led vs lcd monitors comparison factory

It seems as if modern displays have all kinds of different labels: high definition, 3D, smart, 4K, 4K Ultra, the list goes on. The two most common labels are LCD and LED. What’s the difference between the two? Is there a difference? And does this difference make one or the other preferable for certain types of activities like gaming or graphic design?

All LED monitors are LCD monitors. But not all LCD monitors are LEDs. Kind of like all eagles are birds, but not all birds are eagles. While the names might be confusing to those wading through specs to find the best monitor, once you break it down it’s easier to understand than you think.

We’ll explain the tech and the naming conventions, and then highlight some HP monitors that might be the perfect fit for your needs. Let’s figure out exactly what LCD and LED monitors are and how to pick the right one for you.

Both types of displays use liquid crystals to help create an image. The difference is in the backlights. While a standard LCD monitor uses fluorescent backlights, an LED monitor uses light-emitting diodes for backlights. LED monitors usually have superior picture quality, but they come in varying backlight configurations. And some backlight configurations create better images than others.

Until 2014, plasma displays were the most commonly manufactured displays. But then the LCD took over. LCD stands for liquid crystal display. We’ll go over what that means in a minute. But first, it’s important to note that an LED also uses liquid crystals, so the name is somewhat misleading. Technically, an “LED monitor” should really go by the name, “LED LCD monitor.”

First, let’s go over how LCD and LED monitors utilize liquid crystals. The science behind this stuff features an incredibly complicated mix of optics, electrical engineering, and chemistry. But we’ll explain it in layman’s terms.

LCD monitors have backlights behind the screen that emit white light, and the light can’t pass through the liquid crystals while they’re in their liquid arrangement. But when the pixel is in use, the monitor applies an electric current to the liquid crystals, which then straighten out and allow light to pass through them[2].

Standard LCD monitors employ “cold cathode fluorescent lamps,” also known as CCFLs as backlights. These fluorescent lights are evenly placed behind the screen so that they deliver consistent lighting across the display. All regions of the picture will have similar brightness levels.

LED monitors don’t use fluorescent lamps. Instead, they use “light-emitting diodes,” which are extremely small lights. There are two methods of LED backlighting: full-array backlighting and edge lighting.

With full-array backlighting, the LEDs are placed evenly across the entire screen, similar to an LCD setup. But what’s different is that the LEDs are arranged in zones. Each zone of LED lights can be dimmed (also known as local dimming).

When there’s an area of the picture that needs to be darker (a night sky, for instance), the LEDs in that region of the picture can be dimmed to create a truer black. This is not possible on standard LCD monitors, where the entire picture is lit evenly throughout.

There are no local dimming capabilities in edge-lighted displays, so they can’t create pictures that are as high-quality as those created by full-array LEDs. However, edge lighting enables manufacturers to create extremely thin displays that don’t cost as much to produce - and which are better for a tight budget.

When it comes to picture quality, full-array LED monitors are almost always superior to LCD monitors. But bear in mind that only full-array LEDs are superior. Edge-lit LEDs may actually be inferior to LCD monitors.

A full-array LED monitor should be your number one choice for gaming. Steer clear if its edge lighting. The problem with edge lighting is that you’ll have fewer optimal viewing angles with which to play games. That’s not an issue if you prefer to sit directly in front of the screen while you’re gaming. But if you like to kick back in your chair or view from different angles, you’ll find that an edge-lit LED loses visibility as you move away from the center viewing angle.

But even if you play while you’re directly in front of the monitor, edge-lit LEDs have more issues with glare than full-array LEDs do. That’s because of the uneven lighting (very bright around the edges, darker as you approach the center of the display). Because the pixels are evenly lit, LCD monitors tend to have better viewing angles and anti-glare than edge-lit LEDs.

Edge-lit LEDs do have two big advantages. If you have a very tight space in which to fit your monitor, you’ll like having an edge-lit LED because they’re usually thinner than the other types. They’re also less expensive to manufacture, which make them easier on the wallet.

Resolution refers to how many pixels are displayed on the monitor. Remember, the more pixels you have, the more dynamic your composition of colors can be. The highest-quality monitors have resolutions of at least 1920 x 1080.

Because LED monitors create better pictures than LCD monitors, nearly all of HP’s displays are built with LED backlights. When you’re browsing through the HP LED monitors, you might notice that some of them are equipped with either “IPS” or “AHVA” technology. These refer to the types of liquid crystal panels that are used. Both are fantastic, although they have some minor differences:

You’ll also see that some monitors have “TN” LED backlights. This is the oldest form of liquid crystal technology. It’s still very effective, but TN panels are typically used in small, work-oriented monitors that are made to be mounted or used in the field.

HP OMEN gaming monitors are built for the power PC gamer. One of the best gaming monitors for your rig is the HP OMEN 32 32-inch display. This LED monitor has VA-type panels, which help give it a fast refresh rate that’s perfect for high-performance gaming.

