Not all liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) are the same. While they all feature liquid pixels comprised in a separate layer, there are different types of LCDs. Some of them feature cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), for instance, whereas others feature light-emitting diodes (LEDs). CCFL LCDs and LED LCDs are both considered LCD technologies, but they use different types of backlighting. What’s the difference between CCFL LCDs and LED LCDs exactly?
What Is a CCFL LCD?
A CCFL LCD is a type of flat-panel display that uses an LCD with CCFL backlighting. It’s one of the oldest types of LCD technologies on the market. In the past, most televisions, computer monitors and other display devices featured CCFL LCD technology. CCFL LCDs are simply LCDs that feature CCFL bulbs for the backlighting.
What Is an LED LCD?
An LED LCD, on the other hand, is a flat-panel display that uses an LCD with LCD backlighting. It still has a layer of liquid pixels; all LCDs have a liquid pixel layer, and LED LCDs are no exception. They are known as “LED LCDs,” however, because they use LED bulbs for the backlighting.
In both CCFL LCDs and LED LCDs, backlighting is needed to illuminate the pixel layer. The pixel layer isn’t capable of illuminating itself. Rather, it requires illumination from an external source. CCFL LCDs use CCFL bulbs for the backlighting, whereas LED LCDs use LED bulbs for the backlighting. Aside from backlighting, they are two similar technologies that revolve around LCD.
Why LED LCDs Are Better
You probably won’t find many CCFL LCDs for sale. While they were once of the leading display technologies for consumer electronics, they’ve since been replaced in favor of newer technologies, one of which being LED LCD — and for good reason. LED LCDs are better than their CCFL LCD counterparts for several reasons.
For starters, LED LCDs are typically smaller and more compact. LED bulbs support small sizes. Therefore, they don’t consume much space in LCDs when used as backlighting. This means LED LCDs support smaller, thinner sizes, making them preferable over CCFL LCDs.
LED LCDs are also more efficient than CCFL LCDs. Both types of display devices will consume energy during use. Most of their consumed energy, of course, comes from the backlighting. With that said, LED bulbs consume less energy than CCFL bulbs, so LED LCDs are naturally more energy efficient. These are just a few reasons why LED LCDs are better than CCFL LCDs.
