Vssmonitoring.com and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

QLED vs. OLED | What’s the Difference & Which to Go For?

As televisions have become ever more extensive and more high-resolution, the two main types of TV technology have become increasingly important: QLED tv and OLED tv. The two are pretty different, but it's essential to understand before purchasing.

QLED uses a layer of tiny LED lights to create the image on the screen. Each light is responsible for creating one pixel in an image, which leads to brighter colors and more detailed photos. However, QLED televisions are also quite large since they need ample space for these tiny LEDs underneath each pixel.

Comparing OLED vs. QLED TVs

OLED TVs, or Organic Light-Emitting Diode TVs, are a relatively new display technology that uses a light-emitting diode for each pixel. It doesn't require an LED backlight. They provide better contrast and black levels than LCD or QLED TVs.

QLED TVs, or Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode TVs, are newer TV tech. 

samsung QLED TV

QLED TVs

QLED televisions are upgraded versions of the LCD panel or QLED TVs with better color vibrancy and brightness and more detailed pictures due to bright LED lights. It is essentially an LCD TV with quantum dots - microscopic semiconductor crystals that shine light in new and exciting ways. These crystals emit specific wavelengths of light when excited by electricity or other forms of energy.

By carefully controlling the size, shape, and positions of these crystals, manufacturers can control the wavelengths of light emitted. It allows for more subtle colors and better potential brightness. In essence, they are a variant of LCD TVs with quantum dots that enhance how bright the screen is and how many colors it can show.

Features

  • More detailed colors and higher contrast ratios than QLED TVs
  • QLED TVs can achieve deeper blacks.
  • LED lights underneath each pixel produce bright pictures that don't require backlighting as LCDs do.
  • It can be pretty significant because of the space required for all those LEDs. However, they are much thinner than their LCD counterparts.
  • It varies from model to model. Some QLED TVs are incredibly bright, while others have poor picture quality due to their manufacture.

Pros and Cons of QLED

Pros:

  • QLED TVs have a fast response time, making them better at playing video games without ghosting.
  • Quicker changing of screen colors due to their faster response times. There's no delay, so there isn't motion blur either.
  • Higher brightness levels than OLED screens can reach. It isn't by much, though, so they're about as bright as OLED screens when it comes to HDR content.
  • QLED TVs have a wider color gamut, making them better at displaying vibrant colors.

Cons:

  • QLED TVs tend to run a bit warmer than OLEDs because they use LEDs for backlighting.
Samsung OLED TV

OLED TVs

OLED TVs, or Organic Light-Emitting Diode TVs, are a relatively new display technology that uses a light-emitting diode for each pixel. It doesn't require an LED backlight and instead uses OLED panels. They provide better contrast and black levels than LCD or QLED TVs.

When it comes to the future of TV, OLED is the way to go. It's a newer technology with better picture quality and durability. It's also more expensive, which can be a drawback. However, the TVs are also getting cheaper with each new model released. 

OLEDs are more costly than QLED due to how new they are and how much R&D has gone into making them work properly. It has more detailed colors and higher contrast ratios than QLED TVs.

Features

  • A wide viewing angle
  • The lack of a backlight makes viewing angles better because there is nothing to interfere with the picture.
  • Thin and flexible form factor
  • Short response time ( microseconds)
  • Very high contrast ratio

OLED is the future of TV technology regarding image quality and how it works. It has no backlight, allowing for better viewing angles that don't interfere with the picture at all. OLED technology is excellent for dark rooms and when it comes to watching movies, but when you watch TV with the lights on, it might make the picture look dull and washed out.

Pros and Cons of OLED

Pros:

  • Perfect blacks, thanks to the infinite contrast ratio. The way they're able to produce perfect blacks without compromising other aspects is what makes the difference between OLED and LED/QLED screens so obvious.
  • Better at displaying HDR content due to their wide brightness range. No matter how dark the movie scene gets, an OLED TV will make it look as bright and vibrant as possible.
  • The colors and brightness remain accurate at all times, no matter the viewing angle. There's only a very slight degradation of image quality when moving to the side.
  • Greater sense of depth and realism for 3D movies due to their infinite contrast ratio and wider color gamut.

Cons:

  • Since it's not popular, you may have a challenge finding it in the market

A brief comparison of the TV technologies is QLED vs. OLED

  • "Organic light-emitting diode" is the abbreviation of OLED
  • Samsung claims that QLED stands for "quantum dot LED TV"
  • OLED is a technology that is fundamentally distinct from LCD, the most common type of TV
  • With the addition of a quantum dot film to the LCD "sandwich," QLED is an adaptation of LED LCD
  • OLEDs have "emissive" pixels, which means they produce their own light
  • QLED, like LCD, is currently "transmissive" and depends on an LED backlight

Main Differences Between OLED and QLED

  • QLED TVs are upgraded versions of the LCD panel with better color vibrancy and brightness, while OLED TVs are newer TV technology with better picture quality. However, they are both different in many ways.
  • LED lights underneath each pixel produce bright pictures that don't require backlighting, like LCDs in QLED TVs, whereas OLEDs have no backlight. They are more expensive than QLED due to how new they are and how much R&D has gone into making them work properly, while the features of QLED TVs include: More detailed colors and higher contrast ratios than QLED TVs.
  • QLED TVs can achieve more profound blacks, whereas OLED televisions are better for dark rooms and watching movies.
  • QLED TVs are more expensive than QLED due to how new they are and how much R&D has gone into making them work properly, while OLED is the future of TV technology regarding image quality and how it works.

