LCD Backlight Types

• LCD backlighting allows the image to show through the screen. ULTRA.F/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Backlighting is the light that shines from behind your TV so you can see the image. LCD stands for liquid crystal display, and is made of a wafer-like panel which changes in response to an electrical current, creating the image. But LCD panels cannot create light all by themselves, so they need to depend on other sources to shine through. There are several light sources that LCD screens use for this purpose, although LED is the most common.

CCFL

• CCFL, or cold cathode fluorescent light, is a type of fluorescent light designed to produce just enough light to properly illuminate the LCD panel. You may not like the cold white light that these bulbs make for ambiance, but it is the right tone to accurately display images on televisions and monitors. They are energy efficient, but may not operate correctly in cold weather. Fluorescent bulbs work by energizing a gas and using its radiation to create light.

ELP

• ELP stands for electroluminescence panel, a type of backlighting that produces barely any heat compared to other options, which helps reduce energy costs. The panel is made with a phosphor coating that reacts to energy by glowing. Different panels come in different colors, but most LCD screens use white. These panels are effective but have shorter life spans than other options.

Edge LED

• LED stands for light-emitting diode, a type of semiconductor that produces light as a by-product of its electrical resistance. LEDs are flexible and have very long life spans while requiring very little space, making them ideal for LCD TVs. Edge-lit TVs use strips of LED lights along the sides of the screen to provide illumination.

Backlit LED

• Backlight LEDs are arranged in block-like shapes behind the LCD panel. They still function the same as edge-lit versions, but they are able to provide more direct illumination and so do a better job of contrasting light and shadow in the image.