When we speak of LED and LCD, we often talk as though they are two different things. They're not. An LED monitor or TV is simply a specific type of LCD. Therefore, it's more accurate to talk about plain LCDs and LED LCDs. Let's discuss the differences, what both groups of letters mean, how they apply to TVs and monitors and why you should consider buying LED in the near future.
What is LCD?
LCD stands for "liquid crystal display." It's a fancy way of referring to a flat, thin electronic display screen which uses light crystals' light-modulating properties. They don't provide their own light, but regulate how the separate light source is regulated. In addition to TV and computer screens, LCDs are used in instrument panels, signage, aircraft cockpit displays, etc. They're also common in gaming devices, watches, clocks, telephones and calculators.
What is LED?
LED stands for "light emitting diode." An LED is a true light-generating source. The diode in a "light emitting diode" is basically a tiny light bulb. These are small enough that they easily fit into an electrical circuit. However, rather than generating heat in a filament, such as incandescent light bulbs, LEDs are illuminated as electrons move through the LEDs semiconductor material.
Which Brings Us to LED LCD
In older LCD televisions, the LCD screen was lit by fluorescent tubes. Tubes, by their very nature, are big and require big units to contain them. They also tend to give off heat. This was the beauty of the arrival of LED LCDs. This new generation of monitors and televisions, rather than having a few of these large tubes, now has hundreds of tiny diodes providing the light. The LED has made possible the slim TVs and monitors that are now so popular.
If you've ever seen the old generation of handheld game systems (like Game Boy), you remember that it was very difficult to see the game. That's because the image from the game was there, but there was no light source to reflect it to your eyes. You had to hold it beneath direct lighting to see it- until backlit models were created.
Televisions are the same way. You would barely be able to see the LCD's image without a light source. The fluorescent tubes did an adequate job, but LED did the job better, for several reasons.
What's Better About LED?
We mentioned the fact that LED's smaller size allows for slimmer screens. In addition to that, they give a less muddy, crisper image. That's because with just a few fluorescent tubes, the TV did not have much control over which parts of the screen were lit and darkened. So when there should have been dark blacks, because you couldn't be precise in turning off the light in those areas, you tended to have muddy greys. With LEDs, the screen can be shut off in very specific spots to give very accurate blacks. The result is a cleaner, more focused looking image. Bottom line: if you want a monitor or TV with a vivid image and with a sleek case containing it, LED LCD is your choice.
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