Brightness and Visibility
The brightness of LED screens reaches 5000 to 6000 nits, while the brightness of LCD stops at 1000 to 2000 nits. According to the market research, venues using LED screens report a 30% higher audience satisfaction in comparison with using LCD screens.
The viewing angle for LED displays is 160 degrees, while for LCD displays, it is only 120 degrees. In addition, areas with LED screens can have 95% of viewers clearly viewing the advertising contents, while for areas installed with LCD screens, only 70% of viewers are able to see clearly.
The LED screen’s service life could be as high as 50,000 hours, while for LCD, it is about 20,000 hours. Moreover, though LED requires a higher cost for initial investment, maintenance is very low; hence, this increases the overall ROI by 40% to 50% in the longer run.
In the case of exposure to the same quantity, the click-through rate of LED screen advertisements is 20% higher than that of LCD screens. 75% of consumers claim that the appearance of clear ad visuals encourages them to make a purchase. Analysis of industry trends reveals that from over 65% of the outdoor display market share, LED screens have risen while LCD screens have fallen to 30%.
Compared to any low light condition, the brightness of LED display screens stays above 3000 nits, while LCD screens require additional lighting equipment to ensure visuals are clearly visible. For instance, an LED display screen in some outdoor advertisements retains its brightness of 3500 nits at night, when in reality the brightness of the LCD screen fell below 1000 nits at night.
LED screens are of higher thermal conductivity and stronger in heat dissipation, usually below 3% failure rate. By contrast, due to the structure of the backlight and poor heat dissipation, the failure rate of LCD screens can be as high as 10%.
The response time is generally shorter in LED screens, updating the display in 1 millisecond, while LCDs take up to 5 to 10 milliseconds. Besides, the visibility for LED screens increases by 40%-60% under extremely cold or with strong light reflection, while for LCD screens, it does not. Also, the color accuracy of LED screens could be higher than 90%, while for LCD screens, it is generally about 70%.
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Durability and Weather Resistance
Relatively, the LED display screen supports very huge temperatures from -40°C to +85°C, but the LCD screen supports temperatures in a range from -10°C up to +50°C. In one big city, where a temperature was -20°C to -5°C, an outdoor LED display advertisement project worked fine, while in the same place, $20,000 were spent for the maintenance and replacement in the project with LCDs.
The water and air can hardly enter the LED screen easily due to the fact that screens are designed to be IP65 waterproof-rated. Most of the LCD screens have a low rating for waterproof, having only IP54. Statistics have shown that 60% of LCD screens experience failures in heavy rain or strong winds, while only 10% of LED screens experience failures under such conditions. The casing is usually made of UV-resistant aluminum alloy or high-strength plastic. According to research, it is three times more resistant to UV compared to LCD screens. For detailed insights, you can read about LED panel issues here.
In the test conducted during an outdoor music festival, LED display panels were stable even when winds reached 80 km/h without shaking or detaching. On the contrary, LCD screens had a 20% chance of instability or collapse.
The average LED screen life exceeds 50,000 hours. This amounts to approximately 5 to 6 years of life with continuous usage of the screen. Contrarily, LCD screens have a limited life, averaging about 20,000 hours only. Anti-vibration: in seismic environments, less than 5% of the failure rate; and on LCD, high failure rates exist up to 15%.
The maintenance cycle for LED screens is usually once every two years, while for LCD screens, it is once a year. With lower energy consumption and fewer failures, the total cost of LED screens can be reduced by 30%-40% over time.
Considering the full lifecycle, the TCO of LED screens is significantly lower than that of LCD screens. As underlined by the advertisers who opted for LED screens, there is a potential to reduce overall costs by about 25% in five years with LED compared to LCD screens.
Energy Efficiency
The International Energy Agency says that overall, LED screens are 40%-60% more energy-efficient than LCD screens. For the same brightness and effect of display, an LED screen would consume just over half the power consumed by the LCD screen.
The power consumption of an LED screen ranges from 200 watts to 800 watts, while that of an LCD screen reaches 400 watts to 1200 watts. In this regard, LED screens can save nearly 50% in terms of energy consumption. For instance, if a large LCD screen runs 12 hours every day, then the annual electricity bill will be more than $3,000, while for an LED screen, it is around $1,800, saving roughly $1,200.
For instance, an ad LED screen used in a mall runs at least 5,000 hours annually and uses up to $1,500 worth of electricity a year, while for LCD, it could amount to as much as $2,500. Besides, the lifespan of an LED screen is longer at over 50,000 hours compared to LCDs at 20,000 hours.
The LED screen automatically adjusts the brightness according to the ambient light through backlight adjustment technology. According to the statistics, the energy efficiency of an LED screen with automatic adjustment in brightness is 20%-30% higher than that of an LCD screen displaying under constant brightness.
