Yes—but it is closer to constructing an entirely new backlight system than upgrading an old television. A practical retrofit requires a rear LED array, redesigned optics, constant-current drivers, thermal management, mechanical fabrication, and a system that calculates brightness for each backlight zone. For most owners, buying a used FALD television or repairing the original backlight is more sensible. For electronics hobbyists and makers, however, an inexpensive donor TV can become a worthwhile display-engineering project.
What full-array local dimming actually adds
An LCD panel does not emit light. Its pixels modulate illumination supplied by a backlight. In an LED LCD television, the key terms describe both where the LEDs are placed and how they are controlled:
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- Edge-lit: LEDs sit along one or more edges and send light through a light-guide plate.
- Direct-lit: LEDs sit behind the panel, usually with global brightness control.
- Full-array: LEDs are distributed across the rear of the display.
- Full-array local dimming (FALD): the rear array is divided into independently controlled brightness zones.
Full-array placement alone does not create local dimming. The LEDs must also be controlled according to image content. This distinction is explained in more detail by Sound & Vision and What Hi-Fi?.
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A zone is an area of backlight control, not an individual pixel. A 1,920 × 1,080 panel has 2,073,600 pixels, while a practical experimental array may have only dozens or hundreds of independently controlled light sources.
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The documented DIY approach
One published project demonstrates that the concept is feasible using 98 one-watt COB LEDs arranged as a 14 × 7 array. Each LED had its own light-dependent resistor (LDR) and MOSFET-based control circuit. The builder duplicated the HDMI signal with a splitter:
HDMI source │ HDMI splitter ├── Existing TV └── Small analysis display → 14 × 7 LDR array → LED control → rear LED array
The second display was a small projector LCD. Each LDR measured the corresponding area of the projected image, and those measurements were used to control the matching rear LED. The architecture is documented by Hackster.
This is an inventive proof of concept, not a universal build recipe. It measures light from a secondary display rather than reading the original video pixels directly. The project also reported visible haloing: 98 zones are still extremely large compared with the pixels in a normal HD panel.
Choose the donor TV carefully
The donor determines whether the project is merely difficult or effectively impractical.
Best donor characteristics
- A thick, inexpensive television that can be sacrificed.
- A direct-lit backlight or a chassis with substantial rear depth.
- A working LCD panel with no lines, cracks, pressure marks, or damaged tab bonds.
- A removable rear chassis and accessible mounting points.
- Enough space for a diffuser, reflector, LED mounting structure, wiring, and heat spreading.
- A power supply that is not already operating at its limits.
Edge-lit televisions are possible but are poor first candidates. They rely on a light-guide plate and edge-injection geometry. Replacing that arrangement with rear LEDs normally means abandoning or redesigning the light guide, adding a diffuser and reflector, and increasing chassis depth. Ultra-thin and frameless sets are especially risky.
Record everything before opening the set
Document the exact TV model and, more importantly, the panel model. Different panel revisions sold under the same television name can use different optical stacks, connectors, and cable arrangements. Record:
- Panel diagonal, active width, and active height.
- Whether the backlight is edge-lit or direct-lit.
- The original LED strip or LED position layout.
- Backlight supply voltage, current, connector pinout, and enable/dimming signals.
- Chassis depth and the original light-source-to-diffuser distance.
- The number, order, and orientation of optical sheets.
- The locations of the T-con board, panel tabs, speakers, vents, and cable routes.
- Available areas for heat spreading and ventilation.
Do not assume a universal LED voltage, current, connector pinout, spacing, or control signal. Those values vary by model and must be measured or verified from reliable documentation.
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The LCD does not sit directly above bare LEDs. Depending on the television, the backlight may contain a reflector, LED lenses, a light-guide plate, a diffuser plate, diffusion films, prism or brightness-enhancement films, and sometimes a color-enhancement or quantum-dot layer.
