You've finally decided to buy a 4K TV – it's the dawn of HDR, and some of the best streaming services like Netflix have joined the 4K bandwagon. You've also narrowed down what brand you want, screen size, and whether you should go flat or curved.
SummaryWhat is OLED?What is QLED?OLED vs. QLED:Which TV Technology is Better?Black LevelBrightnessViewing AnglesResponse TimePicture RetentionConclusionBut wait. You still have one choice to make, and it is an important one:panel technology. Should you opt for an LED, OLED or QLED TV? There might be only one letter difference between OLED and QLED, but they are as different as chalk and cheese.
So what is the best TV technology? We illuminate the bright lights and dark shadows of OLED and QLED TVs to make your choice easier.
OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode and is the TV technology used by LG in its high-end televisions. OLED panels emit their own light when an electric current passes through them. OLED TVs are thus able to adjust the brightness of each individual pixel. This way, pixels can be turned off completely, producing pure black levels and infinite contrast. This is what gives LG OLED TVs an edge over the competition.
QLED stands for Quantum-dot Light-Emitting Diode, which is the trade name Samsung uses to describe their new high-end TVs. Unlike OLED, QLED is not an emissive display technology. Quantum dots do not directly emit the colors you see. QLED TVs work by placing a film of quantum dots in front of an LED panel to improve performance in key areas of picture quality. QLED TVs are thus able to produce a higher color gamut and brightness than conventional TVs.
To determine the best TV technology, we will compare various parameters that matter most to users.
When it comes to brightness, QLED is the undisputed champion. Samsung says its 2017 QLED TVs can reach a peak brightness of 1,500-2,000 nits. A nit is a unit of measurement that determines the brightness of a screen. The new UHD Alliance Premium HDR certification requirements require TVs to meet one of two criteria below.
These requirements have been put in place because OLED TVs don't get much brightness and LED TVs can't achieve the perfect black level. LED TVs can get extremely bright. The addition of quantum dots gives QLED TVs unprecedented brightness that has never been achieved before. Even the best OLED TV of 2016, the LG Signature OLED G6, only managed to achieve a peak brightness level of 800 nits compared to the 2017 Samsung Q8 QLED TV which has a peak brightness level of 1500 nits. /P>
Winner :QLED
Viewing angles are a big concern for many people, and some people take this very seriously. This is another area where OLED has been praised and many people have praised OLED panels for their excellent viewing angles. OLED TVs can be viewed without luminance degradation at wide viewing angles of up to 84 degrees. QLED screens have the center as the best viewing angle. With QLED, moving away from the center tends to decrease color and contrast, affecting overall image quality.
Winner :OLED
The response time is the time it takes for each diode to change from the on state to the off state. Faster response time results in less motion blur and fewer artifacts. In this area, the OLED knocks the QLED out of the water with its smaller diodes working as individual pixels. In contrast, diodes in QLED panels illuminate a group of pixels, not individual pixels, resulting in a slower transition rate from on to off. When it comes to response rate, OLED is acclaimed as having the fastest response rate of any TV technology ever.
Winner :OLED
Just like plasma TVs, OLED can only retain images that have been kept on the screen for a few minutes. This is a huge drawback for OLED screens and is more noticeable on lower end models like the LG EG9100. Leaving a static image on the screen for less than five minutes leaves a faint, ghost-like version of it. Although QLED screens are not immune, they can maintain static images on the screen for a considerably longer period of time.
Winner :QLED
Based on the point-to-point comparison highlighted above, we can arguably say that OLED is the winner. OLED is also thinner, lighter and energy efficient. However, compared to QLEDs, they are more expensive and have a shorter lifespan.
QLED TVs, on the other hand, have distinct advantages over OLEDs. They're brighter, last longer, and the latest models have improved black levels. For those who like to watch TV during the day, QLED might be a better option.
