the high levels of brightness and color depth that HDR requires.
So, what is a quantum dot monitor? In short, quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals that absorb light at one wavelength and output it at a different wavelength. The LEDs in a QLED emit all of the blue shades the picture requires. But a blue picture isn"t what consumers want. The quantum dots refract the blue LED light into the green and red shades needed to complete the picture.
A single quantum dot monitor or TV contains billions of semiconductor nanocrystals. Those nanocrystals give QLED screens outstanding black range and color depth, as well as excellent color saturation and contrast.
Just as there are types of LED monitor technology, so is there LCD monitor and TV technology, too. The type of LCD tech powering your screen makes a difference to the final picture. Here"s what you need to look out for.
Twisted nematic (TN) was one of the first LCD panel types, dating back to the 1980s. TN panels have fast response time. Most of the fastest gaming monitors use a TN LCD panel to offer exceptionally fast refresh rates, up to 240Hz. That level of refresh isn"t necessary for most people, but it can make a difference for top-level gamers (for instance, in reducing motion blur and image transition smoothness).
Vertical alignment (VA) panels originated in the 1990s. The liquid crystals in a VA panel are aligned vertically, as the name suggests. The vertical alignment structure allows VA panels to produce much deeper blacks and more vibrant array of other colors in comparison to a TN panel. A VA panel usually has better contrast, too.
While a VA LCD panel has a better color range than a TN panel, they also have a slower refresh rate. They also usually cost more and, as such, are rarely marketed toward gamers. Between TN panels and IPS panels (read below), VA is the least popular LCD panel technology.
In-Plane Switching (IPS) panels are considered the best LCD panel technology for a variety of reasons. An IPS panel offers very wide viewing angles with very fast refresh rates. They"re not as fast as a TN panel, but IPS panels are widely available at 144Hz. At the time of writing, the first few 240Hz IPS LCD panels are hitting the market, although they are extremely expensive for a marginal gain.
Color-wise, IPS panels are excellent. High-quality IPS LCD panel prices continue to fall. However, there are several reasons why you shouldn"t buy a ridiculously cheap IPS gaming monitor.
The type of LCD panel you need depends on its use. Gamers want fast response times and rich depth of color, which is why IPS panels are a great option. If you"re more concerned about picture quality for your favorite films, an OLED panel will perform extremely well.
Still, now you know the terminology behind LCD panels and the pros and cons to each type, you can make an informed decision for your TV or monitor upgrade. But wait, the type of LCD or LED panel isn"t the only thing to consider. Take a moment to learn about the differences between 4K, Ultra HD, and 8K screens.
Choosing a new monitor is tricky, especially now when there are lots of different options available with each offering a pretty great set of features. There are a lot of things that you need to consider while buying a digital display of any kind such as display size, resolution, aspect ratio, color accuracy, and many others. But, there is a major underlying fact which affects the overall image quality and viewing experience on a display which is the display panel. There are multiple types of panels available in the market and each offers specific pros and cons.
Today, we are going to talk in detail about LED and IPS display panels. While looking for a new TV or monitor for your computer, you must have come across these 2 options more so than others. In this guide, we will talk about these panels in detail and discuss how the panel type affects the image quality and color accuracy on a display. We will also compare both of these options with regards to various important factors such as image quality, response time, power consumption, and much more. So, make sure you don’t miss that.
LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes. It is a very simple yet elegant display technology that dates back all the way back to 1962. This is basically a backlight technology where small diodes make up the entirety of the display and light up in a specific manner to create the image. A lot of users often get confused between LED and LCD display technology due to their similarities.
LCD is a slightly older technology compared to LED. Thus, LED is basically an upgrade to LCD display technology. Both of these display panels come with liquid crystals that generate the image on the display panel. But, the LED display panel features a backlight along with the liquid crystal layer.
There are a lot of applications for which LED TVs and monitors turn out to be the best options. Also, a lot of brands use LED technology along with IPS to offer the best of both worlds. Now that you understand what an LED panel is and how it works, let us take a look at some pros and cons of LED display panels.
