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Samsung LED technologyA cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative to conventional LCD technology

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Contents

Introduction 3

Samsung LED screens outperform CCFL screens in picture quality and reliability 3

Edge-type and direct-type LED screens, cost-effective alternatives to CCFL displays 4

Evolution of Samsung LED technology 4

Comparison of edge-type and direct-type LED technology 4

Bright, high-contrast images 4

Increased energy savings and design 5

Safety feature prevents image retention 6 Slim, lightweight design for easy installation and space savings 6

Conclusion 7

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 8 For more information 8

Introduction An increasing number of companies across all industries are using digital signage as part of their overall marketing strategy. With digital displays, companies can deliver business mes-sages through videos and images to increase their reach within a target market. Many businesses have traditional LCD screens that use cold cathode fluorescent lighting (CCFL) technology. However, CCFL-based LCDs consume a significant amount of power and emit toxins that harm the environment.

Samsung commercial-grade LED backlit screen technology used in Samsung large format displays (LFDs) is superior to CCFL technology. Samsung LED technology consumes less power than CCFL technology, which decreases operating costs while providing higher-quality images. Samsung LED technology is also more reliable than CCFL technology, which enables companies to operate the displays for extended periods of time.

High-contrast image quality for greater definition

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Samsung LED screens outperform CCFL screens in picture quality and reliabilityIn recent years, digital signage has become more prevalent in the marketplace. Once limited to informational displays at airports and train stations, LFD technology is now used in a vast array of arenas. Applications include shopping malls, office buildings, lecture halls at universities, teach-ing hospitals and more. With the recent advancements in digital display technology, demand has increased for digital displays that are eco-friendly, cost effective, dependable, lightweight and high resolution.

Traditional LCD screens use a panel of CCFL tubes for il-lumination mounted behind two panels of glass filled with liquid crystal material. When the power is turned on, the tubes illuminate, enabling the observer to see the image transmitted onto the display. However, CCFL-based LCDs require more energy to operate and they emit mercury, which is hazardous to the environment.

Samsung LED technology can illuminate specific areas of the screen where needed for clearer, brighter, higher contrast images. Plus, LED technology is mercury free and produces less heat than CCFL technology, resulting in lower energy usage and a cleaner environment. Also, unlike CCFL-based LCDs, LED-based displays can operate continuously without overheating.

This white paper describes how Samsung commercial-grade LED backlit screen technology outperforms traditional CCFL technology in:

• Picture quality• Energy efficiency and eco-friendliness• Reliability• Innovative, lightweight design

Highlights• Clearly communicate business messages with high-

quality images • Lower costs significantly with less energy use • Focus attention on the message using a slimmer, light-

weight profile that requires less space• Reduce the environmental impact with eco-friendly

panels that eliminate mercury usage and lower heat emissions

Edge-type and direct-type LED screens, cost-effective alternatives to CCFL screensSamsung manufactures two types of LED display screens based on two different types of technology:

• Direct-typetechnology. The LED BLUs (backlight units) cover the entire back of the screen.

• Edge-typetechnology. The LED BLUs are on the sides of the screen, creating a thin profile.

Both technologies are superior in energy efficiency when compared to conventional CCFL technology.

Evolution of Samsung LED technologyWhen LFD technology was first introduced, it used direct-type, white light-emitting diodes. Manufacturers developed LED displays using red, green, and blue (RGB) LED or white LED technology. Samsung, however, made a strategic decision to focus its development primarily on white LED edge-type technology, while still developing direct-type technology.

Until recently, edge-type technology was available only in premium display products and was quite costly. However, because of Samsung’s strategic move to focus on develop-ing diffusion-level products, LED display screens are more affordable than ever before. LED displays also cost less to manufacture because fewer LEDs are used in edge-type technology than in direct-type technology, where the diodes cover the entire back of the screen.

Comparison of edge-type and direct-type LED technology Edge-type LED display screens offer various advantages over direct-type LED display screens, such as a thinner profile. Direct-type LED display screens have the advan-tage of local dimming, which is the ability to turn off or dim specific areas of the screen to produce deep blacks and high contrast. However, direct-type technology also creates halos around bright objects.

Edge-type and direct-type technology require light guide plate technology (large diffuser plates) for even distribution of light and efficient heat radiation technology. A heat pro-tection sheet keeps the unit cool, which results in higher reliability. Bright, high-contrast image quality Samsung LED displays deliver superior-quality images with significantly higher dynamic contrast ratios than most standard CCFL-illuminated displays. LED technology illumi-nates specific areas of the display and distributes brightness concentration where needed. The careful distribution of brightness results in deeper blacks and crisper, cleaner image definition with better contrast ratios. LED displays can create a wider color gamut, achieving a larger percentage of recommended video standards. Also, LED technology can be designed at a specified wavelength of light, producing accurate color retention.

