LED vs LCD Monitor | Difference Between Them – Which One Is Better !!

Who does not want to get trendy using the latest display technology? Want to buy the best monitor or TV to experience the best? Not satisfied with gaming on the current screen?  Need a distinction between LED vs LCD Monitor? Check out the following.

What is an LCD?

LCD stands for liquid crystal display.

Types of LCD monitor

1. Twisted Nematic (TN): Such display contains liquid nematic crystals twisted in various degrees allowing light to pass through it.
2. In-Plane Switching (IPS): These also contain liquid crystals but they are placed in a parallel position.
3. Super In-Plane Switching (S-IPS): The color reproduction and response timing are better than IPS in these displays.
4. Advanced Fringe Field Switching (AFFS): Though is similar to IPS and S-IPS, the picture color luminosity and performance are even higher in these displays.
5. Vertical Alignment (VA): The liquid crystals get themselves aligned vertically in these displays.
6. Blue phase mode: These kinds of displays are not in mass-production yet.

What is an LED?

LED stands for light-emitting diode, an electronic component, and actually, means LED-backlit LCD TV. Who has the time to utter such a huge name? Hence the name LED is used for daily usage.

Types of LED Monitor

1. Direct or White LED (W-LED): The LED bulbs are kept directly behind the panel in these.
2. Edge LED: Here the LED bulbs are mounted on the edge of the panel. These are the most common ones.
3. RGB dynamic LED: These are similar to direct ones but the difference is that the LEDs emit RGB (red, green, blue) colored light instead of white light.

LED vs LCD Monitor – Which one is better

Both kinds of displays involve the use of a panel consisting of two layers of sheets of polarizing material with a crystal solution in between. Let’s see the difference between them and which one is better, LED or LCD monitor. Upon the passage of electric current through it, the passage of light from behind it is controlled, which results in the production of colors on the screen of your TV or monitor. Still, there are the following differences that distinguish one from another:

1. Backlighting
   • CCFL: The cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) were used in the past in order to light up the crystal solution on its way forward. The use of this backlighting technology is now out of date though some manufacturers still produce them. The reason it is abandoned is that the CCFLs are thicker than LEDs. These lamps, set serially inside, illuminate the whole screen equally and so an equal level of brightness is observed throughout the screen. Such LCDs are cheaper to make.
   • Full array: Full-array LED LCD TVs are the modern LED TVs where the LCD screen is illuminated by an array full of LEDs. The use of LED in lieu of CCFL has marked the difference between LED and LCD and has caused the “LCD vs LED display” discussion to come into being. Anyways, this newer technology has become a favorite due to the fact that it ensures precise and even illumination i.e.it has to offer the illumination you want. Furthermore, it causes fewer bills for you to count in comparison to the CCFL LCDs.
2. Lighting: Lighting in LCD is of two types. In LCD TVs the sources for illumination of the screen are placed just behind the screen only. On the other hand, in LED TVs the light may come from behind or from the edges.
3. Dimming: The screen and hence the pictures are dimmed in an LED TV by dimming the LEDs behind it or on the edges. This sets the contrast of the picture quality. Local dimming is something the full array LED TVs or monitors have to offer as the light sources are under direct supervision over local areas of the screen. But edge-lit ones may show dark lines or areas on the screen owing to any blockade while setting the contrast. LCD TVs or specifically the CCFL LCD TVs lack such features. The dimming may be done to a minimal range by lowering the current through it. But, practically speaking, it reduces the lifespan of CFL lamps. So, you do not want your TV to worn out so shortly, do you?
4. Direct or edge-mounted: It depends on which factor you are concerned about when buying a TV or monitor.LED backlighting is of two types: direct and edge mounted. Direct backlighting enables you to control the contrast level by turning the local lights behind the screen on and off. Edge mounted technology helps get you the thinnest display. But you have to lose your control over the contrast level as an opportunity cost. Additionally, you may suffer from the picture quality if the dispersion of light is not well.
5. Viewing angles: Viewing angles primarily depend on the type of LCD panel you use. But still, as the brightness, contrast, and black levels depend on the lighting technology, they have an effect on this particular issue. LED has an upper hand again in this case as well. The challenge, in this case, is minimizing the rate of change of hue, saturation and retaining the actual combination of the red, green, and blue (RBG) percentage of a particular picture irrespective of your angular position with respect to the central point of the screen which is often considered the “sweet spot”.The changes are lesser for the VA (Vertically aligned) screens than IPS (in-place switching) screens or TN (twisted nematic) screens. LCD monitors come up with IPS screens while the LED LCD ones have VA screens in front. So, guess who wins!
6. Thickness: No debate on LED vs LCD monitor or TV is there when thickness comes to draw the line of separation. CCFL takes more space than a full array with LED backlighting technology. But, edge-lit LED TVs are thinner than back-lit LED TVs.
7. RGB quality/Color accuracy: LED back-lit LCDs have got two types of LED backlighting in use- white and RGB. The white ones are made white by the use of a sulfur coating on them and this is the same as CCFLs in terms of color accuracy. But the distinctive problem that it has is the stronger green portion in pictures. The other ones i.e. the RGB LEDs have overcome the defect of green “push” of the spectrum and thus give better RGB quality. Keep this in your mind while you are dealing with an LCD vs LED monitor confusion.
8. Dynamic Contrast/black level: LCDs are, basically, displays that transmit light more and so cannot produce perfect black. Instead, they give rise to very dark yet grays.LED monitors to provide you quality dark pictures meeting your desire.
9. Video playback (when fast): When videos are played fast a number of displays expose blurred images and often jet-lagged. The response rate of time of an LED display is enough to overcome these troubles.
10. Price: You may think which is cheaper LCD or LED? The LCD monitors are almost always cheaper than LED monitors.
11. Lifespan: As far as lifespan is concerned, LED is again ahead of LCD. The longevity mostly depends on the light source used. As the CFL backlights go out of the calibrated white balance faster than LEDs, whether it be RGB LEDs or the ones containing sulfur, LED TVs are again the better choice.
12. Power consumption: LCD displays, for a certain size, always consume more power than LED displays.
13. Sizes: The size of LCD displays ranging from 15 inches to 65 inches. On the other hand, LED displays to range from 17 inches to 70 inches. As size does matter to several, LED TVs and monitors are preferable.