LED vs. QLED vs. OLED TV: What’s the Difference?

Because of their affordability and good picture quality LED TVs are a popular choice for many people. However, these TVs use LED backlights that can sometimes make the picture look washed out.

OLED TVs are known for their superior contrast ratios and deep blacks, making them better at displaying movies with dark scenes. On the other hand, QLEDs have slightly lower response times.

QLED TVs are also at par with OLEDs regarding brightness range. As such, they're just as good at showing bright images of HDR10 content as OLED screens, if not better.

Regarding price, QLED TVs are usually more expensive than OLED TVs. It's because they're still new to the market and aren't as refined as OLEDs just yet. However, since they're on the same level regarding brightness and contrast ratios, this tends to even out with time. Shortly, QLED TVs might be even less expensive.

living room with TV

Factors to Consider When Buying QLED vs. OLED TVs

Below is a list of factors you should consider before buying an OLED or QLED TV:

HDR Compatibility

With each successive release, standards for what makes a TV "HDR-compatible" have become more stringent. You must do your research to avoid getting ripped off by shady retailers trying to make a quick buck from uninformed consumers. To ensure your new QLED or OLED TV is compatible with the latest standards, check if it has an Ultra HD Premium certification.

Viewing Angle

The view angle for OLED TVs isn't that good, especially regarding the colors. The image gets a bit more washed out when you sit off-axis. The QLED's view angle is better than that of OLED TVs. You won't notice a difference when both are set up side-by-side, but it's primarily functional in theaters where people tend to sit all around the room.

Response Time

For the most part, QLED and OLED are both similar in this aspect since they both use different technologies for their pixels. A QLED TV has a faster response time than an OLED because it works in microseconds. 

Other factors that you need to consider include :

  • Price- QLED TVs are usually less expensive than OLED TVs because they are new. OLED TVs are also constantly getting cheaper with each new model released.
  • Durability- QLED TVs have better durability overall because no specific TV part can break easily during regular use. On the other hand, OLED screens are vulnerable to burn-in if a static image is shown for extended periods.
  • Brightness- QLED TVs can get much brighter than OLED TVs, especially in HDR10 content due to the brightness range. However, OLED screens are generally better at producing deep blacks and thus have better contrast ratios.
  • Contrast Ratio- OLED TVs offer better contrast ratios than any LCD TV, including QLED TVs. They're far superior to other TV technologies display-wise. 
flat screen TV

FAQs

Q. Is QLED Worth the Extra Money?

A. The answer isn't straightforward, and it depends on your needs and preferences. QLED does offer some technological advantages over OLED TVs, such as lower input lag which makes gameplay much smoother for gamers. However, OLED still offers more excellent contrast ratios and picture quality overall.

Q. QLED vs. OLED: Which TV technology is best?

A. Generally, OLED TVs offer better picture quality overall when compared to QLED. If you're going for optimal image quality and deep blacks, you should go with OLED rather than QLED. However, QLED TVs are catching up to OLEDs in some areas, and their prices will lower by the year.

Q. Which is better OLED or QLED or 4K?

A. Other aspects of image quality, including as resolution, color, and video processing, are essentially the same. The majority of QLED and OLED displays have the same 4K resolution, and both can even achieve 8K resolution. Both technologies lack significant intrinsic benefits in either color or video processing, while QD-OLED might provide better color.

Q. How long will an OLED TV last?

A. A claim made by LG in 2016 that its OLED TVs had a lifespan of 100,000 hours.

Q. Which lasts longer OLED or QLED?

A. On paper, QLED is superior because it offers more brightness, a longer lifespan, larger screens, lower prices, and less risk of burn-in. On the other hand, OLED is better for gaming, has a wider viewing angle, deeper black depths, uses less electricity, and may be better for your health.

Conclusion

QLED televisions and OLED TVs have unique features that make them special. However, your choice between the two comes down to personal preference. QLED can achieve deeper blacks and brighter pictures due to LED lights underneath each pixel. Still, OLED is a newer technology with better color vibrancy and higher contrast ratios than QLED televisions.

When you take into account all the different aspects of QLED vs. OLED TVs, there's no clear-cut "winner." With that in mind, the question of "What is better, QLED or OLED?" becomes much more difficult to answer. Both technologies have their strengths and weaknesses; it all comes down to personal preference when considering price range and intended use, among other factors.

About Dusan Stanar

I'm the founder of VSS Monitoring. I have been both writing and working in technology in a number of roles for dozens of years and wanted to bring my experience online to make it publicly available. Visit https://www.vssmonitoring.com/about-us/ to read more about myself and the rest of the team.

Leave a Comment