Mar 07.2024

Edge-lit vs Direct-lit LED Displays - Which Choice to Make

What is an Edge-Lit LED Display?

What is a Direct-Lit LED Display?

Similarities between Direct-Lit LED and Edge-Lit LED Display

Differences between Edge-Lit LED and Direct-Lit LED Display

Edge LED vs Direct LED for Business Use

Edge LED vs Direct LED for Personal Use

Advancements in Display Technology





Backlighting is a method of illumination used in Liquid-Crystal Displays (LCDs). It provides illumination from the back or the side of the LCD screen. An LCD can include a computer monitor, a tablet, or a television. LCDs do not have self-illuminating pixels. Thus, they require a separate lighting system.

 

The light from the lighting system illuminates the pixels to produce visible images. The two common types of backlighting are direct and edge-lit light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We are going to look more into edge led vs direct led displays.

 

What is an Edge-Lit LED Display?

 

This is a type of display whose LED lights are at the edge of the display unit. The lights face toward the center of the unit lighting the pixels. Components known as light guides normally distribute light evenly across the screen. A display unit might have LED lights only on two of its edges. Another unit might have LED lights along the entire perimeter on its four edges.

 

What is a Direct-Lit LED Display?

 

This type of display is also known as matrix LED lighting. This is due to the arrangement of the LED lights in rows and columns like a matrix. The lights produce illumination from the back of the liquid pixel layer producing a clear image.

 

Similarities between Direct-Lit LED and Edge-Lit LED Display

 

Though they might look different, the two display units can have some common features. One of the common similarities is that they both utilize Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology. LEDs provide better quality compared to traditional fluorescent backlights.

 

Moreover, both direct-lit LED and edge-lit LED displays utilize a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel. This panel creates the actual image after the illumination of the pixels.

 

Differences between Edge-Lit LED and Direct-Lit LED Display

 

We are going to look at edge led vs direct led based on certain factors.

 

1. Backlight Placement

 

The main difference between a Direct-lit LED and an edge-lit display unit lies in the backlight placement. In a direct-lit display unit, the lights are in a grid or a matrix arrangement. However, in the edge-lit display unit, the LED lights are usually along the perimeter.

 

2. Brightness

 

Direct-lit LED displays have uniform backlighting at the back of the screen. They therefore tend to be brighter than Edge-lit LED displays. Edge-lit displays find it hard to achieve high brightness levels. This is because of the placement of the lights around the perimeter. The lights at the edge of the display unit cover less surface area around the screen hence the minimal brightness.

 

Edge-lit displays can be suitable in well-lit rooms or for casual viewing.

 

3. Thickness

 

The direct-lit LED has thicker panels. This is because of the need for sufficient light coverage. Thus, the LED lights have to be farther away from the screen. The thick direct-lit panels make the unit to be heavier. On the other hand, edge-lit LED panels are much thinner. This is because they only need the lights at the side of the panel. The thinness of the edge-lit display serves as an advantage. It allows them to fit on a wide range of surfaces. Their slim nature also makes them more visually appealing.

 

4. Cost Effectiveness

 

Direct-lit displays are more cost-effective than edge-lit displays since they are easy to design. Their design includes placing LED lights behind the screen. However, the edge-lit displays require additional components that can raise the cost. These components can include light guides that distribute the light across the screen.

 

5. Local Dimming

 

Local dimming is a technology that controls the brightness levels of different areas on your screen. Direct-lit LED displays provide more precise local dimming than edge-lit LED displays. This is because the LED lights at the back of the screen can dim specific parts of the screen resulting in a clearer image.

 

6. Picture Quality and Clarity

 

Direct-lit displays provide better image quality compared to edge-lit display units. This is because they offer more uniform brightness and high contrast ratios. In edge-lit displays, the fewer LEDs can minimize the brightness and contrast. This can affect the overall picture quality.

 

7. Energy Efficiency

 

Edge-lit display units tend to be more energy-efficient than direct-lit display units. This is because they use less LED lights thus consuming less power. Direct-lit LED displays use more lights that spread at the back of the screen. This makes them use more electric power. Thus, they are not energy efficient.

 

Edge LED vs Direct LED for Business Use

 

When choosing between edge-lit and direct-lit LED displays for a business, there are some factors to consider. You need a display unit that offers quality pictures and higher brightness for your business. Moreover, you will need a unit that gives precise local dimming. To save money for your business, consider a display unit that is budget-friendly.

 

Therefore, if you seek quality display units, direct-lit LED displays can be ideal. However, if your priority is a slim design that is cost-effective, edge-lit LED displays can be a better choice.

 

Edge LED vs Direct LED for Personal Use

 

The choice of a display unit depends more on your preferences. If you require maximum brightness and quality pictures, you can always opt for a direct-lit LED display unit. It can provide a nice gaming experience as well if you are a gamer. However, if you need a slightly thinner unit and one that is less costly, edge-lit LED display units are better.

 

Moreover, if you consider beauty and space-saving, opt for edge-lit LED display units.

 

Advancements in Display Technology

 

Better display units are being advanced with time. These modern display units are an improvement of the direct-lit and edge-lit display units. They complement them to provide better visual quality.

 

1. Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Display

 

This type of display can organically emit light after coming into contact with an electric current. With the help of a diode, an OLED is able to function optimally in all lighting conditions. Each pixel in an OLED can glow independently unlike in the LCD screen. This improves the picture clarity with better local dimming.

 

2. Micro-Light Emitting Diodes (Micro-LED)

 

It is an advanced technology in the display unit industry. It uses tiny LED devices that directly create their own color pixels. There is no need to place LED lights behind the panel. The tiny LED devices have red, green, and blue colors. These advanced displays create highly efficient and quality displays. They are very slim thus fitting any space.

 

In conclusion, it is important to understand your priorities when deciding on the type of display unit to purchase. It can be quite difficult to decide. This is because the differences between the display units can be very complex to understand. You should opt for advice from experts in the display field. This will guarantee you get the display unit that will meet your specific requirements.