What matrices are used on TVs. What is an LCD TV

It has been pleasing to the eye for a long time, you need to carefully choose it. If design and diagonal are a matter of purely taste preferences, then the technologies used in TV production require careful study. Since the decline of CRT screens, developers have begun to resort to the use of new technologies. For a long time, only LCD (TFT LCD) displays could be an alternative; they also tried to replace them with plasma panels. Then the use of OLED matrices based on active LEDs developed. Nowadays TFT LCD and OLED screens are the most popular. You have to choose among them.

TFT LCD is the general name for display technology that uses liquid crystals (special substances that combine the properties of liquids and solids). But within this technology there are branches, so the consumer qualities of the matrices may differ depending on what type of LCD is used. The most popular types of LCD matrices are TN and IPS. The former are distinguished by their low price, and the latter by their improved picture quality.

The development of IPS technology is due to the presence of irreparable shortcomings in TN matrices. Their main advantage has always been their high response speed. But in terms of color rendering and viewing angles, such screens have always lagged behind and are not suitable for professionals. The IPS matrix in the TV allows you to avoid these shortcomings, providing high quality color reproduction, excellent viewing angles and a rich color gamut.

To figure out, Which TVs have IPS matrixreally is such, and the quality of the picture corresponds to that for it - not easy. For example, IPS viewing angles should reach 178 degrees or so. Even if the manufacturer claims the use of such a matrix in the device, but the viewing angles do not exceed 176 degrees, this is hardly a real IPS technology.is dedicated to devices that are actually equipped with such a screen, and their picture quality corresponds to the declared one.

TOP 6 best TV models with IPS matrix

Philips 40PFH4100 – 6th place, from 4937 UAH

To 7th place in hit Philips 40PFH4100. This is a 40-inch IPS LCD TV that attracts with its slim design and high-quality screen. Its resolution is quite standard 1920x1080 pixels; LED strip is used for illumination. The viewing angles of the matrix correspond to the ideal for IPS, 178 degrees. The scan frequency is small, 60 Hz, but for TV without 3D this is more than enough. The backlight brightness is 250 cd/m2.

Dual tuner, supporting analogue and digital TV channels. Among the declared standards are DVB-C and T. This is enough for cable TV users, but those who need only terrestrial channels may be disappointed: there is no DVB-T2. The connection is made using two HDMI, an already outdated but universal SCART, and an analog VGA. Playback of content from USB is also supported. It is also possible to record TV programs onto a flash drive or external hard drive.

The sound in the Philips 40PFH4100 is provided by two speakers with a power of 16 W. External acoustics are connected using a 3.5 mm connector or via “optics”. The TV is mounted on the wall using a universal VESA bracket 20x20 cm.

Toshiba 40S2550EV – 5th place, from 8731 UAH

In sixth place inTOP TVs with IPS matrixToshiba 40S2550EV is located. This is a 40-inch TV with an IPS panel, a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It is equipped with backlighting using light-emitting diode strips (LED), providing brightness up to 250 cd/m2. The scan frequency is 60 Hz, which is typical for most TVs. Viewing angles are standard for IPS, 178 degrees vertical and horizontal.

The TV is equipped with a receiver designed to work with analogue and digital DVB-T2 terrestrial channels. There is no satellite or cable receiver, but with the help of a tuner everything is solved. Considering that there are already 3 dozen digital channels, completely free, and a pair of HDMI allows you to connect a media player or PC, the need for cable may not arise. Of the older video transmission standards, VGA, “tulips” and SCART are implemented. If you need a large TV that will also be used as a monitor, the Toshiba 40S2550EV is optimal. Even without it, you can enjoy watching movies from an external drive: a USB port and support for popular formats (DivX, MKV, MPEG4) are present.

The sound of the TV is quite powerful, 2 speakers of 8 W each. For a room of 20 m2 this is enough. If you want it louder, you can connect a stereo system via a 3.5 mm jack. The main thing is that the neighbors don’t fight. And if they suddenly start swearing, you can connect powerful headphones to the same connector so as not to disturb anyone with loud sound. Wall mounting is standard, using a VESA 200 mm hanger.