If you’re a digital illustrator, video editor, photo editor, or special effects wiz, you should give the HP EliteDisplay S270n 27-inch 4K micro edge monitor a look. When you’re creating digital art, you need the most expansive resolution and highest-quality color production possible, and that’s what you’ll get with this IPS-equipped monitor. The micro edge screen makes it easy to use dual monitors, but the 27-inch screen alone gives you a wide interface to work on.

If you’re a business person, try one our HP EliteDisplay monitors, like the HP EliteDisplay E243 23.8-inch monitor. The IPS LED display is gorgeous and will give you a crisp and clear picture no matter what software you’re using. The micro edges make it perfect for a dual monitor setup, and the 23.8-inch size is wide, but not too large to accommodate a second monitor or to fit into tighter workstations.

There are some up-and-coming technologies that are making LED displays even better. OLED and QLED displays are bound to become more commonplace in the future.

“OLED” stands for “organic light-emitting diode.” What makes an OLED unique is that each pixel has a light source that can be individually shut off. On an LED monitor, the only way to keep a pixel from emitting light is to keep the liquid crystal closed. It’s effective, but not perfect - a small portion of light will always seep through. On an OLED monitor, each pixel’s light can be entirely shut off so no light at all will emanate through the liquid crystal. These means you can get truer blacks, which means deeper contrast ratios and better image quality.

There are two additional advantages. First, OLED monitors can be made even thinner than LED monitors because there’s not a separate layer of LEDs behind the pixels. Second, these monitors are more energy efficient because the pixels will only draw power when their light is turned on. One of the downsides, though, is that pixel burn-in will be more noticeable since some pixels will inevitably be used more than others[4].

“QLED” stands for “quantum light-emitting diode.” In a QLED monitor, each pixel has a “quantum dot.” Quantum dots are tiny phosphor particles that glow when you shine a light upon them[5].

Why would you need a glowing particle over each pixel? Because LEDs aren’t very good at emitting bright light. The brightest color is white. But an LED doesn’t emit white light – it emits blue light. Each LED is given a yellow phosphor coating to make it appear less blue and more white, but it’s still not true white. The “blueness” of LEDs negatively impacts the red, blue, and green colors on LED displays. LED monitors have automatic features that adjust the RGB colors to compensate for the blue light, but it can’t compensate for the weaker light intensity.

That’s where the quantum dots come in. The pixels are overlayed by a sheet of red and green quantum dots (there is no blue because blue light is already being emitted by the LED). When the light shines through the liquid crystals, the quantum dots glow, and you’re given a bright, vivid, and lovely spectrum of RGB colors.

Displays are a complicated science, right? But next time you’re shopping for monitors at the store or on our HP Store site, you’ll be a true expert and will be able to pick out exactly the right display for you.

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 highly focused areas of brightness. Samsung’s The Wall is a spectacular example of what microLED is capable of.

Whether you need your digital signage to entertain, inform or simply impress, understanding the differences between LCD and LED will allow you to make a better-informed decision.

With best-in-class picture quality and exceptional durability,Samsung LED displayscan help your business deliver content that engages, informs and entertains.Samsung’s trade-in program makes it easy for businesses to upgrade their video wall with LED technology. Once you’ve chosen your displays, learn how you can configure and tailor their real-time messaging using an integrated CMSin this free guide.

One of the most common questions we’re asked when assisting businesses establish their digital signage systems is whether an LED or an LCD display is best for their business. The answer is always contextual to the clients’ needs. It starts by clarifying what the difference between the two actually is.

When we’re talking aboutconsumer products such as computer monitors and televisions the first thing to know is that an LED screenis an LCD screen, but an LCD screen is not always an LED screen. An LED monitor or television is just a specific type of LCD screen, which uses a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel to control where light is displayed on your screen.

For the display to be considered an LED screen, it means it is utilising ‘Light Emitting Diodes’ to generate the light behind the liquid crystals to form an image. A non-LED LCD screen has backlights (called fluorescent lamps) behind the screen that emit white light which cannot pass through the liquid crystals until an electric current is applied to the liquid crystals which then straighten out and allow light to pass through.

This is where it can get easy to divert away from giving clear advice on whether as LED or LCD display is best for your business, because consumer displays differ from commercial displays. We are not trying to give the reader direction on which monitor is best for their gaming set-up, but which screen type is ideal for communicating your business’ messages.

Commercial LED displays are typically referred to as Direct View LED. This is because they use LEDs as the individual pixels that make up the image itself. Using a surface array of LEDs removes any need for a liquid crystal display panel, which carries noticeable benefits for particular uses.

While LCD flat panels are available in resolutions of 1080P and 4K UHD, Direct View LED displays are measured by pixel pitch. Pixel pitch is the distance from the centre of one pixel cluster to the centre of the next pixel cluster in an LED screen. The smaller the pitch, the closer viewers can get to the display before they see the pixels themselves. Outdoor configurations may have a pitch of 10mm to 40mm, as they are viewed at longer distances.

