Comparing FHD and LED screens is gradually becoming a norm, and one may start to think they are similar but aren’t. Still, they offer impressive display quality, brightness, good refresh rates, and other unique features. Keep reading to discover 11 distinctions between LED vs. FHD and determine which is best for you. Let’s get to it!
What Is FHD?
What does full HD mean? FHD stands for Full High Definition. It describes a certain level of visual quality (the resolution 1920x1080P) on screens like TVs., monitors, and smartphones. A display technology manufactured within FHD has 1,920 pixels arranged horizontally and 1,080 vertically, forming a grid and creating the images you see on your screen.
Full High-definition displays have a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, adding to the immersive quality of the pictures, animations, and videos. This display technology is the best monitor size for office work and is great for watching movies, playing games, advertising, entertainment, and working with high-resolution images.
What Is LED?
LED (Light Emitting Diode) is a lighting technology used in various applications, including screens and other displays. They emit light when an electric current passes through them, and this property has no disadvantage on the display technologies leveraging it. That is because they are energy-efficient even as they produce bright, vibrant colors.
LED technology has become popular because it allows thinner, more energy-efficient displays than older technologies. They come in various shapes, sizes, pixel pitches, and resolutions, including FHD. In addition to that, manufacturers attach additional cabinet materials to protect their edges during carrying, shipping, or delivery.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Resolution
The FHD display has a specific resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, meaning that it can display 1920 pixels across and 1080 pixels down. With this pitch, owning an FHD screen gives you over 2 million pixels on the screen, which makes up the significantly detailed and vibrant display of FHD TVs.
In contrast, LED screens and monitors come in various resolutions, the common resolutions available include;
- Full HD (1920×1080): Also known as 1080p, Full HD is a resolution widely used in TVs., monitors, and other displays. It consists of 1920 pixels in width and 1080 pixels in height. This resolution provides clarity for most content and is suitable for everyday use.
- 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160): Ultra HD resolution LED screen offers four times the number of pixels as Full HD. With 3840 pixels in width and 2160 pixels in height, 4K provides significantly sharper and more detailed images. It’s commonly used in high-end TVs., monitors, and content production, offering an immersive viewing experience.
- 8K (7680×4320): LED screens with 8K resolution take the pixel count to the next level by quadrupling the number of pixels compared to 4K. With 7680 pixels in width and 4320 pixels in height, 8K displays provide unparalleled detail and clarity. While they are scarce in the market, 8K technology is gaining traction in digital cinema and professional video production industries.
So, comparing an FHD monitor vs. LED screen in terms of resolution, the first ensures that you see every detail even with its steady 1920×1080, while the latter offers a double or quadrupled experience. Still, if you aren’t sure how to determine your desired screen resolution, check out this NSE LED guide on how to calculate LED screen resolution.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Cost
LED screens, especially 4k and 8k resolutions, are more expensive than FHD TVs. and monitors. The FHD is one of the cheapest displays, with an average market cost of $500, depending on the screen size.
However, to give you better insight into their price difference, here are various factors affecting the LED screen costs, some of which are appli8cable to FHD:
- FHD Vs. LED Size: Larger FHD and LED screens require more resources, such as LED modules, control systems, and high-quality cabinet materials, making them more expensive. For example, a 32-inch FHD or LED screen costs between $300 to $900, while a larger 86-inch screen can cost between $2,000 and $4,000
- FHD Vs. LED Pixel Pitch: When it comes to pixel pitch, it is important to know that the smaller the better and more vivid your display. But be ready to dig deeper into your pocket because it is usually more expensive than displays with bigger pixel pitches due to lower pixel density. Since that is the case, an LED vs. FHD screen with a smaller pixel pitch, say 2.5mm, costs more to produce than a screen with a larger pitch of 5mm.
- FHD Vs. LED Refresh Rate: Refresh rates determine whether your screen can produce a fluid and smooth motion and prevent the moire effect on LED screens, especially for fast-paced games and videos. Higher refresh rates, like 120Hz, 144Hz, or 240Hz, demand faster processing components and better connectivity, making them more expensive than display technologies with lower Hz.
- FHD Vs. LED Brightness: FHD and LED Screens with higher brightness levels are more expensive to manufacture. High-brightness outdoor LED displays can cost more due to the inclusion of powerful LEDs, advanced cooling systems, and protective coatings.
