Which is better, LCD (LCD) or LED, and what is the difference between them. LCD panel technologies. Types of lighting in LED screens

Telling about IPS differences and TN matrices as part of advice when buying a monitor or laptop. It's time to talk about all the modern display production technologies that we may encounter and have an idea about types of matrices in devices of our generation. Do not confuse with LED, EDGE LED, Direct LED - these are types of screen backlighting and display technologies are indirectly related.

Probably everyone can remember the monitor with a cathode ray tube that they used before. True, there are still users and fans of CRT technology. Currently, screens have increased in diagonal size, display manufacturing technologies have changed, and there are more and more varieties in the characteristics of matrices, denoted by the abbreviations TN, TN-Film, IPS, Amoled, etc.

The information in this article will help you choose a monitor, smartphone, tablet and other various types of equipment. In addition, it will highlight the technologies for creating displays, as well as the types and features of their matrices.

A few words about liquid crystal displays

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a display made from liquid crystals that change their location when voltage is applied to them. If you come close to such a display and look closely at it, you will notice that it consists of small dots - pixels (liquid crystals). In turn, each pixel consists of red, blue and green subpixels. When voltage is applied, the subpixels line up in in a certain order and transmit light through themselves, thus forming a pixel a certain color. Many such pixels form an image on the screen of a monitor or other device.

The first mass-produced monitors were equipped matrices TN- having the simplest design, but which cannot be called the highest quality type of matrix. Although among this type of matrices there are very high-quality specimens. This technology is based on the fact that in the absence of voltage, subpixels transmit light through themselves, forming white dot. When voltage is applied to the subpixels, they are arranged in a certain order, forming a pixel of a given color.

Disadvantages of TN matrix

For the reason that standard color pixel, when there is no voltage, white, this type The matrix does not have the best color rendering. Colors appear duller and faded, and blacks appear more of a dark gray.
Another main disadvantage of a TN matrix is small viewing angles. Partially they tried to cope with this problem by improving TN technology to TN+Film, using an additional layer applied to the screen. Viewing angles became larger, but still remained far from ideal.

At the moment, TN+Film matrices have completely replaced TN.

Advantages of TN matrix

fast response time
relatively inexpensive cost.

Drawing conclusions, it can be argued that, if necessary, inexpensive monitor For office work or surfing the Internet, monitors with TN+Film matrices are best suited.

The main difference between IPS matrix technology and TN— perpendicular arrangement of subpixels in the absence of voltage, which form a black point. That is, in a state of calm the screen remains black.

Advantages of IPS matrices

better color reproduction compared to screens with TN matrices: you have bright and rich colors on the screen, and black remains truly black. Accordingly, when voltage is applied, the pixels change color. Considering this feature, owners of smartphones and tablets with IPS screens can be advised to use dark color schemes and wallpaper on the desktop, then the smartphone will last a little longer on battery power.
large viewing angles. On most screens they are 178°. For monitors, and especially for mobile devices(smartphones and tablets) this feature is important when the user chooses a gadget.

Disadvantages of IPS matrices

long screen response time. This affects the display in dynamic pictures such as games and movies. In modern IPS panels With response time things are better.
higher cost compared to TN.

To summarize, it is better to choose phones and tablets with IPS matrices, and then the user will receive great aesthetic pleasure from using the device. The matrix for a monitor is not so critical, modern ones.

AMOLED screens

The latest smartphone models are equipped with AMOLED displays. This technology for creating matrices is based on active LEDs, which begin to glow and display color when voltage is applied to them.

let's consider features of Amoled matrices:

Color rendition. The saturation and contrast of such screens are higher than required. Colors appear so bright that some users may experience eye strain. long work with your smartphone. But the black color is displayed even blacker than even in IPS matrices.
Display power consumption. Just like IPS, displaying black requires less power than displaying a specific color, much less white. But the difference in power consumption between displaying black and white AMOLED screens have much more. Displaying white requires several times more energy than displaying black.
"Picture Memory". If a static image is displayed for a long time, marks may remain on the screen, and this in turn affects the quality of the information displayed.