For use indoors, where viewers would be closer to the display, a pitch of 10mm or less would be required, some have even sub-1mm pixel pitch. When considering Direct View LED displays, it is important to know the minimum viewing distance required. Multiplying the pixel pitch by 1,000 gives you a good rule of thumb for the minimum viewing distance.

Direct view LED displays can either use discrete oval LEDs which are basically one single self-contained diode, or Surface Mounted Device (SMD) LEDs. SMD LEDs contain 3 individual light-emitting diodes bunched together. Either way, it’s the light-emitting diodes that create the images you see on screen. This is explained in the image below, courtesy of LG Electronics

Commercial LCD screens are more closely related to their consumer counterparts like TVs but there are still differences to be aware of. It is not advised to simply purchase an LCD TV from your local electronics retailer and install it in a public setting and expect it to function as desired.

Both have been designed to be used differently. Commercial display manufacturers understand that their displays are going to be exposed to far different conditions than a living room television will be. The componentry in a commercial display is optimised to allow for the display to be on 24 hours a day, all year around. They take into account diverse environments such as hot kitchens, high foot traffic, and bad weather,ensuring the product won’t fail in such exposures. The addition of more durable and resistant technology means commercial LCD displays will typically be priced higher than their consumer cousins.

Brightness: When deployed in areas with strong ambient lighting, even the best LCDs can appear washed out and difficult to view, especially when from an angle. Direct view LEDs for outdoor applications can reach 9,000 nits, making them a brighter and better choice for most outdoor applications.

Contrast: Direct View LEDs can turn off pixels that aren’t being used which allows for a higher contrast and therefore a richer image in varied lighting conditions.

Size and shape: Direct view LED-based walls can be flat, curved, wrapped around pillars and more. With no size limit or set aspect ratio they can be used more flexibly than LCDs. Plus, panels have no bezels which means you can piece together Direct view LEDs to create large and uniquely shaped displays with no visible interruptions between units.

Lifespan and servicing: Most direct view LEDs are rated to last 10 years, compared to a typical 5 years for LCDs. Further, they can be easily replaced on-site, reducing maintenance costs.

Tougher: If you’re using an LCD for any outdoor application or one where the unit has to be protected from extreme temperatures or humidity, you’re going to need to include an enclosure and have an understanding of how to properly seal and vent the unit. Outdoor Direct view LEDs, on the other hand, are purpose-built to withstand harsh environments.

Price: The higher upfront cost of Direct LEDs could be the biggest sticking point when it comes to pitching a video wall. While prices have been steadily dropping, Direct view LEDs are still more expensive than LCD alternatives. However, make sure you consider the lifetime cost of the solution and other benefits mentioned above before you discount direct view LEDs.

Functionality: LCD screens can offer a wider range of functionality when it comes to set-up, display settings, and day-to-day control. There is also the addition of touch screen options for LCD displays which are a fairly sought-after feature these days.

Resolution: Whilst the fine pixel pitches available in direct view LEDs today make for impressively resolute images, LCD screens still boast are more uninterrupted image when viewed up close, particularly with the modern 4k displays. This makes them a better option for smaller retail stores, quick service restaurants or office meeting rooms.

In the world of digital signage, there are two prominent display technologies: LCD and LED. There’s also a considerable amount of misconception about these technologies and how they relate to each other or work together. The blame for much of this confusion can be attributed to the advent of LCD TVs with LED-backlighting technology, so let’s clear that difference up before we move on.

With any digital display, you must have a well working light source so that you can see the picture brightly. Until very recently, TVs have always been backlit—that is, illuminated from behind the display monitor. For a long period of time after television sets were invented, this was done by firing electrons through a “gun” to the screen (tube and projector TVs). In the early 2000s, LCD TVs were backlit by fluorescent bulbs. More recently, however, TV manufacturers began using LED technology as the light source for flat-screen LCD TVs, as this method provided more versatility and uniform picture lighting, therein lies some of the confusion.

As picture displays, there are many differences between LED display features and LCDs. Given advances in LED display technology—and drastically lower cost—both display types can be viable options for a variety of interior spaces. And of course, each has benefits, and each has limitations. To determine the best display for a digital signage project, it’s critical to understand exactly how each display type will perform and why one is better than the other in a given situation. It’s important to compare, not only cost, but also factors such as brightness, durability, size, resolution, vibrancy, and many more features that are on the market.

LED stands for light-emitting diode. By definition, LEDs provide their own light. Once reserved for large-scale, exterior digital displays, direct-view LED signage has emerged as a greatly improved, widely applicable medium, now suitable for virtually all display installations, both indoor or outdoor. In the digital signage industry, direct-view LED displays have now become the norm and work well together.

LCD stands for liquid crystal display. This type of display uses light-modulating properties of liquid crystals. As referenced above, liquid crystals don’t produce light directly; instead, they use a backlight to produce images on the screen. LCDs are used most often in interior applications, where users are in proximity to the screen. With this display technology, ambient light is usually limited and controlled.