IPS is one of the recent technological advancements in display technologies. Even though the technology came out in the mid-1990s, it is just starting to become the standard option for TVs and monitors. There have been a lot of improvements in the IPS display technology since its initial release and most of its limitations have been overcome thanks to the new options and compatibility with other technologies.
IPS stands for In-Plane Switching. This is also a type of LCD display technology much like the LED display technology. However, a lot of users prefer IPS display panels due to their wide viewing angles and sharp color accuracy. IPS panels are also a preferred option compared to VA and TN panels when it comes to desktop monitors.
In an IPS display, the liquid crystal panels are aligned in parallel to introduce lush colors. There are also polarizing filters that have their transmission axes aligned in the same direction for even better image quality. Unlike LED panels where the crystals are at right angles, IPS panels feature liquid crystals lined up in parallel to offer extended viewing angles as well as color accuracy.
In the majority of cases, users are confused between LED or IPS panels when it comes to buying a new monitor. Unlike TVs where you can simply go with a highly reliable brand in order to get the best experience, you will have to carefully check each and every aspect of the desktop monitor you are going to buy. While a lot of these aspects include refresh rate, color modes, black stabilizer, response time, etc, one major factor is the panel type.
A lot of these major factors in a desktop monitor change based on the panel installed on the monitor. And with that, the compatibility of the monitor also changes due to differences in specifications. If you are buying a premium desktop monitor, you should carefully consider the following comparison and check which type of monitor is best for you. Going forward, we will discuss IPS desktop monitors and LED desktop monitors and compare them based on various important factors.
As you might have guessed, IPS monitors are desktop monitors that are powered by an IPS display panel. And with that, you will get the same advantages as well as limitations as mentioned above in our take on the IPS display panels. However, IPS monitors are right now one of the most preferred options for desktop users.
Despite offering the best color production and viewing angles, IPS monitors were lacking behind for heavy usage due to low refresh rate and response time for quite some time. But not anymore as a lot of brands have overcome these problems by combining IPS technology along with other options. Thus, the premium range of IPS monitors nowadays will offer a high refresh rate along with a low response time. And on top of that, Most IPS monitors also offer higher resolutions along with HDR compatibility which makes them perfect for entertainment.
LED desktop monitors are also not a bad option, especially if you are looking for longevity and reliable performance for all applications. Basic LED monitors will be highly affordable compared to high-quality IPS monitors. One of the best advantages of LED monitors is their efficient power consumption which also ensures their reliability for the long term. The overall temperature levels on LED desktop monitors are also significantly lower than that of an IPS monitor.
Furthermore, LED monitors offer a much faster refresh rate when paired with VA panel technology along with a faster response time. This makes them ideal for hardcore gaming. The few back draws of getting an LED desktop monitor are the comparatively shorter viewing angles, inconsistent contrast ratio, and fatigue effects on the display panel after long-term usage. Similar to IPS panels, you can also find a lot of great choices in LED monitors where the display panel technology will be paired with LED, LCD, or TN panels to overcome some of these drawbacks.
By now, you must have understood the major differences between an IPS and an LED desktop monitor. If you are still not sure, here is our comparison between both of these options. Here, you can quickly understand both of these options and select the one which offers you the most benefits based on your application.
But as IPS panels have pretty high brightness levels, the contrast ratio on these panels might not always be great. On the other hand, LED panels offer pretty great black levels and high contrast ratio. If you decide to go with a VA panel, you can have both decent image quality as well as dark black levels which makes the image much more realistic.
The response time for IPS display panels has always been lower compared to LED display panels due to differences in technology. But, recently released IPS display panels have overcome the drawback and offer up to 144 Hz refresh rate on a mid-range monitor. And if you were to choose a premium option, you can get even higher refresh rate monitors powered by IPS display panels.
But compared to VA or TN panels, IPS still falls behind when it comes to refresh rate and response time. To be specific, TN panels are generally the best option for high-paced FPS games as it offers the fastest response rate at the expense of image quality. Typically, an LED panel such as VA or TN will offer you 1 ms of response time.
