LED vs. LCD

You walk into your local electronics store looking for a new TV and come across a thing called an "LED TV". Which then leads you to ask: "Is that the same technology they use for the giant screens at football games?" And the answer, quite simply, is no.

While the giant display in a sports stadium, for example, is made up of thousands of LEDs that are used to directly produce an image, "LED" TVs are actually LCDs. That's right, they're not LED TVs at all. These "so-called" LED TVs use a series of LED bulbs to light up the screen. But what is backlighting anyway?

Sony's LED-edgelit Bravia KD-65X9004.
(Credit: Sony)

Why do LCD screens need a backlight?

As a consumer technology, LCD has been in widespread use since the early 1970s when it first appeared in digital watches. As its name suggests, Liquid Crystal Display is a fluid which has been sandwiched between two plates, and it changes when a current is applied to it.

While we've had black-and-white LCDs for years, color LCDs are a lot more recent, but the technology is the same. As we all know, you need to press a button to read a watch in the dark, and an LCD TV is no different. It needs a light source because it emits no light of its own.

LG's LED-backlit 65LA9700.
(Credit: LG)

What types of backlights are there?

At present there are two common methods of backlighting in LCD flat panels: Cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) and LED (light-emitting diode). CCFL used to be the most widespread method of backlighting for LCD TVs, and consists of a series of tubes laid horizontally down the screen.

LED backlighting is now very common and has been in use in TVs since 2004 when it first appeared on a Sony WEGA. Though there are several different ways of backlighting using LEDs (as we'll explain shortly), the idea is the same: A lot of LED bulbs are used to light the screen.

Backlit (full array) or edgelit?

There are two different types of LED backlighting: Backlit and edgelit. The main advantage of backlit is that it can be used to increase contrast levels by turning selected LEDs off through a function known as local dimming--thus increasing the black level in parts of the picture.

In comparison, edgelit's key advantage is that it can be used to make TVs that are incredibly thin--the LEDs are at the side and not behind the panel. Local dimming is now available for edgelit TVs, too, but with much fewer "dimmable" segments compared with a backlit panel: Tens versus hundreds.

The black level of an LED-edgelit Sony X9004 (left) is almost as good as the backlit LG LA9700 (right).
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)

The picture quality of LED-edgelit TVs has improved significantly over the past few years, delivering better contrast and deeper blacks. On the other hand, as LED-backlit panels such as the Samsung S9 and LG LA9700 ultra high-definition (UHD) TVs are costlier to manufacture, they are becoming increasingly rare these days.

White or RGB light?

White LED is very similar to CCFL because LED uses a blue light source that is made to look white by the presence of a sulphur coating on the bulb. As a result, the TV will potentially be stronger in the green portion of the spectrum. But as some CCFL technologies enable better red and blue response, better white LEDs could also be possible.

RGB LEDs, on the other hand, are potentially capable of a broader color range because they use three LEDs colored red, blue and green. Its proponents argue that there is less of a green "push" as a result and the color spectrum is more evenly distributed.

Mitsubishi's RGB-based LaserVue UHD TV.
(Credit: Mitsubishi/Ceatec)

It has been some time since a TV manufacturer launched an RGB LED TV. The last model was the 2009 Sharp LC-65XS1M, although Mitsubishi has recently showcased an RGB-based UHD TV at the Ceatec tradeshow in Japan. What's more, the Mitsubishi display uses a red laser source (with green and blue LEDs) instead of RGB LEDs.

LED-edgelit technology under the microscope

Most LED-edgelit panels consist of two major components: A long LED module with a row of tiny white diodes and a thin screen-sized plastic sheet known as a light guide plate. Two LED modules are deployed along the top and bottom of the panel. The combined light output is then funneled and spread out across the screen.

"Bleeding" observed around the corners of an LED TV.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET Asia)

Technically, an edgelit LED system lacks finer backlight control compared with the backlit version. Uneven backlight uniformity is another common shortcoming. To put this into perspective, a backlit panel can turn on selected LEDs to bring out the sparkle of stars in a galaxy while switching off the remaining bulbs to produce deep blacks for the background. Edgelit panels are usually less capable in this aspect.

Is the price premium for LED worth paying?

With LED TVs now widely available and their traditional LCD counterparts almost extinct, this question is largely irrelevant for the key electronics brands. You can probably still find some LCD TVs from smaller domestic manufacturers, but the price savings are minimal with LED TVs going for as little as S$300 (US$241.04) these days.

The few LED-backlit screens we have seen so far still have a slight advantage in terms of the overall picture quality, and while we still prefer plasma panels, the combination of slim aesthetics and sharp visuals in the latest LED TVs will find favor with most people. If you're looking for a further explanation of how LCD screens work, check out this video on the 3M site.

Panasonic's exit from plasma would sour TV value sweet spot

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

It's no secret that we at CNET, along with most other TV reviewers who pay attention to picture quality, love Panasonic plasmas. Just look at our current "Best TVs" list. The top four are all plasma TVs made by Panasonic.