Typically, LED displays have a higher up-front cost than LCDs; however, unlike LCDs, LED displays are rugged and durable, even in the most inhospitable environments. Additionally, they can be upgraded and retrofitted relatively easily. For total cost of ownership and longevity, the better option is the LED.

Brightness is typically measured in NITs. One NIT is equivalent to one candela per square meter. The brightness for LED displays ranges from hundreds to thousands of NITs. LCDs have a much lower brightness range feature. LED displays are able to compete in well-lit areas, both inside and outside. In contrast, competing light will severely impact an LCD; many times, this renders the picture unviewable.

While LED and LCD displays can both render most types of content, there are some drawbacks to LCDs. They can sometimes hold the “memory” of an image, and leave behind a residual imprint referred to as “image persistence.” It’s caused when a still image remains on the screen for too long. The colors become “stuck” in place. When the display tries to shift to another color, the crystals don’t want to budge. The result is a color that is slightly skewed from the intended one. LED displays do not encounter this issue.

Video walls are one of the most popular ways to use digital displays in interior spaces. From entertainment venues to other various retail spaces on the market, video walls have wide appeal. This makes the setup more complex than single screens, so it’s essential to have the right screens. LEDs are typically the preferred display for video walls. They are seamless, tiling together with no bezels. In a well-installed application, video walls have excellent uniformity and the widest viewing angles. LCDs can be tiled, but their bezels cause gaps and visual barriers. While there are LCDs with narrow bezels, small seams are still visible, unfortunately.

An LED display can be any size. There are no inherent limitations. They can also be curved, concave, or convex. They can even wrap completely around a pillar for a 360-degree effect. LCDs are typically only available in the standard sizing set by the manufacturer.

SNA Displays is a global manufacturing leader in LED video displays. We offer fully customizable LED products, thereby providing you with the most impact on your messaging. To learn more about how LED signage can power your digital display project, view our portfolio.

Digital panel meters (or DPM) typically uses either an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) to display information in an alphanumerical format. What are the differences between LCD’s and LED’s and how do you know which one to pick for your application? Read on to find out!

The Liquid Crystal Display (or LCD) is a form of visual display used in electronic devices in which a layer of a liquid crystal is sandwiched between two transparent electrodes. The application of an electric current to a small area of the layer alters the alignment of its molecules, which affects its reflectivity or its transmission of polarized light. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly. Instead, they use a backlight or reflector to produce images in color or monochrome.

To take it a step further, LCD displays also come in two different variations: Positive LCD and Negative LCD. Essentially, a positive LCD display features dark-colored or black numbers/letters on a light-colored background while a negative LCD display features light-colored numbers/letters on a dark background.

Light-Emitting Diode (or LED) is a semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light is determined by the energy required for electrons to cross the bandgap of the semiconductor.

While the underlying technology is the main difference between LCD’s and LED’s, there are other features that set these 2 apart from each other and could help to determine which one is right for your application.

Color: DPMs traditionally have a red, green or amber/yellow display. LEDs are also available in blue or white. Tri-color (RGB) LEDs can be used to create any color. The color of a transmissive LCD is determined by the backlight LED. Therefore, color-changing digital displays are more easily implemented with LCD technology. Some high-end DPMs provide a full-color graphic display. These use LCD technology similar to what is used in a color TV.

Brightness: The typical LED display is significantly brighter than an LCD. So viewing in a bright room or in a crowded instrument cluster favors LED. The LED’s higher brightness coupled with higher contrast gives enhance readability over LCDs. However, in direct sunlight, a reflective LCD is more visible.

Viewing Angle: LED displays to have a much wider viewing angle than LCDs. When viewing an LCD display, the image clarity will become diminished when viewing the display off to the side from the center point in either direction.

Temperature: LEDs are semiconductors, so they have a wide temperature range. Other components in the meter will determine its operating temperature limits. The chemical action in the LCD slows down at low temperatures (typically <0°C), so it may require a heater for these situations. Depending on the type of LCD, the maximum temperature of an LCD meter may also be more restricted than an LED meter.

Burn-In Issues: Neither LCD nor LED displays to have burn-in issues. That is, an image is “burned in” to the display if left unchanged for an extended time. Because of this, both types of displays are considered suitable for static images, which are typical with digital panel meters.

Life: Either display type will provide years of continuous operation. However, LCDs can degrade in high humidity due to an imperfect seal between the glass plates.

Both LCD and LED technologies have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Be sure to consider all of these factors when deciding on the right type of display for your DPM application.

At Weschler Instruments, we carry a wide selection of digital panel meters from an assortment of manufacturers in both LCD and LED displays. We also recognize that every application is different and can sometimes require custom input ranges/scales. Contact us today with your needs and one of our highly qualified salespeople will assist you.

