When it comes to the LED vs. LCD video wall debate, it can be hard to pick a side. From the differences in technology to the picture quality and the carbon footprint. There are several factors that you will need to consider when choosing which solution is most suitable for your needs.
With the global video wall market set to grow by 11% by 2026, there has never been a better time to get to grips with these displays.
How do you choose a display with all of this information to consider though? Keep reading to find out.
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Comparison table
What’s the difference
Picture quality
Bezel
Resolution
Pixel Pitch
Size
Brightness
Contrast
Carbon footprint
Location
Cost
How will you display your content?
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Explore our range of video walls here, or contact us today and tell us about your video wall project.
LED Video WallLCD Video WallCostMore expensiveTo start with, all LED displays are just LCDs. Both use Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology and a series of lamps placed at the back of the screen to produce the images we see on our screens. LED screens use light-emitting diodes for backlights, while LCDs use fluorescent backlights.
LEDs can also have full array lighting. This is where the LEDs are placed evenly across the entire screen, in a similar way to an LCD. However, the important difference is that the LEDs have set zones and these zones can be dimmed. This is known as local dimming and can significantly improve picture quality. If a certain part of the screen needs to be darker, the zone of LEDs can be dimmed to create a truer black and an improved image contrast. LCD screens are not able to do this as they are constantly evenly lit.
Get in touch today and our team of experts can help you with your LCD or LED video wall requirements.
LCD video wall in an office reception areaImage quality is one of the most contentious issues when it comes to the LED vs. LCD video wall debate. LED displays generally have better picture quality compared to their LCD counterparts. From black levels to contrast and even colour accuracy, LED displays usually come out on top. LED screens with a full-array back-lit display capable of local dimming will provide the best picture quality.
In terms of viewing angle, there is usually no difference between LCD and LED video walls. This instead depends on the quality of the glass panel used.
One of the main differences and biggest considerations when picking between an LCD and an LED video wall is the bezel.
If you go with an LCD display you will need to consider the bezel size. The bezel is the frame that goes around the edge of a single LCD panel. When you bring each panel together to form your video wall, the bezel is where each screen will meet. This will be visible when looking at your video wall, as you’ll see a thin black line where each panel connects to another.
Representation of the average LCD video wall bezelWhen looking for an LCD video wall, you will see the bezel sizes listed for the panels. The larger the bezel size the thicker the black bar between the panels will be. Depending on the content you wish to display, this can affect the viewing experience. One large continuous image or a lot of data would be most clearly affected by the bezel.
However, with recent advancements in bezel reduction technology, video wall providers are now able to provide LCD displays with very narrow and in some cases almost unnoticeable bezels. LamasaTech offers a narrow 3.5mm bezel LCD video wall as well as an extremely thin 0.44mm bezel display.
LED displays do not have a bezel, so no black frame will appear between each LED cabinet. This produces a seamless display and allows you to show your content uninterrupted. This is an effective setup when you are expecting to display a single image or video across the entire video wall.
Below you can see a comparison of an LCD display with bezels and an LED video wall without.
LCD video wall with bezels LED seamless displayLamsaTech provides seamless LED video walls, get in touch today to discuss your display requirements.
Resolution affects the sharpness and clarity of the content displayed on a screen. This is particularly important for video walls as it will determine the appropriate viewing distance.
A higher resolution will keep your content looking clear while being viewed up close from a short distance away, while a lower resolution video wall will be better viewed from further away. This ties in with the pixel pitch which will be explained in the next section.
LCD displays offer a much higher resolution when compared to LED options. A 55″ LCD display will offer 1920 x 1080 resolution. When your video wall is completed, the total resolution of your wall will depend on how many panels it includes. For example, a 3×4 LCD video wall will have a total resolution of 5760 x 4320.
As LEDs can have differing pixel pitches their resolutions will vary. An LED with a pixel pitch of 1.26 will have a resolution of 960 x 540. Over the same 3×4 video wall display, this LED would offer a total resolution of 2880 x 2160.