LG 32LF510U – 4th place, from 4985 UAH

The Korean company LG equips its TVs with matrices of its own production. They are of high quality: LG (along with Sharp) are considered the best developers of IPS screens. LG 32LF510U is an example of an inexpensive TV equipped with a good screen. That's why he ended up inrating of TVs with IPS matrix. Its screen has a diagonal of 32″ and its resolution is 1366x768. Not much, as for a monitor, but if you use it specifically as a TV (where the viewing distance is greater), then this will be enough. Moreover, the viewing angles correspond to an ideal 178 degrees, and the scanning frequency reaches an impressive 300 Hz.

A dual (digital + analogue) tuner allows you to receive terrestrial, cable and satellite television channels. The current DVB-T2 standard is also supported. Among the interface ports, the TV is equipped with antenna inputs, HDMI, USB with storage support, SCART and audio connectors. You can output sound to your home theater using a 3.5 mm jack or optical output.

2 speakers with a power of 6 W each are responsible for sound reproduction. Virtual Surround support is present. Media formats playable from a flash drive include AC3, MP3, AAC, RA, WMA, MPO, JPG and others. For wall mounting, a standard VESA mount with dimensions of 20x20 cm is provided.

Samsung UE-32J5100 – 3rd place, from 5760 UAH

Samsung is one of the world's leading screen manufacturers. Its products are of high quality, and the technical characteristics correspond to those officially declared (which is sometimes lacking in Chinese technology). Samsung UE-32J5100 – LCD TV with IPS matrix, 32 inches diagonal. It has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, backlighting is carried out using LEDs. The picture refresh rate is 100 Hz. Viewing angles are standard for IPS and reach 178 degrees.

The TV is equipped with a built-in tuner that supports analogue and digital broadcasting. Digital standards include both terrestrial TV DVB-T2 and satellite S2, cable C. To connect image sources (in addition to the antenna input) there is an HDMI pair, “tulip”. There's also a pair of USBs, a 3.5mm headphone output, and an optical output for home theater connections.

Sound output is carried out using a pair of 10 W speakers, with support for surround stereo. Connecting a stereo system is not difficult; fortunately, there are connectors for this. Playback from external drives is supported, all popular video and audio formats work (MP3, MP4, AAC, DivX). By default, the TV comes with a stand, but wall mounting is also available.

The popularity of modern LCD TVs is off the charts. They have completely replaced the old models and have long occupied a leading position in the market. The main element of any LCD TV is the matrix. It is directly responsible for the quality of the “picture”, so before choosing a TV model, the future owner needs to determine which matrix is ​​better.

Today there are three main types of matrices for LCD TVs:

• MVA (PVA);

To understand which of the above options is better, you need to study in detail the features, advantages and disadvantages of each.

TN matrix

Twisted Nematic (“twisted crystal”) is one of the most common types. Also very popular is the TN+Film matrix, where the set-top box includes an auxiliary coating that makes it possible to expand the viewing angle of the TV.

In this device, control electrodes are located on both sides of the substrate. When the transistor is not working, there is no electric field, but the crystal molecules are characterized by a normal state, and their structure resembles a spiral. Since the polarization angles of the first and second filters are perpendicular to each other, light that passes through the inactive transistor is freely released to the outside. This light forms a bright point, and its color is determined by a light filter.

After the transistor is turned on, it begins to create an electric field, so the crystal molecules are built in a line parallel to the polarization angle of the first filter. Passing through them, the flow of light does not change its characteristics. Another filter is capable of fully absorbing light, generating a black dot in the place where there was one, consisting of three color components.

The TN matrix for a TV is one of the earliest technologies, however, according to many experts, it is in certain aspects better than modern analogues. Today, this type is actively used in the production of budget liquid crystal matrices for TVs.

The main disadvantages of this solution is the inability to fully control the movement (rotation) of the crystals. This flaw can cause light to pass through the shutter. For the TV viewer, this manifests itself in a decrease in contrast, and black shades become gray. In addition, a phenomenon called “dead pixels” may occur.

Despite the above disadvantages, the use of TN matrices is fully justified by their affordable cost. Therefore, this budget solution is in very high demand.

MVA (PVA) matrices

The next type of matrix is ​​Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment (MVA), or multi-zone vertical alignment. This option is the brainchild of the world famous Fujitsu company.