Did you know that, according to a recent study by Global, 85% of brands and agencies plan to increase their advertising investment? This figure illustrates the importance of this aspect in any marketing strategy. And although the Internet is usually the star medium, indoor and outdoor advertising is also gaining ground in shopping malls and big cities. Are you thinking of boosting your sales with this option? If so, and although we have already explained how LED technology works, it is important to also know what the advantages of LED are over LCD displays, two technologies that, at first sight, can be quite similar.

Before explaining the advantages of LED over LCD displays, we should highlight that the demand for this type of product for shop windows is booming for several reasons. One of them is that LED screens fulfil their function much better than their predecessors, LCD screens, because of the excellent image quality they provide and their ability to attract the attention of passers-by on the public highway.

But what is the difference between the two technologies? First of all, the technology of any LED TV is similar to that of the LCD screen, since, technically, they are also an LCD (these are the acronyms of the concept ‘liquid crystal screen’). However, there is a fundamental difference between the two: the generation of light. In the case of LCDs, the light is provided by neon tubes, whereas it is LED bulbs (light-emitting diodes) perform this function in LED displays.

On the other hand, the number of diodes on LEDs are than the number of neon tubes on LCD screens, which means that the lighting is higher quality. In addition, this makes LED displays thinner. The color contrast is also higher, providing a sharper and higher quality image.

Another advantage of LED displays over LCDs is that they will save electricity for your company. For example, the power consumption of the LED display can reduce the power consumption by up to 50% in comparison to similar LCD TV with the same operating hours and.

Another benefit of LED has to do with the conservation of the planet. The reason is that LED, being a mercury-free technology – unlike other monitors – is more environmentally friendly and sustainable. It is also better for people’s health, as exposure to mercury, even in very small quantities, can cause serious problems and harm fetuses when it comes to pregnant women. Mercury is equally toxic to the digestive system, the nervous and immune systems, the skin, the eyes, the lungs, and the kidneys.

Want more advantages of LED over LCD? Here’s another one that will help improve your business numbers: while the life of an LCD is usually no more than 60,000 hours, until its light source burns out, LED displays can run for between 60,000 and 100,000 hours. However, it’s not just about quantity, but also quality: while LED TVs are equipped with technology that always provides an optimal color palette, even when the color starts to fade, the LCD starts to show more and more black dots in the picture, due to continuous use (and corresponding to neon tubes that have stopped working).

And since we are talking about image quality, we should also refer to the behavior of the liquid crystal displays – both LEDs and LCDs – when they are directly affected by sunlight. For example, when we are in front of LED screens in shop windows or giant LED displays that emit during daylight hours (video scoreboards in stadiums would be a case in point). In this context, only LED technology can guarantee optimal viewing conditions at any time of day.

In relation to outdoor displays, we should also bear in mind that they require special protection, both against rain and vandalism. When this happens, only professional LED displays can offer this advantage.

Now that you are clear about the advantages of LED displays over LCD, you are probably considering purchasing an LED monitor for your business. This is where we get to the million-dollar question: how much does an LED display cost? The question is not simple, since the final bill will depend on several factors, such as its equipment or its dimensions. In Visual Led, in addition, we design LED screens to fit your needs and investment capacity.

Do you want to know how much an LED display would cost you? If so, we encourage you to calculate the price of an LED display online. You only have to introduce the requested variables, and you will instantly receive an estimated budget without any commitment of purchase on your part.

Of course, we must not lose sight of the fact that the marketing of outdoor LED displays is relatively recent and is part of a marking regulated by the laws of each country. Therefore, in some territories, certain formats must be adapted to the current legislation.

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.

Differences between LCD and LEDare important to understand as they are both very co-related and it is possible to get confused between one and the other. LCD is the abbreviation for liquid crystal display while LED is the abbreviation for light-emitting diodes. They differ from one another in the fact that LCDs usually use fluorescent lights while lights use light-emitting diodes.

The structure of both LCD and LED is quite the same as the technology behind these screens is the same. The differing television types have two different layers of polarized glass and through this glass, the liquid crystals get blocked as well as pass the light. Thus, this is one of the key differences and similarities between LCD and LED.

In market, LCD means passive matrix LCDs which increase TN (Twisted Nematic), STN (Super Twisted Nematic), or FSTN (Film Compensated STN) LCD Displays. It is a kind of earliest and lowest cost display technology.

LCD screens are still found in the market of low cost watches, calculators, clocks, utility meters etc. because of its advantages of low cost, fast response time (speed), wide temperature range,  low power consumption, sunlight readable with transflective or reflective polarizers etc.  Most of them are monochrome LCD display and belong to passive-matrix LCDs.

TFT LCDs have capacitors and transistors. These are the two elements that play a key part in ensuring that the TFT display monitor functions by using a very small amount of energy without running out of operation.

Normally, we say TFT LCD panels or TFT screens, we mean they are TN (Twisted Nematic) Type TFT displays or TN panels, or TN screen technology. TFT is active-matrix LCDs, it is a kind of LCD technologies.

