- Edge-lit LEDs seem to develop visible problems very early on
- Problems are especially apparent with larger displays
- Shop around for discounts on better quality panels
Late last year we published a warning to Black Friday TV buyers: avoid large TVs with cheap edge-lit panels. The main reason was visual quality, as edge-lit panels aren’t great for large formats. But a new report suggests another reason why you should stay clear. Large, edge-lit panels seem to break more quickly than other types of TV screens.
This is evident from Rtings’ ongoing testing of TV longevity, as reported by FlatpanelsHD.com. The tests included 100 different TVs from multiple brands and multiple technologies – edge LED, direct LED, full array local dimming and OLED – and the results for edge LED aren’t great.
What’s the problem with edge-lit panels?
However, there are several problems. First, they generally don’t offer great uniformity in the way they illuminate the screen. That’s because their backlighting is usually placed on the bottom with a diffuser film to spread the light across the panel. The larger the panel, the more apparent the shortcomings of the design become.
According to Rtings, more than 25% of LCD TVs tested showed visible light uniformity issues. But with edge LED LCD TVs, that figure shot up to 64% – so you have a one in three chance of getting a TV with consistent lighting.
To be fair, the number of devices involved is small: seven in every hundred TVs. However, three of those seven started showing problems before or after 2,200 hours of testing. That’s the equivalent of one year of viewing in a typical American household.
According to Rtings, the results of their tests show that “Edge-lit TVs are inherently prone to significant durability issues, including warped reflector plates, cracked light guide plates and burned-out LEDs due to concentrated heat.”
That’s the bad news. But the good news is that, with Black Friday approaching, you don’t necessarily have to go edge-lit if you want a nice big TV that fits your budget: this is of course one of the best times to get one to buy TV. new TV because they’re a big part of every Black Friday, and even high-spec models like LG’s C4 OLED get big discounts.
Naturally, we’ll be keeping track of these deals, so check out our guide to the best Black Friday TV deals here.