- FHD Vs. LED Viewing Angle: Screens with wider viewing angles usually have additional costs, and it’s an important factor when comparing LED vs. FHD computer monitors. That is because manufacturers incorporate panels like In-Plane Switching (IPS) or Advanced Fringe Field Switching (AFFS), which can increase costs by about 10-15% than VA (vertical alignment) panels.
- FHD Vs. LED Installation and Mounting: Installation complexity, especially for certain LED screens, requires additional accessories. For instance, a foldable LED screen installation can be more expensive due to the intricate structural requirements and the need for specialized expertise.
- FHD Vs. LED Customization: Manufacturers like NSE LED offer robust customization options for FHD and LED screens. However, custom sizes and shapes require unique manufacturing processes, costing more than the regular designs.
Find out how much LED screens cost and other manufacturing and market factors that affect the price of these displays.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Color Accuracy
The color accuracy of an LED vs. FHD screen refers to the display’s ability to reproduce colors as they appear in the main content or even better, no matter the viewing angle or distance. A higher color accuracy means that the image, video, animation, or graphics will appear more cinematic with a lifelike feel, giving the users a more immersive viewing experience.
Various factors influence the color accuracy of LED vs. FHD screens, including the quality of the panel, color gamut coverage, calibration, and internal processing. With a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, Full high-definition screens achieve good color accuracy, especially when combined with high-quality display panel technology like IPS.
On the other hand, higher resolution LED screens, such as 4K (Ultra High Definition) or even 8K displays, offer improved color accuracy due to higher pixel density. Manufacturers design most of these displays for professional use, especially large rental LEDs. So, they add features for color calibration and wider color gamut coverage.
In the case of the difference in color accuracy between the two displays, the LED screen is the undeniable winner. So, when choosing between an LED vs. FHD TV, consider factors like panel technology, color gamut coverage, calibration options, and the display’s configuration and processing because they all contribute to the display’s ability to reproduce accurate and consistent colors.
FHD Screen Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Energy Efficiency
Unlike traditional display technologies, modern screen manufacturers have achieved a massive 41.3% improvement in energy efficiency, with more modern screens having incredibly low consumption. Nevertheless, these developments mostly apply to LED screens as they consume less power than their FHD counterparts.
That is because FHD screens use various backlight technologies, including LCD (liquid crystal display) technology and LED. In the case of FHD displays with LED backlighting, manufacturers design them with an average of 34W, making them energy-efficient compared to older backlight technologies like CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp), cathode-ray tube (CRT), and Hot cathode fluorescent lamps (HCFLs).
Innovative and certified LED display Manufacturers are constantly improving on LED backlighting technology. They now design LED displays with more efficient backlighting systems, optimized power management features, and improved display components to mitigate the energy consumption formerly associated with higher resolutions.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Brightness
Brightness is an important parameter when comparing FHD display vs. LED display. Full HD screens have reasonable brightness levels of around 250 to 350 nits, suitable for corporate institutions, retail stores, school auditoriums, and other indoor use, offering clear visibility under normal lighting conditions.
However, LED screens boast 2560×1440, 3840×2160, and 8k resolutions, making FHD screens dimmer. LED screens often have brightness levels ranging from 300 to 600 nits or more, delivering more vibrant visuals and enhanced clarity. Additionally, brightness adjustability and high dynamic range (HDR) technology have become more prevalent in recent years, significantly impacting brightness levels.
Unlike FHDs, LED displays have brightness adjustment options and are usually HDR-enabled. This feature enables them to achieve even higher brightness levels, above 1500 nits in some cases, resulting in improved contrast and more lifelike displays even under harsh weather conditions.
Opt for LED screens if high brightness is a prerequisite for your display location or if you want your out-of-home advertising content to stand out. The LED displays will ensure your ad is highly visible at farther viewing distances and angles at any time of the day.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Screen Size
FHD screens come in various sizes, from small displays on smartphones and laptops to larger screens on monitors and TVs. For full HD screens, the resolution remains the same, so as the screen size increases, the pixel density decreases. This in turn, affects the sharpness and clarity of the display image, graphic, or videos.
Similarly, LED screens come in various sizes, from small handheld devices to massive outdoor displays. Unlike FHD, LED technology is flexible, giving manufacturers the chance to produce screens of various configurations, sizes, and dimensions, including monitor LED vs. FHD screen, transparent LED displays, and magic cube LED screens.
