A full-array LED TV is an LED TV where the lights are placed across the whole screen, not just along the edge. Hence the term full-array. This way, a full-array LED TV can adjust and project light and color across the entire screen as needed. So whatever you’re watching on the TV, the images and colors will be adjusted to the individual scenes as you watch. For example, colors can follow and “flow” through the screen while spots and places that are meant to be dark will stay dark, thanks to this smart technology. Are there really any good reasons to avoid a full-array LED TV? Is this technology really the best of the best out there and should you go with it? Down below, you can find five reasons to avoid a full-array LED TV, so keep on reading to learn more!
A Brief History of Full-Array LED TVs
Today’s LED TVs are lightyears ahead of their predecessors, which were introduced in the early 2000s. The first LED TVs were backlit by cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). These were quickly replaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are more energy-efficient and offer better contrast than CCFLs.
Initially, LED TVs were very expensive, but prices have come down significantly in recent years. Because of this price drop, LED TVs are currently the most popular type of TV on the market. However, there are still some reasons to avoid a full-array LED TV today.
Why Full-Array LED TVs Are So Popular
As mentioned above, a full-array LED TV is a sleek TV that has a display full of LEDs. A full-array LED screen is fully backlit behind the LCD panel, so it can adjust the intensity and the brightness depending on the entertainment projected on the TV. With LEDs all over the display, a full-array LED TV can light up where it needs to be light and stay dark where it needs to be dark. Viewers get incredible precision.
LEDs can also adjust the light to display brighter colors where needed, but also to display darker colors and tones in scenes to make other colors pop. This is one of the latest technologies on the market, and for many, this is the holy grail of modern television.
Compared to OLED TVs, full-array LED TV can display a slightly better visual and image, especially if your viewing area has a lot of natural light. At the same time, you’ll be able to get a full-array LED TV slightly cheaper than an OLED TV. However, should you go with the full-array LED TV, and is it for you? Keep on reading to find out!
Best Reasons to Avoid a Full-Array LED TV
While full-array LED TV has a lot to offer and it has one of the brightest and most vivid images brought with the latest technology, it might not be the best choice for everyone, and here’s why.
1. They’re Not Ideal for Dark Environments
Full-array LED TVs can light up each LED individually, providing the best backlight for the most vivid image and color projection. However, backlight LEDs require a lot of daylight for the image to be as amazing as you usually see them in the store.
They just don’t work the best in dark environments because that’s when they tend to lose their brightness. For some users, watching a full-array LED TV in dark spaces or at night just gives mediocre visuals.
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2. Slower Response Times
Compared to other TV types, full-array LED TVs have incredible visuals but slower response times. Although they are much faster than LCD TVs, they cannot compete with OLED TVs in terms of response times. Therefore, a full-array LED TV might not be the best TV type for fast-paced action, very quick sports, or gaming.
For some people, this might not be very noticeable, but for others, it could be bothersome. Therefore, this reason might depend on your experience with TVs, as well as your preferences, but it’s something to keep in mind.
3. Slower Refresh Rates
On top of the slower response times, full-array LED TVs also have slower refresh rates. The maximum refresh rate it can reach (at the time of writing) is about 120Hz. While this might be good enough for many viewers, it might not be enough for a bit more demanding type of viewers.
Plus, if you’re a gamer who is thinking of using a full-array LED TV for gaming, you might want at least a TV with a 165Hz refresh rate that’s achievable even at higher resolutions.
4. They’re Very Similar to OLEDs
Yes, the truth is that the full-array LED TV can provide much better lighting by providing light to each LED individually compared to OLED. A full-array LED TV is also a slightly better fit in rooms where you can’t control the lighting.
However, OLED is still a slightly better technology, since in an OLED TV, each pixel produces its own light. This means there’s no requirement for backlighting. Also, since a full-array LED TV is typically only marginally cheaper than an OLED TV, it might be a better idea for many viewers to go with the OLED and experience all the benefits the OLED has to offer.
5. Power Efficiency
It’s great that full-array LED TV can provide such incredible visuals and adjust the lighting individually for each LED. However, with more lights than a traditional edge-lit LED TV, this leads to higher power consumption. Of course, this only increases with the size of a full-array LED TV. Therefore, full-array LED TV might not be ideal for power-conscious people, instead, OLED again might be a better choice in the long run since it does not require backlighting. Plus, full-array LED is a fairly new technology, so there’s still not enough data to understand how the TV will function over time with its ability to control LEDs lighting at all times.