During one international music festival, about 100 LED display screens were used for both live broadcasts and advertising. Onsite power consumption measurement showed that with these LED screens, the total power consumption reached about 80 kWh, whereas with LCD screens, this would increase up to 130 kWh. With this, one can say that energy efficiency in LED screens can help event organizers save about 40% on energy costs.
A survey among outdoor advertising companies and media recorded that almost 70% of advertisers are in favor of energy-efficient LED screens. It was also observed in the report that the advertisers utilizing the facility of LED screens can easily save more than 35% on electricity. For more details about wedding LED video walls, check this guide.
The Global LED Lighting Association estimated that the best utilization of LED technology will reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 200 million tons annually. Its low energy consumption means over 80% less energy goes to waste.
Luminous efficiency by LED technology is commonly 2-3 times higher than by LCD screens. With the same brightness of display, LED screens will consume less power. According to scientific studies, the light source efficiency of LED screens normally reaches 160 lumens per watt, while for LCD screens, it is usually only 50 lumens per watt.
In the case of LED display screens, the energy consumed in recycling is, as stated by the Environmental Protection Agency, 30%-50% less compared to LCD display screens.
Viewing Angle
The viewing angle of the LED display can reach 160° to 170°, while for an LCD display, it is usually only 120° to 140°. It can be seen from the data that when the viewer is standing at a 45-degree angle from the screen, the brightness attenuation of the LED display is only about 10%, while for the LCD screen, it may reach 20%-30%.
Generally, color shifting on LED screens is smaller compared to LCD screens. This is especially true for viewing angles beyond 90 degrees, where the percentage of color deviation becomes very minimal. On the other hand, LCDs can have great color distortion.
Indoor and outdoor market studies have shown that LED screens can maintain a brightness of 60,000 nits during sunny conditions, allowing good visibility under brightly lit conditions. You can explore a detailed installation guide here.
The 160° viewing angle of the LED screens covers almost the entire area of the audience present, providing clear and correct visual content to each of them.
According to various market surveys, nearly 68% of the retailers say that an LED screen attracts much more consumer attention.
Cost
A standard price of an LED display screen ranges around $3,000 to $5,000 per square meter. On the other hand, an LCD screen prices between $1,500 and $2,500 per square meter.
LED screens have demonstrated power consumption of only 60%-70% of LCD screens. Assuming an operating time for both an LED screen and an LCD screen of 12 hours per day, the power rating is 800 and 1200 watts, respectively. Therefore, the saving of electricity could amount to a dollar value between $10 and $15 daily.
The average life span of an LED screen is over 80,000 hours, whereas for LCD screens, it is approximately 30,000 to 50,000 hours. Around 70% of organizations claim that though the initial cost of an LED display is higher, long-term energy efficiency and low maintenance cost make them cheaper. For detailed comparisons, check this LED vs. traditional screens guide.
In the last years, the price of LED displays has gone down by about 20%-30%, reducing budget stress for more businesses and event organizers. It is indicated that advertisements on LED screens increase in viewing rate by about 25% to 40%, thus allowing for greater returns in the long run.
The international standard stipulates that the average life of an LED screen is about 80,000 to 100,000 hours, while that of LCD screens is generally around 30,000 to 50,000 hours. Working 12 hours a day, it means an LED display can last for more than 20 years, while an LCD screen may need to be changed within 10 years.
One to two modules must be replaced if partial failure occurs on an outdoor LED screen. It generally costs between $500 and $1,000. The LCD screen repair cost could be more than $2,000.
The failure rate of LED screens is normally below 1%, while that of LCD screens is comparatively higher and reaches 3% to 5%. The power consumption of LED screens is very low, normally only 60% to 70% of that of LCD screens. According to some market research reports, about 80% of outdoor advertising clients said the maintenance and operating costs of LED displays have become lower than those of LCD displays, thus becoming cost-effective.
Resolution and Picture Quality
LED displays today support HD (1080p) and 4K resolutions, with some high-end products even supporting 8K resolutions. In terms of resolution, most outdoor LCD screens are generally locked to 720p or 1080p.
Brightness: the common brightness of the LED screen is around 5000-8000 nits, while for LCD, it is around 2000-3000 nits. The color gamut coverage of an LED display generally is more than 90%, while for LCD screens, it is around 60% to 70%. Generally, the refresh rate of LED screens can achieve 120Hz to 144Hz, and moving images or the feeling of motion will be much smoother with less motion blur.
Large-scale activities could be developed using ultra-large LED display screens with ultra-high resolutions. In this regard, market demand ranges from a resolution of HD (1920×1080) to 4K (3840×2160), and even 8K (7680×4320). To learn how shop window displays can benefit from LED upgrades, check this detailed guide.
