The world today is visually driven, from social media to outside the screens on the road. LED display technologies have made it possible to level up the immersive experience of images and videos. The introduction of this technology has been the game-changer that put the entire industry on a pedestal.

To have an idea of why this technology became the premium tool for entertainment and advertising, you first need to understand how it operates in the first place. And since there are also several LED display technologies being used in the industry, diving into them one by one is the only way to have a thorough understanding of the concepts. 

Exploring LED Display Technologies

Light-emitting diodes or LEDs are dominating the visual industry with their electric luminescence. They are used in a variety of applications and have become popular in different industries. The vibrant and bright images and videos displayed on a large scale made possible by these LEDs make this technology a good investment to consider.   

What is a LED Display Technology

LEDs emit a cold light that is produced using two silicon-coated semiconductors. To further understand how these LEDs are used in the technology to create visual masterpieces and the different LED display technologies behind them, it is relevant to start with the basics. 

LED displays, similar to LCDs, operate through a backlight technology. The basic LED display technology uses the concept of electroluminescence to produce light and vibrant images. Also known as cold light technology, it uses low heat from the diodes compared to the incandescent light’s heat energy which often ends up with a lot of energy loss. And this is only one of the many factors that LED display technology has an edge over LCD.

Advantages of Using LED Display Technology

There is a reason why LED display technologies are preferred by many suppliers and users when maximizing the use of their screens. To give you an idea of the whys, here are some of the benefits you can expect.

Lower Power Consumption

With the LED display technology, the operation of the screens requires lower energy consumption compared to the standard LCDs. This is if all the other factors are set to constant and in the same value. Even when using lower power, LED displays have higher contrast and black gamut. 

Cost-effective Option

The innovation of LED display technologies may be expensive but investing in them are worth it. LED displays are considered to be offered at a good value, especially when considering the scale and performance of the technology. 

More Powerful Backlight – Ideal For Outdoor Application

LED displays have incredible brightness that they can comfortably and effectively be used even when under direct sunlight outdoors. They do not get washed out, unlike the standard LCD screen that you can only use indoors. 

Highly Flexible In Size

With LED display technology, there is no limit when it comes to how grand the screen sizes can be. They can be small or gigantic by using several screens like pieces of a puzzle. And with the no-bezel design, you can max out whatever space you’re planning to use. 

High-Quality & Vibrant Images

The LED display technology allows screens to have more uniform backlighting with images and videos that are vibrant and colorful, with the help of the deep blacks and contrast change. 

History of the LED Technology

The LED display technologies that are used today also had a humble beginning. It all started with LEDs that have this red low-intensity visible lighting, which is not as compatible with many of today’s wide commercial applications. From there, the technology progressed to remote-control circuits, including applications in radios and watches. 

LED technology is expensive and it was in the 1970s that the diodes start to become affordable, with more color options and output levels. Many Asian manufacturers improved upon the technology, which led to what it is now. Today, the current cutting-edge LED display technologies dominating the market and the interest of manufacturers and users are OLED and QLED. 

Different Types of LED Display Technologies

With all the demands in the industry and market, different LED display technologies have been innovated to cater to this continuous pressure. The technology powers all sorts of devices, from small indicator lights to gigantic LED walls. Here are some of the technologies currently used in different devices. 

Edge-Lit LED (ELED) Technology 

Edge-Lit LED Technology involves diodes installed on the edge of the screen pointing toward the display’s middle part. The LEDs can be installed in three ways -left and right, top and bottom, and all around. This is supported by light reflectors for more unified lighting, which are filtered by the diffuser and make sure there are no bright spots. 

It’s one of the oldest LED display technologies that was innovated early on and one of the most affordable displays. It can also be seen on many thinner screens. 

Edge-Lit LED with Local Dimming

This LED display technology still features diodes installed at the edge of the screen but with the addition of a control system that automatically turns on or off these LEDs. They are normally programmed by sectors and may be disabled when needed. It also takes out the insufficient light issues that Edge-Lit LED displays usually have and helps produce more realistic images. 

Direct-Lit Technology

While not used lately anymore, direct-lit technology is normally seen in thick television sets. It is one of the LED display technologies where the LEDs are installed directly at the back of the screens, similar to Full-Array but only using way less number of diodes. They are arranged in a grid pattern to ensure uniform lighting for the screen. 

Direct-Lit LED technology is a level upgrade from the Edge-Lit LED tech, with improved brightness because of the diodes’ arrangement. Displays using this technology produce vibrant and brighter images with more contrast. They do not have local dimming and while may be affordable, they are still pricier than ELEDs. 

Full-Array LED Technology

Just as how it’s named, this LED display technology uses a full array of diodes installed behind the screen lighting the device. Among all LED display technologies, it is the most common one used in televisions and many screens. 

Full-array LED displays are similar to direct-lit displays but only with way more diodes installed in groups and zones, giving more contrast control and automatic light adjustments. They produce more color contrast and brighter images and tend to be on the thicker side. 

Full-Array LED with Local Dimming

This LED display technology is notable for installing many diodes on the screen and for functioning with local dimming features at the same time. It offers a more uniform brightness with the help of the number of diodes used but is also often thicker because of it. 

RGB Technology

Red-Green-Blue technology is another one of the LED display technologies applied in screens today. The red, green, and blue diodes are used to produce more colors and support vibrant images at the same time. Depending on the colors and images, the diodes will be activated accordingly and can either be made brighter or dimmer. 

Organic LED (OLED) Technology

OLED technology involves organic diodes comprised of layers of organic components film. The film is electrically stimulated, leading to light emission and making it possible to operate without the need to install parts for backlighting. So, displays using this technology tend to be slimmer.

This is one of the more current LED display technologies and often uses a glass TFT backplane with organics as semiconductors. Each pixel brightness of the display can be independently programmed and its contrast ratio and viewing angle are unlimited. 

Micro-LED Technology

Micro-LED is among the LED display technologies that are upgraded from other technologies. It is an improved version of OLED but instead of using organic components, it uses inorganic ones to light production and illumination. Displays using this technology produce vibrant and brighter images with less power consumption. 

Quantum Dot LED (QLED) Technology

QLED technology is considered the most current of all LED display technologies. The standard LED technology uses the popular blue light but it’s filtered through a layer of gas that transforms it into white light. After that, it goes through RGB pixels that make it possible to produce colorful and bright images. The downside of using this technology is that the colors black, red, and white tend to look pale compared to other colors, which is where quantum dots come into place. 

Quantum Dot LED technology replaces the filter with quantum dots (red and green) that help emit light when the blue light passes through which results in pure white light. This process helps produce vibrant images with more color contrast using less energy consumption. 

Mini-LED Technology

This technology is an upgrade to the QLED technology. Among all other LED display technologies, it uses the same process as QLED but with small and numerous LEDs installed on the screen. Using this technology involves grouping the LEDs into zones, making it easier to control the colors and black levels.

Conclusion

These LED display technologies are products of the rigorous effects of manufacturers and innovators to improve upon the current viewing experience. Light-emitting diodes have been used and maximized to produce high-quality images and videos. 

More than that, the diodes have also been utilized to make displays more convenient and flexible. Of course, choosing the most advanced and current technology can be the best option but looking back on the previous techs of the past is a good journey to undertake.