What Kinds of Backlighting Configurations Are There?
LED Differences: Full Array LED vs Mini LED
Light is essential in our lives. It helps us see in the dark, draws attention to important things in our world, and, when it comes to electronics, provides a sense of comfort that something's on and, more importantly, functions correctly. Without light, life would be nothing short of difficult.
As we continue to integrate computer screens into our lives more and more, ensuring they're well-lit is crucial, whether those screens are just for entertainment or if they'll be crucial to a work field or industry.
However, lighting a screen isn't a simple matter of just having the screen make light; there's a lot at play with each screen. Each screen is lit up with an array of light-emitting diodes, also known as LEDs.
There are a few different ways LED lights can light a screen, but they all work off the basic principle of backlighting. Inside any backlit device, a number of tiny diodes arranged in a pattern sit behind the screen. The diodes each represent one of three colors: red, blue, and green. In addition, each diode can adjust its brightness. Different combinations of brightness allow the LEDs to mix colors and produce hues beyond the standard RGB.
An interface connects the LEDs to the screen, telling the diodes what will be on the screen at each diode's location. The diodes then use this data to determine how bright each LED in the pattern should be. While the specifics differ depending on the backlighting method, all these lights come together to illuminate the screen's pixels and produce a vibrant image.
Several backlighting configurations exist. However, the majority of LED screens use one of three popular methods to accomplish the task of screen lighting.
With a full array backlight, a grid of lights across the screen's area provides complete lighting coverage. Each zone of the grid can be dimmed or brightened depending on the brightness of the screen image's corresponding area, allowing shadows to contrast nicely against light.
Direct-lit backlights utilize LED lights spread out across the screen, similar to a full array. However, there are fewer lights in a direct-lit than in a full array, and rather than having individually dimmable zones, their lighting is uniform, resulting in evenly lit images. While shadows might not be as deep and rich, they still produce a desirable image.
Edge-lit isn't exactly backlighting, but it is a related process. Edge lighting utilizes LEDs around the area of the screen, lighting it from the edge. The light is then directed down with a special panel and channeled into a diffuser. They offer decent quality at a cheap price and a slimmer size.
Backlighting configurations are just some of the things to consider when picking out a screen. It's also important to factor in what kind of LEDs you want to make up your television's backlighting system. The kinds to know are Full Array LEDs and Mini LEDs.
Both diode styles have advantages and drawbacks, and which kind you should choose depends on your personal preferences and planned usage. Below is a summary table, followed by an in-depth look at each feature.
|
Feature |
Full Array LED |
Mini LED |
|
Diode Size |
200 micrometers |
100 micrometers |
|
Array Size |
Spaced Out |
Dense |
|
Peak Brightness |
1000-2000 nits |
2000+ nits |
|
Dimming Zones |
Standard |
Superior |
|
Blooming |
Noticeable |
Slight Improvement |
|
Price |
Budget-friendly |
High-cost |
Full Array LEDs come in a variety of sizes, but the ones for LED/LCD screens are around 200 micrometers, slightly thicker than a piece of paper. On the other hand, Mini LEDs are much smaller, at around 100 micrometers.
Standard LED-based backlighting arrays are much less densely packed than ones that use Mini LEDs. Between this and the larger size of standard Full Array LEDs, there's less overall coverage.
Mini LED lights are capable of a higher overall brightness than Full Array LEDs and even surpass OLED lights in brightness. OLED screens achieve an average peak brightness level of around 800-1000 nits, Full Array averaging between 1000-2000 nits, and Mini LEDs typically sitting at 2000 nits or more, some reaching 5000+ nits.
Both styles of LEDs have accurate dimming controls, creating dimming zones that allow both dark and bright portions of an image to contrast and "pop," giving it a stunning, vibrant range of brightness and color. However, Mini LED's smaller, denser nature allows for incredibly precise dimming control, resulting in an incredible dynamic range compared to Full Array LEDs.
Unfortunately, both LED styles suffer from blooming, also known as a halo effect. This is when light from a bright object over-spills into areas of darkness, making bright objects on the screen appear highly luminescent when they shouldn't be and, in worst-case scenarios, make shadows look washed-out.
Mini LED screens have a slightly less intense bloom, but unless you're particularly attentive to detail, the blooming on both Mini LED and Full Array LED screens will appear roughly the same.
The final factor to compare is their cost. Mini LED-backlit devices cost more than standard Full Array LED ones because Mini LEDs are a more advanced and specialized technology.
While Mini LED screens might seem like the obvious choice, there are times and places where a Full Array LED television would be a better option. It all comes down to where you'll be using it, and what your preferences are.
If you're looking for a cheap device, aim for ones that use Full Array or other standard LED lights over Mini LEDs. Even if they might have less precise local dimming, their dimming features are still good and help make your movies and shows look more dynamic.
Furthermore, LED screens come in the broadest range of sizes. Finding especially small or particularly large screens will be far easier than it would be with Mini LED devices.
Full Array LED screens also serve you better than Mini LED screens if you buy them for business use. Not only do their lower price make them ideal for purchasing large quantities for use in places like hotels, hospitals, and convention centers, but Mini LED's benefits are unnoticeable when you're using these devices to display information like medical statistics or financial graphs rather than movies or shows.
For personal use, Mini LEDs are the way to go. They offer excellent contrast and brightness, making them ideal for shows, movies, and video games.
While they don't come in as many sizes as LED screens, they're still available in a nice selection of sizes ideal for most rooms in a house.
If you watch a lot during the bright hours of the day or prefer to watch television with the room's lights on, a Mini LED screen should be your choice. Their superior brightness makes them easier to watch in bright areas.
While Full Array LED televisions are suitable for business use and when you've got a tight budget, Mini LED televisions have several benefits that make them preferable for personal use and are generally better overall.