With a much higher resolution, this makes LCDs ideal for indoor viewing. They’ll be able to maintain a clear and detailed image while being viewed from a short viewing distance, for example in a security and control room, simulation room, education facilities and more.
LED video walls are a great choice for outdoor locations where the display will be viewed from a distance, meaning that the resolution is less important. LEDs are also a great choice for indoor environments if you are looking for a video wall with no bezel and the audience will be viewing the display from a distance, making the resolution slightly less important.
Contact our team of experts today and we’ll help you implement your video wall.
Pixel pitch is the distance between each pixel on an LED panel. The higher the pixel pitch the greater the spacing between the LEDs which will result in lower image quality, while a lower pixel pitch will offer a higher image quality. This will be especially noticeable in close-up viewing environments such as a board room or reception because the details of the content will be lost and viewers will begin to see individual pixels and not a clear cohesive image.
Understanding what pixel pitch you would require for an LED video wall in your chosen location typically requires input from technical specialists. However, here are two you can calculate this yourself.
For example, an LED display with a pixel pitch of 5mm would require a viewer to be 15 feet away to make out any details in the video wall and 50 feet away to clearly view the content.
LCD displays have a much smaller pixel pitch than LED displays, which makes an LCD video wall ideal for showing more informative and detailed content. If your video wall is to be placed in a control room, conference room or reception area, then an LCD display will provide a high-quality experience for this close-distance viewing.
Where the display is going to be placed and the size needed are significant factors in which screen is right for you.
LCD video walls typically aren’t made as large as LED walls. Depending on the need, they can be configured differently but won’t go to the huge sizes LED walls can. LEDs can be as big as you need, one of the largest is in Beijing, which measures 250 m x 30 m (820 ft x 98 ft) for a total surface area of 7,500 m² (80,729 ft²). This display is made up of five extremely large LED screens to produce one continuous image.
Let us know the size of your video wall project and we’ll offer you expert guidance on how you can proceed.
Large LED display – The Place, Beijing – Erica Chang https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22The_Place%22_Shopping_Mall_in_Beijing_-_panoramio.jpgWhere you will be displaying your video wall will inform you of how bright you need the screens to be.
Higher brightness will be needed in a room with large windows and lots of light. However, in many control rooms being too bright will likely be a negative. If your employees are working around it for long periods they could suffer from headaches or eye strain. In this situation, an LCD would be the better option as there is no need for a particularly high brightness level.
Contrast is also something to consider. This is the difference between the screen’s brightest and darkest colours. The typical contrast ratio for LCD displays is 1500:1, while LEDs can achieve 5000:1. Full-array backlit LEDs can offer high brightness due to the backlighting but also a truer black with local dimming.
Lightest and darkest colours highlighted on an office video wallThe environmental effects on the planet are now at the forefront of many companies’ minds when making decisions. You could be looking for a video wall solution that has a smaller carbon footprint or complies with your green policies.
Commercial LCDs consume less power than commercial LED displays. This is because LEDs require more energy to power their high-brightness capabilities. LCD panels produce an evenly lit display but don’t reach the same level of brightness that LEDs do. As a result, LCD video walls are able to consume much less energy.
A 55″ LCD display will typically consume around 250W of power at its peak, while a 55″ LED cabinet will consume around 600W.
It is important to note that the location of your video wall will impact which option is best for you. LCD video walls are made for indoor environments and are most suitable in locations such as:
Some LED video walls are designed for indoor use while others are made for outdoor environments. A key detail to look out for with an outdoor LED video wall is the IP rating. This identifies how weather-resistant it is and how well it will cope with outdoor conditions. IP 65 is the rating you should look for as this will mean your LED display will be able to handle operating outside. Ideal outdoor locations for LED video walls include:
If your main concern is budget, then LCD is the obvious choice. You can usually buy a much bigger LCD display for vastly less money than an LED. LCD video walls are generally much cheaper compared to similar-sized LED displays. The low-end average for an LCD video wall is $5,000-$6,000, while an LED display will cost you $40,000-$50,000.
