Buying a TV today can be extremely confusing, as there are just too many different models. As a leading supplier of cheap televisions, we’re often contacted by people who want to buy a new TV but have no idea where to start or what all the acronyms stand for. Most people know that a HD TV is much better than that is standard definition, but what is the difference between all the HD televisions?
One of the most common questions that we are asked is those wondering what the difference is between an LCD TV and an LED TV. This can get super confusing, as an LED TV is actually a LCD, but just a different type. Confused? Let us make it a little simpler for you.
What’s an LED?
An LED (Light Emitting Diode) produces light from electricity, and is often used to backlight LCD displays – achieving a much clearer picture. They often look a lot more attractive than a standard LCD (even though they can provide stunning pictures too), and can come in a much thinner size – as little as 0.3 inches.
What’s an LCD?
An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a flat panel display through which light can be passed through or can be blocked from coming through. It doesn’t produce its own light; this is achieved by additional lighting. An LCD panel is typically two sheets of polarizing material which has a liquid crystal solution between. When an electric current passes through this liquid, the crystals align in an effort to either let light pass or block it from happening. An LCD can come in a number of different sizes and wide viewing angles – meaning it’s perfect for use in any size room.
The Main Difference?
The main difference between an LED and LCD lies in the backlighting. A LED TV is just a LCD TV that uses LED for backlighting. This is instead of the fluorescent CFL lighting that an average LCD TV uses. There are two types of LED methods used to provide back lighting; edge lighting and full array lighting.
Picture Quality
LED TVs usually have a better picture quality than LCD TVs. When choosing an LED, it’s better to go for one with a full array back lighting with local dimming, as the individual zones of LEDs can be changed independently. This means it’s much more flexible towards people’s own preferences.
An LED TV generally has more improved black levels and contrasts than an LCD television does, meaning that colour accuracy is often a lot better.
Size
An LED is slimmer than an LCD, although not by much. The LED lights can be installed in smaller places, which means weight can be trimmed out. An LED TV can be as thin as 0.3 inches.
Price
Due to all the advantages of an LED, they are often a lot more expensive than a standard LCD TV. Therefore, if you are looking to spend less money, we recommend buying an LCD.
So which is better?
We think that the LED takes the lead, due to the improved technology and better picture quality. However, the LCD is a brilliant TV for the price that you can get them out and the picture is still fantastic. We think it’s completely up to the individual buyer.
If you want to purchase a brand new LCD or LED TV or you would like to ask us any more questions, please contact us on 0121 327 3273.
