Two fundamentally different TV technologies, QLED and OLED, have similar names.
If you're buying a new TV, you'll want to know the differences between each one.
In our side-by-side reviews, OLED beats QLED, but you can save some money with QLED.
All eyes were on transparent displays, glare-free screens and wireless televisions, among other innovations, as TV makers premiered their new lineups at CES 2024. (These are our favorite TVs from the show.) The best TVs advertise an alphanumeric soup of extras such as HDR, 120Hz and HDMI 2.1. TVs often include all of those features and more, making it tough to tell the difference.
Unlike the rest of those TV tech terms, QLED and OLED are fundamentally different, even though they're only one letter apart. And in our side-by-side comparison reviews, one is better than the other.
For the last few years, Samsung has been branding its TVs "QLED." Its 2024 QLED lineup includes Neo QLED models in 4K and 8K resolution, The Frame art TV, the Serif and the Sero rotating TV. But Samsung isn't the only one: TCL also makes QLED TVs, including the excellent QM8, and Amazon has a Fire TV Omni QLED television of its own.
On the other side of the fence are OLED TVs. In the last few years, LG has dominated the OLED market, and its 2024 OLED TV lineup is more extensive than ever. Sony and Sharp also sell OLED TVs in the US. Adding to the confusion, Samsung has an OLED TV of its own, meaning it sells both OLED and QLED TVs.
So what's the difference between OLED and QLED? We'll start with picture quality. In our side-by-side comparison reviews, OLED beats QLED every time. None of the QLED TVs we've tested, including the Samsung QN90B, the TCL QM8 or the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, look as good as any of the OLED TVs we've tested, such as the LG C3, G3 or Samsung S95C. In every comparison we've done, the OLED TV won.
Let's start with a quick breakdown.
The main takeaway is that QLED is closer to regular old LCD than it is to OLED, which I (and most other experts) consider a distinctly different class of television, much like plasma before it.
Watch this: What is quantum dot?
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Quantum dots are microscopic molecules that, when hit by light, emit their own differently colored light. In QLED TVs, the dots are contained in a film, and the light that hits them is provided by an LED backlight. That light then travels through a few other layers inside the TV, including a liquid crystal (LCD) layer, to create the picture. The light from the LED source is transmitted through the layers to the screen's surface, which is why we say it's "transmissive."
A look at the "sandwich" of layers in an LCD TV, where an LED backlight shines through a quantum dot layer (among others) and on to the LCD panel itself.
Samsung has been using quantum dots to augment its LCD TVs since 2015 and debuted the QLED TV branding in 2017. Samsung says those quantum dots have evolved over time -- that color and light output have improved, for example. In my experience, however, improvements caused by better quantum dots are much less evident than those caused by other image quality factors (see below).
Other TV makers also use quantum dots in LCD TVs, including Vizio and Hisense, but don't call those sets QLED TVs.
LCD is the dominant technology in flat-panel TVs and has been for a long time. It's cheaper than OLED, especially in larger sizes, and numerous panel-makers can manufacture it.
OLED TVs don't need LED backlights so, in addition to image quality benefits, they can get amazingly thin.
OLED is different because it doesn't use an LED backlight to produce light. Instead, light is produced by millions of individual OLED subpixels. The pixels themselves -- tiny dots that compose the image -- emit light, which is why it's called an "emissive" display technology. That difference leads to all kinds of picture-quality effects, some of which favor LCD (and QLED), but most of which favor OLED.
Aside from the US brands mentioned above, Panasonic, Philips, Grundig and others sell OLED TVs in Europe. All OLED TVs worldwide use panels manufactured by either LG or Samsung.
Until 2022, LG was the only company making OLED panels, but that year Samsung started making its own panels using QD-OLED technology. Samsung promises improved color and brightness compared with current OLED TVs because its TVs use quantum dots -- just like QLED TVs -- and in our tests, the color of the Samsung S95C QD-OLED was superb. But we liked the LG G3 better, in part because it uses another new OLED panel technology called MLA (or Micro Lens Array) to improve brightness. We expect OLED technology to continue evolving in the coming years.
Read more: What is the best OLED screen type?
Based on my reviews, here are some general comparisons.
Samsung and TCL each have multiple QLED series, and the most expensive ones perform a lot better than the cheaper ones. That's mainly because the biggest improvements in the picture quality of QLED sets don't have much to do with quantum dots. Instead, they're the result of mini-LED backlights, better full-array local dimming, bright highlights and better viewing angles, which help them outperform QLED (and non-QLED) TVs that lack those extras.