FHD Screen by Sizes
Below are some FHD screens with their various purposes;
- FHD 6.5 inches—Smartphone Screen: The resolution of FHD display mobiles, coupled with an average refresh rate of 60Hz, enables it to offer sharp text, vibrant colors, and clear images, making it suitable for tasks like web browsing, multimedia consumption, and casual gaming.
- FHD Laptop Screen (15.6 inches): Laptops sporting a 15.6-inch Full HD screen strike a balance between being portable and providing a pleasant viewing experience. These screens usually offer an average refresh rate of 144Hz, and their standard resolution ensures vivid details, whether you’re working on tasks, enjoying videos, or editing photos.
- FHD Monitor (24 inches): This 24-inch FHD is a popular choice for desktop setups and is the best monitor size for office work. It is suitable for school ICT complexes, retail stores, and tasks requiring extended screen time, such as coding and online content creation.
- FHD TV (40 inches): The 40-inch 1920x1080p TVs. are popularly used for indoor advertising, watching movies at home, and displaying content on LED screens in churches. This combination makes these TVs. a perfect choice for smaller living rooms and even office spaces.
- FHD Gaming Monitor (27 inches): If you’re researching how to choose a monitor for gaming, the 27-inch monitor is a good start. This FHD gaming monitor strikes a balance between immersive gameplay and detail. It offers smoother performance in games while maintaining visual clarity, making it a popular choice among gamers.
LED Screen by Sizes
While comparing the screen size difference between FHD vs. LED displays earlier, we found that both come in different sizes. However, LED displays offer more variety. So, here we’ll discuss various sizes and configurations of LED screens;
- LED Monitor (27 inches): The 27-inch LED monitor serves the same purpose as the 24-inch FHD version – both are commonly used for desktop computing. However, what sets the 27-inch LED monitor apart is its lower power consumption, finer pixel pitch, and generous screen real estate. This extra space not only supports multitasking and creative work but also enhances the enjoyment of multimedia content.
- LED TV Screen (55 inches): The 55-inch LED TV is a sought-after choice for home entertainment setups and in places like shopping malls. Its LED backlighting technology ensures consistent and uniform illumination across the entire screen, creating an immersive viewing experience well-suited for movies, sports, and gaming.
- LED Advertising Screen (82-inch LED): This LED screen boasts vibrant colors, high contrast, and steady brightness levels, making it an excellent fit for larger areas, out-of-home advertising, and commercial LED displays. Remember, however, that for the best viewing experience, you should consider the optimal viewing distance, as this size truly shines in spacious settings.
- LED Video Wall (100 inches): Representing another advancement in LED display technology, the LED video wall finds frequent use in sizable presentations – from digital signage in commercial environments to event venues and digital out-of-home advertising. With this screen, worries about viewing distance fades away, as it’s purpose-built for larger spaces.
- LED Outdoor Display (120 inches): Seen commonly in stadiums, outdoor events, festivals, and on expansive advertising billboards, the 120-inch outdoor LED display is both rugged and exceptionally durable. Even under bright sunlight, it maintains high visibility, making it a top choice for outdoor LED displays.
- LED Theatre Movies Displays (65ft): These displays revolutionize the cinema experience with premium features like 4K resolution, powerful processing components, HDR, and heightened brightness levels. They deliver more vibrant colors and sharper contrast and elevate the auditory experience for a truly immersive movie outing.
Remember that if you need any of the aforementioned FHD vs. LED TV but in different sizes, designs, or pixel pitches, NSE LED offers customization options to suit various customer needs. Share your ideas and display purpose with their team, and they’ll recommend the perfect screen for your business or event.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Lifespan
When comparing FHD vs. UHD (ultra-high definition display) and other LED screens’ lifespan, LED screens generally have an advantage over FHD. LEDs are popular, and their wide adoption can be linked to their longevity, often lasting 100,000 before experiencing significant brightness degradation.
This impressive property makes the ideal screen for continuous operation, such as in outdoor LED billboards where ads and information are showcased 24/7 all year round or commercial displays. Additionally, LEDs are more durable and resistant to severe weather conditions, shocks, and vibrations, further contributing to their extended lifespan.
