When you open up a modern LCD/LED TV, one of the hidden—but essential—components you’ll find is the backlight system. The backlight is what makes the images visible: without it, the liquid crystal layer has no light source behind it to shine through. But a frequent question from repairers, tinkerers, and curious users is:
How many backlight strips does a TV have?
The answer is: it depends. There is no one-size-fits-all. The number of backlight LED strips (or modules) inside a TV can vary based on its lighting design (edge-lit vs full-array), size (screen diagonal), desired brightness, uniformity requirements, cost targets, and internal architecture. In the following sections, we’ll break down the main types, typical counts, influencing factors, and how manufacturers like StarSharp handle these in their products.
To understand the strip count, first we must understand the two dominant backlight architectures:
In this schema, LED strips are placed along the edges (left, right, top, bottom) of the screen, and optical light guides (or light guides + diffusion plates) distribute the light across the panel.
A typical design uses 2 to 4 strips: e.g. one each on the left and right (2 strips), or sometimes top + bottom + sides (4 strips).
For example, a 55-inch samsung edge-lit model discussed in a teardown used 2 LED strips along two edges.
Another example: some lg 55″ models use a strip on each side (left and right) only.
In cheaper or smaller models, you might even see only one pair or one strip per side.
The drawback of edge lighting is that it's more challenging to achieve perfect uniformity, especially in large sizes or with strong brightness demands. But it's more cost-effective in terms of manufacturing, thickness, and power use.
In full-array designs, LEDs are distributed in an array behind the entire panel — essentially a matrix of LEDs covering the back. In such design, you might not talk about “strips” in the same linear sense; instead, discrete modules or linear strips form a dense grid.
A full-array panel might use many more strips or modules, often arranged in columns or rows behind the screen, depending on how the local dimming zones are defined.
In simpler full-array models (without local dimming), you might see several long strips spaced evenly across the back.
In high-end local dimming models, each “zone” may be controlled separately; so the strips or modules are finer, and the count can go into dozens.
According to an industry overview source, a direct-lit model (a subtype of full-array) might use a “single strip behind the LCD panel,” but that is a simplified generalization; in practice most full-array designs distribute multiple strips or modules for proper coverage.
So in summary:
Edge-lit: typically 2 to 4 strips Full-array / direct-lit: can be many more, depending on zone count and design
Why do different TVs have different strip counts? Let’s explore the major deciding factors.
Larger screens require more light and more uniform distribution. For a small 32″ TV, 2 strips (left + right) might suffice. But for a 75″ panel, 4 or more strips, or even a full-array matrix, might be necessary.
To avoid visible “hot spots” or uneven illumination, designers might add extra strips (or modules) especially around corners or mid zones. Higher brightness targets (for HDR performance) also push toward more strips/modules so the load per strip is less, reducing stress, heat, and aging.
If the TV supports local dimming (turning off or dimming areas of backlight to boost contrast), more fine-grained control means more segments or strips. Each segment may map to one or more LED strips. So a TV with 100 local dimming zones will likely use many strips or modules behind each zone.
More strips/modules mean more components, more wiring, more driver circuits, and more thermal management needs. Designers balance performance vs cost. Sometimes they accept a bit of non-ideal uniformity to cut costs.
The internal layering—light guide plates, diffusers, reflectors—also affects how strips can be laid and how many are needed to avoid dark zones. The physical thickness and mechanical support also put constraints.
Thus, the exact strip count is a design decision, not a fixed rule.
To give you a sense of real-world numbers:
A user teardown of a Samsung UN55NU6900 (edge-lit) mentions that model uses two LED strips.
In a repair forum, one user reports they found 6 strips, each with 9 SMD LEDs, in one panel during reuse or repair.
Another electronics discussion described a case of “8 LEDs per strip, 4 strips in series” for a 32-LED backlight strip setup.
Many repair videos of 32″ Samsung TVs show removal of multiple strips (e.g. 4 strips forming a frame) behind the panel.
So typical mid-size models often use 4 strips (top, bottom, left, right), or 2 strips on the major edges, or—if full-array—many more in grid form.
