Electronics Adding Backlight to LCD

I've ripped the LCD off my CD MP3 Player Samsung MCD-SM55 because it doesn't have a backlight.

I've already tried with 3mm and 5mm ultra bright blue LEDs and they're too powerful, I can see nothing.
Then I've tried with a dim green rectangular LED, too weak.
Last, a "normal" red LED but I cannot read the LCD.

I've already searched and somebody was saying about the LCD beign reflective or something.
Can you please give me more information on this, how can I know which kind of LCD I have and also which is the best way to backlight it?
One thing though, all I can use to backlight it are LEDs, I cannot get EL here.

 

there are three types of lcds-

transflective, transmissive, and reflective. the former two are the type which use backlights, the reflective type uses other sources of light for character visibility.
most likely, you're lcd is the reflective type. but don't worry, you can change that!
first- tell me if the polarizing film is on the front of the glass. polarizing film is transparent, but if you tilt the lcd at an angle, you can see the edge of it.

 

try adding more green LED's.. I think green (and yeallow) is the colors that gives best results on backlighting. (thinking og contrast)

 

All I can see is that the LCD has like 3 layers, the one at the top is a very thin layer.

 

ok, hopefully, that means that the polarizing film is on top.
now, deicde whther or not you really want to do this. if it doesn't work, you may end up with a nonfunctional lcd....
if you decide to proceed-
use a razor to lift a corner on of the film on the back of the lcd- that's the opaque film that you can't see through.
then use that corner to pull up the rest of it.

 

Quite a lot of them... right?

Why?
Because when I was going to try what you've told me, I connected that PCB again and something felt strange... the socket at the top of that PCB has been ripped off, so now I have to solder some cables in the through holes that it has (I'm lucky) and then I'll solder those cables directly to the ribon cable that went into that socket.

It isn't a real problem, but it's frustrating.

 

There's no room to put LEDs, so I won't backlight it, it doesn't matter, I rarely take a look at the LCD, but I love to mod.

this isn't dead, this continues!
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=83706