This is the same when it comes to maintenance. LED screens are more expensive to maintain compared to LCD displays.
With both LCD and LED you’ll be able to daisy chain your screens or connect a video wall processor. Daisy chaining involves connecting an input, such as a media player to one screen and then linking the remaining screens together. You’ll then be able to display the content from the input across your display.
A video wall processor offers more control and customisation as it comes with built-in software. Your chosen video wall will be connected to the processor and then you’ll be able to drag and drop content around the display and even resize it to fit your requirements.
To learn more about video wall processors and how they work, read this article.
LamasaTech Advanced Video Wall ProcessorWith this knowledge on video walls, you can take the next step in deciding which solution will be best for you.
You can explore our LCD video wall range here.
LamasaTech is a leader in digital display technology with over 12 years of experience. We support customers across a range of industries including retail, military and defence, government and public sector, technology, hospitality and education.
Shopping for a new TV (especially if you haven’t done so in a few years) can be a crash course in three to four-letter acronyms. From sales floor price tags to online marketing, Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, Hisense, and every TV brand under the sun is all about the tech verbiage — QLED, OLED, mini-LED, QD-OLED, UHD, HD (these are just a handful of the go-to selections). But each one of these acronyms stands for something important, which in most cases is the kind of picture technology the TV is utilizing to give you things like mesmerizing brightness, rich colors, and awesome black levels.
But as products continue to evolve, there’s one set of TV acronyms that may not get the kind of magnifying glass attention it once commanded, even though it’s certainly still relevant when it comes to how your TV is illuminated, and that’s LED and LCD. Even though most TVs are actually LEDs these days, LCDs are definitely still around, and it pays to know the difference between both of these lighting technologies. Thus, we’ve put together this handy explainer to help you decide which is better, as well as the similarities and differences between both display types.
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Despite having a different acronym, LED TV is just a specific type of LCD TV, which uses a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel to control where light is displayed on your screen. These panels are typically composed of two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. When an electric current passes through the liquid, it causes the crystals to align, so that light can (or can’t) pass through. Think of it as a shutter, either allowing light to pass through or blocking it out.
Since both LED and LCD TVs are based around LCD technology, the question remains: What is the difference? Actually, it’s about what the difference was. Older LCD TVs used cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) to provide lighting, whereas LED LCD TVs use an array of smaller, more efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to illuminate the screen.
Since the technology is better, all LCD TVs now use LED lights and are colloquially considered LED TVs. For those interested, we’ll go deeper into backlighting below, or you can move onto the Local Dimming section.
Three basic illumination forms have been used in LCD TVs: CCFL backlighting, full-array LED backlighting, and LED edge lighting. Each of these illumination technologies is different in important ways. Let’s dig into each:
CCFL backlighting is an older, now-abandoned form of display technology in which a series of cold cathode lamps sit across the inside of the TV behind the LCD. The lights illuminate the crystals fairly evenly, which means all regions of the picture will have similar brightness levels. This affects some aspects of picture quality, which we discuss in more detail below. Since CCFLs are larger than LED arrays, CCFL-based LCD TVs are thicker than LED-backlit LCD TVs.
Full-array backlighting swaps the outdated CCFLs for an array of LEDs spanning the back of the screen, with zones of LEDs that can be lit or dimmed in a process called local dimming. Fully backlit LED TVs are one of the most common types of LED lighting used in TVs today, with brands like Samsung, Sony, and TCL implementing this tech into many of their midtier and premium sets, including QLEDs and QD-OLEDS (more on these TV types later). This is because full backlighting arrays are able to deliver powerful brightness levels that can be very precisely controlled with features like local dimming, resulting in a final picture that is both vibrant and well-balanced in terms of colors and contrast.
Nowadays, you’ll also see TV companies using something called mini-LED lighting. These are much smaller light-emitting diodes that can deliver better overall brightness and better colors and contrast through local dimming, simply because more diodes can be packed into the entire lighting array.