Again, IPS display panels seem to be the best option in this scenario. Due to the unique construction and working principle, you will get a very high level of brightness on the IPS panels. On top of that, the color accuracy and hue levels are not affected by the viewing angles on an IPS panel. This makes them a great choice for both primary as well as secondary monitors. Wide viewing angles will also benefit the viewing experience on TVs with an IPS panel.
When it comes to LED monitors, you will instead find better performance in terms of local brightness. With the array of LED lights powering the display, it manages to dim the darker area perfectly, offering a higher contrast ratio. Thus, the dark areas on an LED monitor look darker compared to the same image on an IPS panel. However, LED monitors still suffer changes in color accuracy and temperature due to variations in viewing angles.
Power consumption is yet another important factor for a desktop monitor. Your system might already be a power-hungry build, especially with a powerful CPU and graphics card. Thus, you wouldn’t want to add a monitor as well to the list.
As far as power consumption is concerned, LED monitors are far more efficient than IPS monitors. IPS display panels offer higher brightness levels, but at the expense of higher power draw. Also, IPS panels are comparatively less energy efficient considering the overall performance and power draw.
LED panels on the other hand offer pretty good brightness levels with efficient energy consumption. Due to features like local dimming, the overall power consumption of an LED monitor is much lesser than that of an IPS monitor. Thus, LED panels are also cheaper in terms of running costs.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are LED monitors that offer almost similar brightness levels, but without excessive heat generation. You can easily install an LED display panel on your desk without worrying about increased temperature levels on your monitor.
IPS panels are considerably more expensive than LED panels. As a result, IPS monitors are also more expensive than LEDs. And as IPS panels are usually combined with other display technologies to counter its disadvantages, the price range of IPS monitors further increases.
Still, due to the increased competition in the market and the rise of numerous brands, you can easily find a great monitor within an affordable price range. But still, you will find better alternatives with VA or TN display technology compared to an IPS panel. You can opt for a higher resolution or faster refresh rate instead of going with an IPS panel in the same price range.
As far as gaming is considered, the most important aspects are resolution, refresh rate, screen size, and response time. Color accuracy and viewing angles are not really a major concern unless you are considering couch gaming. Also, the viewing angles are not much of a concern for desktop applications as you will usually install the primary monitor exactly in front of your sitting position.
Due to the reasons mentioned above, VA or TN panels are usually a better option for gaming. These monitors will offer you a higher refresh rate as well as screen resolution within the same price range which is always a better deal. However, you can always invest in a secondary IPS monitor for single-player games which benefit from better display quality and brightness levels.
IPS and LED display panels are always a matter of confusion when you are looking for a new display. There are a lot of options present in the market designed by various brands which offer a great range of options for both IPS as well as LED displays. In our guide, we have discussed both of these display technologies in depth and compared them based on some major factors.
Once you go through our guide, you will definitely find out which monitor is the perfect choice for you. If you are looking for a TV or a desktop monitor for watching movies or for productivity, then you should prefer getting an IPS panel. You will definitely benefit from the better visual quality and viewing angles in this scenario. However, VA or TN panels are generally a better option for gaming.
When you are looking to purchase a monitor for your computer, you will come across two categories of monitors broadly. They are LCD and LED monitors, and it is going to be quite confusing for you to decide which one to buy unless you have proper knowledge about them.
Both types of monitors have their equal share of pros and cons, and they have several variants to choose from. In this article, we will discuss all the different aspects of LCD and LED monitors so that you can decide which one is best for you.
An LCD monitor has thousands of pixels that can display light. LCD stands for liquid crystal display and the pixel has different layers which make the monitor work.
In the first layer, a polarizing film sheet uses the light waves from behind. It filters out the vertical light waves and only the horizontal waves are left.
In the second layer, there are more than three layers. In two of them, you will find protective glass with liquid crystal on the inside. The crystals keep them in place and prevent them from getting damaged.
