To provide a liquid crystal backlight device capable of obtaining video display of high quality at a low price, and attaining low power consumption and to provide a liquid crystal display device using the same.

The backlight device 200 illuminates a liquid crystal display panel 260 from the rear surface by using a light emitting diode 11 as a light source. A light-emitting diode line is composed of a plurality of light-emitting diodes 11 arranged linearly, and a plurality of the light-emitting diode lines are arranged at prescribed intervals on a backlight substrate 100. The backlight device is provided with a light-emitting diode setting means 170 for dividing the entire screen of the backlight substrate 100 into a plurality of divided regions 31, 36 and 41 and independently setting the brightness of the light-emitting diodes 11 by units of the divided regions 31, 36 and 41.