When it comes to purchasing displays, you may wonder why the LED is more expensive than the LCD. Does it deserve to purchase LEDs? In fact, they have huge differences in technologies, performances, applications, and demands. If you are struggling between LED and LCD, this article provides a comprehensive guide.
What is LED?
LED is a semiconductor device that directly converts electrical energy into light. Compared to traditional light sources, LEDs are characterized by small size, low consumption, long lifespan, fast response, durability, and the absence of harmful substances. Nowadays, LEDs are popular and are widely used in fields such as display lighting, traffic guidance, and stage screens.
What is LCD?
LCD is a technology that uses the photoelectric effect of liquid crystal materials to display images. Compared to CRT displays, LCDs are characterized by low weight, low consumption, non-radiative effect, and clear images. Although there are limitations in perspective and response speed, it is still widely used today due to technological improvements.
Four Reasons Why LED is More Expensive
Differences in Technology
Light emission and light control are the main reasons for cost variance. LEDs use countless tiny light-emitting diodes to emit light directly. Each light-emitting diode is an independent pixel. It can turn the light on or off independently. The structure is simple, but it is hard to manufacture. Besides, chip materials are the key reason for the high cost of LED.
The LCD itself does not emit light. The backlight unit (BLU) is the sole light source of an LCD system. It accounts for about 20% to 40% of the entire display module cost. Definitely, it is a crucial link that affects the display effect and cost of LCDs. Liquid crystal technology has developed over several decades. What’s more, large-scale production has significantly reduced costs.
Differences in Performance
LED has advantages in performance. It can present a pure black display. You can directly turn off areas that do not need to be displayed. So the contrast can be obvious, and the picture has a very strong sense of layering. Meanwhile, the response speed of LED is very fast. When playing high-speed images, there is almost no ghosting. Moreover, its brightness, color reproduction quality, and viewing angle are all excellent.
Due to the structure of the backlight paired with the liquid crystal, LCD has some limits in performance. Firstly, black is usually presented as dark gray. Secondly, the contrast is limited, at 1000:1 to 5000:1. Thirdly, its response speed is slower than that of LED. When playing high-speed images, ghosting may happen. What’s more, some visual angle problems influence brightness and color.
Differences in Applications
LED is commonly used for projects that require high-quality images and large screens.
For indoor places, you can use it for high-quality television, electronic sports screens, car screens, meetings, and airport video guidance. For outdoors, you can use it for stadium LED screens, concert LED screens, or shopping mall advertising.
LCDs are usually used for indoor environments. It is more suitable for standardized and fixed-sized display devices. For example, you can use them for mobile phones, computer screens, medical equipment displays, ATMs, and so on.
Market Competition and Supply-Demand Relationship
The technical threshold for LED display screens is high. LED’s customers usually have high requirements for picture quality, such as high-end televisions and stage rental displays. The production process is challenging, especially for small pitches and high-end products. As a result, LED products are often in short supply, and their prices remain high.
The LED industry has matured. It has achieved standardized and large-scale production. This reduces the costs. Its market demand is great and stable, and the competition is intense. In recent years, the expansion of production capacity by Chinese panel manufacturers has made LCDs adequately supplied, with even a temporary surplus.
FAQ
Is LED Better for the Eyes Than LCD?
No, it isn’t. In fact, high-quality LCD screens that use DC dimming or high-frequency PWM dimming are usually better for the eyes. This dimming method has fewer flicker problems, which does not easily cause eye fatigue. In addition, many LCD products can reduce the damage from Blu-ray. It’s a stable and ideal product for long-term viewing. Nowadays, OLED is more commonly available on the market. Besides, most OLED screens use low-frequency PWM dimming (about 240Hz) at low brightness. This may cause dry eyes, headaches, or even dizziness for some sensitive people. On the other hand, when displaying dark content, the LED screen can perform better. The overall brightness is relatively low, so your eyes will get less tired when watching for a long time.
How Long Do LCD Screens Last?
The service life of an LCD screen usually refers to the backlight lifespan, which can generally reach 30,000 to 60,000 hours. The practical lifespan depends on the backlight types and the usage environments. The liquid crystal layer is rarely damaged. Besides, many LCDs use the LED as a backlight, enabling their lifespan to reach over 50,000 hours. However, the LED strips in the backlight module may cause burn-in. Then the brightness will decrease, and the color temperature will deviate. In general, LCD screens are very durable under normal conditions. You don’t need to worry about this, because before it gets useless, many people will replace their equipment due to technological advancements.
Did LED Replace LCD?
LED doesn’t replace LCD. But it has already replaced the backlights of LCDs, since traditional LCDs use CCFL as backlights. Nowadays, most LEDs on the market are essentially an LCD with an LED backlight. In the high-end market, LED display screens, such as OLED and Micro LED, are gradually taking over the LCD market. However, LCDs still have the advantages in the mature industrial chain, cost, lifespan, and manufacturing process. At present, LED and LCD are in a coexistence relationship rather than a substitution one.
What Happens If the LCD Is Broken?
LCDs’ common problems are cracks, black spots, bright lines, abnormal colors, or a complete black screen. If these problems happen, you need to take action immediately. The most suitable action is to change the entire screen. Otherwise, liquid crystal leakage may corrode internal circuits, damage the motherboard, or cause a short circuit in the battery. This poses a safety hazard. What’s more, the longer you delay, the higher the repair cost you need to pay.
Final Thoughts
Generally, advanced production technology and perfect display effects make LEDs more expensive than LCDs. So, the LED definitely deserves it. If you are looking for high-quality LED displays, JINGYLED can be your best partner. Our display offers high performance with pixel pitches ranging from 0.6 to 20mm. We also provide you with professional, customized service. Don’t hesitate to contact us for your LED display screens!