In this matrix, the control electrodes are located in a similar way compared to TN matrices, while they are on both sides of the substrate. The difference lies in their division into special cells or zones. Cells (zones) are created by protrusions that are present on the inner sides of the filters. The main essence of this design is the ability of the crystals to move freely. This feature allows the viewer to observe shades that do not change depending on the viewing angle. Therefore, MVA (PVA) are considered better than TN matrices.

The next difference between MVA and TN is the perpendicular arrangement of the liquid crystals relative to the second filter in the absence of voltage. This ultimately results in richer blacks. After increasing the electric field, the molecules rotate, creating a gray dot. In this case, the viewing angle does not have any significance for the light intensity, since the bright cells visible to the user are completely compensated by the dark ones that are located nearby. This solution made it possible to eliminate the problem of small viewing angles inherent in TN matrices. In this regard, MVA (PVA) is much better than TN.

IPS matrices

An interesting type of matrix for a TV is IPS. Its main feature is the location of the control electrodes in only one plane. This matrix option for a TV is better, according to fans of the world famous company Hitachi, which is the developer of the above technology.

When there is no electric field, the crystal molecules are positioned strictly vertically, which prevents them from influencing the polarization angle of the light that passes through these molecules. In this case, the polarization angles of the filters are located at right angles, so the light passing through the transistor is absorbed by the second filter.

When an electric field appears, the crystal molecules rotate 90 degrees. This leads to a change in the polarization of the light stream, which passes through the second filter without problems.

In many cases, this technology is considered better for a TV because it acts as a compromise solution. Its use leads to increased color rendition, guarantees impressive viewing angles, and if the interaction between the crystal and the electrode is disrupted, the dead pixel is darkened, so it is difficult to notice. The disadvantages of such matrices for TV is a possible decrease in contrast, since the electrodes can block part of the light.

In conclusion, we can say that getting an answer to the question of which matrix is ​​better for a TV requires a very detailed analysis and serious professional knowledge. Therefore, when purchasing a TV, it would be a good idea to consult with a specialist in this field.

The LCD monitor industry is currently dominated by OEM manufacturing. The main production capacities of LCD panels are concentrated in the countries of Southeast Asia (Taiwan, Korea, China). The presence of contract manufacturing has allowed many branded companies to move away from independently producing monitors, shifting this to the shoulders of third-party companies, and pay full attention to promoting their brand.

OEM manufacturer is a company that independently develops and produces components or finished products. OEM production (Original Equipment Manufacturer) also includes the production of LCD panels. The purchasing company (“manufacturer” of the monitor) carries out final assembly, testing and pre-sale preparation.

Today there are only three companies that produce monitors based on their own LCD panels: Samsung, LG-Philips and NEC. Some manufacturers, such as Eizo, put their own control electronics on third-party LCD panels. Everyone else sells, by and large, only labels on the front panel of the monitor.

For the buyer, this means that choosing a monitor based on the name of the “manufacturer” is, to say the least, unreasonable. For example, the price of 18-inch monitors based on the same LCD panel, but with Sony and Belinea labels, differs by one and a half times. The situation is even worse in the field of wide-format monitors with a large diagonal: there the difference in the price of the same LCD panel can be twofold.

For the thrifty and meticulous reader, these are the tips.

1. Find out which LCD panels currently have the best characteristics.
2. Find out which monitors the panel you like is installed on.
3. Buy a suitable price model from the line of monitors offered on the market.

For reference, we provide a brief description of the main manufacturers of LCD panels.

AUOptronics (AUO). The company was formed in 2001 in Taiwan as a result of the merger of the LCD panel production divisions of Acer and Unipac Optoelectronics. By 2005, AU Optronics had firmly taken third place among the world's leading manufacturers of liquid crystal matrices. The company has over a dozen factories, including those with seventh-generation technological processes, and invests tens of millions of dollars in research and development. The range of produced panels (TN and Premium MVA technologies are used) covers diagonals from 1.5 to 46 inches. In general, AUO products are considered to be of fairly high quality; BenQ, NEC-Mitsubishi and other well-known companies readily equip their monitors with its panels.

