When choosing a TV these days, you come across different types of screens: OLED, LED, QLED, QNED and DNED. There are too many of these screens for the unsophisticated consumer to know what each one means at a glance. Therefore, it is very easy to get confused and not understand which screen type will be the best choice for you.
What is DLED display?
Display Direct LED (DLED) is a second-generation LED screen with backlighting located directly behind the display. This type of backlighting was originally designed to create a local dimming system, but this goal has not been fully realized. The number of backlight diodes in such screens ranges from 10 to several hundred, depending on the size of the display, which is insufficient for effective local dimming.
Despite this limitation, manufacturers continue to promote their DLED products. The concept was first introduced by Chinese company Hisense, which used the slogan “Buy a DLED TV” without mentioning that other manufacturers also produce similar TVs. Instead, they simply call them direct backlit LED TVs.
DLED vs LED differences
Many people, influenced by marketing tactics, often ask about the differences between DLED and LED. However, this comparison is not quite correct, as both screens are manufactured using the same technology and can even be produced in the same factories.
LED refers to screen manufacturing technology. Today, there are only two main technologies used to produce displays: LED and OLED. CRT screens and plasma displays are obsolete and are no longer manufactured. DLED is simply a marketing term for direct backlit LED screens.
Generations of DLED displays
Direct backlit displays have evolved over several generations as display technology has improved.
Generation 1: The first direct backlit LED displays were thick because the LED backlight was attached to a lens that diffused light. They appeared in the early 2000s.
Generation 2: LEDs became smaller, allowing for thinner screens. These displays appeared around 2010.
Generation 3: The advent of mini-LEDs marked the next generation of displays, in which thousands of tiny LEDs illuminate the screen from behind. These displays have been in production since 2020.
This picture explains the difference between two different backlight types:
Is DLED TV a good choice?
In brief, yes, it is. In my experience of watching various TVs, I can say that there is virtually no difference between Edge LED and DLED. In some ways the first wins, in some ways the second wins. For most users the differences will be almost imperceptible, so you can safely buy the TV, which is better for value for money, without paying attention to what type of LED display is used: DLED or ELED.
