subject: LCD Flat Screen Monitors: Are They Better Than LED Monitors? [print this page] LCD Flat Screen Monitors: Are They Better Than LED Monitors?
If you work on a computer at all, you know that your computer screen can make all the difference. Not only were the old CPU monitors heavy and space consuming, but they were also hard on the eyes, with their propensity to flicker. Fortunately, that all changed with the introduction of LCD flat screen monitors. With LCD flat screen monitors, you can save on space, and they're much, much easier to see and much easier on the eyes. No longer do you have to deal with burning, aching, tired eyes after a long day on the computer.
Now, there's a new incarnation of the LCD flat screen monitor, and that is the LED flat monitor. This is new technology as compared to the LCD flat screen monitor, and it's got some differences as compared to the LCD. Let's take a look at them, and then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
What's old is new again
The LED is actually a reincarnation of sorts of the LCD. The LCD monitor, or Liquid Crystal Display monitor, uses a thin liquid crystal gel between two glass panels, with a grid of wires separating this liquid crystal gel into pixels. That's a short explanation of what LCD technology is.
The LED is a sort of "reincarnation" of the LCD display. LED stands for "Light Emitting Diodes," and also uses liquid crystal gel in a screen display similar to LCD. The basic difference between the two screens is that the LED display is lit differently. LCDs use fluorescent lamps, while LEDs use a light diode for each pixel that's displayed, literally hundreds of thousands.
Are there are advantages to LED flat monitor screens as opposed to LCD flat screen monitors?
The LED flat monitor screen is new technology, and it has a slightly better display and longer life than LCD screens do. They're also somewhat lighter as compared to LCD screens, although this difference is relatively minimal given the slim design of LCDs.
There are some big disadvantages, too, not least of which is that because this is new technology, it is significantly more expensive than the LCD technology. While LCD flat monitor screens have dropped in price over the years, LED technology is "new," and therefore significantly pricier. Expect to pay at least 50% more, if not double, what you would pay for comparable LCD flat screen monitors.
The bottom line?
If you absolutely must have "new technology" as soon as it's available, AND you're willing to pay a price for it, you'll be happy with the slightly better display and slightly lighter weight of the LED flat monitor as compared to the LCD. However, if you're someone who looks to save money wherever you can even though you want top-notch performance, the LCD flat screen monitors are the way to go. They've been shown to have superior performance to older technology, and their difference as compared to LED screens is minimal enough that it doesn't really justify the significantly higher price of the LED technology.