Also, due to their rather high cost, AMOLED screens are currently only used in smartphones. Monitors built on this technology are unreasonably expensive.

VA (Vertical Alignment)- this technology, developed by Fujitsu, can be considered as a compromise between TN and IPS matrices. In VA matrices, the crystals in the off state are located perpendicular to the screen plane. Accordingly, the black color is ensured as pure and deep as possible, but when the matrix is rotated relative to the direction of view, the crystals will not be visible equally. To solve the problem, a multi-domain structure is used. Technology Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) provides protrusions on the plates that determine the direction of rotation of the crystals. If two subdomains rotate into opposite directions, then when viewed from the side, one of them will be darker and the other lighter, so for the human eye the deviations are mutually compensated. There are no protrusions in PVA dies developed by Samsung, and the crystals are strictly vertical when turned off. In order for the crystals of neighboring subdomains to rotate in opposite directions, the lower electrodes are shifted relative to the upper ones.

To reduce response time, Premium MVA and S-PVA matrices use a dynamic voltage boost system to individual areas matrix, which is usually called Overdrive. Color rendition of PMVA and SPVA matrices is almost as good as that of IPS, response time is slightly inferior to TN, viewing angles are as wide as possible, black color is the best, brightness and contrast are the highest possible among all existing technologies. However, even with a slight deviation of the viewing direction from the perpendicular, even by 5–10 degrees, distortions in halftones can be noticed. This will go unnoticed by most, but professional photographers continue to dislike VA technology for this.

MVA and PVA matrices have excellent contrast and viewing angles, but the situation with response time is worse - it grows as the difference between the final and initial states of the pixel decreases. Early models of such monitors were almost unsuitable for dynamic games, but now they show results close to TN matrices. Color rendering *VA matrices, of course, is inferior to IPS matrices, but remains at a high level. However, due to their high contrast ratio, these monitors will excellent choice for working with text and photography, with drawing graphics, and also as home monitors.

In conclusion, I can say that the choice is always yours...

Many any modern TV with a flat screen are called “plasma”, which is wrong in 9 cases out of 10. Gas-discharge technologies, on the basis of which plasma TVs operate, are rare in ordinary people. For all its advantages, this is an expensive solution. More often, models are purchased that are built using liquid crystal modules. They cost an order of magnitude less, without being inferior in most respects

It is LCD monitors that will be discussed below. They come in two varieties: LCD and LED. The difference in technical performance is not as significant as it seems at first glance.

Let's look at this question in more detail.

Why can't you compare?

In fact, it is impossible to compare LED and LCD. Since the first abbreviation means a type of device group designated by the second. This is the same as asking: which is better - a car or a BMW.

Nevertheless, this is exactly how citizens are accustomed to dividing LCD monitors. Therefore, further, when we say “LED” we will mean this technology, and “LCD” we will include all other models of liquid crystal devices.

Structure of LCD displays

It makes no sense to go into depth into the operating principle of liquid crystal equipment: it will be difficult for an untrained reader to navigate all the intricacies. Within the framework of the article, it is enough to briefly mention the structure of the liquid crystal panel.

To simplify, an LCD matrix is two transparent plates divided into tiny cells. Each of these capsules is filled with a special substance – liquid crystal. The internal part is covered with RGB color filters: red, blue or green. Each screen pixel includes three cells with inserts of different colors.

The liquid crystal substance has an amazing property. If you pass through it electricity, it becomes translucent, remaining opaque in its normal state. Thus, if you illuminate the assembly from the inside, you can build a combination of multi-colored dots that together represent an image.

What is the difference between LED and LCD? Only in the way the backlight is implemented.

LCD technology

A typical LCD backlight is a simple cold-light fluorescent lamp installed in the monitor housing in front of the display.

