AMOLED vs LCD: Differences and Comparison
Companies that sell televisions, gaming monitors, and other displays use a ton of acronyms, buzzwords, and lingo that only the most in-the-know shoppers are going to understand. AMOLED? OLED? PMOLED? LCD? What is the difference between all these things, and how much does it actually matter for my display?
We empathize with your confusion – but it’s a little simpler than it seems. In this article, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about the differences between AMOLED and LCD display technologies.
1. What is LCD?
Liquid Crystal Display – or LCD – is the most common display technology in use today. You’ll no doubt encounter countless LCD TVs, computers, and phone displays in your everyday life. But how exactly do LCD screens work, and what sorts of features do they offer?
LCD screens consist of multiple thin layers, all adding together to make the image you see on the screen. At the very back of the screen is the light source. For LCD screens, this is usually an LED light that is diffused evenly across the entire surface of the screen by a series of optical sheets. This single LED light is called the backlight, and surprisingly, it is the only source of light in the entire display.
How can just one white light create such extremely complicated moving, color pictures? That’s where the other layers come in, and the two layers of polarized film are among the most important in creating the images you see on screen. Polarized film is a type of material that is used to block out light, like in a pair of sunglasses. However, polarized film has a special ability that makes it extremely well-suited to use in screens. If you lay two pieces over each other in one direction, the film is completely black; no light can come through. If you rotate one piece 90 degrees, the image is translucent, and light is allowed through.
These pieces of polarized film don’t move inside your TV – in fact, there are very few moving parts in an LCD screen. Instead, these screens make use of a chemical substance called “liquid crystal.” This chemical has a special structure that makes it able to “twist” the light, and this structure can be manipulated with electricity. This means that small areas of the screen are able to “rotate,” allowing different amounts of light through the polarized film.
Then, the screen is subdivided into pixels, these itty-bitty little dots of light that are added up to make up a huge picture. Think of an 8-bit drawing, made up of little squares. Or, alternatively, think of one of those famous pointillism pictures, where you zoom in and the whole picture is made of tiny dots. The LCD layer allows each pixel to light up independently of one another, dimming or brightening the light according to the electrical impulse that passes through.
So that’s how the pixels can make images, but how do they make colored images? The pixels are subdivided into three sub-pixels, usually red, green, and blue. These three colors can be mixed to create essentially any color, depending on how much of each is added.
Such basically simple elements can add together to create something that all of us use to access so much varied and complex media. As mentioned before, the vast majority of all of your television watching, internet scrolling, video gaming, and social media browsing are done on LCD screens.
They have been the default screen technology for nearly two decades now, which is why they’re so ubiquitous. It’s also why some display technologies boast the potential to make vast improvements on the LCD screen model – a model which may potentially become dated.
2. What is AMOLED?
This is where display technologies like Active-Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diodes – or AMOLEDs – come in. Alleged to be the cutting edge of display technology, AMOLEDs work on a different model from traditional LCD screens, and the difference in how they are built can have a huge impact on the quality of the display and its image.
AMOLEDs are a type of OLED screen, which is a type of LED screen. Confusing, we know. But here’s how it works:
Unlike in an LCD screen, OLED displays do not use a backlight, and thus do not need the liquid crystal to display the image. Instead, each pixel itself is a tiny, independent light unit.
The “active matrix” part of the AMOLED acronym refers to the way that each individual light pixel gets a signal sent to it. In a passive matrix, each pixel gets “addressed” – that is, interacted with by a signal – in sequential order, pixel by pixel, row by row. This process happens really quickly, meaning that it’s generally imperceptible to the human eye, just like how old CRT screens update row-by-row, but it also means that the screen changes more slowly than some viewers might like.
In active matrix addressing systems, each pixel is addressed directly. There is no sequential order – when the pixel needs to be addressed, it is addressed. This means that the screen can change on a dime, leading to better graphics with a higher response rate. This can be a really important metric for certain kinds of display buyers, like gamers or movie lovers.
3. What is the difference between AMOLED and LCD?
Broadly, AMOLED and LCD screens differ in their source of light. LCD screens have only one light source – a backlight – that powers the entire screen. In AMOLED screens, each pixel itself is its own light source. This minor difference can have some major impacts on the screens’ qualities, including price, size, black level, and more.
Which is better: LCD vs AMOLED?
Ultimately, the decision about which display technology to choose comes down to your individual needs and preferences. While AMOLED may be the newer technology, that doesn’t necessarily mean it beats LCD screens in every category.
4. AMOLED vs. LCD: Comparison 2024
4.1 Black level
Black level is where AMOLEDs – and OLEDs in general – decisively win against LCD screens. Unlike LCDs, AMOLED screens can actually produce a true black on screen. LCDs often suffer from screen bloom, which is when bright objects on black backgrounds are surrounded by a light, grayish haze. This is caused by the LCD’s backlight, which is always on, since black screens are only a result of the liquid crystal “twisting” light. Even when there are no light objects on screen to cause bloom, LCD screens present a kind of slightly-glowing black on screen.
AMOLEDs are able to produce much better blacks because they can simply turn off the pixels that are not in use when black is shown on screen. This results in much darker blacks and superior contrast in images.
4.2 Brightness
Typically, LCDs win out over AMOLEDs in terms of brightness. Measured in nits, the tiny AMOLEDs often can’t compete with the amount of light that the large, powerful backlight can produce in an LCD screen. Some viewers complain of screens that are difficult to watch in full sunlight during the day. Others state that AMOLEDs offer a perfectly reasonable amount of light. If you like watching TV outdoors or in the bright daylight, an LCD might be a better choice for you.
4.3 Burn-in
AMOLEDs frequently suffer from a problem called “burn-in.” This is a problem that used to plague plasma-screen televisions, and it is where an image that has been frequently displayed on the TV or monitor – say, for instance, a taskbar or a news chyron – remains on the screen even when the image is not being displayed.
This can occur when the pixels in that area get “worn out” from being used so much, and it can happen in very distinct patterns, or it can simply look like blotches of dim areas on your screen.
LCD screens do not suffer from burn-in, since they are powered by one large light that is spread uniformly across the screen. While LCDs can get pixel retention, this is easily fixed, unlike burn-in, which tends to be permanent.
However, precautions can be taken to prevent burn-in, including using screensavers, varying the activities you use your display for, and turning it off when not in use.
4.4 Size
Because AMOLED screens don’t rely on layers of liquid crystal or polarized film, they can produce a beautiful image in a much thinner display. For viewers who like the light, delicate look of flat screens, an AMOLED might be a great choice for your home television. However, LCD screens have been around for longer, meaning that you may be able to find and purchase a more diverse array of sizes and dimensions for LCD televisions than AMOLEDs.
4.5 Price
As you might expect, AMOLEDs are often significantly costlier than LED screens. Not only are they newer, but it’s a much more expensive endeavor to produce potentially millions of LED lights than it is to produce one large LED light.
5. Looking for reliable LED displays?
At LED Sino, we offer several high-quality LED display products and solutions, perfectly suited for clients in a wide range of industries and with a wide range of industry needs. Whether you’re looking for affordable LED display rentals for an upcoming event, or you’re looking to purchase displays for your event center, conference center, auditorium, church, or arena, we can help you get set up with clear, vivid, and reliable LED displays.