Alternatives to Full-Array LED TVs
OLED
Even though OLED TVs can’t display such bright parts of the screens depending on the image, they still have perfect blacks, wide viewing angles, much faster response time, are way thinner, aren’t much more expensive, and on top of that, are much more energy efficient.
Therefore, there’s a very minimal difference between OLED and full-array LED TVs, and it seems that OLED TVs are a much better choice in the long run. They still have incredible visuals so you don’t need a fully backlit display to enjoy your favorite scenes.
- LG's fifth generation α9 Processor automatically adjusts your TV's settings depending on what you're watching.
- Filmmaker Mode shows movies the way the movie director originally intended.
- Game Optimizer from LG ensures that that you have your most exciting gaming experience ever
- Wall mountable (VESA 300 x 200) - sold separately
QLED
QLED is a variation of an OLED TV type. While it’s not as good as OLED, it can produce high levels of brightness. This makes it very similar to a full-array LED TV, yet they’re often a lot more affordable.
Therefore, it can be seen as a combination of OLED and a full-array LED TV for a very affordable price and slightly better energy efficiency.
©Proxima Studio/Shutterstock.com
- 100% color volume with quantum dot
- Everything on your screen is upgraded to 4K resolution by a smart, powerful processor
- Enjoy natural, real-life colors with dedicated warm and cool Dual LED backlights
- Go beyond HDTV with Quantum HDR which delivers an expanded range of color and contrast
- Alexa voice assistant is built in and ready to help
UHD
If you’re looking for quality visuals that might not be as astonishing as a full-array LED TV (or OLED), but you don’t want to break the bank, UHD is a great TV type to go for.
UHD is above HD, Full HD, and Quad HD, so it’s the best HD type of TV. So if you still need a quality TV for a budget price, UHD can be a great alternative. You can still find a pretty amazing 4K UHD TV for a decent price which is another reason why it’s a great alternative to a full-array LED TV.
©Proxima Studio/Shutterstock.com
- 60 Hz refresh rate
- Dolby Digital Plus with passthrough of Dolby-encoded audio
- 4K UHD display resolution
- Support for HDR 10 and HLG
LED
LED TVs are slowly losing popularity, but if you’re on a tight budget and need the best image quality you can get for the money, getting a 1080p LED TV is the best thing you can do. It won’t break the bank and you can still find a pretty decent TV that will provide decent visuals for the price you’ll pay. It might not be comparable to the full-array LED TV, but you won’t have to worry about cashing out a lot of money or paying a high electricity bill later on.
- Full HD 1080p 2K resolution
- 60Hz refresh rate
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Quad-core processor
- Two HDMI inputs
Wrapping Up
While a full-array LED TV might seem like the best TV type on the market right now, you should give it a thought or two before you purchase your next TV. While a full-array LED TV might be a great choice for most people, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Also, with the OLED TVs that are just slightly pricier, they seem a much better option in the long run. OLED TVs provide much better features with great visuals that are very comparable to a full-array LED TV’s quality. So are the best reasons to avoid a full-array LED TV justified? We definitely believe so!
- LG C2 Series 55-Inch OLED evo
- LG's fifth generation α9 Processor automatically adjusts your TV's settings depending on what you're watching.
- Filmmaker Mode shows movies the way the movie director originally intended.
- Game Optimizer from LG ensures that that you have your most exciting gaming experience ever
- Wall mountable (VESA 300 x 200) - sold separately
- SAMSUNG QN60Q60BAFXZA 60-Inch Class QLED Q60B Series 4K UHD Dual LED Quantum HDR Smart TV (2022)
- 100% color volume with quantum dot
- Everything on your screen is upgraded to 4K resolution by a smart, powerful processor
- Enjoy natural, real-life colors with dedicated warm and cool Dual LED backlights
- Go beyond HDTV with Quantum HDR which delivers an expanded range of color and contrast
- Alexa voice assistant is built in and ready to help
- Amazon Fire TV 50″ 4-Series
- 60 Hz refresh rate
- Dolby Digital Plus with passthrough of Dolby-encoded audio
- 4K UHD display resolution
- Support for HDR 10 and HLG
- SAMSUNG 32-inch Class LED
- Full HD 1080p 2K resolution
- 60Hz refresh rate
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Quad-core processor
- Two HDMI inputs
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We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com.