RTINGS’ teardown research shows why the distinction between edge-lit and direct-lit designs matters and how optical layers distribute light. Blur Busters also discusses the relationship between LED spacing, diffuser distance, blending, and visible beading.
The central trade-off is geometric:
- LEDs too close to the diffuser create bright dots, rings, or visible grid structure.
- Greater LED-to-diffuser distance blends the sources more effectively but requires a deeper enclosure.
- More diffusion improves uniformity but absorbs light and spreads each zone into its neighbors.
- More LEDs can reduce visible structure, but increase wiring, heat, power, and control complexity.
A rear-array design generally needs a rigid mounting plane, a reflective surface behind the LEDs, repeatable LED spacing, and a diffuser at a carefully chosen distance. Preserve the original optical films in their exact order unless the new design deliberately replaces them. A misplaced or contaminated film can cause permanent bright regions, color changes, or uneven illumination.
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How many LEDs and zones are enough?
There is no universal target. The required array depends on panel size, diffuser quality, LED-to-diffuser distance, desired brightness, acceptable haloing, content, thermal capacity, and the control system’s latency.
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The documented 14 × 7 array used 98 individually controlled LEDs. That worked as one experimental design; it does not mean 98 LEDs are appropriate for every television. Commercial systems use purpose-designed drivers and substantially different optical and mechanical arrangements. For example, Analog Devices describes a 256-LED array divided into 64 four-LED zones, while Texas Instruments documents dedicated local-dimming driver architectures.
Increasing zone count usually improves control only when the optics can preserve that spatial distinction. A tightly packed array behind an overly diffusive stack may still behave like a small number of broad zones.
Ways to calculate local brightness
1. Optical feedback with a duplicated video signal
This is the most accessible proof-of-concept. An HDMI splitter feeds both the television and a small analysis display. An aligned sensor array measures the analysis display and drives the corresponding LEDs.
Benefits: it avoids modifying the TV’s video processor and can work with the television’s existing image path. Drawbacks: it adds latency, needs a second display, measures rendered light rather than source pixels, and requires careful alignment and calibration. Ambient light, display gamma, sensor tolerance, and optical leakage can all affect the result.
2. HDMI capture and digital processing
A controller can receive a duplicated video stream, calculate zone luminance, and send brightness values to LED drivers. This gives better control over gamma, filtering, mapping, and latency, but HDCP, 4K, HDR, color spaces, transfer functions, frame timing, and processing bandwidth make the design substantially harder.
3. Internal signal tapping
In principle, the TV’s video processor or local-dimming bus could be monitored. This may offer low latency, but it is highly model-specific and requires board-level reverse engineering. Firmware, timing, and proprietary interfaces can make the approach inaccessible, and a mistake may destroy the mainboard or panel.
4. Camera-based analysis
A camera can view the screen and estimate regional brightness without direct HDMI integration. It is flexible but usually slower and sensitive to room lighting, reflections, exposure, white balance, and the LCD’s already-limited contrast.
Control algorithm basics
For each frame, the controller must map image pixels to zones, calculate a luminance statistic, apply a transfer function, enforce brightness limits, smooth changes, and account for LED variation and LCD leakage.
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zone_value = weighted average, percentile, or weighted maximum
of the pixels covered by that zone
A simple average may under-light a zone containing a small bright highlight. A maximum may produce excessive blooming. A percentile or weighted maximum is often a more useful compromise, but the correct choice depends on the panel and the desired visual behavior.
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Temporal filtering can reduce pumping and flicker:
new_output = α × current_measurement
+ (1 − α) × previous_output
This is an illustrative control concept, not a tested production algorithm. Filtering that is too strong creates lag; filtering that is too weak makes subtitles, stars, and scene cuts visibly unstable.
Digital brightness is not directly proportional to LED current. SDR and HDR use different transfer functions, and an LDR or camera measures optical output rather than digital pixel values. Calibration must therefore include black, gray, white, and highlight levels.