On the flip side, FHD screens, especially LCD-based, still offer a respectable lifespan. Lasting up to 60,000 hours, it sure doesn’t match the endurance of LED screens. Over time, the LCD panels attached to these displays will suffer from backlight deterioration or color shifts, requiring more frequent replacements than LEDs.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Contrast Ratios
The contrast ratio of a UHD vs. FHD screen or any other display technology measures the difference in brightness between the darkest and brightest parts of an image showcased on a screen. It’s important because a higher contrast ratio enhances visual clarity, making details more distinct and improving overall image quality.
Now, when discussing contrast ratios between UHD LED TV vs. FHD LED TV, LED screens generally hold the upper hand. This is because LEDs emit light individually, allowing for precise control over brightness levels in different screen parts. This results in deeper blacks, leading to more distinct differentiation between dark and light areas on the screen.
Meanwhile, an FHD screen has good contrast ratios, but it is no match for LEDs’ dynamic range. Due to the backlighting methods used, achieving deep blacks and bright whites simultaneously can be more challenging than in LED displays. This can lead to slightly lower contrast ratios and a less pronounced visual impact in certain scenarios.
FHD Screen Vs. LED: Differences in Compatible Content Display Types
The type of content you plan to showcase plays a crucial role in determining the most suitable display technology for your business or event. To begin, LED screens bring exceptional versatility to the table. Their ability to control individual LEDs allows for dynamic and easily adaptable content.
This quality makes them perfect for presenting moving graphics and interactive elements that captivate your audience, unlike FHDs, which are perfect for static and slow-paced movies. Also, it gives room for creativity since it allows you to seamlessly display animations and highly graphical content while automating and improving the content management system.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Response Time
Each pixel on a screen has the capability to emit various colors by adjusting its brightness and color intensity. The response time tells us how swiftly this change happens when moving between different colors or levels of brightness.
Choosing a screen with a quicker response time is usually a smart move as it can cut down on blurriness when your display content moves at high speed and also reduce the Moire effect. The Moire effect and other pixelation issues occur for many reasons. For example, when pixels struggle to switch fast during rapid shifts in content, it results in motion blur.
This can cause a smudged or trailing appearance, especially noticeable during scenes with rapid motion, like action scenes in movies or fast-paced video games. When it comes to response time, LED screens tend to outperform others. Each LED can light up or turn off almost instantaneously, resulting in smoother transitions between different frames.
This trait becomes particularly crucial for showing content that involves high-speed movement, such as sports events, high-resolution video games, or action-packed sequences. On the flip side, FHD screens offer respectable response times for most uses, but they might exhibit slightly slower transitions due to the characteristics of LCD technology.
FHD Vs. LED Screen: Differences in Application
The content types of advertisers, corporations and institutions, or event management LED displays are different. Hence, finding the right fit for each industry and application is the best way to go. This leads us to compare the differences between LED vs. FHD in their uses. Let’s jump right in!
FHD Screen Vs. LED: Entertainment and Home Viewing
FHDs are suitable for small entertainment venues, home viewing, and small meetings or conference halls. This display technology is less expensive than LED screens. Despite its compact size, the design ensures that all viewers within an average of five feet away from the screen enjoy a great viewing experience.
Though it doesn’t have as wide viewing angles as LED screens, the FHD TV offers an adequate 178° angle, which is satisfactory. On the other hand, LED screens are ideal for enormous outdoor and indoor entertainment venues, festivals, trade shows, huge conference halls, and large home cinematic display settings.
2. Advertising and Marketing
Many factors determine the success of every marketing campaign, and the effect of your display technology on an audience and how your content is presented is one of these factors. For starters, it reaches about 135 million people weekly, and a recent study by Statista shows that the digital signage market will be worth $32.84 billion by the end of 2023.
This digital signage market survey covered all modern display technologies, including FHD and LED screens. While they both serve establishments of similar industries, the FHD is used in retail stores, hotels, shopping malls, banks, restaurants, and other indoor advertising displays. They offer an enjoyable view for viewers while effectively showcasing your products and information.
Similarly, LED screens are ideal for outdoor billboards, digital signage, storefront digital signage, events promotion, and large festivals. These settings require them because they reduce wait times and increase sales for retail stores and large companies. As an event manager or business owner, you can use them to advertise new products or an upcoming occasion in streets and high-traffic areas.
3. Education
When selecting the best display technology for classroom learning, your requirement, space, and budget determines which one is the best fit. The FHD is great for small indoor content displays since viewers can enjoy good displays from the screen even when sitting over five meters from the screen. Aside from the use of FHD in small classrooms, they are also employed as university LED screens for conferences and for sharing important announcements.
