Backlight

LCD (Liquid-Crystal Display) screens cannot illuminate themselves, so they require a backlight to provide the illumination, thus creating a viewable picture on the screen. Backlights can provide illumination from the back or the side of the screen, unlike the lights that illuminate from the front.

There are five types of light sources used for backlights.

• Incandescent light bulbs
• LED (Light-Emitting Diode)
• ELP (ElectroLuminescent Panel)
• CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lighting)
• HCFL (Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp)

Only the ELP provides uniform light over the entire surface. The other light sources employ a diffuser to provide uniform light.

Backlit keyboard, Brightness, Contrast ratio, Hardware terms, LCD, LED, Luminance, OLED, Video terms