Which One is The Best LCD or LED? All You Need to Know about LCD and LED

Are you looking for the best display solution that fits your preference? then this article, which one is the best LCD or LED, is exactly for you. This article will help you put into perspective what you actually want and what you can go for. The debate of which screen display is the best has been going on for a long time, with no obvious winner.

LCD stands for liquid crystal display, while LED stands for light emitting diodes. These two screen displays have their strengths and weaknesses so we will look at their differences extensively. Based on superior quality, the full-array LED screen display is actually the best. This is because of the kind of backlight it has, which is the full array type of light emitting diodes.

The best screen display you should go for should, first of all, depend on your purpose for the screen. Is it for outdoor activities or is it for indoor activities? And most importantly, is it within your budget? Let’s look at the factors that can help you determine which one is the best LCD or LED.

Differences Between LCD And LED

Technically, LCD and LED are the same because they both make use of liquid crystals to create images. Therefore, all LED screens are LCDs but LCDs are not the same as LEDs. One of the major differences between LCD and LED is the kind of backlight they use. Let’s look at which one is the best LCD or LED by discussing each of them.

LCD

The reign of LCD displays began in 1970, when the Matrix Twisted Nematic (TN) LCD gained its first commercial success. LCD displays have three major types, twisted are Twisted Nematic (TN), In-Plane Switching (IPS) and Vertical Alignment (VA). Let’s talk about the features of LCD displays.

Features Of LCD Display

1. One of the most notable features of an LCD is the kind of backlight that it uses. LCD uses fluorescent backlights to display images.
2. LCDs make use of either cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) or electroluminescent panels (ELPs) to provide the light needed for the creation of images. This is because LCDs cannot produce light by themselves.
3. To produce a wide range of viewing angles, the light source used in LCDs is placed at the back of the screen.

Advantages Of LCDs

1. LCDs are very energy efficient, unlike CRTs, making them the best option for reducing energy consumption. LCD uses half the power a Cathode Ray Tube usually uses.
2. LCDs have high resolutions and therefore produce sharp images without smearing or bleeding.
3. Depending on the type of LCD, the refresh rate can be high and the response rate can be either slow or fast.
4. LCDs are evidently lightweight, thin and very compact.
5. LCDs emit little and mostly unnoticeable heat because of its low power consumption.
6. LCDs do not produce any geometric distortion.
7. LCDs can be made to be transparent and flexible
8. It can also be made in any size or shape
9. LCDs have no true resolution limit because many LCD panels can be used to create a video wall, which increases the total resolution.
10. LCDs is not affected by magnetic fields when compared to CRTs
11. LCDs have great masking effects, which mask the effects of spatial and grayscale quantization. This helps create the illusion of a higher image quality.
12. LCDs are very affordable.

Disadvantages Of LCDs

1. LCDs have a slower response rate, which causes display motion blurring of moving objects.
2. Some LCDs have uneven backlighting for example, old TNs and IPS LCDs. These uneven backlighting can cause distortion of brightness towards the edges, which is also known as backlight bleed.
3. Some LCDs do not have good black levels, which means they have fixed bit depth or color depth. There are LCDs with better black levels, like the 8-bit S-IPS panels, which can display 16 million colors.
4. LCD pixels can become stuck or dead. This can occur during production or after a period of use. A stuck pixel will continue to glow even on an all-black screen, while a dead pixel will not glow and continue to be black.
5. Thermalization may occur on LCDs due to bad management or overuse. It happens in such a way that some parts of the screen that have been overheated will look discolored when compared to the rest of the screen.
6. In situations where the environment has a very high temperature, there will be a loss of contrast in LCDs.
7. Just like the disadvantage stated above, when the temperature of the environment is below zero degree, LCDs experience a loss of brightness. Some LCDs may even stop working in such situations.
8. LCDs also experience burn-in effects.

LED

LED, also known as Light Emitting Diodes is one the most popular screen displays on demand. It has many types: indoor LEDs, Outdoor LEDs and many others. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of LEDs.

Advantages Of LEDs

1. LEDs have very long shelf lives, which means they are very durable.
2. LEDs can be energy-efficient.
3. LED screens possess more than 15 million colors, so they produce very high image quality.
4. They consume far less energy for creating images than traditional screens like Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT).
5. LED displays are not only waterproof but they are also dustproof. This makes them more effective for outdoor usage.
6. LEDs have very fast response rates, which saves you time when operating it.
7. LEDs have no size limit; they can be made to take any shape or size.
8. LEDs are very easy to program and operate. This is why it can be used for billboards and in other outdoor settings.
9. LEDs have amazing viewing angles that suit any position of your choice.
10. LEDs are recommended for their flicker-free images because they help to reduce eye strain, headaches and eye fatigue among their users.
11. They are very lightweight.
12. They are environmentally friendly.
13. LED displays have amazing features, like local dimming. Local dimming helps to give parts of the screen a real blackness, which increases the ratio of contrast.

Disadvantages Of LEDs

Although LED screen displays have very valid advantages, they also have disadvantages. The disadvantages of LEDs are as follows:

1. LED displays can cause light pollution due to their brightness.
2. They are susceptible to defects and deterioration due to mismanagement.
3. Although LEDs consume low power, it is still high when compared to LCDs. This is because LEDs produce light themselves.
4. LED displays are more expensive than any other type of display.
5. The contrast rate of LEDs can be very inconsistent.

Differences Between LCD And LED In Tabular Form

LCD	LED
1. LCDs is very affordable, with an average price range of $5,000-$6,000	LEDs are more expensive, and has a price range of $40,000-$50,000
2. LCDs make use of fluorescent lamps as backlights	LEDs make use of Light Emitting Diodes as backlights
3. LCDs do not allow local dimming because the fluorescent lamps are spread evenly to project a consistent display.	Full array type of LED allows for local dimming which enhances the image quality and contrast of the screen.
4. LCDs have more resolution than LEDs, it has a resolution of 1920×1080.	LED resolution varies based on the pixel pitch. It could either be 640×360 or 960×540
5. LCD displays have a lifespan of 5-7 years, which is 50,000 hours	LED displays have a lifespan of 11 years, which is 100,000 in very good condition.
6. The brightness of LCDs ranges from 500 to 700 nits	The brightness of LED ranges from 600 to 6000 nits
7. LCDs have a contrast of 1500:1	LEDs have a contrast of 5000:1, which means it has more contrast than LCDs.
8. LCDs consume 250W of power. This is very low when compared to LEDs.	LEDs consume 600W of power
9. LCDs improve user experience when viewed in close range.	LED displays are best enjoyed when viewed from a distance.
10. When it comes to video walls, LCD displays have larger panels.This makes the creation of large displays more possible. The downside to this is that, it can be very restrictive when it comes to space	LED displays panels for video walls are very small. This makes it easier for it to be combined in creative ways that fits all your preferences.
11. LCD displays are more suitable for indoor usage.	LED displays are more suitable for outdoor usage. Note that LEDs that are made for outdoor use always have an IP rating. This IP rating helps you determine how weather-resistant they are. The ideal IP rating suitable for outdoor use is the IP65-rated display.

 

Conclusion

The battle between which one is the best LCD or LED has come to a very definitive conclusion. From everything that has been stated above, LEDs seem to have more advantages than LCDs. It is very wise to weigh your options before deciding on which one the displays to go for and which one best suits your needs.

It is also good to note that a high end LCD display is much better than a low end LED display anytime. So if you are looking for a very good pocket-friendly display, its better to go for a high end LCD.