Similarly, schools also use LED screens for many reasons; first, they are more versatile and create room for creativity. Secondly, their display quality is much better than that of FHD screens. Additionally, their ability to last up to 100,000 hours of consistent use without losing quality is one of their best selling points, especially for schools constantly adapting to technological advancements.
4. Gaming
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an FHD vs. LED is the refresh rate. It determines the frequency at which your display technology can switch between unique pictures without motion blur, the Moire effect, or losing the quality of videos, images, graphics, or animations.
Gamers who choose the FHD can enjoy an adequate speed and contrast ratio, little downtime, and motion blur when viewing fast-paced content. On the other hand, gamers looking for better refresh rates and excellent display precision in gaming tournaments, eSports events, and theme parks should select the LED screen.
5. Outdoor Events and Performances
LED screens are catchy, and their adoption rate has widely increased, hence dominating outdoor events, festivals, trade shows, street advertising, and large gatherings. Their high brightness, color reproduction, weather resistance, and ability to adapt to changing lighting conditions make them the preferred choice for outdoor advertisements and visual experiences.
Comparing them with their FHD screen counterpart, you’ll realize that the full high-definition displays are limited by size, low brightness levels, low contrast ratios, and visibility in bright outdoor environments. However, they can still be used in slightly covered outdoor spaces, small bars, and grills.
6. Healthcare and Medical Imaging
Automation has become one of the most adopted innovations in the healthcare sector. Modern display technologies help these establishments monitor patients’ data and share information easily instead of searching through loads of files. Their resolution, refresh rate, frame rate, and other factors make them highly suitable for hospitals.
On the other hand, LED screens are also used in healthcare, but for slightly different reasons than FHD. They are used in surgery rooms and medical training facilities to display high-resolution medical images and procedures.
7. Transportation and Information Displays
As the number of travelers is set to surpass 4.0 billion by 2024, transportation hubs and advertisers are leveraging display technologies to showcase travel information, promote products and services, and travel-related ads. They use many different screens, including FHD screens and LED screens.
FHD transport screens are employed in airports, bus stations, and train stations for displaying flight and departure information. LED screens are used for dynamic flight schedules, interactive displays, and wayfinding signs, ensuring clear visibility and information dissemination for travelers.
8. Virtual Events and Webinars
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, workers have settled for remote work, and the number of employees deciding to go remote has rapidly increased to 36.2 million US citizens in three years. To maintain effective communication via virtual meetings, events, and webinars enabled by FHD and LED screens.
While both FHD vs. LED monitor screens deliver online presentations and webinars with clear visuals for remote audiences, LED do it better. Whether you’re comparing an FHD vs. LED laptop screen or other display technology types suited for virtual meetings, consider your needs and space before deciding which one to go with.
9. Retail Advertising and Window and Storefront Displays
FHD screens are suitable for indoor retail displays and point-of-sale displays, showing product promotions and brand content and encouraging customers to try new products. On the other hand, LED screens create attention-grabbing window displays and storefront signage, drawing shoppers into stores with captivating visuals.
10. Control Rooms and Surveillance Centers
Control rooms and surveillance centers need detailed and vivid displays to ensure that they get accurate information about live feeds. Luckily, FHD screens offer clear, detailed views of surveillance footage in control rooms where real-time monitoring is essential. While LED screens are better for larger control centers due to their size and ability to display multiple feeds simultaneously.
FHD Vs. LED: Which Is Better?
There are no hard and fast rules for choosing a display technology between LED vs. FHD monitor or TV. Consider your space, the purpose of the display, and your budget. If you are working with a smaller setting, the FHD screen will be perfect for your audience since they are closer to the screen.
However, if your event is huge, opt for LED screens. They offer better size flexibility and great experiences for far viewing distance. If you need help deciding which one is best for you, send an inquiry to the team at NSE LED today. They’ve been in the industry for over a decade and have had the opportunity to record over 50,000 satisfied customers worldwide.
Conclusion
While LED vs. FHD cannot be exactly compared side-by-side, they have slight similarities; for instance, manufacturers produce an FHD LED screen. So, they use LED technology coupled with the existing properties of an FHD TV to give a durable, long-lasting, and energy-efficient display without sacrificing the image quality.
