LED HDTV – LCDs With LED Power
Posted by hdtv buying guide on April 23, 2009 under LCD HDTV, LED HDTV | 
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Just like the numerous varieties of flat-panel high-definition televisions, there are sometimes different flavors within each variety.
For LCD (liquid-crystal display) televisions, there are a number of options to power the screen. The first is the standard CCFL (cold cathode florescent light) found in most LCD TVs. Models fired by CCFLs are energy-efficient and produce consistent, high-performing light.
Recently, though, manufacturers have been looking toward LEDs (light-emitting diodes) to power their newest models. Traditionally, LEDs have provided energy-efficient light in a small, simple package. Notebook computers were one of the first wide-scale uses for LED screens.
Use of LEDs in televisions allows manufacturers to produce large screens less than an inch deep. It also allows use of RGB LEDs (which include red, green and blue lights) to produce a wide array of deep, vivid colors, as well as contrast ratios that rival plasma-screen televisions.
Sony and Samsung have each made early pushes into the technology, with premium-priced — and featured — LED HDTV models. Sony’s XBR8 line, which represents the pinnacle of the company’s television offerings, uses LED-powered LCD panels.
Samsung, meanwhile, has a full line of LED TVs. The Series 6- and Series 7-level televisions will serve as the foundation of a major advertising push through 2009. Samsung is touting the televisions’ size and performance, as well as their eco-friendly features.
Since the technology is new, expect to pay a premium for LCDs with LED screens. The least-expensive Samsung LED TV offering is the Series 6 40-inch model, priced at $2,399.99. Sony’s offerings are more expensive — and not as deep.
Only two televisions in the XBR8 range have LEDs inside — a 46-inch and a 55-inch model — and neither are cheap. The 46-incher is $3,999.99.
Sony also has an OLED (Organic LED) model available. OLEDs use organic compounds to produce light, similar to luminescent algae in the ocean.
Because OLEDs are composed of organic matter — and not static man-made materials — durability has been an issue in early models. Though the technology is advancing rapidly, it’s not far enough along to warrant large-scale investment or adoption by consumers.
OLED televisions are also very, very expensive. Much like the plasma televisions of 10 years ago, OLED is the new buzz among television enthusiasts.
Buzz or not, it’s a good thing that Sony’s OLED only marks the industry’s entry into the technology. It’s 11 inches diagonally and costs $2,499.99.
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