Electrical design requirements
A safe, repeatable system needs more than LEDs, resistors, and MOSFETs.
Constant-current regulation
LED brightness should be controlled with an appropriate constant-current architecture. Improvised voltage-driven circuits can produce uneven brightness, thermal runaway, LED damage, and poor repeatability.
The documented project used 98 COB LEDs, 98 LDRs, 98 SI2300 or SI2306 MOSFETs, 4.7 kΩ resistors, and 1 Ω resistors. Those component values belong to that particular design and should not be copied without recalculating the electrical and thermal requirements.
As an example of the feature set expected in a more serious design, Texas Instruments’ TLC6C5748-Q1 is a 48-channel constant-current PWM driver with per-channel control, LED open/short detection, and thermal shutdown. Its datasheet and the TLC6C5748EVM evaluation hardware are useful references, but the device is not a drop-in television retrofit controller.
Before selecting a driver, determine:
- LED forward voltage and target current.
- Series/parallel arrangement and supply voltage.
- Driver headroom and wiring losses.
- Per-channel and total power dissipation.
- PWM frequency and controller interface.
- Open-circuit, short-circuit, overcurrent, and overtemperature behavior.
- Heat-sink and enclosure requirements.
Calculate the power budget
Total LED power ≈ active LED count × LED current × LED forward voltage
Then add controller losses, conversion losses, wiring losses, and a sensible thermal and electrical margin. The documented builder reported that the 98-LED array used approximately the same power as the original backlight, but that is a claim about that particular build—not a general expectation.
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A staged build plan
Treat the conversion as a sequence of experiments rather than a weekend modification.
Stage 1: Characterize the donor
- Confirm that the panel displays a clean image.
- Identify the backlight architecture and panel model.
- Photograph every optical layer and connector.
- Measure or document the original backlight power.
- Map chassis depth, cable routes, tabs, speakers, and mounting points.
- Only test backlight-disconnected operation if service documentation supports it.
Stage 2: Build a small optical prototype
Before removing the original backlight, construct a small section with the proposed LED, reflector, diffuser, and spacing. Test all LEDs on, individual zones, black-and-white patterns, uniformity, hot spots, and surface temperature. If the small section shows bright dots, the full panel will not fix the problem by itself.
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Stage 3: Validate the control loop
Start with a few zones. Confirm that a bright region drives the matching LED region, then check left/right and top/bottom orientation. Measure end-to-end latency. Test full black, full white, a white square on black, moving highlights, subtitles, stars, gray ramps, and letterbox bars before adding aggressive temporal filtering.
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Stage 4: Fabricate the backplane
Use a rigid LED mounting structure with a reflector and repeatable spacing. Provide a thermal path and ventilation where required. Keep heat away from panel tabs, polarizers, diffuser films, and flexible cables. Preserve the panel’s original mounting geometry wherever possible.
Stage 5: Install and calibrate
Reassemble optical layers carefully, begin at low LED current, test every zone, check for dead areas and hot spots, measure temperatures after extended operation, calibrate channel-to-channel brightness differences, and set a conservative maximum output.
Stage 6: Add fault handling
The controller should limit or shut down the array for overtemperature, LED open or short circuits, lost communication, fan failure, excessive supply current, or unstable sensor readings. A simple MOSFET/LDR circuit generally does not provide the protection available in purpose-designed driver ICs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Expected picture quality
A successful retrofit may produce deeper perceived blacks in dark areas, higher effective contrast, and a stronger HDR-like effect in a dark room. It may also reduce power on dark scenes.
It will not make the LCD emissive or eliminate the panel’s native black-level limitations. Likely artifacts include:
- Halos around bright objects.
- Raised blacks when zones cannot turn fully off.
- Visible LED structure or hot spots.
- Pumping or flicker during scene changes.
- Slow response caused by optical or video-processing latency.