In short: the strip count can range from 2 to dozens, depending on model and design.
If you have a particular model and want to know the exact count:
Service manual or teardown — Many TV service guides list backlight layout.
Open the back cover and visually inspect — You’ll see linear strips or modules behind the LCD/diffuser layers.
Search by model part number + “LED backlight strips” — You may find spare parts or teardown images.
Use voltage/current measurement — If you see multiple parallel strings or connectors, you can deduce how many independent strips there are. Note: always power off the set and discharge capacitors before opening.
Just be cautious: handling LCD panels is delicate, and careless pressure can crack or damage the layers.
Repair & Replacement: When replacing faulty strips, matching the exact layout is critical for uniformity and compatibility.
Performance Tuning: Enthusiasts may mod or upgrade strips; knowing the count helps avoid overloading.
Design & Manufacturing: For OEMs and suppliers, strip count is a key design parameter in cost, thermal, and optical tradeoffs.
Understanding Lifespan & Degradation: Fewer, overworked strips may degrade faster. Distributing load across more strips can extend lifespan.
Let me introduce StarSharp, a company specializing in LED TV backlight components, modules, and solutions. I’ll briefly present what StarSharp does (based on your website) and how your strengths align with the needs of this backlight topic.
StarSharp is a manufacturer and service provider in the LED backlight components industry. Their business includes:
Production of LED backlight strips, LED modules, light bars, and other backlight parts
Customization for TV manufacturers, repair markets, and display applications
Quality control, optical calibration, and integration support
R&D and innovation in LED backlighting techniques
Based on your website (StarSharp), you offer a wide range of products and services in the display backlighting domain.
Given what we know about how many strips a TV might use and why, StarSharp has the following competitive advantages:
Flexibility & Customization: Because strip count and layout vary by design, StarSharp can design custom strip layouts to fit edge-lit or full-array architectures.
Quality & Uniformity: Ensuring consistent brightness, color temperature, and low defect rates across strips is critical; StarSharp’s manufacturing and quality control ensure high uniformity.
Optical Engineering Expertise: StarSharp can adapt strip spacing, diffusion layers, and module placement to optimize uniformity with minimal count.
Scalability: For volume TV manufacturers needing to ramp production, StarSharp supports mass production of consistent strip modules.
Aftermarket & Repair Support: For repair shops or refurbishers, StarSharp offers replacement strips matching exact layouts, reducing mismatch or patchy lighting.
Because the number and layout of backlight strips is a fundamental design decision for every LED TV, StarSharp sits at the heart of that decision-making. Whether a TV uses 2, 4, or dozens of strips:
StarSharp can supply exactly the right number of strips or modules
StarSharp can optimize the strip layout for cost, brightness, and uniformity
StarSharp can support repair or upgrade markets with correct matching strips
If a TV manufacturer wants to reduce cost by going from 6 to 4 strips while preserving uniformity, StarSharp can help with redesign and compensation (optical, driving current, diffusion).
To ensure this article ranks well in Google and reaches your target audience, it embeds:
A clear keyword: “how many backlight strips in a TV”
Supporting keywords: backlight strips, LED strips in TV, edge-lit vs full-array, backlight layout
Structure: headings (H2, H3), bullet lists, and clear sections
Real-world examples and citations (helping with credibility)
A company introduction section that ties to the central theme
Useful content for both laypeople and professionals (repair, design, manufacturing)
You can place this article on your StarSharp website’s blog or knowledge base, linking internally to product pages (strip modules, backlight kits) and offering downloadable datasheets or teardown guides.
The number of backlight strips inside a TV is not fixed — depending on edge-lit or full-array architecture, screen size, brightness goals, and cost tradeoffs, the count may range from 2 to dozens.
Typical mid-size TVs often have 2 to 4 strips in edge-lit designs, while full-array and local-dimming models use more distributed modules.
Knowing the strip count is vital for repair, design, performance tuning, and replacement.
StarSharp is well-positioned as a backlight component and solution provider, able to design, manufacture, and supply strips and modules tailored to any layout or requirement.
