Mini-LED and edge-lit LED share a common goal: light up the TV screen. The difference between the two is where the lights are placed. Edge-lit LEDs are exactly what they sound like – along the edge of the display screen. Mini-LEDs are teeny lights within the display. Both are transmissive displays, meaning they do not produce light themselves. That separates them from OLED, microLED, and quantum dot. Those are photo-emissive, using light emitting diodes to produce their own light. Because mini-LED and edge-lit are transmissive, they tend to be less expensive than their aforementioned counterparts. Saving money gives you free reign to make bad decisions. But since we don’t have the distinct privilege of being nepo babies, it’s best to play it safe.

Pros and cons of edge-lit LEDs

Edge-lit LED is a backlighting solution that consists of LEDs placed along the perimeter of a display device. Just like any of us, it has its pros and cons. No one is perfect. 

Pros

Affordable

When you stack it up against other backlighting solutions, edge-lit LEDs typically cost less since it uses fewer LEDs than a full-array LED. 

Energy Efficient 

Anything you plug into your outlet uses energy. The more LEDS lighting up a screen, the greater the energy use. Because edge-lit LEDs stay in their lane around the perimeter of the display device rather than any and everywhere, you’re burning less energy when you press play on whatever inane reality show you watch when no one’s looking. 

Cons

Weak Contrast 

Good contrast makes bright colors feel almost sunlit and gives dark colors the depth and richness they deserve. Edge-lit LEDs tend to have weaker contrast than their other LED counterparts, which can make your screen feel washed out. Remember how awfully lit the final season of Game of Thrones was? That’s what weak contrast looks like. Edge-lit runs a higher risk of weak contrast. Avoid putting your edge-lit screen in a sunny room, or else it may get washed out. 

Uneven Brightness

The benefit of full array LED – though it may be more expensive – is that the brightness of the screen is spread evenly. Because edge-lit screens only use LEDs along the perimeter, you run the risk of patchy brightness.

Pros and cons of Mini-LEDs

Mini-LED screens use a bunch of teeny tiny lights to illuminate the display. By shrinking the LED down to about one-fifth of its original size, more LEDs can be packed like sardines into the backlight panel. Standard LED backlighting has dozens of backlighting zones, but mini-LED raised the stakes to offer hundreds. 

Pros

Strong Contrast 

While Mini-LED TV’s can’t produce the infinite contrast of OLED TV’s, that gap is closing as manufacturers figure out ways to pack more LEDs and dimming zones into their panels. The 85” ULED X, for example, has over 20,000 Mini-LEDs and over 5,000 local dimming zones, resulting in a picture quality that rivals many OLED TVs.     . 

More Affordable than OLED 

From an economic standpoint, it’s cheaper to produce LCD with mini-LED than OLED. Fewer development costs equals more money in your pocket plus a screen that rivals OLED. 

Cons

More Expensive Than Traditional LED-Backlit LCD

So, it’s cheaper than OLED, but racks up more zeros than traditional backlit screens. You win some, you lose some. It comes down to what you prioritize from a TV, and where you feel comfortable spending money.

Upgrade Your TV Viewing Experience with Hisense!

Whichever way you decide to go, you have plenty of high-quality options. Hisense specializes in affordable TVs that never sacrifice on performance. Get in touch and we can find the right TV for