Understanding the difference between OLED and QLED

[Eppie]

Nice article from CNet comparing OLED and QLED displays:
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/qled-vs-oled-samsung-and-lg-tv-technologies-explained/

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

a bit more in-depth info:

QLED vs OLED vs LED TVs: Which one is the best?

When buying a new TV, the different technologies can be confusing. Marketing terms like OLED, QLED, and LED may all seem the same to you, but they actually refer to different panel types.

www.rtings.com

 

[slipperybidness]

I have not read the links, but this is the heart of the matter:

OLED is a technology
QLED is a marketing term (generally used to confuse people, I have no doubt that Q was chosen as it looks very similar to the letter O)

 

[TLS Guy]

Nice article from CNet comparing OLED and QLED displays:
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/qled-vs-oled-samsung-and-lg-tv-technologies-explained/

OLED is the top of the mountain for screen technology currently. QLED is LED with a Q in front. The difference is that LED is back lit. OLED has individual light emitting diodes all over the screen. It is a totally different technology.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

OLED is the top of the mountain for screen technology currently. QLED is LED with a Q in front. The difference is that LED is back lit. OLED has individual light emitting diodes all over the screen. It is a totally different technology.

Traditional LED is indeed is backlit, which includes the "Q" LED. Brand new and (sell your kidney) expensive Micro-LED is also self-light emitting, similar to OLED. As for the Top of the mountain is debatable. Some things OLED is much better, in other areas it's somewhat behind. Rtings articles describe in some detail.

 

[Eppie]

Ok, I figured that the regulars would already know the difference but it's a nice explanation for those that are still confused by the terms.

 

[Teetertotter?]

All is informative to me, as my 4 yr old 4K, 55", is neither term. Still has great picture quality.

 

[Bruce53]

The difference for me was about $22k more to get an OLED of similar size to my QLED at end of 2020!

 

[Auditor55]

I have not read the links, but this is the heart of the matter:

OLED is a technology
QLED is a marketing term (generally used to confuse people, I have no doubt that Q was chosen as it looks very similar to the letter O)

QLED means Quantum Dot LED', it's not a marketing term.

 

[j_garcia]

QLED refers to a new generation of LED and it denotes a change in architecture from pervious LED sets that allows it to approach OLED capabilities. While it still does not have the same deep blacks as OLED, it also will not dim over time like OLED will and OLED is susceptible to burn in like a CRT (both will take years to occur though). It is also far less expensive to produce than OLED since it uses much of the same equipment to produce.

Now you have NEO QLED which uses microLED backlight for even better blacks and they're brighter as well. I saw one on display at Costco recently and thought it looked pretty good even compared to my QLED. Still does not have quite as deep blacks as OLED though.

 

[slipperybidness]

QLED means Quantum Dot LED', it's not a marketing term.

You can add whatever you want, like "Q-DOT", but at the end of the day, it is "just" an LED set (i.e. backlit as mentioned in another post).

OLED is a completely new/different technology.

Q-LED is "just" an LED technology with a fancy marketing department spin on the naming convention.

 

[lovinthehd]

Isn't QLED actually an LCD technology still?

 

[j_garcia]

Isn't QLED actually an LCD technology still?

Yes, LED refers to the backlight. The actual display is LCD. OLED is also LED obviously, except it eliminates the LCD panel and displays the image directly.

 

[Auditor55]

You can add whatever you want, like "Q-DOT", but at the end of the day, it is "just" an LED set (i.e. backlit as mentioned in another post).

OLED is a completely new/different technology.

Q-LED is "just" an LED technology with a fancy marketing department spin on the naming convention.

Agreed, however, QLED it's not just a marketing ploy. Some display manufacturers are even considering bringing QD-OLED to the market.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes, LED refers to the backlight. The actual display is LCD. OLED is also LED obviously, except it eliminates the LCD panel and displays the image directly.

That's what I thought, so QLED is still much more marketing than technology, altho the better backlighting is a good thing....sure beats the side lighting....

 

[j_garcia]

QLED is not a marketing term, it refers to a new type of filter, for lack of a simpler term, that lights up in a specific color based on the size of the dots in that filter. So colors are achieved by individual "lenses" which produce a specific color.

Quantum Dots explained

A Quantum Dot is a human-made nanoparticle that has semiconductor properties. They’re tiny, ranging in size from two to 10 nanometers, with the size of the particle dictating the wavelength of light it emits, and therefore the color. When Quantum Dots are hit with a light source, each dot emits a color of a specific bandwidth: Larger dots emit light that is skewed toward red, and progressively smaller dots emit light that is skewed more toward green.

Using Quantum Dots means the range of colors and their accuracy is maintained even at peak brightness, while other display technologies like OLED might wash out colors when scenes require full brightness. The result with QLED is accurate, rich and detailed colors on displays, in any light.

 

[lovinthehd]

I think Samsung would have issues with your saying QLED isn't a marketing term....as they own the copyright. Don't they?

 

[j_garcia]

LG makes Quantum LED displays too, called QNED. They just don't talk about them as much as their OLEDs.

 

[Mark E. Long]

I like our QLED so far out of the box the best picture I’ve had . Plenty of features and it upscales blu-rays really good to my old eyes and 4K content is beautiful on it .

 

[lovinthehd]

I like our QLED so far out of the box the best picture I’ve had . Plenty of features and it upscales blu-rays really good to my old eyes and 4K content is beautiful on it .

What size did you get and how far away do you sit? Just curious, someday may have to get beyond my plasmas