Finally, there is a fourth layer that is responsible for color changes. It has three light filters on each pixel that provide blue, green, and red colors.
Now let’s see how LCD monitors work. During the absence of electricity, liquid crystals can rotate and twist to up to 90 degrees. This further lets the light flow through the crystals. During this process, the light will pass through the second filter and it will go through the green, red, or blue light filter. When there is electricity, liquid crystals block the light from behind which can turn the pixel off. When you look at the LCD screen, there are individual pixels of different colors.
There is no burn-in issue with LCD monitors and hence, they are best for gamers. Burn-in issue refers to an image getting stuck on the screen when it is shown for too long.
TN Panels:One of the first LCD monitors was of TN panel. Twisted Nematic has improved response time and is being used in some of the fastest gaming monitors. It also supports an extremely fast refresh rate of 240 Hz. With this refresh rate, there will be reduced motion blur as well as image transition smoothness.
VA Panels:Also called the vertical alignment panel, this came into existence in the 1990s. The VA panel is aligned vertically and has liquid crystals. It can produce deep blacks with a vibrant array of colors. One of the best things about the VA panel is that it can also provide better contrast. However, compared to the TN panel, it has a slower refresh rate. Another disadvantage is that it can cost more and is not a popular LCD panel technology.
IPS Panels:The best LCD panel technology is the IPS or in-plane switching panels. It can provide wide viewing angles and supports faster refresh rates. Even though it is not as fast as TN panels, the IPS panel comes with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. The IPS panel also provides excellent color reproduction.
Both LCD and LED monitors work in the same way. However, LED or light-emitting diodes come with LED backlighting. With LED backlighting, there will be sharp contrast and bright colors. Additionally, LED monitors are also slim in size and make sure there will be maximum energy efficiency.
LED backlighting comes with a higher refresh rate so that there will be a fast response time. There are many types of LED backlighting like array-lit and edge-lit that help to provide the perfect image. Array-lit monitors are behind the screen and edge-lit monitors are around the edges. You can even find the one that can come with local dimming capabilities for deeper blacks.
Edge-Lit LED:One of the best things about Edge-Lit LED is that it comes in a slim design. It uses fewer LEDs that help to lower the new screen cost. An Edge-Lit LED monitor has a rim of LED on the display while facing the screen. This makes sure there will be uniformity of screen that helps to create the image. However, it does come with a disadvantage. It has dark contrast and features the brightest closer on the edges. This can lead to black levels and color uniformity. It can provide some areas looking darker than others.
Full-Array LED:In the Full-Array LED display, there is a grid of LED lights right behind the LCD. It can create a uniform and bright picture as the LEDs shine outwards. Even full array LED panels offer efficiency benefits of LED. An advantage of having this type of monitor is that it can come with local dimming. It helps the group of LEDs to switch on and off when you need it. This helps to provide optimum brightness level as well as control.
RGB LED:LEDs don’t produce pure white light. However, it is closer to yellow. When there is a difference, it can lead to a color shift in the image. Owing to this, some manufacturers have come up with white LEDs with groupings of RGB (red, green, and blue) LEDs. When there is a combination of RGB LED colors, it helps to provide pure white so that there will be true and clear colors. RGB LED uses advanced programming and electronics for vivid colors. This can lead to an increase in the cost of the RGB LED screen.
OLED:An advanced form of LED lighting is OLED. Organic Light-Emitting Diodes can dim or glow independently so that there will be better black levels. It also helps to improve the contrast ratio and make sure there will be sharp colors. Additionally, OLED monitors and TVs come with excellent color quality and viewing angles. In this type of monitor, you will find a high dynamic range programming for better color accuracy. It has a better color depth making it perfect for a smartphone screen. However, it consumes a lot of power and is expensive.
QLED:Quantum Dot LED or QLED improves color accuracy by 90% compared to a regular LED monitor. With it, there will be high levels of color depth and brightness. Quantum dots are in the form of semiconductor nanocrystals that provide different wavelengths. It reflects the blue LED light into red and green shades for a complete picture. In a single Quantum dot monitor, there are billions of nanocrystals that give outstanding color depth and black range.