- Uneven edges and bright subtitles.
- Letterbox bars that illuminate when they should remain dark.
- Color or luminance changes caused by disturbed optical films.
Large zones are the fundamental limitation: light from one zone can spread through neighboring LCD pixels. More zones help, but only in combination with suitable spacing, diffusion, and control.
Panel handling and electrical safety
Large LCD panels are thin, fragile assemblies connected through delicate edge tabs and flexible cables. Removing the panel from its optical stack can crack the glass, tear tab bonds, scratch the polarizer, contaminate films, bend the frame, or create permanent mura and bright areas. Community repair experience reflects how labor-intensive even ordinary LED-strip replacement can be; repair reports commonly warn about damaged optical layers and persistent bright spots.
- Use at least two people for a large panel.
- Work on a large, clean, flat surface.
- Use suitable gloves for glass and optical films.
- Photograph and label every layer and connector.
- Never bend the LCD panel or touch optical surfaces.
- Use temporary dust covers.
- Assume the donor may be destroyed.
Mains safety is equally important. TVs contain hazardous power-supply voltages and capacitors that may remain charged after unplugging. Unplug the set, wait before opening it, and do not work on the power supply while energized. Mains-side work should be performed only by appropriately qualified people. Keep low-voltage controller design separate from mains wiring; where appropriate, use an enclosed, fused, correctly rated external supply. A retrofit can defeat the television’s original standby and protection behavior.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | Corrective direction |
|---|---|---|
| Bright dots through the screen | LEDs too close to the diffuser or insufficient diffusion | Increase spacing, improve diffusion, or reduce current |
| Uneven whole-screen brightness | Incorrect film order or inadequate diffuser | Recheck the optical stack and LED geometry |
| Large halos | Too few zones or excessive optical spread | Increase zone count, reduce blur, or refine the algorithm |
| Slow reaction | Video-analysis latency or excessive filtering | Measure each stage and reduce buffering |
| Flicker or pumping | Unstable sensors or insufficient smoothing | Add stable sampling, hysteresis, and filtering |
| One zone remains bright | Failed MOSFET, shorted LED, sensor fault, or mapping error | Test the sensor, driver, wiring, and software independently |
| TV shuts down | Original driver detects a missing or abnormal load | Investigate the original backlight-control path carefully |
| Array overheats | Excess current or poor thermal path | Lower current, improve heat spreading, and measure temperature |
| Zones are mirrored or rotated | Coordinate mismatch | Correct the mapping |
| Permanent bright areas | Damaged diffuser, lens, film, or panel | Replace the optical component or abandon the donor |
| Lines or no image | Damaged tab bond, cable, or T-con connection | Stop handling the panel; damage may be irreversible |
More practical alternatives
- Buy a used FALD television. This is usually the most rational route if the goal is picture quality.
- Repair the original backlight. A model-specific replacement preserves the television’s optical and electrical design. iFixit’s repair reference describes this path and notes that all backlight strips should generally be replaced when multiple failures are present. Its cited $30–$60 U.S. kit range is a repair-context estimate, not a universal current price.
- Use an external bias light. This can improve perceived contrast in a dark room but does not create local dimming.
- Build a smaller experimental display. A compact monitor is easier and cheaper to sacrifice than a large television.
There is no established universal FALD conversion kit for arbitrary LCD televisions. A custom PCB may be fabricated from a documented design—for example, the published project includes a PCBWay project page—but board fabrication should wait until LED current, spacing, thermal layout, connectors, and enclosure geometry are finalized.
Final verdict
Adding FALD to an existing LCD TV is technically possible, but it is not a strip replacement. It is a combined optical, mechanical, electrical, thermal, and video-processing redesign. Attempt it when the educational value, fabrication challenge, and experimental result matter more than cost or guaranteed image quality. If the objective is simply better contrast, a used FALD television—or a correct replacement backlight for a failed set—is almost always the better construction.
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