What are LCD and LED TVs and what's the difference?

Some 4K TVs have QLED or OLED displays, but most are LCD, and many of those have LED backlights.

When you're shopping for a new TV, these are the sets you'll come across most often. We're going to break down the differences, so you understand what it means when a TV in a shop is described as LCD or LED.

We review hundreds of TVs each year, including LCD and LED televisions - take a look at our TV reviews to help you find the right model.

What does LCD and LED mean?

LCD stands for liquid crystal display. The liquid crystals allow light to pass through them and the different colours and brightness levels created by the liquid crystals and various filters become the picture on the screen.

The liquid crystals don't create light, though; that job falls to the backlight. LED stands for light-emitting diode, and these make up the backlights of some TVs. The LEDs either sit behind the screen (this is called full array) or at the edge of the screen (known as edge-lit).

The backlight creates the light, which passes through the liquid crystals to create the picture.

Even QLED TVs, most notably made by Samsung, are technically LCD TVs. They have liquid crystals in their display, but also have an extra layer of quantum dots. The same goes for nanocell TVs from LG. There are mini LED and micro LED TVs, too, but unless it's OLED then it has a backlight.

When it comes contrast, having a layer of bulbs shining on some crystals to make a picture means it's harder for LCD TVs to control what parts of the screen are lit. On weaker TVs, you'll notice light blooming around bright areas of colours and almost seeming to bleed into darker parts of the picture. 

Smaller LEDs in micro and mini LED backlights give TVs more control over the contrast because the light can be more focused on the right parts of the screen. Micro and mini LED TVs tend to have the best contrast of any backlit TV and are typically found in high-end TV, such as Samsung's Neo QLED ranges.

Best LCD and LED TVs

Are LCD TVs better than OLED TVs?

OLEDs took the TV world by storm and now they make up the bulk of every major brand's high-end ranges. You'd think this meteoric rise would've spelled doom for the high-end LCD TV, but they are still around and sit side by side with their OLED cousins. But which is better?

The short answer is, based on our testing, OLEDs. They tend to be top performers thanks to the benefits of the self-emissive pixels that help create richer contrast and smoother motion.

We still find plenty of stunning LCD TVs though, and because they tend to make up the cheaper parts of a brands range, you'll be find an excellent TV for less. There are benefits to backlights, too. LCD TVs are usually brighter than OLEDs because there's no risk of damaging the pixels, which can happen if OLED TVs are too bright.

There's room for both display technologies and you shouldn't filter out LCD models when you're shopping for your next TV because you'll be missing plenty of superb tellys.

Should you be buying an LCD TV or LED TV?

LCD TVs without LED backlights are rare, so if you're shopping for a new LCD TV, you're more likely to find ones listed as LED.

At the same time, you shouldn't be put off if the TV is listed as LCD. It's possible that is still has an LED backlight, but, as it still has an LCD display, it's not an inaccurate listing.  

Read our TV reviews to find out which models are worth buying.

Are LCD TVs better than LED TVs?

These two TV types are often one and the same, since labelling an LED TV as and LCD TV is accurate since it still has a liquid crystal display.

You'd be hard pressed to find an LCD TV that didn't have an LED backlight, so you shouldn't worry too much about comparing them. 

Why are some TVs LCD and some LED?

With a few exceptions, every LED TV has an LCD display. If you're shopping for a new set and it's classified as an LED TV, then it has an LCD screen.

The exceptions are QLED TVs and OLED TVs. You can click the terms to learn more about them but, in a nutshell, a QLED is a TV with an LED backlight that uses quantum dots as well as liquid crystals, while OLEDs don't have backlights at all because the pixels that make the picture create their own light.