For gaming, you need a monitor that has a low response time and a high refresh rate. Response time is the time a monitor takes to change pixels when it moves from one image to another. High refresh rate is needed to avoid any lag issue. On all these parameters, LED monitors score higher than LCD monitors, and on top of that, the picture and video quality and clarity are better in LED monitors.
The primary difference between LED and LCD monitors is the picture quality. LED monitors have far better picture quality than LCD monitors. You will understand it only when you play high-quality videos or play high-end games. Starting from sharper and clearer picture to faster rendering and refresh rate, LED monitors score over LCD monitors in terms of picture quality.
LED monitors are more energy-efficient than LCD monitors. The light-emitting diodes consume less power. In fact, if you compare the energy consumption, an LED monitor of size 32-inch will consume 10W less power than an LCD monitor of the same size. The bigger the size, the bigger will be the difference in power consumption.
The LED monitor has a lifespan of 50,000 hours, while the lifespan of an LCD monitor is around 30,000 hours. Naturally, the longevity of LED monitors is longer, and hence, it is compensated for in its price. Additionally, LED monitors are thinner and lighter than LCD monitors of the same size.
Except for burn-in issues and cost, LED monitors beat LCD monitors on all parameters. Therefore, if budget is not an issue for you, an LED monitor should be your first priority. As a matter of fact, if you are buying a monitor for gaming and video streaming, there is no alternative to an LED monitor. However, if you are buying a monitor for regular work and there is a budget constraint, you can do it with an LCD monitor pretty well.
If you are shopping around for a new display, you may be looking to compare LCD vs LED monitors. The best computer monitors, after all, tend to come in one of these two design options. Keep reading to learn more about the differences between the two display types.
The primary difference between LCD and LED screens is how they are lit. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors feature a layer of liquid squeezed between two sheets of glass and light is projected from behind the glass via fluorescent lamps. LED (Light Emitting Diode) monitors feature a similar design, with backlighting produced by LEDs and not fluorescent lamps. As such, the differences between the two are not always stark, such as when you compare LCD vs CRT computer monitors.
Though more expensive at the moment, prices of LED monitors have been decreasing in recent years. Yet, the price of OLED has gone up, especially based on refresh rate and color accuracy. But, if you want to grab an OLED, first read our resource post about the best place to buy OLED computer monitors.
LCD monitors have been on the market much longer than LED monitors, so they tend to be much cheaper. The price difference between the two widens even further when you consider the newest iteration of the LED monitor, OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens. Of course, each LCD panel type may come in at different price points, if you are looking to compare IPS vs TN vs VA monitor panels.
Depending on usage, LED monitors should last nearly twice as long as an LCD monitor. In terms of numbers, an LCD display should last around 30,000 hours before burning out while LED displays should last around 60,000 hours before failing. Of course, in real life, these lifespans will vary wildly depending on your make and model, and how you use the screen.
Being the newer technology, LED monitors tend to be slimmer and lighter than LCD displays, making the former easier to move around your home at will. This mostly comes down to the fact that the fluorescent lamps that populate LCD monitors are much heavier than simple LED lights.
This is more or less a draw. LCD monitors with high refresh rates can minimize eye fatigue due to blurriness, but LED monitors tend to offer more robust dimming options when it comes to curbing blue light. Read this guide to learn more about the differences between LCD and LED monitors for eye strain.
There are plenty of different backlight types, whether or not you are considering LCD technology or a full-array LED. LEDs are a good source of full-array backlighting, as are fluorescent lamps.
STAT:There are very few LCD monitors that can support 4K, though, and you won’t see new features gracing the fluorescent backlit monitor lines. (source)
Even though some say the picture quality of an LED TV is better, there is no straight answer for which has better picture quality since both TVs use the same kind of screen. For instance, a higher-end LCD TV can have a better quality than a low-end LED TV, but if you look at high-end models of either TV, the picture quality will be comparable.
