QLED vs OLED: Which is better for your TV?

Whether it’s streaming or watching movies on disc with one of the best 4K Blu-ray players, getting your home entertainment set up right is crucial, and that means getting the best TV your budget can fit.

One of the big tech questions surrounding TVs at the moment is QLED vs OLED displays, so let’s dive into the differences between the two technologies.

Both offer impressive improvements in image quality, however, they use very different methods to achieve this performance.

In short, QLED, developed by Samsung, is based on traditional LCD displays and uses quantum dots to provide vibrant colors and high brightness, making it ideal for brighter rooms.

Meanwhile, OLED is a completely different approach, using organic compounds to emit light directly from each pixel, delivering unparalleled contrast and “true black” levels that are ideal for highly optimized home theaters.

Neither is completely “better” than the other, but each approach has its pros and cons. Let’s dive in.

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TCL NXTFRAME TV

(Image credit: TCL)

QLED vs OLED: What are the key differences?

We mentioned above that QLED and OLED offer competing methods for powering a TV display. The first thing to note is that both of these technologies are a big improvement over regular old LCD TVs.

First developed by Samsung and adopted by other major TV brands in the past few years, QLED builds on traditional LCD technology by adding a layer of quantum dots that boost brightness and enhance color accuracy. OLED, which stands for organic light-emitting diode, takes a different approach, using organic materials to generate light at the pixel level.

Its display technology makes QLED ideal for brightly lit environments, such as if your living room gets a lot of sun, while OLED screens can provide viewers with unparalleled contrast and deep, true blacks that are ideal for cinematic experiences in dim light. illuminated rooms.

Sonos

(Image courtesy of Sonos)

QLED vs OLED: Key Points to Consider

Roughly speaking, there are three key areas that QLED and OLED share: brightness, color accuracy, and contrast ratio.

In terms of brightness, QLED displays generally outperform OLED because QLED’s use of LED backlights, enhanced in some models by mini-LED technology, allows higher brightness levels to be achieved.

The addition of mini-LED backlighting gives some QLED TVs the added benefit of improving brightness control and reducing visible light blur or halo effect, which improves detail in bright and dark scenes.

Color accuracy and contrast are also critical to any TV viewing experience. OLED excels at reproducing deep blacks thanks to its self-emissive nature, in which individual pixels can turn off completely, resulting in what is often called “infinite contrast.” QLED screens, on the other hand, use quantum dot technology to achieve a wider color range, making colors appear vibrant even in brightly lit environments.

Viewing angles and off-axis uniformity are important factors to consider, especially if you’re watching TV from different positions in the room, and OLED has a clear advantage in this area. Because each pixel emits its own light, OLED TVs maintain consistent colors and contrast even when viewed from the side.

QLED can struggle with color and brightness shifts when viewed from an angle. However, advances in panel technology and special filter layers in high-end QLED models have helped minimize this problem. However, for the best viewing experience in all positions, OLED remains the more reliable choice of the two.

A man watches TV using a Bose Smart Soundbar and Bose Ultra Open headphones as rear channel speakers.

(Image credit: Bose)

QLED: Regular LED vs Mini LED

Traditional QLED TVs use conventional LED backlighting, where LEDs illuminate the screen from the back or edges, which allows QLED displays to achieve high brightness levels, but can also result in “blurring” or a halo effect where bright areas fade into dark areas. due to less precise control over individual light zones.

While regular LED backlighting is good for overall brightness, this glowing effect can reduce contrast, especially in scenes with a mix of light and dark elements, and just doesn’t look very good on a large TV.

Mini-LED technology is a significant improvement on QLED backlighting because it is much smaller than standard LEDs, allowing for significantly more LEDs to be accommodated. This increase in the number of individual LEDs allows QLED mini-LED TVs to have higher brightness and greater dimming. zones, which provides more precise control over light and dark areas on the screen.

The end result is reduced blur and improved contrast since the mini-LEDs can adjust lighting to smaller, more precise areas of the screen. While the mini-LED backlight doesn’t completely eliminate glow like OLED with its self-emissive pixels, it closes the performance gap, making QLED a more competitive choice for viewers who want deeper contrast in a bright room.

TCL Q Series Soundbar

(Image credit: TCL)

QLED vs OLED: What else should you consider?

Good question. There are a few more details to consider when choosing between QLED and OLED for your next TV: response time, durability, and power consumption.

OLED pixels respond to input almost instantly, delivering fast response times that are ideal for fast-moving content like sports and games with minimal image blur. QLED displays, although slower, have made strides in reducing motion blur in recent years, especially in higher-end models, and this has been helped by higher TV refresh rates such as 120Hz and 144Hz.

When it comes to durability, QLED has an advantage because it is based on inorganic materials. QLED screens are less prone to long-term image retention or burn-in, which can affect OLED displays if static images are left on the screen for a long time, such as when you leave a show on pause. Some newer OLED models have added features to reduce burn-in, increasing their lifespan.

In terms of power consumption, OLED is generally more energy efficient, especially in dark scenes where fewer pixels are active. This efficiency not only reduces energy costs, but also adheres to environmentally friendly practices, making OLED a reliable choice for environmentally-conscious viewers.

QLED vs OLED: Which is better for your TV?

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