LED or LCD.....why??

[Blackdeath]

Hi been wondering a very important question. I'm in the market for a gaming rig and had put up a few threads.

but I've come to the point where im at a loss in the Display department... how do u tell weather a monitor is good or not between an LCD and LED... the milisecond stand point? Gamut output? Contrast Ratio? chose to go with LG but dunno weather to go with their LED or LCD.... ouh budget is about $200 - $250 maybe $300..

so, I really need your help fellow hardwarecanuckers,
please help untangle this very confusing spec comparison.

[enaberif]

won't get a LED for that price.

You'll be getting a normal TFT LCD.

[On the Lam]

Have a look at ncix's Tech Tips video - may or may not help you get started:

YouTube - Advantages of LED Back-Lit Display (NCIX Tech Tips #74)

[lowfat]

'LED' displays are LCD displays. The only difference is the backlighting. They should be substantially brighter and therefore having a stronger gamut. Otherwise there is no difference between the two.

[Polygon]

Well first the whole contrast ratio's that they advertise are complete lies, look for the true ratio which are pretty much standard for all good LCD's

LED is the same as LCD except as said by lowfat it has different backlighting which is a much better technology.

Here is why I wouldn't go with LED though:

They are more expensive for barely any gain, the huge colour contrast benefit they advertise is insignificant, and most of the reasonably priced ones have bad colour balance. ie: they have bleuish tints, too much green, or something like that.

I would recommend sticking with a TFT 1080p LCD made by a GOOD company like Samsung. That's still the best bang for the buck. You can find one on a NCIX sale for less than $200. The whole LED thing is just marketing mostly, OLED is the real future (I hope).

Option B: wait for something better.

[limitedaccess]

That NCIX video does not seem to be a good source of information after watching the first few moments.

First of all like mentioned the only difference between computer displays labeled as LED and traditional CCFL displays is the back light, both are still TFT-LCDs, in that liquid crystals are manipulated to display images by changing the light coming from the back light.

Read this for instance -
LCD Monitor Buyer?s Guide: Spring 2010 (page 3) - X-bit labs

and bear in mind that all current computer monitors are edge lit. The only way to get any real world image quality improvement from using LED back lighting is if a white or RGB array is used. These types are only present on large TVs at the moment.

Myths regarding LED backlit computer monitors -

LED back lights give a wider color gamut.
- false, there are even 10-bit LCD monitors capable of displaying 10 billion colors (such as NEC PA241W Review). They use traditional CCFL back lights.

They offer better contrast
- Static contrast is not dependent on the back light used. LED screens are capable of better dynamic contrast only. Dynamic contrast is a highly misleading number in terms of real world usage. When searching for a monitor look at its static contrast rating.

Screens are more evenly lit
- Computer screens currently are all edge lit, and not lit by a full white LED array.

LED screens are brighter
- This is again not an inherent trait of the technology, and is dependent on the individual panel. Compare for instance the Samsung XL2370 and PX2370, both LED backlit screens by the same manufacture, and yet there measured peak brightness differs considerably. (http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/samsung-px2370/4505-3174_7-34048108-2.html?tag=rvwBody)

Conclusion -
The only reason to specifically look for a LED backlit display is you care about having a thinner monitor, very low power savings, and the arguable environmental impact. The most important characteristic by far for image quality is still the layers between the backlight and what is being shown.

[Slik]

I suggest you go with the tried and true LCD.You might also want to consider 3D ready monitors if you are going to build for Gaming. If you plan on buying a gaming rig rather than building one,I highly suggest you look at the Alienware line as they can be pre-configured to suit your budget. If you are going with a new system,you might as well do it right. In all my experience,Dell backs thier Alienwares better than you would ever believe! Trust me,I know! Good luck and let us know what you end up putting together.

[DarKStar]

I can see a lot of people confuse the terms LED and LCD. What you are comparing is the BACKLIGHT, the technology is the same, LCD, the backlights are either LED or CCFL. I think we are going more towards LED now and I would pay the premium. Of course regardless of whether companies hype their specs, LED is "cleaner" and better than CCFL, and it makes for much thinner screens and longer life. I notice on my XL2370 that I can get a very bright screen at a much lower setting output. Of course the reason why some people can't see much big difference between LED and CCFL is because they are comparing lower-end monitors. These monitors in the price range are edge lit. As far as color gamut, again, in this low price range you cannot ask miracles from TN panels, but I always have a good laugh at the specs "5,000,000:1 DCR" from Samsung LOL.

