Full array local dimming, often shortened to FALD, describes an LCD backlight where LEDs are spread across the whole rear of the panel, rather than only around the edges, and are grouped into zones that can be dimmed or brightened independently of one another. This lets a screen show a bright object against a darker background more convincingly than a backlight with a single, uniform brightness level.
The number of dimming zones varies enormously between models, from a few dozen on entry level sets to several thousand on high end Mini-LED televisions. More zones generally mean finer control and less visible glow, sometimes called blooming, around bright details on a dark background, though good processing of the zones matters as well as the raw count.
When comparing LCD televisions for their handling of dark, contrasty scenes, full array local dimming with a high zone count is one of the most useful specifications to look for, alongside peak brightness. Our buying guide covers this alongside the other specifications worth checking before purchase.
