What is OLED?
OLED is an acronym for Organic Light Emitting Diode and is a type of technology used for screens. OLED screens have a layer made of organic material (carbon and other substances) between two electrodes which, when supplied with electricity, emit light.
What are the benefits of OLED?
The pixels on the OLED screens are illuminated independently, as each of them can receive electricity independently. This means that OLED screens do not require additional backlighting as classic LCD screens do. An important consequence is that OLED screens are thinner and lighter than LCD screens.
Another advantage of OLED is the image quality. OLED displays can illuminate each of their pixels independently and can turn off each one independently. When no electricity passes through a pixel at all, it is turned off, which means it is very close to absolute black. This gives OLED screens an advantage over traditional LCD screens that always have a backlight and thus fail to get the “absolute black” color in the images they display. Another key aspect of OLED screens is that they offer a high contrast ratio. We already know that OLED can display absolute black, but it can also color each pixel using exact brightness levels, because all it has to do is send more electricity to that specific pixel.
What is the difference between OLED and LED?
OLED is the same as LED, but it also has that extra organic material. LED comes from Light Emitting Diode and is a light source with two semiconductors.
What is the difference between OLED and LCD?
OLED screens use pixels with independent lighting, while LCD screens use a backlight to display the image. In other words, on an OLED screen, each pixel has its own “backlight” and thus sends its own light and color to the world. On an LCD screen, there is a backlight source for the entire screen, which is usually provided by a lamp, and the light passes through the pixels on the screen. On an LCD screen, the pixels do not emit their own light, but block the backlight output (from the lamp). No matter how well done, no LCD screen can completely block the backlight it receives, which means that no LCD screen can offer the same “absolute black” as an OLED screen.
What are the disadvantages of OLED?
The main disadvantage of OLED screens is that they are not usually able to provide the same high level of brightness as LCD screens. However, if you take into account the much better contrast ratio, OLED screens are very close to offering the same experience, if not a better experience.
OLED screens also have the negative aspect of having a shorter service life than LCD screens. Unfortunately, the organic material used in OLED screens tends to degrade over time, leading to color loss, especially loss of blue color. However, the top manufacturers of OLED screens, such as LG for example, have worked hard to extend the life of screens. The current estimated life of an OLED TV, for example, can start at 10 to 20 years or more, at an average daily usage of about 6 or 7 hours a day.
Finally, another important reason why OLED is not used everywhere is that the process of making OLED screens costs more than making LCD screens. Moreover, this means that OLED screens are not available at what you might call affordable prices, although their prices have steadily fallen in recent years.