ChiMeiOptoelectronics (CMO). The Taiwanese company Chi Mei Optoelectronics develops and produces LCD panels for monitors and televisions. The main share in the production program is made up of LCD matrices using TY technology (with a color depth of 18 bits) with standard parameters. The only model of a wide-format 24-inch matrix is ​​manufactured using Super MVA technology. CMO LCD panels are widely used by second-tier monitor manufacturers, but sometimes monsters such as Sony or Philips do not disdain them.
ChungwaPicture(CPT). One of the world's leading companies producing LCD panels is located in Taiwan. The main focus is on the mass production of cheap matrices for laptops, monitors, and TVs. The overwhelming majority of products (produced using TY technology) have mediocre parameters. However, LCD matrices produced by SPT are found in monitors from Acer, Belinea, Sony, ViewSonic, not to mention little-known manufacturers.

HannStar. HannStar produces LCD panels in three factories located in Taiwan. The basis of the production program is made up of cheap products (15, 17 and 19 inches, TN technology) with relatively low characteristics, designed to complete laptops and monitors of economy class. As a rule, well-known manufacturers do not use HanStar LCD panels in their products.

Hitachi Displays. The main share in the company's production program is occupied by LCD panels for consumer electronics, digital video and photographic equipment, PDAs and laptops. Recently, almost the only model has been produced for desktop monitors: 21.3-inch diagonal, S-IPS technology. This magnificent matrix is ​​equipped with several models of professional-class monitors manufactured by Eizo.

InternationalDisplayTechnology (IDTech). The company was founded in October 2001 as a joint venture between the Japanese division of IBM and the Taiwanese corporation Chi Mei Group. Engaged in the development and production of high- and ultra-high-resolution LCD panels. For example, only IDTech offers a 22-inch panel with a resolution of 3840x2400 pixels (9.2 million elements).

LG-Philips LCD (LPL). The joint Korean-European company is the world's second largest producer of LCD panels. Large production capabilities are combined with the successful development of new technologies in several research centers. The company has focused its efforts on improving IPS (Super IPS) technology and has achieved considerable success here. LCD panels produced by LPL are characterized by high quality and some of the best technical parameters in the world. This has led to their popularity among monitor manufacturers. For example, a wide-format 23-inch S-IPS LPL panel is used in monitors from Apple, BenQ, HP, LG, Philips, Sony, and ViewSonic.

NECLCDTechnologies. A division of the Japanese corporation NEC for the production of LCD panels based on its own SA-SFT technology (analogous to MVA). Only high-quality models with a diagonal of 19-23 inches remain in the production line, including a panel with LED backlighting (has an expanded color gamut, approximately corresponding to the NTSC television standard). Apart from the NEC-Mitsubishi plant, NEC LCD panels are not supplied to other monitor manufacturers.

Samsung Electronics. The world's largest manufacturer of LCD panels. The corporation has dozens of factories (including seventh and eighth technological generations), research and development centers. Develops RUA technology, which produces the majority of wide-format and large-sized LCD panels (21 and 24 inches). The product line with diagonals of 15 and 17 inches is dominated by panels made using TY technology. In general, Samsung Electronics products are characterized by stable quality, and in terms of the most important parameters they are considered solid “good”. LCD panels produced by Samsung are widely used by other monitor manufacturers, in particular Belinea, Dell, Fudjitsu-Siements, IBM, NEC-Mitsubishi, ViewSonic - the list is endless.

QantaDisplayInc. (QDI). A Taiwanese company engaged in the production of cheap LCD panels of a relatively narrow range (15, 17, 19 inches), mostly using TN technology. QDI products are practically not used to assemble monitors of famous brands.

• Tutorial
• Recovery Mode

Hello, dear habra community.

After studying the hardware, I clarified some points.

I Type of image formation.

Today there are 3 types of image formation on modern TVs:

1 LCD.

The most common type of TV. Images in such TVs are produced using polarized light, several filters and controlled liquid crystals.

1.1 Types of LCD TV backlights.

Since the image that we see on the LCD TV screen is obtained as a result of the passage of polarized light from the backlight source, it is necessary to identify 2 types of backlight:
a) CCFL, also known as cold cathode. A subtype of thin fluorescent lamps located behind the matrix.
Advantages: uniform illumination.
Disadvantages: large thickness, power consumption, inability to control the backlight locally.
b) LED - light emitting diodes. Currently, cold cathode TVs have almost completely replaced them.
Advantages: it is possible to make very thin TVs, low power consumption, the ability to locally control the backlight.