Another form of LCD screen illumination is LED edge lighting. As the name implies, edge-lit TVs have LEDs along the edges of the screen. There are a few different configurations, including LEDs along just the bottom, LEDs on the top and bottom, LEDs along the left and right sides, and LEDs along all four parts of the frame. These different configurations result in picture quality differences, but the overall brightness capabilities still exceed what CCFL LCD TVs could achieve. While there are some drawbacks to edge lighting compared to full-array displays (especially in terms of local dimming), TV manufacturers have gotten really good at making edge-lit TVs that use features like picture upscaling to make an edge-lit display look and perform like a full-array screen. Plus, edge-lit TVs are generally cheaper than fully backlit TVs!
Local dimming is a feature of LED LCD TVs wherein the LED light source behind the LCD is dimmed and illuminated to match what the TV’s signal source demands. LCDs can’t completely prevent light from passing through, even during dark scenes, so dimming the light source itself aids in creating deeper blacks and more impressive contrast in the picture. This is accomplished by selectively dimming the LEDs when that particular part of the picture — or region — is intended to be dark.
Local dimming helps LED-LCD TVs more closely match the quality of modern OLED displays, which feature better contrast levels by their nature — something CCFL LCD TVs couldn’t do. The quality of local dimming varies depending on which type of backlighting your LCD uses, how many individual zones of dimming are employed, and the quality of the processing.
TVs with full-array backlighting have the most accurate local dimming and therefore tend to offer the best contrast. Since an array of LEDs spans the entire back of the LCD screen, regions can generally be dimmed with more finesse than on edge-lit TVs, and brightness tends to be uniform across the entire screen. Hisense’s impressive U7H TVs are great examples of relatively affordable models that use full-array backlighting with local dimming.
Because edge lighting employs LEDs positioned on the edge or edges of the display to project light across the entire LCD screen, (as opposed to coming from directly behind it), it can result in very subtle blocks or bands of lighter pixels within or around areas that should be dark. The local dimming of edge-lit TVs can sometimes result in some murkiness in dark areas compared with full-array LED TVs. It should also be noted that not all edge-lit TVs offer local dimming, which is why it is not uncommon to see glowing strips of light at the edges of a TV and less brightness toward the center of the screen.
When shopping around for a TV these days, you’ll still see LED and LCD acronyms tossed around a bit, but two of the more common keywords you’ll find at Best Buy and on Amazon is OLED and QLED. Oh, and now there’s also QD-OLED to contend with!
An OLED display uses a panel of pixel-sized organic compounds that respond to electricity. Since each tiny pixel (millions of which are present in modern displays) can be turned on or off individually, OLED displays are called “self-emissive” displays, which means they require no backlighting at all. These kinds of TVs, made popular by LG, offer incredibly deep contrast levels and better per-pixel accuracy than any other picture tech on the market. And because they don’t require a separate light source, OLED displays are also amazingly thin — often just a few millimeters.
Then there are the QLED TVs — think of them as a kind of supercharged LED TV –that were made popular by companies like Samsung, TCL, and Hisense. Unlike OLED displays, QLED is not an “emissive” display technology (actual LED lights still illuminate QLED pixels from behind). However, QLEDs feature an updated illumination technology over regular LED-LCDs in the form of quantum dots (the “Q” in QLED), which help to give a big boost to an LED TV’s color saturation and brightness capabilities. When combined with features like local dimming, many QLED TVs can even rival the rich colors and inky black levels once only delivered by OLED TVs.
With all these warring picture types, it’s a shame that TV manufacturers won’t come together to create a premium TV that combines the best parts of a QLED with the best parts of an OLED. Actually, that’s a thing now, and this new acronym and picture tech is called QD-OLED. A four-layered approach to flagship picture quality, QD-OLEDs combine an LED backlight with quantum dots (just like a QLED), on top of an LCD matrix with a color filter to produce a vibrant picture with a ton of color and contrast detail (just like an OLED).
Right now, Samsung and Sony are the two QD-OLED kingpins, but we expect to see this revolutionary picture tech implemented on more and more TVs as time goes on.