subject: The Pros And Cons Of An Led Tv [print this page] LED TV's are the latest in cutting edge technology to hit the television market, providing a real step-up in the evolution of televisions and a fantastic range of features that will really strike a chord with consumers.
LED backlights have been quickly adopted by the electronics market, featuring in displays such as billboards, monitors, industrial equipment and portable devices. Their low power consumption and thin designs are particularly suited for battery powered devices, providing significantly longer usage times on one charge.
The main difference between an LCD and an LED panel is the way the screens are lit. An LCD display uses cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL's) for its light source, whereas an LED TV display uses LED's, or light emitting diodes, which tend to be more power efficient and extremely effective at delivering sharp, crisp images.
But just because they're more power efficient doesn't mean they're dull - quite the opposite. LED's tend to be brighter and many come equipped with non-reflective screens, meaning they're better suited in brightly lit rooms that are subject to direct sunlight.
LED's have many advantages over over types of televisions, the most apparent of which is their size. LED displays are among the thinnest displays ever made, and significantly lighter, making them easier to mount and more attractive on walls as they don't protrude so far into the room.
The thinness of LED's is due to the way that the bulbs are placed around the television. The bulbs can be placed behind the screen (called backlit displays) or around the edge (called edge-lit displays). Edge-lit displays tend to be thinner and because they have fewer diodes, less expensive. However, backlit displays are more capable at showing deep blacks as they use a technique called 'local dimming'; where bulbs are switched off in dark areas, preventing unwanted light filtering through the panel.
LED panels also show a great range of colors as the lights vary in the three primary colors, red, green and blue. This makes for deeper and richer color combinations, a wider colour spectrum and a better contrast ratio.
LED light bulbs are particularly robust and have a very long lifespan, quoted at over 50,000 hours without degradation - that's 5 years of constant watching! They also have a smaller impact on the environment in their production as they don't contain mercury, making them easier to recycle and dispose of.
The one area that LED's do suffer is the viewing area, with many losing colour and black levels at extreme viewing angles beyond 30 degrees. However, this is an issue being looked into by the manufacturers and some early solutions are in-plane switching panels, so keep an eye out for those.
It's not surprising that with all these advantages LED options tend to be more expensive than their LCD counterparts. However, given their lower power consumption, better picture and contrast and smaller physical size, it's widely agreed that they are the future for tv's and well worth the investment.
