LCD vs. LED vs. Mini LED vs. OLED: What Each Mean for TVs, Monitors, and Laptops

At some point, consumer display technology became an alphabet soup full of terms using the letters “LED”.

In this quick guide, we will provide a brief overview of the common initialisms found in the world of TVs, PC monitors, and laptop displays. For simplicity, we will focus on how each technology affects the expected image quality. Whether you’re looking for a handy guide for your next shopping trip or a quick, digestible guide to give inquisitive friends and family, we’ve got you covered.

LCD

You are probably reading this article about Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). “LCD”refers to any type of display that uses liquid crystals, including TN, IPS, and VA (which we’ll cover shortly). Even an old school calculator or digital clock can use the LCD. But the mere designation “LCD”doesn’t tell you how the screen will work. You need more information, like the type of backlight the panel uses – usually LED, then more expensive mini LED.

LCDs have long supplanted cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and plasma displays as the dominant consumer display technology. It used to be possible to find LCDs with cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlighting, but today most LCDs use LED backlighting (more on that below).

All LCDs, as the name suggests, use liquid crystals sandwiched between polarized glass.

When electricity is applied, the crystals transform, passing or blocking light through color filters, depending on the image, to form what you see on the screen.

TN vs IPS vs VA

TN, IPS, and VA are the three main types of LCDs you’ll find in TVs, monitors, and laptops. They all differ in how they use their liquid crystals. There may be a separate article about each, but we will keep it simple and focus on the differences that you can see in real life.

Tennessee

Twisted nematic displays are known for their high refresh rate and low price. Their liquid crystals rotate 90 degrees to let light through.

pros

• TN displays are usually cheaper than IPS and VA displays.
• High refresh rates and low response times are easier to achieve with TN displays, though more expensive IPS and VA are catching up. It’s worth noting that Asus’ upcoming ROG Swift 500Hz gaming monitor, set to be the fastest monitor on the market, supposedly hits its refresh rate with an “E-TN”panel that claims a 60% better response time than a regular one. TN. So while you can buy an ultra-fast IPS monitor (up to 360Hz) or a VA monitor, TN technology still pushes the boundaries of refresh rates.

Minuses

• TN has worse color reproduction than IPS and VA.
• TN also has worse viewing angles than IPS and VA, meaning it’s harder to see the image when looking at the screen from an angle or from above.

IPS

In-plane switching displays are known for their large viewing angles and vibrant colors, and use liquid crystals parallel to glass layers. Crystals rotate in parallel, passing light.

pros

• IPS panels have wider viewing angles than VA and TN screens.
• IPS delivers a richer and wider color gamut than the competition, especially TN.
• IPS displays, especially monitors, have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years.

Minuses

• A fast IPS panel is much more expensive than a TN panel with a similar refresh rate.
• IPS monitors are often more expensive than VA screens.

Virginia

Vertical alignment displays are known for their strong contrast ratio. Their liquid crystals are arranged perpendicular to the glass substrates and transmit light when the crystals are tilted.

pros

• VA panels feature high contrast, which is often considered the most important factor in image quality. VA monitors typically have a contrast ratio of 3000:1, while a typical IPS monitor has a contrast ratio of 1000:1. IPS Black displays, which launched this year, promise to double the contrast ratio of typical IPS monitors up to 2000:1. We reviewed the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE with IPS Black and the difference was noticeable.
• VA monitors are often (but not always) cheaper than similar IPS options.

Minuses