I guess I can only dream for an LCD monitor where each pixel has its light source, individual and separate of others........won't have to worry anymore about black levels, bleeding and color issues ! I guess I can only dream :D

[YukonTrooper]

All LED monitors thus far are TN panels. As mentioned in this thread, LED monitors are still LCD monitors, just with LED backlighting. However, LED backlighting in monitors doesn't offer local-dimming, which is the biggest draw of LED HDTV's.

Go with a traditional CCFL display and try and find a PVA, MVA, or IPS monitor in your price bracket. I'm not sure if that's possible, though. Good luck. Also, avoid wide-gamut, if possible.

[limitedaccess]

Originally Posted by DarKStar

I can see a lot of people confuse the terms LED and LCD. What you are comparing is the BACKLIGHT, the technology is the same, LCD, the backlights are either LED or CCFL. I think we are going more towards LED now and I would pay the premium. Of course regardless of whether companies hype their specs, LED is "cleaner" and better than CCFL, and it makes for much thinner screens and longer life. I notice on my XL2370 that I can get a very bright screen at a much lower setting output.

Your XL2370 is very bright simply because the back light is very strong, there are CCFL backlit screens that are also extremely bright. Take the PX2370 for instance (also a LED Samsung), it is much dimmer by comparison despite using the same edge lit LED back light method as the XL2370. Your XL2370 is a very good monitor overall (arguably the best TN at that size range), however it isn't because of the LEDs.

Originally Posted by DarKStar

Of course the reason why some people can't see much big difference between LED and CCFL is because they are comparing lower-end monitors. These monitors in the price range are edge lit.

It isn't because the monitor is low or higher end. There is only edge lit LED computer monitors at the moment (as far as I know). White and RGB array LED back lighting so far is only available on large televisions. Also whether or not white/rgb arrays would benefit smaller computer monitors (which typically have a much higher pixel density) without drawbacks is arguable.

Originally Posted by DarKStar

As far as color gamut, again, in this low price range you cannot ask miracles from TN panels, but I always have a good laugh at the specs "5,000,000:1 DCR" from Samsung LOL.

In regards to the color gamut -
Samsung P2370 (CCFL) 95% sRGB coverage
PRAD | Review Samsung P2370
Samsung XL2370 (LED) 92% sRGB coverage
PRAD | Testbericht Samsung XL2370 LED
Acer s243hl (LED) 89% sRGB coverage
PRAD | Review Acer S243HLbmii
Samsung F2380 (CCFL) 99% sRGB coverage (C-PVA, not TN)
PRAD | Review Samsung F2380

Originally Posted by DarKStar

I guess I can only dream for an LCD monitor where each pixel has its light source, individual and separate of others........won't have to worry anymore about black levels, bleeding and color issues ! I guess I can only dream :D

Your dream monitor is not as far off as you think, since OLEDs are currently on the market, albeit only on very small screen devices. Consumer products for screens in the size of Monitors/TVs however is not expected until 2015 at the earliest.

Originally Posted by YukonTrooper

All LED monitors thus far are TN panels. As mentioned in this thread, LED monitors are still LCD monitors, just with LED backlighting. However, LED backlighting in monitors doesn't offer local-dimming, which is the biggest draw of LED HDTV's.

Go with a traditional CCFL display and try and find a PVA, MVA, or IPS monitor in your price bracket. I'm not sure if that's possible, though. Good luck. Also, avoid wide-gamut, if possible.

I would agree with this post if you care about the underlying technology of your monitor. Choosing between TN, IPS, PVA is actually a worthwhile. Picking whether or not to buy a monitor based on it having LED back lighting is pointless unless you care about thinner, marginal lower energy consumption(CCFL P2370 vs. LED Xl2370 Product Face-Offs Monitors - DigitalVersus), and them being mercury free for the environment.

Otherwise simply choose based on the individual screen.