Superior performance over CCFL technology

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Increased energy savings and ecological design In an LED edge-lit display, the LED BLUs are on the edge of the panel, away from most of the circuitry and components. As a result, LED displays generate less heat and are much easier to keep cool, which minimizes energy costs. LED displays can offer companies energy savings over CCFL displays. These energy savings result in a significant de-crease in operating costs, especially in applications where the display must operate continuously, 24 hours per day. Less energy consumption not only means lower total cost of own-ership (TCO), but reduced impact on the environment. LED display technology provides additional environmental benefits over CCFL technology. LED displays are mercury free, so they emit much less harmful materials into the envi-ronment upon disposal than CCFL displays. LED-based lighting can be more energy efficient than incandescent lighting and fluorescent lighting. This energy efficiency equates to a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, acid rain and hazardous waste.

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Reduced power consumption saves money

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Figure 1. Samsung internal comparison between LED lighting and fluorescent tubes.

M4224C-BA ME40B400DX-2 P401

250

200

150

100

50

0

40 in.

46 in.

Vendor

Vendor

Model name

Model name

Typical power consumption

Typical power consumption

Screen size

Screen size

LG

LG

M4224C-BA

M4716CC8

200 W/h

240 W/h

NEC

NEC

P401

P461

175 W/h

210 W/h

400DX-3

460DX-2

160 W/h (CCFL BLU)

210 W/h (CCFL BLU)

ME40B

ME46B

83 W/h (LED BLU)

92 W/h (LED BLU)

Samsung

Samsung

400DX-2 P461 M4716CC8 ME46B

250300

200150100

500

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Screen protection and thin profile for limited-space applications

Slim, lightweight design for easy installation and space savingsThe Samsung commercial-grade large format LED display has an ultra-thin profile, one-third the thickness of commer-cial-grade CCFL displays. The LED display is lightweight, which eases installation and eliminates the added expense of hiring outside installers. The slim profile also enables the Samsung LED display to fit into tight spaces where other LFDs cannot.

Without a cumbersome frame, the Samsung LED display virtually blends into the background, allowing the viewer to focus on the message being projected rather than the equipment delivering it.

Figure 2. Samsung LED screens are lighter and slimmer than the competition.

* Comparable product to the Samsung series noted

40 in.

MX-3 UX-3 DX-3

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

MD NEC (DX

Series*)

NEC (MX

Series*)

LG (DX

Series*)

LG (MX

Series*)

40 in.

Screen size Vendor

Samsung

LG

NEC

MX-3 19.3

UX-3 17.5

DX-3 17.0

MD 9.6

DX Series* 23.5

DX Series* 18.7

MX Series* 18.1

MX Series* 19.7

Model name Unit: Kg

Safety feature prevents image retention When an LCD panel displays an image for more than 12 hours, the panel becomes prone to image retention, which means that the image is burned into the screen. Image retention is caused by a group of pixels running constantly at high brightness. As a result, a charge builds up in the pixel structure, which becomes permanently embedded on the screen. To prevent this problem, Samsung LED displays have a safety screen feature that prevents image rtention. At preset intervals, the screen produces a series of four different anti-image retention modes:• Screenscroll. Image scrolls down and comes back up. • Pixel. Each pixel rotates on and off and moves a space.• Bar. A horizontal and vertical bar move together as they

intersect one another.• Eraser. Two blocks move together, covering the image.

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Samsung LEDs, the cost-effective alternative to CCFL displays

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ConclusionTraditional LFDs that use CCFL tube technology are expen-sive to own and operate because they require consider-able amounts of energy. In addition, CCFL-based LFDs are difficult to keep cool, especially when operated 24 hours a day. The heavy cooling requires additional electrical power in contrast to the standard amount of power needed for BLUs. They are cumbersome to lift and install and contain toxic mercury.

Samsung LED technology has changed the way LFDs per-form. LED displays consume less energy than CCFL-based displays. They are easier to keep cool and consume less energy than CCFL-based displays. Because LED displays do not contain fluorescent lighting, they are mercury free and eco-friendly.

For companies wanting to convey their message with high impact and maintain energy efficiency, low TCO and a small carbon footprint, Samsung LED technology is the clear choice over conventional CCFL technology.

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Legal and additional information

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 222,000 people in 205 offices across 71 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

For more informationFor more information about the strengths of Samsung LED technology, visit www.samsunglfd.com.

Copyright © 2012 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Specifications and designs are subject to change without notice. Non-metric weights and measurements are approximate. All data were deemed correct at time of creation. Samsung is not liable for errors or omissions. All brand, product, service names and logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby recognized and acknowledged.

Samsung provides this white paper for information purposes only. All information included herein is subject to change without notice. Samsung Electronics is not responsible for any direct or indirect damages, arising from or related to use of this white paper.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.416, Maetan 3-dong,Yeongtong-guSuwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 443-772,Korea

www.samsung.com