LCD vs LED vs Plasma vs OLED vs Smart TV: Differences between them
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.
