LCD LED backlight / backlit or CCFL?
After I wrote about SSD storage drives must say some words about new generation LCD monitors that are back lighted by LED instead of CCFL. It’s really important to know the difference between these two kinds.
Apple calls it LED-backlit, Dell simply WLED. Not sure for what reason, but the words stands for the same meaning – backlighting.
It was interesting to find out for me that the monitor of my laptop has some backlights. It has CCFL lightning as all of the rest LCD monitors till the new generation.
CCFL means – Cold cathode fluorescent lamps. Yes, it looks similar like those lamps tubes we use to see at offices – just considerably smaller.
LCD (liquid crystal display) constructed something like this – LCD matrix, behind white diffusion panel, then the lights. Diffusion panel is a trick that splits/diffuses light smoothly to all display surface, so we cannot notice the lamps exists here. Laptop display may have one at the top, one at the bottom and sometimes behind. Now I understand why the very top and bottom of my monitor is slightly brighter (especially the bottom while just booting)!
The photo taken from: Rescue IBM ThinkPad T40 Display:Replacing its CCFL.
Bigger TVs or monitors may have much more of them.
The new backlighting technology uses LED lights instead of the fluorescent lamps. It looks something like this:
Each LED is controlled individually to light more in white areas and dim – for black ones. This is why these kinds of monitors create better whites and blacks. Some monitors (not sure all or some) use RGB LEDS. This helps to achieve richer colour gamut and reminds old CRT technology.
Main benefits of LED-backlit technology
1. Longer life.
It’s not only about longer life. LCD based CCFL technology monitors starts dim after several years usage, loses brightness.
2. Significantly lower power consumption (so and less heat).
Lower power consumption should be important to everyone in these global warming times. Laptop owners may enjoy longer battery life because of that. I’ve read that 15″ LED MacBook Pro gets up to 1 hour longer battery life thanks to this.
3. More brightness and richer colours.
First 2 points should be important to all existing users as the 3rd as well, but the last most important for photographers, designers and those that want to see as much details as possible.
Looking for a new TV, laptop or desktop monitor – take with LED backlighting. If you photographer or designer – your choice is only this.