Meanwhile, every OLED TV I've reviewed has very similar image quality -- all have earned a 10/10 in picture quality in my tests.
One of the most important image-quality factors is black level, and their emissive nature means OLED TVs can turn unused pixels off completely, for literally infinite contrast. QLED/LCD TVs, even the best ones with the most effective full-array local dimming, let some light through, leading to more washed-out, grayer black levels and blooming around bright sections.
The brightest QLED and LCD TVs can get brighter than any OLED model, which is a particular advantage in bright rooms and with HDR content. In my tests, however, OLED TVs can still get plenty bright for most rooms, and their superior contrast still allows them to deliver a better overall HDR image than any QLED/LCD TV I've tested.
With LCD-based displays, different areas of the screen can appear brighter than others all the time, and backlight structure can also be seen in some content. Even the best LCDs also fade, lose contrast and become discolored when seen from seats other than the sweet spot directly in front of the screen. OLED TVs have almost perfectly uniform screens and maintain fidelity from all but the most extreme angles.
Most QLED and OLED TVs have the same resolution and 4K, and both can achieve 8K resolution, too. Neither technology has major inherent advantages in color or video processing, although QD-OLED could deliver improved color. Check out OLED vs. LCD for more details.
The largest OLED TV is the 97-inch G2.
There are six sizes of OLED TV on the market today. Two more sizes, 42-inch and 97-inch, were new for 2022.
Meanwhile, as QLED TVs are LCDs, they can be made in a greater range of sizes. Non-QLED LCD TVs can get even smaller.
One big advantage that QLED and LCD have over OLED is the cost of mainstream sizes over 65 inches. Large televisions are the fastest-growing segment of the market and show no signs of slowing down. However, 77-inch OLED TVs cost $2,200 and up, significantly more than most 75-inch QLED TVs, and in larger sizes the difference is even more drastic.
Burn-in happens when a persistent part of the image -- a channel logo, a news ticker or a scoreboard on a TV, for example -- remains as a ghostly background no matter what else appears on screen. All OLED screens can burn-in, and from everything I know, they're more susceptible than LCD displays, including QLED.
All things considered, however, burn-in shouldn't be a problem for most people. Burn-in is typically caused by leaving a single, static image element, like a channel logo, on the screen for a long time, repeatedly. That's an issue if you keep Fox News, ESPN or MSNBC on for multiple hours every day and don't watch enough other programming, for example. But as long as you vary what's displayed, chances are you'll never experience burn-in.
Check out our guide on OLED screen burn-in for more.
Electroluminescent quantum dot prototypes, which could pave the way for direct-view quantum dot TVs.
As I mentioned above, when I pit an OLED TV against a QLED TV, OLED wins every time.
What about the future? Beyond its QD-OLED TV, Samsung is researching direct-view quantum dot, which dispenses with the liquid crystal layers and uses quantum dots themselves as the light source. Emissive QLED TVs have the potential to match the absolute black levels and "infinite" contrast ratio of OLED, with better power efficiency, better color and more. That's pretty exciting, but it will be a few years before we see emissive QLED TVs for sale. Hopefully, they'll think up a new acronym by then (EQLEDs?).
Then there's MicroLED. It's another emissive technology, once again spearheaded by Samsung but also sold by LG, that's on sale now for the super rich -- the largest examples cost more than $1 million. As you might guess from the name, it uses millions of teeny-tiny LEDs as pixels. MicroLED has the potential for the same perfect black levels as OLED, with no danger of burn-in. It can deliver higher brightness than any current display technology, wide-gamut color and doesn't suffer from the viewing angle and uniformity issues of LCD. It's also friggin' huge. It doesn't involve quantum dots, at least not yet, but who knows what might happen when it comes to market. QDMLED, anyone?
For now, however, OLED rules the picture-quality roost over QLED.
If you’re looking to buy a new TV, you’ll probably come across terms like LED, QLED, and OLED. These are different types of displays that will affect the picture quality of your TV in different ways. To help you make the best decision, here’s everything you need to know about LED vs QLED vs OLED TVs, and which one is the best for your home theater setup.
LCD TVs get their name from the “liquid crystal display” they use to control light. All LCD TVs have a light source at the back of the TV (known as a backlight). Sitting in front of this backlight are several filters that control how much light passes through, and which color each pixel should be.
LED (light-emitting diode) TVs are simply a newer version of LCD TVs that use little LED lights as the backlight instead of old fluorescent tubes. Since these LED lights are much smaller, these types of displays can be thinner and provide better contrast than LCD TVs.