TFT has wider viewing angles, better contrast ratio than TN displays. TFT display technologies have been widely used for computer monitors, laptops, medical monitors, industrial monitors, ATM, point of sales etc.

Actually, IPS technology is a kind of TFT display with thin film transistors for individual pixels. But IPS displays have superior high contrast, wide viewing angle, color reproduction, image quality etc. IPS screens have been found in high-end applications, like Apple iPhones, iPads, Samsung mobile phones, more expensive LCD monitors etc.

Both TFT LCD displays and IPS LCD displays are active matrix displays, neither of them can produce color, there is a layer of RGB (red, green, blue) color filter in each LCD pixels to make LCD showing colors. If you use a magnifier to see your monitor, you will see RGB color. With switch on/off and different level of brightness RGB, we can get many colors.

Neither of them can’t release color themselves, they have relied on extra light source in order to display. LED backlights are usually be together with them in the display modules as the light sources. Besides, both TFT screens and IPS screens are transmissive, it will need more power or more expensive than passive matrix LCD screens to be seen under sunlight.  IPS screens transmittance is lower than TFT screens, more power is needed for IPS LCD display.

LCDs can be tiled, but their bezels cause gaps and visual barriers. While there are LCDs with narrow bezels, small seams are still visible. Thus it is not an ideal choice given such a condition.

An LED display can be any size. There are various creative LED displays including ball LED display, curved LED display, flexible LED display, foldable LED display and so on to meet the requirements for creative display, but LCDs are typically only available in the standard sizing set by the manufacture.

The possible higher initial price point: as the more complex production process, more durable quality and is released later than LCD panels, the initial price point of LEDs can be higher. But there is one thing that deserves to be noticed, the lifespan is longer and the future maintenance fee can be lower with high adaptability to different application scenarios. So in the long term, choosing a LED display may save you more money.

LCD stands for liquid crystal display. As what has been mentioned above, LCD doesn’t produce light directly, it has a backlight to help to produce images. LCD displays are usually used in the indoor environment and the ambient light is often limited and controlled.

Due to LCD has been in widespread use since the early ’70s where it first appeared in digital watches, the cost has been reduced so the price can be lower.

LCD monitors tend to have better viewing angles and anti-glare than edge-lit LEDs as if you like to kick back in your chairs or view the screen from different angles, because the edge-lit LED may lose visibility as you move away from the center viewing angle (please notice the full-array LED monitors don’t have such issue so it is the best choice for gaming).

1.Thicker and heavier structurebecause of the different backlight. There are two methods of LED backlight: direct and edge. The main advantage of edge lighting is that it can be used to make LED screens incredibly thin cause the LEDs are at the side and not behind the screen.

2.Many monitors can not support 4K. Nowadays, 4K videos are one of a trend, however, many LCD displays can not load such video sources so there are more limitations on the content.

3.More energy consumption. As compared with LED display of the same size, LCD may consume 20% to 50% electricity more than that of LED display screens.

4.Lower contrast results in a less clear image. As what we have discussed above, LED display has special lighting methods that can increase the contrast to display pictures more clearly.

This article introduces the differences between LED and LCD, and the advantages and disadvantages of both.When you try to make the best choice for your project, consider these different features carefully.

Generally speaking, an LED display holds advantages due to many functions it has, such as longer working life, lower consumption, easier maintenance, better display performance and so on.

These qualities contribute to the higher initial price point, while in the long run, the investment may be more cost-effective. But if you are looking for something cheaper just without many requirements, that may have you considering the LCD.

Plasma screens contain tiny pockets of gas that get excited when voltage is applied to them, turning them into a state of plasma. In that state, the voltage then strikes electrons of mercury, turning them into ultraviolet (UV) light, which isn"t visible to the human eye. The UV light then passes through phosphor cells; each pixel contains red, green, and blue phosphor cells. Thanks to these phosphor cells, the TV can turn the UV light into colors that are visible on the light spectrum. Essentially, plasma TVs don"t require a light, and each pixel is self-emissive, so how one pixel displays itself is independent of the next pixel.

The pixels aren"t excited continuously, but in short pulses, and some plasma TVs can pulse up to 600 times every second. The naked eye perceives this as flickering, and some people are very sensitive to this. There can also be some advantages to this; since each pixel holds a certain charge, it"s ready to turn on and off as needed, resulting in minimal motion blur. This means that fast-moving content, like in sports or video games, appears smooth.

OLED TVs have similar characteristics to plasmas with their infinite contrast ratio, wide viewing angles, near-instant response time, and to a lesser extent, the risk of permanent burn-in. Since 2012, they"ve replaced plasma as a competitor to LCD TVs, and to learn more about OLEDs and how they differ from LCD TVs, see here.

An LCD screen is composed of two parts: the actual liquid crystal display and a light source at the back of the screen (called backlight). A light diffuser is placed between the backlight and the LCD screen to make the source of light uniform across the screen.