Editor's Note

It should be noted that Panasonic did not release its ZT-series plasma TVs in Asia. All prices indicated in this article are for the US market.

They include the high-end ZT60, which has the best picture of any TV we've ever reviewed, and the entry-level S60, one of only two TVs this year to earn a "10" in our Value subcategory.

Even more important is the ST60, which is the only TV CNET has ever given a 5-star rating. The reason? It delivers unprecedented picture quality for the price, representing a true sweet spot between value and performance.

Now a Reuters report, citing unnamed sources, says that Panasonic will shutter its last plasma TV factory by March 2014. If that's the case, it would make those 2013 Panasonic plasmas the last of their kind.

CNET reached out to Panasonic for additional comment, but we were given nothing beyond the statement provided to other publications: nothing official has been announced or decided yet.

The news might come earlier than expected, but the writing was on the wall. Plasma has been losing market share every year to LCD, and Panasonic has been posting losses and shedding jobs at a tremendous clip. President Kazuhiro Tsuga vowed to address the situation with cuts, and CNET was told in March that the ZT60 would likely represent the last generation of plasma TV development the company would undertake.

Panasonic nonetheless fielded a healthy lineup of the TVs this year, appearing at least for 2013 to redouble its commitment to plasma. That commitment is anything but certain for 2014.

Wider implications

Companies struggle and technologies get phased out on a regular basis. And I may be biased as someone who makes his living reviewing TVs, but in my opinion this is different. The loss of Panasonic plasmas would be a huge blow to TV buyers who want the best picture quality for the money. Here's why.

First off, plasma is the king of affordable picture quality. The 50-inch S60 costs just US$699, and no other TV at that price range comes close to its performance. The ST60, at US$999 for the 50-incher, has a picture that makes LED TVs priced hundreds more look mediocre. Meanwhile Samsung's best plasma was good enough to hold its own next to an OLED TV at three times the price.

The loss of Panasonic plasmas would be a huge blow to TV buyers who want the best picture quality for the money.

These days only three companies make plasma TVs: LG, Samsung, and Panasonic. In 2013 LG basically abandoned the game by only producing one non-bargain-basement plasma, in just one size. It's a decent value at 60 inches, but its picture quality was no better than many LED TVs'. I wouldn't be surprised if LG also stopped making plasmas next year.

Samsung, meanwhile, pared its line down to just three series. The high-end PNF8500 is phenomenal, a truly innovative model (thanks to its high light output) that was the only 2013 television aside from Panasonic plasmas to score a "9" or higher in picture quality. It also costs nearly twice as much as the ST60, which also scored a 9.

Unfortunately Samsung didn't field any midrange plasma TVs this year that can compete with the S60 and ST60 for picture quality. The closest was the PNE550, a solid performer and an excellent value, but nothing like 2012's superb PNE6500 -- still the highest-rated Samsung TV we've ever reviewed.

The future without Panasonic plasma: Samsung, OLED, and LCD

Unless Samsung picks up the slack in 2014 with a series or two of excellent-performing, well-priced plasmas like the S60, the ST60, and the PNE6500, I predict a big hole in the market where Panasonic used to be.

And with competition from Panasonic gone, Samsung will have little reason to fill it. I've often told people that comparing Samsung and Panasonic plasmas is the best part of my job. And I'm not the only one -- plasma TVs from those two makers regularly trade wins for supremacy at the well-regarded Value Electronics shootout. Variations of "Which plasma should I get, the Samsung 8500 or the Panasonic VT/ZT?" are among my most common reader questions this year

Sony's Xperia Z1F: A shrunk down version of the Z1

Sony's Xperia Z1F
(Credit: Screenshot by CNET)

Another top-flight smartphone has been minimized. This time it's the Sony Xperia Z1 -- with a new, smaller version officially announced.

The Xperia Z1F is a sawed-off version of Sony's waterproof flagship Android smart phone, sporting a 4.3-inch 720p screen instead of the 5-inch display on the Z1.

Underneath the screen there's an impressive lineup, including a quad-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM. It offers 16GB of storage, with NFC and Qi wireless charging to juice up the 2300mAh battery. The phone runs Android 4.2. The Z1F will sell in Japan, but there's no word if it will leave the country.

Read more of "Sony Xperia Z1 shrunk to 4.3 inches in new Xperia Z1F" at CNET UK.

Don't be so quick to mod your Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Samsung goes on the offensive to deter modding Galaxy Note 3.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)

The modding community may want to stay away from the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

A new discovery suggests that the handset maker has taken steps to deter users from rooting the Galaxy Note 3 and installing their own operating system by increasing the risk that they void their warranties.

In most Samsung smartphones, a process known as flashing ROMs, or installing a custom OS, has never been a problem. Doing so, however, triggers a flash counter that keeps a log of how many times a ROM was installed. Since Samsung doesn't honor warranties on phones that have been been flashed, a record on the flash counter would void any claims if someone had to send their phone back to the company for repairs.

Until recently, an app known as TriangleAway was able to reset the flash counter and keep Samsung in the dark. Done right, nobody would know that you took things into your own hands. Unfortunately, the app's developer, Chainfire, has found that the Galaxy Note 3 does not allow for a flash count reset.