A few words need to be said about local backlight control and the LED backlight division. LED backlighting is divided into 2 types: edge lighting (aka EDGE-LED, when the LEDs are located at the edges of the matrix, their light hits the diffuser and is scattered) and carpet (Full HD LED, LED Pro). Since LCD pixels themselves do not emit light, they require a backlight (as discussed above), which is always on. Closed crystals still transmit light, so it is impossible to achieve low black levels (the lower the better) and contrast transitions in edge-lit systems. The highest level TVs use carpet backlighting (when the LEDs are located directly behind the matrix). This makes it possible to improve backlight uniformity and implement segmented backlight control, where individual diodes responsible for areas on the screen can dim the brightness depending on the scene on the screen. In fact, only 2 series have carpet lighting - the Philips 9th series and the Sony 9th series. LG's 9 Series also has carpet lighting, but its implementation is worse than the edge lighting of competitive solutions.

Uneven illumination.

Due to the fact that LEDs are positioned with a certain periodicity (scattering and many other factors have their influence), in almost 100% of cases, LCD TVs with LED backlighting have uneven backlighting (clouding) - when areas that should remain black have a different gradation grey.
The problem is partially solved by segmented LED backlighting.

1.2 Types of matrices of LCD TVs with LED backlighting.

I will not go into details of image formation by different types of matrices, but will briefly describe their main advantages and disadvantages.
a) IPS(currently produced only by LG). Matrices that, in my opinion, are ideal for low and mid-level TV.
Advantages: large viewing angles.
Flaws: high black level (~0.16 nits), long response time.
Installed in LG TVs 3-9 series (that is, in fact, in all, without division into levels), Philips 4, 6 series, Panasonic of various variations and many others.
b) S-PVA(manufactured by Samsung). Matrices for TVs of higher classes.
Advantages: deeper black (0.05-0.1 nits depending on the backlight implementation).
Installed in Samsung TVs 7-8 series, Sony 7-8 series, Philips 7-8 series and some others.
c) UV²A(manufactured by Sharp). In my opinion, the most advanced type of matrices.
Advantages: the angles are larger than S-PVA (but smaller than IPS). Deepest black level (0.02 - 0.06 nits)
Flaws: Sharp doesn't produce them in sufficient quantities.
Installed in Philips 9 series TVs and top Sharp series.

2. Plasma.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions associated with this word. Any uninformed salesman will definitely tell you that plasma is outdated. This is due to a set of stereotypes and problems that took place.
The image is formed by the glow of a phosphor under the influence of UV rays.
Each plasma cell is an independent light source, so the TV does not require a backlight. Previously, plasma TVs had a very large thickness and cell size, so they were very bulky and Full HD diagonals started from 50-60". Now the thickness of modern plasma TVs does not exceed 3-4 cm, and diagonals start from 42".

Plasma TVs do not have different types of matrices with marketing names, but there are generations of panels (the most advanced is the 15th).

Now plasma has almost been replaced by LCD TVs and only 3 companies are engaged in its production: Panasonic, Samsung and LG (and only the first 2 have their own developments). This is due to unprofitable production, competition from LCD TVs and their popularization. But plasma holds the first positions in large diagonals.

3. OLED.

Organic LEDs. Something in between the first 2 technologies. The image is formed using self-emitting diodes that glow when exposed to electric current. As in plasma, each cell is an independent light source. So far there are only a few serial samples of such TVs at very high prices. LG and Samsung are developing in this area.

There are other types of TVs, such as laser projection TVs, but their development has ceased.

Briefly about the advantages and disadvantages of each technology:

LCD:
Advantages:
- relatively low production price, which allows manufacturers to receive fairly high profits and invest in production.
- Static imaging method (no dithering) is good for displaying images and photographs.
- Great for static images and not afraid of them.
- LCD TVs have high brightness and low power consumption
Flaws
- High black level (from 0.02 nits in a UV²A matrix with carpet backlighting to 0.2 nits in IPS).
- Long response time
- Lack of volume and depth of the image
- Dynamic resolution without artificial tricks 300 - 700 lines.