RGB Dynamic LEDs show truer blacks and whites and thus get higher dynamic contrast ratio (which is desirable in a TV), at the cost of less detail in small bright objects on a dark background (such as star fields)
LED TVs use energy-efficient light emitting diodes (LED) for backlighting. These consume less power than cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) used in traditional LCD televisions. Power savings are typically 20-30%.
Edge-LEDs (the most common) are positioned around the rim of the screen and use a special diffusion panel to spread the light evenly behind the screen.
Flat Screen LCDs, about an inch or two thick are more expensive, but also more popular because of their sleek look and the flexible options of standing on a surface or mounting on a wall.
Front projection LCDs or projectors, which project an image onto the front of the screen. The TV itself is just a box installed anywhere in a room, which projects the image onto a flat screen hung on the wall as large as 300 inches.
Rear projection LCDs, where the image is sent from the rear of the TV to the screen in front. Rear projection LCDs are wide, heavy and only available in large sizes (60" and up).
Sometimes the distance between good and great seems like hardly any distance at all — such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) versus light-emitting diode (LED) displays. Both are suitable for retail window signage, campus wayfinding or large video walls. But LCD and LED have significant differences, and their specific benefits are worth understanding so you can choose the best displays for your business needs.
LCD is the broader category; LED is a subset. In other words, all LED displays are LCDs, but not all LCDs are LED. LCDs are made up of hundreds of thousands — even millions — of individual pixels built from liquid crystals. Each pixel is capable of displaying a color when it receives an electrical charge. Like a mosaic, the displayed image is built from tiny elements that combine to form the overall picture.
But the liquid crystals don’t produce any light of their own, so in order for the image to be illuminated, the liquid crystals need to be backlit. LCDs are illuminated by cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), evenly positioned behind the pixels so that, at least in theory, every part of the screen is evenly lit and at consistent brightness.
Up to a point, LED displays are much the same. An LED screen also uses liquid crystals to generate color — or pure black (no color), by not charging a specific pixel. So LED displays have the same need for backlighting. But rather than CCFL, tiny individual lights (light-emitting diodes) illuminate the liquid crystals.
The individual LEDs can be arranged one of two ways: full-array or edge-lit. For edge lighting, the LEDs are arranged around the edges of the back of the screen. Full-array, on the other hand, calls for many LEDs to be lined up evenly across the back of the screen, where they can be arranged into zones (usually called “dimming zones” or “local dimming”).
Is LED just plain better than LCD? Well, for a while, LCD screens represented the cutting edge of digital signage. But now, about the only meaningful advantage of LCD over LED is price point. As LCD is becoming outdated, it tends to be less of an upfront investment. In every other respect, though, LED displays have the advantage.
No matter the arrangement of the backlighting, LED has a greater nit value than LCD, which means it’s brighter (“nit” comes from the Latin “nitere,” meaning “to shine”). The average nit value for LCDs is between 500 and 700 nits, while LEDs are typically between 1,200 and 2,400 nits. With greater brightness comes greater contrast, and all-day visibility on outdoor displays.
Despite the energy output, higher brightness doesn’t necessarily mean a shorter lifespan. In fact, LED displays have an average lifespan of 10 years — double the average five-year lifespan of LCDs. Factoring longevity into the cost of your signage, LED’s longer lifespan can make it cheaper than LCD in the long run.
Even with edge lighting, LED produces more vividly lifelike images than CCFL-backlit LCDs — and with sleeker hardware, thanks to their minimalist design. And while LCD bezels have drastically reduced over time, they’re still greater than zero. LED has no bezels at all.
Full-array backlighting requires a little more depth to the screen, but with discrete dimming zones, LEDs can be illuminated far more precisely — which, in turn, means more accurate and engaging visuals.
LED isn’t the first technology to realize miniaturization is the way forward. Even as screens get bigger, the next big step is made of smaller parts: microLEDs.
Up to 40 times smaller than regular LEDs, microLEDs allow backlighting to be even more precisely targeted, with many times more diodes. This, in turn, delivers a more accurate picture, with greater contrast and h