Difference Between LCD and LED

Did you know that both LED, and LCD TV's are based on the same technology and LED TVs are, infact, LCD TVs?

Don't be shocked. Liquid Crystal Display, generally known as LCD among common people, is the base technology used in LCD and LED TVs. These television screens have two layers between which the liquid crystals block or allow the passage of light to render an image. Let's understand this in a stepwise manner.

What is a Liquid Crystal Display?

A Liquid Crystal Display is a piece of technology that uses liquid crystals encased between two layers to form images. The liquid crystals act somewhere in between the properties of crystalline solids and liquids. They can slide over the layers like a liquid and arrange themselves in ordered patterns like a crystalline solid.

These molecules allow light to pass through or block them to form the images we see on the screen. The change in the electric field brings about a change in the orientation of these molecules. The optical properties of these molecules are associated with the orientation of these molecules. Thus, this phenomenon of change in orientation due to the electric field is known as an optical-electro effect. LCD TVs use this effect.

Basic Difference Between LCD and LED TV

The difference at the core of these two types of TVs is the light used to illuminate the image. An LCD TV uses a fluorescent bulb behind the layers to illuminate the image formed, and in contrast, an LED TV uses light-emitting diodes (either on the back or on the edges) to illuminate the image formed by the LCD setup inside it. In short, an LED TV is an advanced version of an LCD TV.

Important Concepts related to LED and LCD

Viewing Angle: The viewing angle in a TV is the maximum angle from the centre (exactly in front of the screen) to either side where there is no loss of colour quality or brightness in viewing the picture displayed by the screen.
Colour Accuracy: It is the ability of the technology to display the exact tone/hue of the shade along with the shade of grey as was intended by the signal sent by the original device at the source.
Black Level: Black Level determines the amount of brightness given by a TV. We can better define it as the light that a screen emits in the zones with the darkest pictures.

Difference Between LCD and LED TV

LCD	LED
An LCD screen uses less power compared to LED for the same process.	An LED screen uses more power in comparison to an LCD screen.
The cost of an LCD is lower compared to an LED.	An LED screen is costly.
The picture on an LCD screen is less sharp when compared to an LED.	An LED screen delivers a sharp picture quality.
The colour accuracy is very good but less than an LED screen.	The colour accuracy is higher when compared with an LCD screen.
The LCD screen lags behind an LED screen in terms of the black level and the contrast.	An LED screen has a better black level and contrast.
The viewing angle of an LCD screen is much less when compared with an LED screen.	The screen comes with a better viewing angle.

Reasons Behind the Difference

We can sum the differences between the LED and LCD screens down to two main reasons. First, the sharper picture of the LED screen and the better colour quality provided by the LED screen is because coding with the RGB colour codes on the LED screens makes them more efficient with the tones. The second reason for the better quality of the LED screen is that when required, the LED TV has the technology to dim an LED light source to provide better contrast, black level and anti-glare properties.

Frequently Asked Questions about LED and LCD

Ques: Which is longer-lasting, LED or LCD?
Typically, LEDs last between 100,000 and 200,000 hours. While LCDs have a lifespan of 75,000 hours to 100,000 hours.

Ques: Which is better for gaming, LCD or LED?
Games benefit from LEDs' brightness and contrast, which make them a great choice. However, since LEDs are expensive, LCDs can still be used for gaming if you're on a budget.