LCD and OLED are the two most commonly used display technologies for monitors and TVs today. Like we have introduced mini LED, TFT, etc. are actually belong to the category of LCD, while AMOLED, PMOLED, are belonged to the category of OLED. So LCD vs. OLED compared to the two, which display technology can provide us with a better visual experience and cost-effective? Let’s find out.
How to quickly determine which display technology is used in the monitor?
As the two have to use a completely different display technology, so we only need a simple step to determine which display technology is used by the monitor. But all need to use the backlight of the display are belonged to the LCD, then do not need to use the backlight of the display is naturally OLED. Of course, the LED display is also doing not need to use the backlight, just it is not the main character of our discussion today.
More judgment criteria
- LCD is cheaper. Regardless of the type of display, the price of LCD under the same size is always lower than OLED.
- OLEDs are more energy efficient. So if we see descriptive terms like “lower energy consumption”, “more energy efficient”, etc., then it is very likely that it is an OLED screen.
- LCDs are brighter. For example, TCL has a Mini LED TV that can even reach a peak brightness of 5,000 nits, and the highest brightness recorded for an OLED of the same type is an OLED screen demonstrated by LG at CES 2024, with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
Moving on to the much-anticipated segment, we will be comparing LCD vs OLED in detail and judging the winner.
LED vs OLED: who will win?
Image Quality
The most intuitive way to judge how good a display is the quality of the image. When displaying high-definition, full-color images, both displays are essentially similar. This is because both LCD and OLED can well support 2K, 4K and other high-definition resolutions, and we can’t well distinguish the difference between the two through the naked eye.
Winner: Tie
4K HD LCDBlack Levels
The issue of black level is one that is unique to displays with backlighting. This is due to the fact that when a monitor with backlighting displays color and black at the same time, the black portion is affected by the color portion. Most current LCD monitors do a good job of minimizing the affected portion, so we don’t notice a difference when we use them. Unlike that, OLED does not have this problem at all, therefore, OLED wins.
Winner: OLED
OLED VS LCDColor Performance
LCD and OLED are not too different when it comes to displaying full-color colors, but if you need to show pure black or pure white, OLED is clearly the best. Because OLED can be independent light, when in the performance of pure black, can completely close the pixel point, not only energy saving effect is good, but also can significantly improve the contrast, which is LCD, mini LED, or other backlight display can not do the effect.
Winner: OLED
The Contrast Between Light And DarkViewing Angle
OLED has the most perfect viewing angle, which means that no matter from any angle, you can see the best viewing angle. The viewing angle of LCD is affected by many processes, usually between 140-160, some of the high-end LCD with ips display technology can reach 178 ° viewing angle, and OLED there is a slight gap.
Winner: OLED
Service Life
OLED screen using organic materials belong to the consumables, with the passage of time and slowly consumed, looks a bit like printer ink. LCD screen using liquid crystal material is a very high stability, not easy to wear out the material, so the service life of LCD than OLED much longer. It is worth noting that when the OLED long time to maintain high brightness state, its decay speed will accelerate, the service life will be further shortened.
Winner: LCD
Burn-in Problems
OLED also has an unresolved burn-in problem, which can cause static images to leave a residual shadow on the screen, affecting the overall viewing effect. LCDs, on the other hand, do not have this problem.
Winner: LCD
Environmental Protection
The environmental protection of electronic products is a topic of concern for many people. Since OLED uses organic materials, it will not pollute the environment, so it will be more environmentally friendly compared to LCD.
In addition, as we mentioned earlier, OLEDs can turn off pixels when displaying darker or solid color pictures, so they usually consume less energy.
Of course, maybe some people will take high brightness or pure white color as a comparison. Because from that perspective, LCD would be slightly better. But in reality, we rarely turn up the brightness of our monitors or TVs.
On the one hand, high brightness will consume more power, on the other hand, high brightness, eye fatigue is easier, so we will also find that the vast majority of the current system and software, prefer to use a dark theme to display the interface.
Winner: Regular use: OLED ; high brightness: LCD
Price
When we buy consumer goods, price is always a topic we can’t get around. Both as the main products of the monitor, how about the price of both of them? From the data given by the major e-commerce companies, the price of OLED displays is always higher than that of LCDs, mainly because OLEDs use rarer materials and cost more to manufacture, so the overall price will naturally be much higher than that of LCDs. In addition, the LCD supply chain is more complete, the manufacturing cost is much lower than OLED, giving consumers a very affordable option.
Winner: LCD
LCD and OLED: how to choose?
From the above comparison, LCD and OLED have their own advantages and disadvantages. If you value cost-effective, then LCD is clearly the best choice, if you value the visual experience more, then OLED is also a good choice. It is worth mentioning that at present, the manufacturing cost of OLED is declining year by year, according to Samsung’s internal responsible person said: in the next 3 years, it is expected that the price of OLED will be reduced to the point of parity with LCD, then at the same price, people may have more choices.
