The Consumer Electronics Show, held January 6-9 in Las Vegas, showcased new LED-related TV technologies.

LG introduces worlds largest full LED 3D TV

LG Electronics unveiled the 72-inch LZ9700, which it described as the world’s largest full LED-backlit LCD 3D-TV. "Full" is used here to describe a full panel of LEDs directly behind the screen i.e. a direct backlighting configuration rather than edge lighting.

In March 2010, LG unveiled what it described as the worlds first full LED-backlit 3D-TV (see photo). This 55-inch LX9500 uses 1200 LEDs, and has a 10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.

Also at CES, LG showed two new Nano Full LED series (LW9500 and LW7700) HDTVs with 3D capability. These have an extremely thin film printed with a proprietary light-dispersion pattern and combined with a full array of LEDs to disperse light more evenly across the screen, creating pictures that are brighter and more uniform than conventional edge-lit LED sets. An anti-reflection panel on the screen minimizes reflection from external light sources, including sunlight.

The LW9500 and LW7700 have improved localized dimming in both 2D and 3D by manipulating individual LED blocks, adding greater range and life to colors. The 55- and 60-inch class models pack in 288 local dimming blocks, while the 47-inch class model has 240 local dimming blocks.

OLED-display.net has some excellent images of a 31-inch OLED television exhibited at CES by LG Electronics. With a bezel width of 2.9 mm, the TV will be ready for the United States market in 2011.

Vizio introduces more LED LCD models

North American LED-backlit LCD TV maker Vizio introduced E and M series LED LCD models with the companys Edge-Lit Razor LED backlighting technology. Razor LED puts rows of LEDs along the edges of the screen, allowing for very thin designs, and offering greener performance than other conventional LCD TVs. Many models also feature Smart Dimming, which intelligently controls the array of LEDs, organized in up to 32 zones.

Most of Vizios top-of-the-line XVT Series LED LCD models have Full Array TruLED backlighting with Smart Dimming technology. With over 120 zones, TruLED backlighting is able to dim specific areas of the image, depending on whats on screen.

"Vizios leadership in LED will continue with the introduction of over 40 models for 2011," stated Matthew McRae, Vizio CTO. "The picture performance and environmental benefits are available in sizes ranging from the petite 16-inch class to the larger-than-life 71-inch class, ensuring there is an LED lit model that suits every need."

The Vizio press release quoted Paul Gagnon, Director of North American TV Research at DisplaySearch, as saying that "LEDs will account for about 21% of LCD TV shipments in North America for 2010, but jump dramatically to more than half of all LCD TV shipments in 2011 as the premium for them falls and a new range of more affordable edge-lit LED solutions are brought to the market."

About the Author 

Tim Whitaker is the Editor of LEDs Magazine.