Consumer Guide to LED and LCD
Display technologies are a constantly evolving market, with many techniques used to create the most realistic image possible. The two most popular display types are LCD and LED. What are the key differences between these, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
How it works:
LCD:
LCD (Liquid-crystal Display) is a technology that typically works by applying a voltage to liquid crystals to change their transparency. Each pixel in an LCD display has three of these crystals a red, green and blue one and the more light that is let through each the more that colour will be pronounced. These crystals however do not emit light and therefore a backlight is shone through this to create an image that can be seen. So LCD effectively functions like a computer controlled stain glass window where different parts are blocked off to varying degrees to create the desired image.
LED
LED (light emitting diode) is another type of display technology that works by using electronics to stimulate a material to emit light. Each pixel contains three different materials that either emit red, green or blue light and each of these are known as subpixels. LED makes each pixel or subpixel only emit light when it is required to form an image on the display.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
LED:
- Since LED displays light up each colour in each pixel individually and as is needed, it is able to provide richer black levels and also use less power or battery life.
- These displays offer a 100x faster response time and increased viewing angles
- LED is a solid state display and this makes it slightly more durable to physical damage.
- Due to the way this technology works, LED displays produce less blue light which is better for eye health
LCD:
- LCDs are typically rated to last twice as long as most LED displays.
- These are cheaper to manufacture
- LCDs are fairly resistant to thermal damage.
Disadvantages:
LED:
- LED displays are expensive to manufacture.
- Prone to thermal degradation which takes the form of burn in. This means that if the display is showing the same image for extremely long periods e.g. apps on a home screen. These app logos have the potential to be permanently burnt into the display.
- Concerning eye health, LED displays produce less blue light than LCDs.
What this means to a consumer
All in all, OLED displays look better due to their more realistic colours and faster response time. OLED is also better for eye health yet at double the price it is only rated to last half as long as a traditional LCD.