This lighting allows you to create a palette of different colors. Energy consumption for electroluminescent illumination is relatively low, but it requires a source to operate. alternating current high frequency. Converters for the operation of a light source consume an average of 25 watts per hour.

LCD durability (brightness halved from the initial value) is approximately 5 thousand hours, which is affected by the set glow intensity.

LED technology

This backlight is made from a group bright LEDs. For models with a small matrix size, tapes with built-in emitters are installed on only one side (most often on the side). In large-format devices, LEDs are installed over the entire display area.

The technical functioning of LEDs can be ensured from a 5V voltage source without the use of converters. This solution consumes minimal energy and can be used in compact portable devices.

To adjust the brightness of the glow, use pulse width modulators.

What type of monitor should I choose?

LED or LCD: which is better? Definitely LED lightening LCD matrices are preferable. Semiconductors win in many ways. Let's list the main ones.

Low power consumption. LEDs do not require additional converters for power supply. The current limiter is the only component of the circuit that consumes energy. Backlight consumption, even on screens with a diagonal of 46+ cm, never exceeds 10 Watts, for standard household models - 3-5 Watts.
Durability. LED service life is 50 thousand hours. At the same time, replacing LED strips is a simple and cheap procedure; repairs occur quickly and do not involve significant costs.
Dimensions. Miniature semiconductor devices allows you to make a monitor with a truly “flat” display. In a number of devices (for example, laptops) this is an indispensable solution.
Color quality. The LED difference from LCD is that in the case of LEDs it is possible to distribute the backlight evenly around the perimeter of the screen. This improves contrast and increases image saturation. In addition, by changing the brightness of individual areas of the display, the problem of local dimming is solved.

Monitors and displays equipped with LED backlighting are slightly more expensive, but the difference is not that significant. Choosing such a brand is an excellent compromise between price and performance. Efficient, with a bright “live” picture, ergonomic and trouble-free: the main qualities of a “correct” TV.

LCD technology is becoming a thing of the past; many manufacturers have already stopped serial production devices with fluorescent lamps. The future belongs to semiconductor emitters.

CRT technology continues to evolve, but monitors using it take up a lot of desktop space and have high power consumption. Flat panel displays, as the name suggests, are flat and take up minimal space. Flat panel technologies are divided into various technology groups such as LCD (liquid crystal display), plasma displays, LED (light emitting diodes) and some others. These technologies include those that emit light, such as plasma, and those that control the light passing through them, such as liquid crystal. Let's take a closer look at two different technologies - liquid crystal monitors and plasma monitors, since they are receivers with CRT screens.

TFT-LCD are considered the most interesting and mass technology. TFT stands for “thin film transistor” and means that there are semiconductor elements on the panel that actively drive individual pixels. The principle of image formation is quite simple: the panel consists of many pixels, each of which can form its own color. For this purpose, a backlight consisting of one or more fluorescent lamps is used. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. Liquid crystals can change their spatial orientation in an electronic field, which leads to a change in the brightness of the light passing through them. The dot shaping process uses two polarizing filters, color filters, and two equalization layers. All this allows you to accurately determine the level of transmitted light and its color. The leveling layer is located between two glass panels. To form color, each dot is made up of three components - red, green and blue - just like traditional CRT displays.

Modern TFT LCD monitors They have excellent colors and fast characters. They are manufactured according to several IPS technologies(In-Pana Switching) or Super Fine TFT. Characterized by the largest viewing angle and high accuracy color rendition. The viewing angle is expanded to 170°, other functions are the same as TN+Film (response time about 25 ms), almost perfect black color. Advantages: good contrast, “dead” pixel is black. Super IPS,Advanced SFT. Advantages: bright, contrasting images, almost invisible color distortion, increased viewing angles (up to 170° vertically and horizontally) and exceptional clarity. UA-IPS (Ultra Advanced ISP), UA-SFT (Ultra Advanced SFT).Reaction time is sufficient to ensure minimal color distortion when viewing the screen from different angles, increased panel transparency and expansion color range at a sufficiently high brightness level.