The LCD panel doesn"t emit light by itself, and this is why it needs a backlight; it only acts as a filter to block the light on a per-pixel basis. The backlight is always on, and the pixels in the display rotate to allow light through, creating the colors needed for the image. If the screen wants to display black, the LCD pixels rotate to try to block the light completely. If it wants to display white, it lets all light through. Since the display is only a filter, the blacks will not be as deep as with a plasma screen because an LCD panel will always let a small portion of light through.

There are different types of LCD panels, each with its unique characteristics. Vertical Alignment (VA) panels generally have a high contrast ratio and narrow viewing angles, while In-Plane Switching (IPS) panels have a low contrast ratio with wide viewing angles. You can read about their differences here.

By using a backlight, LCD TVs use much less power than plasmas, which you can read about here. Also, LCD TVs tend to get much brighter than plasmas, making them more suitable for well-lit rooms. There are two main types of backlights used in LCD screens: CCFL and LEDs.

When someone refers to an LCD TV, they usually mean a Cold-Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) backlit LCD screen. The first LCD TVs were lit by CCFLs, but they"re extremely rare as of the start of the 2020s. The backlight is a series of light tubes placed behind the screen. These tubes are very similar to fluorescent lamps used in buildings but smaller.

CCFL-backlit LCD TVs were eventually replaced by LED TVs because they cost less, were made thinner, and required less power. Also, LED TVs have more control over their backlight, resulting in vivid colors and better picture quality.

An LED (Light-Emitting Diode) screen is an LCD screen, but instead of having a normal CCFL backlight, it uses LEDs as the source of light behind the screen. Companies label their TVs as LED, even though they"re technically LCD; it can be confusing at times, but if you see an LED TV, you know it has an LCD panel. These TVs are more energy-efficient and a lot smaller than CCFLs, enabling a thinner television screen.

In a full-array LED screen, the LEDs are distributed evenly behind the entire screen. This produces a more uniform backlight and provides more effective use of local dimming, where it can turn off and dim complete zones of LEDs.

With an edge-lit LED screen, the LEDs are placed at the edges of the screen. Depending on the display, it can be all around the screen, on the left and right sides, or at the top and bottom. This allows the screen to be very thin.

However, it can cause some spots on the screen to be brighter than others, like the edges. This problem is called flashlighting or clouding. It can be seen when watching a dark scene in a dark environment. Also, edge-lit screens usually don"t result in good local dimming as they don"t have control over the dimming zones.

Like the full-array method, the LEDs are directly behind the screen. However, there are very few of them, and they can"t be controlled separately to match the luminosity of the picture.

As TV companies attempt to improve their technology, a new type of LED backlighting has emerged: Mini LED. It uses the same traditional LED backlighting behind an LCD panel, except the LED lights are even smaller. This allows for more lights, creating a brighter image and more control over local dimming. Only a handful of Mini LED TVs were produced before 2021, but it now seems that manufacturers are starting to use the technology more often. The Samsung QN90A QLED is an example of a Mini LED TV.

Another technology, Micro LED, is only in its initial phases of development. This doesn"t even have an LCD panel as each LED pixel is self-emissive, similar to OLEDs, but without the burn-in risk. Currently, there aren"t any Micro LED TVs available at the consumer level; Samsung has produced large Micro LED TVs (over 100 inches), and they"re very expensive. However, we may begin to see Micro LED technology in the consumer TV market soon.

Plasma and LCD each present advantages and disadvantages when it comes to picture quality. Plasma TVs generally offer better contrast, wider viewing angles, and improved response times, while LCD TVs get much brighter and have better reflection handling. LCDs also cost less and can be much thinner, which are two of the main reasons why they took over the market share from plasmas in the mid-2000s. Plasma TVs are now extinct, and although OLEDs share many of the same characteristics, LED-backlight LCD TVs are now the norm, and it"s likely your next TV purchase will have an LCD panel.

Are LED monitors better than their LCD predecessors? How are the two technologies different in terms of functionality and performance? All these questions will be answered by the LED vs. LCD comparison presented in here.

The age of CRT (cathode ray tube) displays is over and LCD displays are already being replaced with LED screens. Technology is evolving at an exponential pace, pushing existing technologies into obsolescence. Just when we thought LCD screens will be the default choice for some time to come, they were supplanted by LED monitors, with their superior power efficiency and rich picture quality.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about differences between LED (Light Emitting Diode) and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors that needs clarification. Here’s a succinct analysis of the similarities and differences between the two models.

LED and LCD monitors are based on the same basic technology for image display, but differ in the kind of backlighting used. While LCD monitors use CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) for backlighting, the latter use light emitting diodes. This is the prime difference between the two display technologies. So LED monitors are in actuality, a type of LCD monitors or an improvement over them.

