LED Monitor vs. LCD Monitor: What’s the Difference?
Gone are the days where virtually your only option when purchasing a monitor was screen size. Now you find yourself caught in the LED monitor vs. LCD monitor debate. LED Monitors and LCD Monitors are the most desirable options for most buyers today; however, many are not sure which option would be best for them. Both LED (or light emitting diode) monitors and LCD (or liquid crystal diode) monitors have their own particular perks.
LED vs. LCD: Basic Differences
Many consumers believe that an LED Monitor is something completely different than an LCD Monitor, when in reality, the LEDs are simply LCDs that use LED lights for backlighting as opposed to the CFL lights that LCDs traditionally use. Have all of those acronyms confused you yet? To put it a bit simpler, both types of monitors use different lighting, but both have a front panel that employs the “twisting crystals,” or Liquid Crystal Diode (LCD) technology.
LCD monitors rely on external lighting, as their display is created through manipulation of light passing through polarized liquid crystals, whereas LED monitors are backlit. The backlighting creates a substantially better picture quality and light shed by LEDs offer superior picture quality in comparison to LCDs. In other words, if you’re looking for true-to-life graphics, specifically if you’re using the monitor for gaming or other applications that use intense graphics, theoretically speaking, an LED monitor may be your best option. By the same token, however, some consumers have reported that they find LED monitors to be too vivid for their own personal liking, portraying some colors (skin tone, for example) that just don’t seem realistic to them.
If you’re planning to log long hours and are looking for a monitor that will be easy on the eyes, the LED monitor might also be your best option. Although not scientifically proven, many buyers report that staring at an LED screen for long periods of time does not bother their eyes as much as the LCD does.
If you’re interested in an LED monitor, note that LEDs feature one of two forms of back lighting: local dimming and edge lighting. Edge lighting traditionally allows for a much thinner screen width, however, advances in technology now allow screens that utilize local dimming to be much thinner than they used to be.
LED Monitors vs. LCD Monitors: Power Consumption
Looking to “go green” or keep your electrical bill low? Once again, the LED monitor takes the cake when it comes to low power consumption. LED monitors typically require much less power to operate than LCDs using cold cathode fluorescent lamps. It is reported that the power consumption of an LED monitor can be up to 40% less than their LCD counterparts.
LED Monitors vs. LCD Monitors: Price
Pricing seems to be the only category where LCD monitors beat out their LED counterparts. Because LED technology is still relatively new, LCD monitors are substantially cheaper. In addition, because LED technology is relatively new, note that many advances might be made and prices may become much lower in the future, so you might want to hold off until the technology becomes more affordable.
If you’re interested in seeing what types of monitors are hot on the market today, you can click here for LED monitors, and here for LCD monitors!
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