This is not to suggest that it's any more difficult to flash ROMs on the Galaxy Note 3; it's just harder to file a warranty claim should you go down that road.

As part of its Knox security software, the Galaxy Note 3 employs eFuse, a technology that can rewrite the memory so it leaves seemingly permanent evidence of flashing.

Samsung service center reps are instructed not to honor devices that have been tampered with in this manner.

Chainfire suggests there is a "possible" hack to circumvent the write protection but that it could prove difficult to code. In the meanwhile, modders may want to consider a different device for flashing ROMs and custom Android builds

LG reveals G Pro Lite phablet with 5.5-inch display

LG's new G Pro Lite.
(Credit: LG Electronics)

LG has given birth to a baby brother for its LG G Pro phablet.

Dubbed the G Pro Lite, the new device is outfitted with a 5.5-inch screen but otherwise lacks some of the more robust features found in the full Pro model. The display offers a resolution of just 960x540 pixels, compared with the 1,920x1,080 pixels offered in the Pro edition.

The G Pro Lite comes with a 1.0 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. An 8-megapixel camera is on the rear, while a 1.3-megapixel shooter is on the front. The 3,140 mAh battery is removable.

But cellular speed is limited to 3G, whereas the full Pro model supports 4G LTE. Outfitted with AndroidJelly Bean 4.1.2, the G Pro Lite will come in both black and white.

The phone does offer other useful features, including a stylus pen and stereo speakers. A dual SIM slot comes with its own hot key to let users easily switch between the two SIM cards.

The LG G Pro Lite is slated to debut this month in Latin America followed by launches in Asia, Russia, China, India, and the Middle East. LG didn't reveal the price or whether the phone will launch in the US. Thefull Pro model sells in the US through AT&T for US$199.99 with the standard two-year contract

NTT DoCoMo introduces new handsets

G2 L-01F

NTT DoCoMo today revealed its 2013 winter/2014 spring lineup of handsets. There are a total of 10 smartphones, a child-friendly handset and two feature phones. The entire collection will be gradually launched over the next few months starting from October 11 in Japan.

All of the smartphones support DoCoMo's Xi LTE service, with most models capable of maximum speeds of 150mbps and can take advantage of the telco's new "docomo ID" authentication system. This allows users to access services like cloud address book and email. With the exception of the SH-03F, all handsets support the One-Seg mobile TV service, too.

Pictured above is the LG G2 which sports a Qualcomm MSM8974 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 5.2-inch full-HD screen and a 13-megapixel camera BSI sensor. You can read CNET Asia's full review of the LG smartphone

Samsung galaxy Round..

Announced earlier this week, the Samsung Galaxy Round isn't your typical Samsung device. While it clearly resembles the other Galaxy-branded handsets, this Android smartphone is the first to sport a horizontally curved display. According to Samsung, the Round uses a flexible full-HD Super AMOLED display which doesn't actually bend, but is instead locked into a gentle curve that is likely to fit more comfortably in your palm.

Upside

The Round's flexible 5.7-inch screen isn't just an aesthetic feature. Samsung has added a few software tweaks that take advantage of the curved surface. For instance, there is the cool Roll Effect feature which turns the screen on to reveal the date, time, missed calls and battery life when one side of the phone is pressed down while it is lying on the table. Bounce UX is another interesting tweak, which lets you control music playback by similarly pressing down on one side to tilt the phone. Tilting the phone toward the left will play the previous track, while tilting the phone on the right will forward to the next song.

Samsung has also incorporated some of the Note 3 features in the Round, including the One-Hand Operation, where you perform a zig-zag motion to shrink the screen to a smaller size so you can operate it with one hand. Multi-tasking is also supported, just like in the Note 3 where you can open two different apps (or the same app twice) in a top-down layout. This allows for content to be easily shared between supported apps.

Like other high-end Galaxy devices, the Round packs the latest hardware. Powered by a snappy quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, the Round also comes loaded with 3GB of RAM and runs Android 4.3. Unfortunately, the 13-megapixel camera doesn't come with the new OIS module recently announced, so it will likely have the same low-light issues we noticed on the Note 3.

Downside

While having a curved screen is an interesting proposition for a phone, it does come with its own unique problems. For one, it will not sit properly on the table (though Samsung has designed around this by adding features that take advantage of this), and will likely create a slight bulge in your pocket due to the curve.

Depending on how you hold the phone when making calls, the Round's curved screen seems rather awkward-shaped and does not look too comfortable on the face. This is unlike the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, which featured a vertical curved screen that's angled to fit the contours of the face.

Outlook

Currently available only in South Korea, the Samsung Galaxy Round doesn't seem like a phone that will leave the boundaries of its home country for now. I'm guessing that Samsung is not churning out enough flexible screens to make enough phones, though once the company ramps up production, this could change. My take is Samsung will use the Round to get some market response, before rolling out curved screens to the rest of its upcoming product lineup. In the future, we may even see a phone with display that actually bends, instead of the fixed curved display that the Round has.