LED Backlight Vs. Fluorescent Backlight

LCD screens are either backlit by LED lights or fluorescent tubes.

Since 2005, LED (light-emitting diode) lights have increasingly replaced fluorescent bulbs for backlighting. This is particularly true for television and computer applications that have LCD (liquid crystal display) screens. The reasons have to do with increased efficiency and image quality.

Fluorescent Backlighting

Between 2000 and 2010, CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent) tubes for backlighting have increasingly replaced incandescent bulbs. This is a product of the widespread use of LCD screens for computer monitors and televisions. Fluorescent tubes produce less heat, diffuse light more consistently and are more efficient than incandescent bulbs.

LED Backlighting

Between 2005 and 2010, LED lights have in turn replaced CCFL tubes for backlighting. LEDs are able to produce more light with less energy and more flexibility than fluorescent tubes. They are replacing fluorescent for the same reasons that CCFLs replaced incandescent lights, greater efficiency and image quality.

LED Advantages

LED lights have several advantages over CCFL tubes. First, LEDs are more efficient and have lower power consumption. Also, image quality is improved because LED light can be focused more easily than fluorescent, which tends to diffuse light. In addition, appliances like televisions and computers can be made thinner because LED lights take up less space.

References

• TechTerms.Com: LED (Light-Emitting Diode)
• Absolute Astronomy: Backlight
• Digital Trends: LED Behind the LCD: Understanding LED-Backlit HDTVs
• Presentation Technology Reviews: LED Backlighting -- the Advantages