What’s the Difference Between LCD and LED?

The main difference between LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and LED (Light Emitting Diode) monitors lies in their backlighting technology:

LCD monitors use cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) for backlighting.

LED monitors use light-emitting diodes for backlighting.

What does LCD stand for?

LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. So, what is liquid crystal? Get ready, because we need to dig a little deeper. 

Liquid crystal is a substance that has the physical properties of both liquids and solid crystals. 

When it comes to liquid crystal displays (LCDs),

 there's a layer of this liquid crystal substance inside the screen that allows it to display complex images. 

Don't worry, that's about all the technical details we need to know.

 Just remember that it's the most common screen technology in electronics today.

While the topic of LCD screens has become more popular in recent decades due to the rise of affordable LCD TVs

 and computer monitors, technology has been around longer than you think, 

and you only need to look around to find countless everyday applications.

The little display on your microwave, the calculator you used in math class, and even your old-school digital watch -

 all of these are LCD screens.

 They're much simpler, but they work on the same principle as 4K TVs and computer monitors. 

Importantly, liquid crystals don't emit light on their own, 

so LCD panels require a separate light source (or backlight) to display images, which we'll discuss later.

What does LED stand for?

LED stands for light emitting diode. In simple terms, 

it's a very small electronic component that glows a specific color when powered.

 LEDs are everywhere - household light bulbs, flashlights, 

"Open/Closed" signs in store windows, string lights on patios, 

small colored indicators on keyboards that light up to indicate you forgot to press Caps Lock, for example -

 if you see a little bit of color on something,

 it's probably an LED. In digital displays, LEDs are also used as backlights for LCD screens.