What's the difference between LED and CCFL?

LCD,LED or Plasma.Whats the difference?

• I am thinking of buying a new TV but not sure out of a LED,LCD or Plasma.What are the pros and cons of these TVs and which was is value for money?I did overhere that LCDs last only for 5 years,but not sure if that is correct or not.Please help.Thanks

• Answer:

  The three technologies are vastly different, particularly how each the screen is lit. In plasma HDTVs, the phosphors that create the image on the screen light up themselves, and don't need any backlighting. For LCD HDTVs, however, the liquid crystal screen does not illuminate, requiring a separate light source. That's where the difference between "regular" LCD screens (also known as CCFL-backlit LCD) and LED-backlit LCD screens (also known as LED-LCD, or just LED screens) come in. Traditional LCD HDTVs use cold cathode fluorescent lights (CCFLs) to illuminate the screen. CCFLs are similar to the fluorescent lights you might see in your lamps and overhead light fixtures. They use a charged gas to produce light. LED-LCD screens, like their name implies, use light emitting diodes (LEDs) to illuminate the display. Several factors can be influenced by the type of HDTV display you choose. Among them, the most prominent are screen thickness, brightness, darkness, energy efficiency, and price. Ideally, you want an HDTV that's affordable, paper-thin, can get face-of-the-sun-bright and black-hole-dark, and consumes less than a watt. That's currently impossible, but LED-backlit LCD HDTVs can come closer than the other two technologies. For this advantage, LED HDTVs command a premium; for all major HDTV manufacturers, LED-backlit HDTVs can cost a few hundred dollars more than CCFL-backlit HDTVs of the same size. Generally, plasma HDTVs tend to be the least expensive, priced at equal to or slightly less than CCFL-backlit HDTVs. However, that savings means the screen will be thicker and much more power-hungry, even if it does offer as good a picture as an LED-backlit HDTV. For example, Samsung's 46-inch CCFL-backlit LCD HDTVs begin at $799.99 (the 600 series), and can get as pricey as $1,699.99 (the 750 series). Samsung offers 50-inch 1080p plasma HDTVs (there are no 46-inch models currently available, and 52-inch CCFL-backlit LCDs start at $1,299.99 with the 530 series) for as little as $1,149.99 (the 540 series) and as much as $2,299.99 (the 8000 plasma series). For the extra size, that bump up in price is reasonable. Meanwhile, 46-inch Samsung LED HDTVs start at $1,199.99 (the 6050 LED series) and can become as expensive as $4,999.99 (the 9000 LED series). LED HDTVs don't have to be super-expensive, but they almost always cost more than their CCFL-backlit and plasma counterparts. Considering the excellent picture quality and significant benefits in screen thickness and power consumption, that extra amount on the price tag is well worth it.