Do you find it really hard to understand what the different terms: LCD, LED, Plasma, OLED? Do you want to find out how they are related to Smart TV? In this article, we will see various differences between them i.e. LCD vs LED vs Plasma vs OLED vs Smart TV. So let’s get started.
Differences: LCD vs LED vs Plasma vs OLED vs Smart TV
Differences between LCD vs LED vs Plasma vs OLED vs Smart TV
Following are the differences between LCD, LED, Plasma, OLED and Smart TV. Simply click on the respective pane below to reveal the differences:
What is it?
LCD
LCD is a TV technology
LED
LED is a TV technology
Plasma
Plasma is a TV technology
OLED
OLED is a TV technology
Smart
Smart TV is a TV that could be built based on any of the following technologies: LCD, LED, Plasma, OLED
Thickness
LCD
Minimum 1 inch
LED
LED edge backlit LCD TVs are thinner than CCFL LCD TVs. Often less than 1 inch.
Plasma
Minimum 1.2 inches
OLED
OLED TVs are thinner than LED TVs (hence all other TVs) because of the size of their diodes
Smart
Minimum 1 inch
Power consumption
LCD
Requires less power to operate when compared to plasma, but more than OLED TVs
LED
LED-lit LCD TVs consume less power around 70% compared to plasma TVs.
Plasma
Consumes slightly more power than an LCD TV. Modern plasma displays receive high Energy Star (US) ratings.
OLED
Requires less power than an LCD or Plasma TV
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Screen size
LCD
13 – 65 inches
LED
Up to 90 inches
Plasma
32 – 63 inches
OLED
Up to 65 inches
Smart
Up to 98 inches
Burn-in or Stuck Pixels
LCD
Not an issue, but can have a “retained pixel charge” which may also produce ghosting. Stuck pixels are also possible with an LCD display
LED
Burn-in is very rare
Plasma
Burn-in is rare on newer plasma TVs with anti-burn-in features / technologies such as ‘pixel orbitor’. This problem did exist in old plasma TVs as they suffered from burn-in produced by static images.
OLED
Burn-in is unlikely, but OLED TVs are susceptible to burn-in if TV is abused.
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Life span
LCD
50,000 – 100, 000 hours
LED
Around 100,000 hours
Plasma
Around 30, 000 – 60,000 hours
OLED
Recent improvements allow up to 43,800 hours
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Viewing angle
LCD
“Up to 176°, Picture suffers from the side; There is always a “sweet spot” which will produce brighter, higher contrast images
LED
The brightness and color on LCD TVs shift noticeably over the screen and depending on viewing angle; Work equally well in dark or brightly lit rooms.
Plasma
Plasma TVs look the same from almost any angle; Work well in dimly lit rooms which is great for watching movies.
OLED
170 degree viewing angle
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Backlight
LCD
Yes
LED
Yes
Plasma
No
OLED
No
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Contrast Ratio
LCD
Up to 15000:1 (not as good as Plasma)
LED
Offer mega contrast ratios — the brightest white to the darkest black a TV is capable of producing.
Plasma
Better than LCD TVs; Offer high contrast ratios, gorgeously saturated colours, and allow for wide viewing angles
OLED
65000:1 – 1,000,000:1
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Weight
LCD
LCD TVs weigh less than comparably sized plasma TVs.
LED
Lighter compared to plasma TV
Plasma
Heavier compared to LED-lit LCD TV; May need additional supports to be mounted onto a wall.
OLED
No
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Brightness and colour
LCD
LCD TVs can often look better in ‘real-world’ situations.
LED
Brighter than plasma or OLED
Plasma
Not as bright as LED-lit LCD.
OLED
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Screen Thickness
LCD
As thin as 2 inches deep.
LED
Thinner than LCD, plasma
Plasma
As thin as 3 inches deep.
OLED
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Energy Use
LCD
Much greater
LED
Less for dynamically backlit LCD TVs, about as much for statically backlit ones.
