QLED is a technology present on Samsung and TCL TV screens, competing directly with OLED displays, present on LG, Sony models, among others. The technology is designed to consume less energy and generate images with higher levels of brightness, besides having simpler manufacturing. However, details such as the color display and other features compared to the competitor’s standard may leave a lot to be desired by more demanding users. Here’s how QLED works and what its main advantages are.
QLED: What is it and how it works
The technology was created by Sony and unveiled in 2013, but it is Samsung that uses the technology most in its televisions. QLED, for example, is the name used for the South Korean manufacturer’s line of TVs equipped with panels of this type. Nevertheless, it is possible to find products from other brands with QLED screens, since Samsung licenses the use of the term or sells the displays to others to use on their televisions.
QLED is an acronym for “Quantum Light Emitting Diode”, or “light-emitting diode with quantum dots”. At first glance, it seems that TV screens of this type are formed by quantum dots, which is not exactly true. Unlike this technology, where each LED on the screen would emit its own light, QLED panels use basically the same design as common LCD displays.
That is: there are LEDs that emit light behind the Liquid Crystal Display, which in turn regulates how much of this lighting can pass through it. Therefore, different levels of brightness, color and contrast are created to form the images displayed. And it is in this light filtering process that the QLED screen TVs stand out since they use a compound formed of quantum dots and accentuate the brightness and color intensity of the pixels that form the displayed image.
Common LED TVs, for example, use more rustic filters, which allow only the colors blue, green and red to pass through. Combined, they form the displayed image, with less precision and intensity compared to QLED screens, more granular and precise. The display achieves higher brightness levels, more intense contrast and more vivid colors, and as a result, it appears on 4K TVs with technologies such as Premium HDR and Dolby Vision, which require a more accurate display.
Read: Samsung QLED Q800T: Features, Reviews, and Prices
Advantages and Disadvantages
Screen technologies are a bit complicated to understand, especially for those who are starting to get informed on the subject. That’s because there seem to be differences between LCD and LED, when in fact both standards are basically the same thing – and also the basis for more advanced panels, like QLEDs. In practice, this type of display is not entirely new, but an improved and corrected version of the conventional LCD/LED.
From the consumer’s point of view, QLED has some major advantages. The first of these, and which should manifest itself over time and the greater adhesion around the format, is the price. Unlike OLED, QLED displays are easier to manufacture and tend to be cheaper. In addition, the technology yields more efficient displays with lower power consumption.
Another interesting point is that these displays are less subject to burn-in, where a long displayed image is “printed” forever on the screen, most likely a problem on OLED televisions after a few years of use under intense brightness. In terms of picture quality, QLED even beats OLED screens to maximum brightness intensity, with current Samsung models exceeding 2,000 nits of maximum brightness. Despite this, the technology present in LG models still registers higher levels of contrast and black intensity than LED screens, with or without filter by quantum nanocrystals.
What is best for you?
This decision depends on several factors, including the user’s level of demand. Nevertheless, the vast majority of consumers would find it difficult to find defects in quality TVs such as QLEDs or OLEDs.
From a practical point of view, the standard used on Samsung and TCL televisions can be an interesting cost-benefit choice, as they are more in line with the rival standard and promise greater security against problems such as burn-in. But in terms of display quality, it is worth pointing out that OLED televisions are expected to deliver greater color display accuracy and good picture definition even in very dark or very light coverage.
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