Plasma
Advantages
- Overall image depth. In general, when delivering high-quality content, the image on plasma is noticeably different from that on LCD: it has greater depth and color saturation, and has a pronounced volume effect.
- Low black level (0.008 nits on 2012 Panasonic models).
- They have dynamic resolution without artificial tricks of 1080 lines.
- Excellent for dynamic images (movies), they reveal high-quality content well.
- Virtually no response time.
- Freest viewing angles
Flaws
- Not at all suitable for connecting to a computer due to image retention
- Photos show worse (since gradations are obtained using dithering)
- High power consumption, not all models have high brightness.
- High production costs, low margins - it is becoming increasingly difficult for manufacturers to stay afloat.

OLED
The newest imaging technology in TVs. Self-emitting organic light-emitting diodes are used. Like plasma, these are self-emissive displays that do not require a backlight.
Now only a few production samples have been released at a price ten times higher than similar LCD and plasma TVs, but LG promises that in 3 years OLED TVs with similar LCD and plasma diagonals will cost 1.5 times more.
Advantages:
- low response time and high contrast, like plasma, since there are no mechanically rotating molecules and constant backlighting, as in LCD.
- efficiency
- wide viewing angles.
Flaws:
- various degradation of pixels over time (the same as with plasma, which leads to afterimages and pixel burnout). Now they are trying to compensate for this programmatically.
- Low service life: about 10,000 hours (for example, LCD - 60,000 hours, plasma - 100,000 thousand hours).

II Image characteristics

When choosing a new TV, I came to the conclusion that some image characteristics can be changed, others cannot.
Measured characteristics:
- Black level (MLL, Minimum luminescence level) - the black level that the TV shows when a signal of 0 is applied. [nit]
- Brightness is the brightness level that the TV shows when a 255 signal is supplied to it.
These 2 characteristics are measured together when a “chessboard” (ANSI method) is displayed on the TV - alternating black and white areas. The brightness of each area is calculated, the arithmetic average of the brightnesses of the black and white areas.
- Contrast. The difference between the arithmetic mean of black and white areas when black areas are taken as one.
ANSI contrast of IPS matrices is ~ 1000:1, S-PVA - 3500:1, UV²A - 5000:1, plasma - 12000:1.
- Color accuracy (DeltaE, deviation from the standard). The input signal is supplied, the output signal is measured. The greater the deviation, the less accurate the color rendition. It is believed that the naked eye is unable to detect DeltaE deviation< 3, а нулем обозначается идеальная цветопередача.
- Viewing angles. The smaller the viewing angle of the matrix, the more color is distorted. LCD S-PVA matrices have the smallest angles. The largest are plasma panels.
- Dynamic resolution. As you know, almost all TVs have a static resolution of 1080 lines (1920x1080 pixels), but dynamic resolution (what the TV shows when there is movement on the screen) is often different. It is for this purpose that backlight flickering, frame interpolation and other tricks are introduced into LCD TVs.

Subjective characteristics
These include the three-dimensionality of the image, which is formed by a combination of black level and color saturation, the “cinematic quality” of the image, and the effect of presence.

Thank you for your attention.
If the article seems interesting, in the next part I will write about the choice of diagonal, 3D types, their practical differences, image interpolation and try to debunk some myths.

Read in our article which TV screen is better to choose, with what resolution and for what purposes. After all, choosing a TV now seems like a very difficult task. A couple of decades ago, you only had to think about the diagonal of the device.

Now everything has changed - TVs have different functionality, different numbers of connectors, and, most importantly, displays created using different technologies. Almost everything depends on the matrix on the TV! It is the screens that will be discussed in this article, designed to make your choice a little easier.

Why did “plasma” die? And what monitor technologies have replaced

For many years, CRT models ruled the TV market. They were bulky, and their screen resolution was usually 576p. However, no one thought about resolution then, because content was consumed only through TV channels or a VCR. TV manufacturers began to change something only after the popularization of digital technology. First DVDs appeared, and then even amateur video cameras learned to shoot in higher quality. This is how LCD TVs began to appear.

Many people initially thought that all LCD screens were exactly the same. Out of ignorance, such people called all LCD TVs “plasma”. This happened because at one time plasma TVs really became very popular.

At that moment, only they provided the highest picture quality - when choosing “LCD or plasma” with enough money, you had to lean towards the second option. However, over time, LCD displays created using IPS or PLS technologies have caught up and surpassed plasma panels in terms of the quality of the displayed image.