Unlike CRT monitors that generate their own light through cathode ray incidence on fluorescent materials, LCD displays have to rely on external lighting, as their display is created through manipulation of light, passing through polarized liquid crystals. The backlighting affects picture quality substantially and light shed by LEDs offers superior picture quality compared to LCDs.

This is because LEDs offer much more gradation in intensity and a larger light wavelength spectrum, providing a truer color quality. These types of monitors offer a better dynamic contrast ratio as well. So if you compare LED and LCD monitors from a gaming perspective and for use in intensive graphic applications, LED monitors are surely better choices. They provide vivid and more lifelike colors, with better gradation.

WLED: In this type of a monitor, the white LEDs are placed along the edge of screen, taking up less space overall, making the entire monitor slimmer, as well as cheaper. This is the most common type of LED screen available in the market.

RGB LED: These comparatively expensive variants have Red-Green-Blue LEDs placed throughout the panel, providing a richer range of colors in the process.

LED monitors cure one of the basic problems with LCD TVs, which is the inability to display true black colors. They can produce true black hues, by switching off LEDs entirely, increasing the blackness quotient of the screen, providing better contrast in the process.

LED monitors are a very recently introduced technology and they are preferred over LCD monitors because of the amazingly rich picture quality and viewing comfort. One more advantage that LED monitors have over LCD ones is the power consumption factor. LED monitors require a lot less power to operate than cold cathode fluorescent lamps. This property can be attributed to the inherently low energy required by an LED to function. Their power consumption is as much as 40% lesser than conventional LCD monitors.

LED monitors are also a lot softer on the eyes than LCD monitors, making them popular choices for people who work for long hours on their desktop computers. They are also a lot more eco-friendly, because mercury is not used in their production. LEDs last longer than cold cathode fluorescent lamps, with little reduction in their power output over time, which makes these monitors long-lasting.

To conclude this LCD vs. LED monitor comparison, let us compare the price ranges. One major factor that has been holding back LED technology from reaching the masses is the high price factor. The manufacturing of these devices is a bit costlier currently, compared to LCD displays which have raised their overall price. However, the cost gap is slowly lowering with time, as the demand for superior LED back-lit displays is on the rise all over the world. Even laptop computers and now smartphones come equipped with LED displays. While some of the best LCD monitors are available for a price around $100, the best LED monitors fall in the $150 to $200+ range.

Without doubt, LED is the better technology in terms of color richness, contrast and power consumption, which makes them worth the higher initial investment cost.

Some of the best LED monitors currently are the Dell UltraSharp U2312HM ($209.19), HP DreamColor LP2480zx ($2,719.99), HP 2310e ($499.00), the Samsung PX2370 ($311.93) or any monitor from the Samsung Syncmaster series. So if you are planning to upgrade your PC monitor or television set, LED is the way to go.

LCD and LED are popular technologies used to display texts and images. Both LCD and LED are extensively used in display screens in various electronic devices such TVs, computers, laptops, smartphones, etc. There are many differences between LCD and LED displays, where one of the major difference is that LCD uses the liquid crystal and cold cathode fluorescent lamp for the formation of image on the screen, whereas the LED uses a PN junction diode which emits light when the current passes through it that is used as backlight in the display.

In this article, we will explain the various differences between LED and LCD. Also, we have added a brief description of LED and LCD for your reference.

LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. The LCD is a combination of solid state and liquid state of matter which is used to produce display effect. It uses the liquid crystals for the formation of a visible image. The LCDs are super-thin technology displays which are commonly used in screens of TVs, laptop, smartphones and computer, etc. The LCD consumes less electricity and includes millions of colors.

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. The LED is a specially designed PN junction diode which is capable for emitting light when electric current passes through it. This emitted light is then used in display technologies as backlight.

The LED is constructed by joining a P-type semiconductor with an N-type semiconductor. Basically, the LED is a heavily doped PN junction diode. When an electric current is passed through the LED, the recombination of holes and electrons takes place at the PN junction and light is emitted in this process.

The color of emitted light by an LED depends upon the semiconductor material used and the amount of doping. The LEDs have very long life and requires less maintenance. However, they are costlier than LCD. In the display technology the LED is used as the backlight and such a display is known as LED display.

Both LED and LCD are types of display technologies used for showing the texts and images. However, there are several differences between LCD and LED displays, which are highlighted in the following table −Basis of DifferenceLCDLED DisplayFull formLCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display.LED stands for Light Emitting Diode.

DefinitionThe ‘LCD’ is a combination of solid and liquid states of matter which is used to display the information in the form of texts and images.The ‘LED’ is a PN junction diode which emits visible light when the electric current flows through it. This light is then used as the backlight for displaying the information in the form of texts and images.

Response timeLCD has high response time, hence their switching speed is less.The response time of LED is less than LCD, thus the LED is better than LCD in terms of response time.

MaterialThe liquid crystals and glass electrodes are used for manufacturing of LCD.In case of LED, the gallium arsenide phosphide is used for manufacturing

The most significant difference between LCD and L