# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison Panel Types

Mini-LED vs. VA

Comparing 2 standards across 8 specifications. 7 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Mini-LED
VA

Mini-LED is a backlight technology, not a panel type -- it uses thousands of LEDs roughly 0.1-0.2mm in size (versus 0.5-1mm for traditional LED backlights) arranged into hundreds or thousands of local-dimming zones behind an LCD panel of any type, improving contrast and reducing blooming. TCL commercialized it in TVs starting in 2019.

View full Mini-LED spec sheet →

VA (Vertical Alignment) panels deliver the highest contrast ratio of the common LCD types -- commonly 3000:1 to 5000:1 on advanced variants, versus roughly 1000:1 for TN and IPS -- at the cost of slower pixel response, especially in dark scenes.

View full VA spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

8 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Contrast Ratio
10,000–100,000 : 1 (Dynamic with local dimming) 3,000–5,000 : 1 (Deep static)
Viewing Angle
178° (Depends on base IPS or VA panel) 178° (Noticeable color/gamma shift off-axis)
Response Time (GtG)
1–4 ms 4–8 ms (Dark transition ghosting)
Color Gamut Coverage
99% sRGB / 95–98% DCI-P3 95–99% sRGB / 90–95% DCI-P3
Peak Brightness
1,000–2,000+ nits (High full-screen brightness) 350–600 nits (SDR) / 1,000–1,500 nits (HDR)
Burn-in Risk
None (Immune) None (Immune)
Backlight / Emissive Type
Thousands of Miniaturized Direct Local Dimming LEDs Transmissive LED / Mini-LED FALD
Black Level / Minimum Luminance
Near Zero (0.001–0.01 nits in dim zones) Low (0.02–0.05 nits)