Nowadays plasma screen TVs are not produced at all - this process has ceased to be profitable. And much newer technologies have already replaced them, providing almost perfect color rendition.

Interestingly, at one time there were even projection televisions. But they remained a niche solution - many consumers were not even aware of their existence. Therefore, in our article we will not mention such an unusual technology, limiting ourselves to more popular types of displays.

Since the early 2000s, large manufacturers have been experimenting with OLED technology. Creating a tiny screen based on it is not difficult. Gradually I began to introduce appropriate displays into my smartphones. At one time it even came to tablets.

However, the large OLED panels needed for TVs have long been too expensive to manufacture. This was due to a high percentage of defective products. Fortunately, technology is gradually improving. As a result, OLED screens are now being built into LG products. Of course, such TVs remain expensive, but purchasing them no longer costs millions of rubles, and this is exactly what happened at the dawn of the development of technology based on organic light-emitting diodes.

And a competitor appeared in the form of a display created from so-called quantum dots. In a word, now choosing a TV has become more complicated. Especially if you have a significant amount of free money.

Budget segment - which TV screen is better

Which TV screen is better: Edge LED or DIrect Led

If you are going to buy a relatively inexpensive TV, then you will not choose: LED or OLED. The fact is that in the budget segment, when the cost of the device does not exceed 50 thousand rubles, only traditional LCD TVs are presented. That is, their screen was created using LCD technology.

This means that the matrix is ​​liquid crystal. Each cell has the ability to flexibly change the degree of transparency, transmitting a certain amount of light. The trouble is that such a matrix needs backlighting, otherwise the user will not see the picture. And the backlit layer increases the thickness of the screen, at the same time indirectly affecting the quality of color rendering.

Surely you have come across TVs or monitors that have flare in the corners or edges of the screen - it is clearly visible when displaying black. This is due to the uneven distribution of LEDs behind the screen. Fortunately, this problem is becoming less and less common now.

So, with the introduction of LED backlighting (and no other exists now; CCFL fluorescent lamps are a thing of the past), the LCD TV turns into an LED device. Usually these three letters are written on the box with the product. However, it should be noted that the type of LED backlight may still differ. The most popular now are two varieties:

• Edge LED - side-type lighting. LEDs are built into one, two or all four edges of the screen.
• Direct LED - carpet or direct type lighting. That is, the entire array of LEDs is located directly behind the LCD panel.

The second option is less energy efficient. But with its help, you can perform local dimming of the picture, making the black color deeper, and with this technology you can completely forget about side lights.

Plasma or LED?

If this question had been asked in 2005, it would have been worth thinking about. In those days, Direct LED backlighting could only be a dream, so only plasma panels provided close to ideal black color. Also, LCD TVs have been inferior to plasma in viewing angles for a long time.

But since then the situation has changed dramatically. Now you won’t find plasma TVs in stores - they can only be bought through free ad services. They have become too expensive to produce.

At the same time, LED TVs are much thinner, and their problem with viewing angles was solved by the introduction of new technologies for the production of LCD displays. It was also noticed that plasma panels slowly burn out in those places where a static picture is displayed (for example, a TV channel logo). LCD displays do not have this problem.

Types of LCD screens: which TV matrix should you avoid?

Not everyone suspects this, but LCD screens can be created using different technologies. The quality of color rendering, response time, viewing angles and many other parameters depend on this.

TN+film

The cheapest TVs and monitors have a display created using TN technology. This matrix offers the fastest response time (about 2 ms), which should definitely appeal to gamers. However, all other parameters of TN are far behind LCD displays created using more modern technologies.

Firstly, despite the efforts of engineers, the viewing angles of a TN screen cannot be maximized. If when viewing a picture on the left and right it is almost not distorted, then it is almost impossible to look at the TV from above or below. Secondly, such a screen will not have the widest color gamut. Thirdly, the contrast is also far from ideal.

In a word, you should consider a TV with a TN matrix only if it is purchased for a summer residence. Typically, such devices have a small diagonal, so all the above shortcomings will be clearly visible.

S-PVA

LCD screens using this technology are mainly produced by Samsung. They have fairly deep black colors (this parameter largely depends on the backlight implementation). It is not for nothing that such a matrix was previously built into the vast majority of professional monitors used by photographers and editors.