MVA (Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment).The main advantage is the shortest reaction time and high contrast. Main disadvantage- high price. Plasma monitors are widely used in televisions, information displays and as video monitors due to excellent characteristics and large diagonal size.

Job plasma monitors very similar to the work of neon lamps, which are made in the form of a tube filled with an inert gas low pressure. A pair of electrodes is placed inside the tube, between which an electric discharge is ignited and a glow occurs. Plasma screens are created by filling the space between two glass surfaces with an inert gas, such as argon or neon. Small transparent electrodes are then placed on the glass surface and high frequency voltages are applied to them. Under the influence of this voltage, an electric discharge occurs in the gas region adjacent to the electrode. The gas discharge plasma emits light in the ultraviolet range, which causes phosphor particles to glow in the range visible to humans. In fact, every pixel on the screen works like a regular fluorescent lamp. High brightness, contrast and lack of jitter are the big advantages of such monitors. In addition, the angle from which a normal image can be seen on plasma monitors is 160° compared to 145°, as is the case with TFT-LCD monitors. The only thing that limits their widespread use is cost. The great advantage of plasma monitors is their service life. Average term service without changing image quality is 30,000 hours. This is three times more than a conventional cathode ray tube.

Characteristics of plasma displays

Monitor diagonal sizes: 42” – 102”

Maximum brightness: Excellent (500-1200 candelas/m2)

Contrast: Excellent (1:1000 and above)

Color rendition: Excellent

Operating time: 60 thousand hours

Viewing Angle: 160°

- “Burn-in” on static images: Possible due to improper use, i.e. when showing static images for a long time.

Characteristics of TFT-LCD

Monitor diagonal sizes: 4” – 50”

Maximum brightness: Good (200-400 candelas/m2)

Contrast:Good (1:250 – 1:700)

Color rendition: Limited

Operating time: 60 thousand hours

Appearance of bad pixels: None

Viewing angle: 145°, image changes contrast at large angles

- “Burn-in” on static images: Possible due to improper use, i.e. when displaying static images for a long time, but this time is significantly longer than with plasma panels.

Advantages and disadvantages of LCD and PDP (plasma panel) technologies

Modern PDP and LCD panels are strikingly different from their predecessors. Their advantages over devices with a cathode ray tube are obvious - small body thickness with large size screen, safety for health, and the use of LCD also significantly saves energy consumption. However, how to find the answer to the question: what is better - LCD or plasma, which should be preferred? After all, each technology has its own strengths and weak sides.

The fundamental difference between plasma and LCD is that PDP panels are light-emitting devices, while LCD matrices only modulate the brightness of the light flux passing through them. That is why they, as a rule, have lower brightness, but are much thinner and lighter. In addition, liquid crystals consume much less energy than direct irradiation displays. In plasma, on the contrary, to maintain electrical discharges in cells it is required high power, and this is considered one of the most significant disadvantages. Therefore, the screen literally breathes heat and demands forced cooling. The LCD screen remains practically cold. In addition to being gluttonous, plasma also has such an unpleasant property as burning out the screen when playing static images for a long time.

In plasma panels, the radiating element - the gas-discharge cell - is quite large in size. This explains that a plasma panel with the same diagonal as an LCD has a lower resolution, that is, the plasma image is more grainy.

The weaknesses of LCD displays include inertia that has not yet been completely overcome, but in Lately Liquid crystals have increased agility quite a lot, so according to this indicator, plasma has a small plus. So far, LCDs are inferior in viewing angles as well.

Compared to plasma, LCDs have lower peak brightness but better contrast in a bright room. But in a dark room the advantage will be on the side of the plasma. In practice, this means that when receiving TV programs, LCD models have certain advantages, and for watching movies in a darkened room, PDP should provide a picture richer in halftones, especially in the black area.

