Advances in TV screen technology seem to be coming at a faster and faster pace. First, flat screen TVs replaced our clunky cathode ray sets in the late 90′s; then, LCD TVs made both of those obsolete in the early 2000′s. So it might be slightly bewildering to see the newest technology, LED screen TVs, already appearing on shelves.
But though Samsung touts its line of LED TVs as “a whole new species of television,” the technology is actually just a variation on LCD TVs. The new LED screens still include an LCD display, which includes the pixels that make up images. The difference is a layer of light emitting diodes (LEDs)–tiny, high efficiency bulbs–which provide powerful backlights in LED TVs.
LED backlights prove to be key components, as they are both brighter and more efficient than the alternative backlights. Their brightness means LED screens have a higher contrast ratio than LCD screens, and Samsung has even come out with a prototype laptop LED display with infinite contrast ratio. Their energy efficiency has lead to their embrace by the green movement; current LED TVs use 40% less power than an equivalent LCD TV.
Because of their reduced energy use, LED screens are the top choice for large installations. The biggest is a 1,500 foot overhead display used for concerts in Fremont Street Experience, Las Vegas, which was updated from incandescent lighting in 2005. While upkeep costs for these displays are relatively low, prices are still higher than for fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, and a recent LED installation in a Beijing mall cost a cool $32 million.
The future is bright for LED screens. A new type, built from organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), is currently used in phones built by Samsung and Motorola and the Creative Zen iPod alternative. With the cost and size of individual OLEDs dropping every year, new applications, like TVs made entirely from OLEDs, will eventually take over the screen market.
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