The S-PVA display is good in many ways. But it cannot be called ideal - most often it suffers from not the widest viewing angles. However, color distortion is noticeable to a lesser extent than when looking at a TN matrix. Despite the fact that such screens are produced mainly by a South Korean company, they can also be found in TVs under other brands - for example, in models from TP Vision (distributed under the Philips brand) and Sony.

IPS

An excellent type of matrix, ideal for low and mid-price TVs. Has maximum viewing angles. This allows you to look at the screen from above, below, from the side - whatever you want. However, such an LCD panel also has disadvantages. Firstly, the black brightness level reaches about 0.16 nits - which is very high. Secondly, the response time even in the best variations of the IPS screen is 5 ms. Gamers will definitely pay attention to this.

Be that as it may, if there is a shortage of funds, there is no other choice. It is the IPS display that mid-budget TVs are most often equipped with. Such LCD panels are mainly produced by LG Display. They are built not only into South Korean TVs, but also into products under the brands Philips, Panasonic and some others.

UV2A

Which TV screen is better: UV2A matrix on the right, TN on the left

A relatively new type of matrix. In many respects it is second only to OLED. This screen has very deep black colors (from 0.02 to 0.06 nits). In terms of viewing angles, the technology is only slightly inferior to IPS. In short, a TV with such a display will definitely please you with its color reproduction.

Unfortunately, only Sharp produces screens using UV2A technology. She is currently going through some financial problems. As a result, it is unable to produce enough displays for the market. Even the Japanese build this matrix into their own TVs relatively rarely. Another similar screen can be found in some Philips TVs. That's all.

Premium segment – ​​OLED or QLED screens?

Which TV screen is better: bright or not dim? :)

If you are willing to spend a lot of money on a TV, then two new technologies will be available to you: OLED and QLED. Of course, in the premium segment there are also advanced LED devices, but we still recommend paying attention to those technologies that belong to the future.

OLED

The display, created using OLED technology, consists of organic light-emitting diodes. That is, each pixel on such a panel glows independently. The absence of backlighting allows you to make the display, and at the same time the entire TV, thinner.

Moreover, some OLED matrices bend remarkably, literally curling up into a tube. Therefore, it should not be surprising that more and more curved TVs are appearing in stores. Their screen is concave - it is most pleasant for the human eye to look at a picture on such a display.

What else does no backlight mean? Of course, the deepest black colors possible. If you need to show them, the pixels simply stop glowing.

As a result, all kinds of night panoramas look perfect on such a screen. Especially if you turn off the lights in the room. It should also be noted that OLED technology ensures the lowest power consumption. The darker the displayed image, the less electricity is spent on displaying it.

At the moment, it is OLED panels that produce the best quality images. It’s not for nothing that such screens have been built into almost everything for a long time, and for some time now the company has also switched to them. As for full-size OLED panels, only LG Display produces them in large quantities.

Creating such a screen still costs a lot of money, so the price tag of an OLED TV starts at about 100 thousand rubles. In a word, this is a very expensive pleasure. It is not only LG that produces the corresponding TVs - Sony is also involved in this.

QLED

This technology is based on quantum dots. In fact, these are something like the same organic light-emitting diodes. However, the intrinsic light emission of the pixels in the QLED matrix is ​​still not very high. In this regard, modern QLED TVs use backlighting, although not as bright as in LED devices.

In the future, engineers promise to eliminate this drawback. In the meantime, black colors are not ideal, although they are close to this title (in terms of luminosity they are comparable to “plasma”).

You can find QLED products in the assortment of Samsung - it is the company that produces the largest number of such displays. QLED TVs are also produced by TCL and Hisense, but less actively. In terms of cost, such devices are slightly cheaper than OLED models, but they still cannot be called budget or even mid-budget.

Summarizing

Now you know what the differences are between the screens built into different TVs. In short, the best technology is OLED - organic light-emitting diodes. In second place you can put QLED - quantum dots. Plasma panels would follow if they were produced in our time. But with LED TVs everything is more complicated - they are divided into several subcategories that differ from each other.

What kind of TV is in your house? And are you thinking about buying an OLED model if you still haven’t got one? Share your thoughts in the comments.