LCD vs. LED: What’s the Difference?

ThermoPro TP18 Thermocoupe Thermometer Banner

ThermoPro offers a wide range of thermometers that range from indispensable kitchen gadgets to must-have household repair tools. No matter their function, all of our electronic devices share one thing in common: they display their information on an LCD or LED screen. As familiar as you are with these terms, do you know the difference between these two terms? In a showdown of LCD vs. LED, which is better?

Follow this simple guide to tell the difference between LCD and LED!  

Table of Contents

LCD vs. LED: Definition

Although their interchangeability seems to indicate that these two terms seem to be polar opposites, this is not the case. In fact, both of these terms are much closer than you may think.

“LCD” stands for “Liquid-Crystal Display“, a technology that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals to produce an image. LCD works by controlling the movement of light through two layers of polarized glass. By manipulating the liquid crystals trapped inside this glass to either block light or allow it to pass through, an image can be formed. 

Due to the similarity of these three-letter words, you’d think that “LED” would swap out the “Crystal” of “LCD” to indicate a different way to achieve the same goal. And yet, you’d be wrong. 

Before getting to the explanation, it’s worth noting that LED is a form of LCD. This means LED also uses “Liquid-Crystal Display” technology, only that the execution is done differently.

As such, instead of standing for another type of “Liquid” “Display”, the term “LED” instead means “Light-Emitting Diode”. Although both use liquid crystal displays, the difference is that LCD uses fluorescent backlights, while LED uses light-emitting diodes. 

The main departure of these technologies comes in the way they place their lights. LCD always puts its fluorescent lights TV behind the screen, while LED has the choice of putting its light-emitting diodes behind the screen or around its edges.

LCD vs. LED: Advantages

The big showdown between LCD and LED is taking place these days in the market for high-end TVs and monitors. To achieve the best visual quality, many customers are getting into the weeds and exploring the differences between these technologies to find out which is right for them.

 

Suffice it to say, you won’t be watching anything in high-definition on a ThermoPro product soon. However, each of these technologies brings definite advantages to the products that use them. 

Here is a brief rundown of the advantages of both:

LCD Advantages:

  • Low Power Consumption: Less taxing on electricity and battery needs
  • Less Expensive: This older technology provides good value for the money 
  • Lighter & Thinner: Takes up less space 
LED Advantages:
  • Superior image quality: As good as LCD is, LED provides a better picture
  • Wider Viewing Angle: Can be seen more clearly from a wider angle 
  • More Environmentally Friendly: Does not contain mercury
  • No Extra Light Sources: Does not require a backlight to be seen in the dark
When comparing these contrasting lists, it’s clear that one variety doesn’t have superiority over the other. The big takeaway is to discover which technology serves your needs the best.

LCD vs. LED: What this means for Thermometers

ThermoPro digital thermometers feature both LCD and LED displays depending on the model. Each design weighs the benefits of both technologies to find the best fit. 

As we do with all our designs, our customers’ needs take priority over everything we do. An LCD or an LED display is selected for a design in order to provide the maximum benefit for affordability, convenience, and practicality. At ThermoPro, we make great products to serve your lifestyle that last.

A short list of ThermoPro products featuring LED displays include:

Check out more of our products on our online store!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Shopping Cart
customer service

REVERED CUSTOMER SERVICE

We truly pride ourselves on a hassle-free, friendly customer support experience with a team that’s available 5 days a week from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm EST. Rest assured if you contact us by email, phone, or online chat, you’ll be speaking to a native speaker in your spoken language.

FEEDBACK BASED DESIGN

The customer service team is always listening, taking notes, and quantifying complaints to ensure our products are continually improved. Due to selling directly to you, the customer, via Amazon, we can use product reviews to help us improve our existing products or help further development of new products.

feedback based design
superior warranty

INDUSTRY LEADING WARRANTY

Our warranty coverage for our products is the backbone of our company and we’re capable of offering such a robust warranty is that we believe in our product quality due to our feedback based design philosophy and if anything does happen, we’ll stand behind our products. This also enables our customer support to team deliver continuously great experiences.