There are several types of LED backlights that will also affect a TV’s picture quality. Edge-lit TVs have LEDs along one or more sides, which can cause the image to be washed out. The newest LED TVs use a full array of small LED backlights to increase the amount of light.
If you’re going to buy an LED TV these days, you should look for one that features “full-array local dimming.” This technology divides all the LED backlights into different “zones,” each of which can be controlled to keep the dark parts of an image dark and the light parts light. The more local dimming zones a TV has, the better the picture quality will be.
Read More: What is full-array local dimming?
A mini LED TV is just an LED TV, except it uses much smaller LEDs for backlighting. With more lights, these TVs are able to produce brighter images with better contrast. Mini LEDs also reduce blooming, or when light bleeds from the brighter parts of an image to the darker parts.
A QLED TV is a type of LED TV that has an extra quantum-dot layer between the backlight and the LCD panel. When light hits these microscopic quantum dots, it produces brighter colors that are more heavily saturated than traditional LED TVs.
An OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TV is totally different from regular LED TVs because it doesn’t use backlights at all. Instead, OLED TVs have self-lighting pixels that are all individually controlled. This gives OLED displays the best image quality, but they don’t get nearly as bright as LED TVs.
The most important thing when choosing between LED, QLED, and OLED TVs comes down to how bright your room is. In a brightly lit room, you should get an LED or QLED TV. If you watch TV in a darker room, OLED TVs will be better for contrast, motion, viewing angles, and more.
LED TVs have powerful backlights that make them about twice as bright as OLED TVs. But, if you want the brightest TV, you should get a QLED TV because the quantum dot filter will also boost the light output of colors compared to regular LED TVs.
The brightness of TVs, smartphones, and other digital screens is measured in “nits.” OLED TVs usually have a peak brightness of around 500-800 nits, while LED TVs have a peak brightness of 1,000-2,000 nits, and QLED TVs can get up to 4,000 nits.
While it is true that OLED TVs produce the best image quality, the screen can also appear dull and washed out in a brightly lit room. In that case, you will probably be able to see more details with an LED pr QLED TV. So, if your home theater has lots of windows and natural light, you might want to avoid OLED for that space.
However, OLED TVs are getting brighter and brighter these days. So, if you really care about picture quality, OLED might still be the best choice for you. Just make sure you get an OLED TV with a peak brightness close to 1,000 nits or higher.
Winner: QLED
Each pixel in an OLED TV can be controlled individually, which means the darkest parts of the screen can actually be turned off completely. This means OLED can produce “pure blacks” and a “perfect contrast ratio” that you won’t get with almost any other type of display.
A contrast ratio measures the difference between the darkest parts of an image and the lightest parts. Since OLED TVs can produce pure blacks, they provide a nearly infinite contrast ratio. That means you’ll see more detail in the image, and colors will appear more vivid and accurate.
On the other hand, LED and QLED TVs both use strong backlights, and the LCD filters are not able to block 100% of the light. So, LED displays usually have a much lower contrast ratio, which can make the image look washed out. However, you can combat this by getting an LED TV with lots of local dimming zones.
Winner: OLED
Since they can get so much brighter, QLED TVs can display a much wider range of color brightness than OLED TVs. And, with quantum-dot technology, QLED TVs can display a wider range of colors than regular LED TVs.
In fact, Samsung claims that it released the first QLED TV with 100% color volume all the way back in 2017.
While OLED TVs can now display the same wide range of colors, they can’t display those colors as brightly, especially when it comes to HDR content.
Read More: What is HDR?
Winner: QLED
TVs with a fast response time will display less motion blur when you’re watching fast action scenes and sports. Since OLED TVs can change each pixel on the screen almost instantaneously, they almost always have a better response time and less motion blur than LED TVs.
Winner: OLED
If you have lots of people watching your TV at the same time, it’s very important to take viewing angles into account. Since the self-lit pixels in an OLED TV emit light in all directions, they deliver more accurate light and color than LED TVs when viewed at an angle.
Winner: OLED
One of the biggest downsides to an OLED TV is image retention. That means static images (like logos on news channels) can “burn” into the screen over time, leaving a permanent ghostly mark behind.
Image retention isn’t as common of a problem these days, unless you watch the same programs on repeat or you leave the TV on pause for a long period of time. However, if you are worried about image retention, and you want to avoid it altogether, you should get an LED TV instead.
Winner: QLED / LED
Generally, OLED TVs are much more expensive than LED TVs, but they also provide the best picture quality. QLED TVs are usually a little more expensive than LED TVs, but they probably offer the best value for your money.
Winner: LED
Read More: When is the best time to buy a TV?
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