Liquid crystal display (LCD) and light emitting diode (LED) are two of the most popular and widely used technologies for digital displays. They are commonly used in the production of computer monitors, televisions, smartphones, tablets and even human machine interfaces (HMI). While they are both used for the same purpose — to produce a visual display — there are subtle differences between them that shouldn’t be ignored.
Before we begin, it’s important to note that an LED display is essentially a type of LCD. LEDs simply use LED lighting as the backlight, whereas LCDs use cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL’s) for backlighting. Both LCD and LEDs feature liquid crystals in the display panel that are illuminated to produce the image. Depending on the screen’s construction, it may contain two sheets of polarizing material, sandwiched between a later of liquid crystals. When the display is turned on, electricity passes through the crystals, causing them to align while subsequently restricting the passage of light.
There are both advantages and disadvantages associated with type of display. LEDs, for instance, offer greater energy efficiency than their LCD counterpart, which is particularly useful in applications where multiple displays are being used. On the other hand, LCDs typically cost less to produce, making them the preferred choice for budget-conscious consumers.
Another key benefit of LEDs is a feature called local dimming, which allows for stronger black colors along with better picture quality. Traditional LCD displays use fluorescent tubes as backlighting, which are designed to light the entire screen. This means companies are not able to adjust the backlighting strength in different areas of the screen. With LEDs, however, there’s a feature called local dimming that acontrols the output of the LEDs. In other words, you can adjust the brightness of certain sections of the display to create a better picture. If you are looking for a display with the best possible image quality, you should stick with LED.
Of course, these are just a few of the many differences between LCD and LED. You’ll want to research other aspects of these two popular display technologies to determine which one is right for you. In any case, though, you can’t go wrong with either LCD or LED.
The bottom line is that both LCDs and LEDs are excellent choices for electronic displays. They’ve been on the market for decades now, and there’s no sign of this changing anytime soon.
