We are living in an era of advanced technology where people are making use of technology in the best possible way to excel in every domain of life. One such example of human creativity is the invention of Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).
LED vs LCD
The main difference between LED and LCD is that LED, which stands for Light Emitting Diode, uses diodes for the placement of light and provides a distinct and sharp picture, whereas LCD, which stands for Liquid Crystal Display, uses fluorescent lights for the placement of light.
LED can be categorized as a subset of LCD, which is in great demand nowadays for the manufacturing of electronic devices as it has a very long life, provides the best picture quality, and also has a high definition output. One of the most important features of LED is that it is power efficient, due to which it consumes less power.
LCD, which was in great use a few years back, has become outdated due to the invention of LED. LCD is basically a submissive device that uses fluorescent tubes to lighten the image. One of the major characteristics of LCD is that it is lighter than LED and includes a number of colours.
Comparison Table Between LED and LCD
| Parameters of Comparison | LED | LCD |
| Picture Quality | LED provides a much better picture quality due to the presence of RGB colour wheels. | LCD is not able to provide as good picture quality as LED. |
| Price | LED’s are costlier than LCDs. | LCD’s are cheap in comparison. |
| Lifespan | The average lifespan of LED is close to 1,00,000 hours. | The average lifespan of LCD is close to 75000 hours. |
| Power Efficiency | LED’s are highly power effective and consume comparatively less power. | LCDs are less power efficient and utilize more power. |
| Environment Friendly | LED does not pose any harm to the environment as no mercury is used for the production of LED. | LCD is a great threat to nature as mercury is used in its manufacturing. |
What is LED?
Light Emitting Diode (LED) is an indication of how technology has reached new heights in the modern world. It has displaced the fluorescent tubing with backlight technology which helps it deliver a precise and clear image. The 3 types of LEDs are Edge-LEDs, Dynamic RGB LEDs, and Full-array LEDs.
LED is basically used in the manufacturing of computer monitors, Bulbs and Televisions. LED televisions are in great demand now due to the extraordinary features and benefits which they provide. The light-emitting diodes are located either behind the picture tube or around its edges.
It works on the principle of Electroluminescence. Light in a LED is produced when particles carrying current, also known as electrons and holes, come collectively within the material of the semiconductor. One of the interesting facts about LED is that LED is used for our smartphone backlighting.
Gamers use LED screens for playing high graphic games as LED screens have a much better contrast in comparison to LCD screens. The maintenance cost of LEDs is very low, and also, one of the interesting features is that it doesn’t produce any sort of heat energy.
What is LCD?
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is made of a material called Liquid Crystal which is a type of substance that is neither liquid nor solid but comes somewhere in the middle of these two. LCDs are basically used in devices like smartwatches, digital cameras, and even laptops.
There are, in general, three types of LCD TVs that are Flat screen LCDs, Front Projection LCDs, and Rear projection LCDs. Some of the major known benefits of the LCD screen are that they are lightweight, slim and thick. The screens are completely flat.
LCDs work on the mechanism of blocking the light, which helps it to produce a picture using the backlight. There are numerous disadvantages of LCD, like it has an unusual refresh frequency and it also suffers from action blur consequences.
The major elements that are necessary for displaying an image on the LCD screen are Light, colour and the method to regulate the light and colours on the screen.
Main Differences Between LED and LCD
- LED does not provide any sort of backlight, whereas LCD provides backlight with the help of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp.
- The resolution and power requirements of LEDs are high, whereas the resolution and power requirements of LCDs are low.
- All LEDs are a subset of LCDs, whereas LCDs are not a subset of LEDs.
- LEDs work on the well-known principle of Electroluminescence, whereas all LCDs function on the basic principle of blocking light energy.
- If we discuss the relevance of LED and LCD in the modern era, then LED are much more relevant and in use than LCD.
Conclusion
LCD was invented much before LED, but in the present scenario, LED is of greater use and significance than LCD due to its high picture quality and power efficiency. There is always a never-ending debate on whether LED is more power effective or LCD? The answer is that both are almost on the same track, but LCD consumes slightly more power than LED.
Some people prefer using LCD TVs as it has a better wide viewing angle in comparison to LED. Another myth is that LCD has a very short lifespan. This is completely false as it is true that it is less than LED but has an average lifespan of 75000 hours which is a large number. The lifespan of LCD is comparatively less due to the nature of it taking Direct current, which reduces the lifespan.
The top brands selling LED lights and bulbs are Syska, Philips, Wipro, Osram and others. The top brands selling LED TVs which are in huge demand nowadays are Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, TCL, One Plus and others. Another interesting fact about LED is that almost 95% of LED is recyclable, making it Environmental friendly. This is another reason why most countries and organisations are promoting the use of LED so as to play a major role in the conservation of Earth.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15421400802240698
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/4292350/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2009.32