LED TV Leads the Way

In the fast moving world of high definition television one of the major success stories of 2009 has been the LED TV. The technology behind the success may be a bit less spectacular than the actual rise that LED TVs have experienced. This is because underneath the surface, an LED TV is still an LCD TV, all be it one which uses LEDs to provide the light which make the images produced by LCD panel visible.

If you were under the impression that the primary method of producing the images displayed on screen was by the use of a matrix of LEDs (as would be the case in a true LED display) then think again. The function of LEDs in an LED television is to provide the light source required to light the LCD panel. So you might be left thinking that term LED TV is slightly misleading, a more accurate term would be LED-lit LCD TV.

However there are good reasons that LEDs are being used rather than the fluorescent lights that have been used in LCD TVs up to now. The two major reasons are improved color reproduction and size.

To understand this better firstly you should know that fluorescent lights used in LCD TVs were situated round the edges of the LCD panel (this is called edge-lit). Because the size of LEDs is smaller, LED TVs can be either edge-lit or back-lit. LED TVs that use LEDs in an edge-lit configuration can be manufactured to be very slim, in fact the Samsung LED TV Series are only 2.5cm in thickness.

Back-lit LED TVs comprise of a matrix of LEDs to the rear of the panel. The benefit this has is that because the LEDs can be individually switched on and off, areas of intense brightness or darkness can be displayed on screen at the same time unlike with side-lit displays. This has greatly improved contrast ratios (the comparison between levels light and dark that can be displayed).

Other benefits that the use of LEDs has brought with them is that because LEDs produce a whiter light, the color gamut has been improved (gamut is the range of colors that are possible). To the viewer this means more natural colourful images are displayed on screen, enhancing the viewing experience.

Lastly, a side benefit which is particularly relevant in the ever-increasing environmentally friendly world in which we live, LEDs consume less power than did the fluorescent lights which they replace. The reduction in power consumption is said to be in the region of 40%.