Plasma
Generally more
OLED
Less
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used i.e. Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, or Smart OLED
Screen Refresh Rate
LCD
LCD TVs were originally designed for static data display, nd not moving video. LCD TVs are now available with refresh rates specified by manufacturers as low as 5ms.
LED
60-240 Hz, but LCD response times create blur and ghosting which limits true refresh rates to 20-100 Hz.
Plasma
Up to 600 hz. Plasma TVs handle rapid movements in video about as well as old CRT TVs.
OLED
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Performance in extreme conditions
LCD
LCD TVs are not affected by high altitudes
LED
Low temperatures (below 50°f) can cause contrast to decrease
Plasma
High altitudes (above 6500 ft) can affect the performance of plasma TV displays because the gas held inside each pixel is stressed, and has to work harder to perform.
OLED
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Running Temperature
LCD
They radiate less heat in general
LED
Dynamically lit LCD TVs dissipate less heat compared to plasma TVs, LED-lit LCD TVs dissipate less heat than even other LCD TVs.
Plasma
Plasma TVs generally dissipate more heat than LCD TVs
OLED
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Screen glare
LCD
Does have glare; Need to use Anti-Glare TV Protector to fix the issue
LED
Antireflectively coated (matte finished) LCD TVs have less glare than glossy LCD TVs.
Plasma
Plasma TVs have more glare than LCD TVs in brightly lit environments due to their thick front glass’s internal reflections
OLED
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Mechanism
LCD
Backlight covered by a layer of liquid crystals
LED
Use Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to create the images on the screen.
Plasma
They use small cells containing electrically charged ionized gases, which are plasmas.
OLED
Organic Light emitting diodes
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Motion lag
LCD
Not an issue
LED
Not an issue
Plasma
Not an issue
OLED
Too early to tell
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Durability
LCD
Somewhat more durable than older plasmas. End users can easily mount an LCD TV themselves if desired, although LCD TVs should still be shipped with special care, and the screen itself should be cleaned with a streak free cleaner
LED
Similar to LCD
Plasma
Plasmas are somewhat fragile making them tricky to ship and install. Unlike the commercials where plasmas are mounted on the ceiling, plasmas are best installed by a professional. However, recent improvements to plasma screens have made them significantly more durable and lighter weight.
OLED
No
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Shipping
LCD
Shipping LCD TVs is not difficult, and is not as expensive as shipping plasma displays.
LED
Similar to LCD
Plasma
Due to their fragile nature, plasma TVs need to be shipped by specialty carriers. Overnight or fast delivery options are not recommended. Special shipping methods and their heavier weight add to higher shipping costs.
OLED
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Installation
LCD
End users can easily install LCD TVs themselves, or can use them just as they use a traditional TV using a stand.
LED
Easy to wall-mount, and movable from one room to another.
Plasma
Plasmas are heavier, use more power, and run hotter than LCD TVs, and therefore require more planning when mounting them. Plasmas are generally best installed by professionals.
OLED
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Internet/Wifi
LCD
No
LED
No
Plasma
No
OLED
No
Smart
Yes
Access Online Services
LCD
No
LED
No
Plasma
No
OLED
No
Smart
Yes
Built in Operating System
LCD
No
LED
No
Plasma
No
OLED
No
Smart
Yes
Built in Apps
LCD
No
LED
No
Plasma
No
OLED
No
Smart
Yes
Built in Games
LCD
No
LED
No
Plasma
No
OLED
No
Smart
Yes
Cost
LCD
Much cheaper
LED
$70 – $500; $100 (small size and very low end) – $25,000
Plasma
Cheaper than LED-lit TVs
OLED
$9,000 – $15,000
Smart
Varies as per the TV technology used; Different for Smart LCD, Smart LED, Smart Plasma, Smart OLED
Conclusion
That concludes the differences between LCD TV, LED TV, Plasma TV, OLED TV and Smart TV. If you have any questions regarding Smart TV, then you might find this article to be really helpful: What Is A Smart TV; Beginners Guide to Smart TV. If you have any questions, leave your comment below.