As for large LCD PID panels, they have clear advantages over similar plasmas. Firstly, based on the specifics of the use of information displays, positive LCD features is much more long term operation. The main area of application of PID is production monitoring, information panels at airports, train stations, banks, stock exchanges, etc. In all these cases, the picture displayed on the screen is static, and the monitors work almost around the clock. In plasma panels, this leads to fairly rapid burnout of the bright areas of the image (white lines become black). LCD panels have a lifespan of about 50,000 hours. For most modern plasma panels it is 20,000-30,000 hours, after which the screen begins to sharply lose brightness. Under 24-hour operation conditions, 20,000 hours is only about two years.

Secondly, although the contrast of plasma panels is higher than that of LCDs, when hitting the screen directly or reflected sunlight(and this can be the case in large halls) the overall contrast of the plasma image begins to drop noticeably faster than LCD. In other words, when the screen is illuminated by sunlight, you can read information on the LCD panel, whereas on a PDP this is extremely difficult to do. It is also worth noting that a plasma screen is always covered with glass, which leads to weak anti-glare properties of the monitor and degrades image quality in large, brightly lit rooms.

It is worth keeping in mind that PDPs cannot be used as desktop monitors for PCs, while LCDs are becoming increasingly common in this area, which allows the prices of LCD screens to constantly decrease. And although it is still difficult to name a clear winner, the future most likely lies with LCD technologies.

We decided to buy new TV, but don’t know which is better: LED or LCD? You are not alone. Since their appearance on the consumer market, televisions have been actively and confidently developing. And if at first they were the size of a refrigerator and reproduced black and white image low quality, now they are thin, have big screen and allow you to enjoy excellent quality color images.

With the abundance of new technologies, the choice has become more complicated. specific model. Therefore, many people are concerned about which TV is better: LED or LCD? Does it make sense to spend more money, buy an LED TV and enjoy new features and technologies, or is it easier to buy a cheaper one?

This may sound surprising, but LED TV is an LCD TV. Marketers have very successfully “promoted” it, so that many people think that it is different TVs. Currently, there are two main methods of backlighting in LCD panels: cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) and LEDs (light-emitting diodes). There are a few others, such as hot cathode fluorescent lamp (HCFL) backlighting, but they are used very rarely.

Therefore, the only difference between LED and LCD TVs is the use of different backlights. Please understand that when a seller refers to an LCD TV, he is referring to an LCD TV with CCFL backlight. When he refers to an LED TV, he actually means an LCD TV that uses LEDs for backlighting.

The best way to determine which technology is better is to look at the facts.

Color accuracy

LED TVs provide superior images with accurate color reproduction compared to LCD TVs. RGB LEDs, which are used in them, are capable of displaying brilliant and bright colors.

Contrast and black level

The liquid crystals in an LCD TV block passing light to create a dark color. This does not allow for excellent levels of contrast or blacks, as the crystals always let some light through. LEDs are capable of glowing very dimly and not displaying light at all, which allows LED TVs to have better .

Price

Currently, LED TVs are still considered a "new" technology, so their price is somewhat high. Thus, LCD TVs that still use C CFL technology have best attitude size and features to price.

average price for an LED TV is $500. However, there is a huge price range, and cheap TVs can cost as little as $350, while expensive ones can cost over $3,500. The average price of an LCD TV is $300. Prices for TVs are usually determined by size, resolution, and feature set. In any case, LCD TVs are more affordable.

Power consumption

LED TVs are capable of creating dim lighting, compared to LCD, which simply blocks the existing light stream to create dark colors. For this reason, LED TVs actually consume much less power and thus win the power consumption category.

Durability

LED TVs are relatively new, so there haven't been any long-term studies on their longevity to draw any real conclusions.

But according to the theory of the technology used, the LED panel should maintain its color accuracy much longer than CFL-backlit panels, since fluorescent lamps With age, they lose quality of lighting. Theoretically, an LED TV should last longer than an LCD.

Viewing Angles

This category doesn't really depend on the technology used. depend on the quality and type of display front glass. If your TV uses LED technology or C CFL, then this essentially does not affect viewing angles.