Basically, there are a ton of options when it comes to choosing monitors, for that you can read this monitors advicebeast guide to learn more about the selection of monitors.

Which One is More Harmful to Your Eyes?

As LCD monitors contain fluorescent bulbs, the light your eyes are exposed to may contain UV radiation. Thus you get vulnerable to diseases which may be a slow process though. So, LED is the safer option.

A Few Quick Suggestions:

1. Picture Quality: As far as picture quality is concerned, LED Monitor is the Best. It is better than not only LCD but also other displays viz. plasma etc. In the case of LEDs to give preference to the backlit ones to the edge-lit ones though backlit LEDs may seem thicker. Screen flickering is another problem that may be a headache for you that may occur for bad quality or picture.

2. Efficiency: The LED-lit LCD displays are more efficient than other LCDs, which we simply call LCDs, in terms of energy consumption.

3. Video: The response time of LED TVs is generally thrice that of LCD TVs. So, if the fast video is the criterion of your judgment, LED TV is the suggestion.

4. Gaming: If you are a gamer or want to start gaming then the panel technology will be your prime consideration in lieu of the backlighting technology. The VA and IPS panels are better in graphics, visuals, viewing angles, and so forth but the response timings and refresh rates will dissatisfy you. So, the TN panel is the best choice for you unless precise picture quality is a too great deal for you.

5. Home Theatre: For a brightly lit room both LED and LCD may be recommended keeping the limitations in mind. But for ordinary or dimly lit environments LED TVs are to be chosen.

6. Graphics designing: Graphics designing is better in LED monitors but of course, check out the panel used. Don’t take a TN panel. Though the manufacturers of TN panels have improved them, nowhere they come even close to VA or IPS panels.

Future of the LED TVs

1. OLED: OLED means Organic Light Emitting Diode. In this newer technology, the material that glows is organic in nature. They have stunning darkness to meet your desire and perfect brightness to offer you a soothing sight availing you a rich contrast control. You can now relax in your home theatre watching your favorite show because OLED TV has to offer you a wider angle of view.

2. QLED: The QLED TVs or the Quantum dot LED TVs are another renaissance in the world of TVs. Interestingly, the lights produced inside the is not let pass to your eyes before it passes through a piece of film and spread on it in order to filter.QLEDs surpass OLEDs in brightness, size, and lifespan. But other factors are still in the mode of competition. Anyways, the thinner, lighter, and enabled with 4K Ultra HD QLED TVs will amaze you by replicating the actual visual and audio experience. Get your sofas ready!

3. AMOLED: You can call it OLED plus version. AMOLED literally means active-matrix organic light-emitting diode. What you need to know is, it activates the pixels of an OLED adding an additional layer of semiconductors behind. Larger screens will have a handful of more pixels due to their presence.

4. SUPER AMOLED: Super AMOLED is nothing but the AMOLED displays with a slight variation in the touch access system. Actually, a touch-sensitive panel, often known as TSP, is mounted over the actual screen. This feature of touch sensation is integrated into the screen in SUPER AMOLED displays.

5. 4K LED: It is more like watching outside through a window than watching a TV when you are watching your favorite channel in your Ultra High definition TV (UHD TV) or 4K LED TV. Providing the best of the resolution of nearly 4 times the resolution of an HD TV, it will not let your eyes fall on any other set around you. But don’t get drowned into oblivion. The 4K contents are still limited and those recorded would require a bandwidth of 25 Mbps.

Final Verdict

The argument on LED vs LCD Monitor has no meaning if the literal meaning is taken since the difference is simply on the backlighting methodology. Every matter has pros and cons. But taking all the aspects into account LED TVs will give you the taste of the newest and the finest. But carefully check the specifications such as types of panels according to your particular need.