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LCD TVs with LED backlighting will surpass the more common kind, with CCFL backlighting, within five years, according to DisplaySearch.

DisplaySearch says LCD TVs with LED backlighting will grow 40 percent by 2013 and become the dominant type by 2014. LED will also grab the entire notebook PC market by 2012.

LED stands for light emitting diode, while CCFL stands for cold cathode fluorescent lamp. Both provide a light source for flat-panel TVs, while the liquid crystals in the LCD panel serve as light valves. The advantages of LEDs include better black level, reduced blurring, larger color gamut, better reliability, lower power consumption, and the absence of mercury (present in CCFLs).

TV brands using LEDs include Sony, Samsung, LG, Sharp, and Philips. Note that there are two types of LED backlighting: the edge-lit type, used by Samsung, and the local-dimming type, used by Sony. The latter can turn the LED completely off and therefore has an edge in black level performance.