Game Mode

Both LED and LCD TVs are capable of supporting modern game consoles and set-top boxes. There is a tie in this category.

Video quality

The response time of LED and CFL TVs is approximately the same. Both technologies handle video playback with dynamic scenes.

conclusions

Choice specific technology depends on what features you need and how much money you are willing to spend on your TV. If your budget is limited, it is better to opt for an LCD TV, which is certainly cheaper. But if the budget is not limited, it is better to choose LED technologies, as they are of higher quality and more advanced.

Liquid crystal television models today do not surprise anyone, and they can be found in almost every modern apartment. However, if you have just decided to exchange your old TV for a new one, then when choosing a model you may be faced with the fact that the word LED will be indicated in its name or characteristics. You've probably heard about these types of displays, but before you make your choice in favor of an LED or LCD model, you should understand how one technology differs from another.

Design of LCD and LED TVs

Represent two transparent panels with electrodes between which crystals are located in liquid form. Such crystals are arranged in a certain order in order to be able to transmit a picture. LCD monitors also have filters that create a polarizing effect and color filters to create a color image. In addition, TVs created using this technology have a backlight lamp, which is located at the back of the screen. This lighting is called CCFL.

Ice TVs have exactly the same production technology, only instead of a conventional cold cathode lamp, LED lighting is used for backlighting. That is, a large number of small LEDs are located on the sides of the screen or along its entire perimeter at the back.

As a result, we come to the conclusion that the only difference between these TV models is the type of screen backlight.

What is better anyway?

To decide which one TVs will do For you, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics that each of these TV models has.

Color rendition much better on ice screens, as LEDs allow you to create brighter colors and a greater number of shades.
Black level and contrast also much better in panels with LED backlight. This is due to the fact that the overall backlight of the TV will make the black pixels not dark enough, causing the contrast and black levels to be lower than those of an LCD TV.
Energy efficiency. LCD TVs do not consume much less electricity than models with LED backlighting, so deciding which one is better in this regard is difficult.
Price LED TVs on this moment is still higher than that of conventional LCD models with the same diagonal and interface.
Viewing angle. Previously, this was significant, since older LCD models had matrices that could not provide a sufficient viewing angle and when viewing the TV from a certain angle, it looked too dark, or simply distorted the colors. Modern models no longer have this problem, and you can safely buy them. However, the winner in this category can be called an LED TV, since even in the very first models the viewing angle was at least 160 degrees.
Fast response is currently the same in both technologies. However, if you decide to save money and buy an older model of LCD TV, you may encounter a slow response speed, which is why the picture may have a so-called “trail” when watching a fast-moving video, for example, “Formula 1”.
Interface In TVs of both one and the other, the technology is the same. There is support both here and there game consoles, connectors such as MHL, USB, HDMI and so on.
Durability. LEDs last much longer than ordinary lamps, which means LED display will last you longer.
Dimensions. Ice TVs are noticeably thinner than conventional LCD displays. This is due to the fact that the LEDs are located around the perimeter of the monitor, and not behind it, so they take up less space.

conclusions

Technologically, there is no difference between LCD and LED TV, but judging by the characteristics, LED technology still better. Therefore, when choosing a TV model, you should start from your own requirements for this device and preferences.

So, if you are going to install the TV near the wall, then you can safely choose an LCD TV model, since you will only see it from the front, which means its thickness will not be significant.

If you want to enjoy a bright, contrasty image and like to watch TV in the evening with dim lights, then it is better to choose a model with LED backlighting, as it has better color rendering and black depth, judging by the characteristics.

Also, LED TVs will look better if you want to place the screen on the wall using a bracket. This way it will protrude much less, which will look better.

However, if ideal color rendition and the thickness of the TV are not particularly important for you, or you do not want to spend a lot of money, then you can choose one of modern models LCD displays. To the naked eye there will be practically no difference.