OLED vs. QLED: A Comprehensive Guide

There is a lot of debate and confusion among people when choosing a TV for their home entertainment setups. OLED vs. QLED TV is one such topic that has always been at the forefront of these conversations. Both of these technologies are extremely popular in modern TVs and are known to deliver stunning images, but they are also quite different in terms of how they work, their pricing, and a lot of other factors.

People who aren’t that familiar with the differences find it very difficult to pick what they need. More often than not, people pick the wrong type of TV and later regret their purchase. So in this guide, we will help you understand how both technologies work, their advantages and disadvantages, and a few other things in simple terms to help you understand the differences to pick the right one that matches your requirements.

What is an OLED Display?

Photo Credit: LG Electronics

OLEDs (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) are a type of display that uses organic compounds that emit light when an electric current is passed through. What it means is that every pixel on the TV is an independent LED that can emit its own light, unlike LCDs, which are dependent on a backlight panel. This technology results in deeper blacks and higher contrast colors for life-like image quality as each pixel is manipulated individually by the processor. This is one of the most advanced displays and is used majorly in medium-large sized TVs. The LG C3 Series 65-inch Class OLED evo is something you need to be looking at if you want a great OLED TV.

Pros

Since it doesn’t require any backlights, the TV panels are built extremely thin, which gives it a hyper-modern appearance.
It benefits from wider viewing angles. So if you’re seated at an odd angle, you’ll still be able to experience images in their truest form.
It has faster response times, allowing for a smoother and lag-free gaming experience.

Cons

It comes with a hefty price tag, making it one of the most expensive displays on the market.
It is prone to burn-ins. The images can get quite bright, which sometimes burns into the LEDs, leaving a watermark-like impression even after switching to something else.
It is not as bright as QLEDs and LCDs, making it suitable for indoor setups and in a room where it doesn’t get too bright.

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What is a QLED Display?

QLED (Quantum-dot Light Emitting Diode) is kind of an advanced version of LED. It uses a quantum dot layer between the display panel and the backlight layer. Here, quantum dots are tiny semiconductor particles that emit light of a specific color that is produced when the light passes through. This combines LEDs’ brightness with the quantum dot’s ability to generate accurate and realistic colors. This is basically like having the best of both worlds of LCD and OLED TVs.

Samsung’s 85-inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90C Series TV is one example of how good this display technology is. This TV is also a highly recommended TV from our in-house experts.

Fun Fact: Samsung originally developed this technology as a competitor to OLEDs, which they later licensed to other brands to use. Their intention was to offer an alternative with bright, vibrant colors and better longevity, without some of the issues OLED has.

Pros

It produces accurate colors with high contrast.
It consumes less electricity compared to OLEDs.
It has higher brightness levels which is great for bright rooms and outdoor setups.
Unlike OLED TVs, QLED is free from burn-ins, ensuring a long life span of the display.
It is the go-to technology for large TVs, even TVs that have more than 90-inch displays.

Cons

It completely relies on the backlight, which cannot achieve deep blacks.
The viewing angles are not as great as OLEDs; after a certain angle, the colors of the images wash out, and in a lot of cases, the image won’t be visible at all.
The panels can get quite thick with the addition of quantum dot and backlight layers.

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Key Differences Between OLED and QLED

Feature	OLED	QLED
Functionality	Uses organic compounds	Uses a quantum dot layer between the backlight and the display
Lighting	Self-lit LEDs	Backlight dependency
Colors	Deep blacks and high contrast	Lower contrast but is still great
Brightness	Lower peak brightness	Higher peak brightness
Design	Thin panels	Thick panels
Viewing Angles	Wider viewing angles	Limited viewing angles
Burn-in Risk	High burn-in risk	No burn-in risk
Price	Expensive	Comparatively affordable

Is OLED or QLED Better?

Now that you’ve read about the QLED vs. OLED pros and cons, you should be able to tell the difference between them. But if you’re still confused about which one is better for you, here are a few pointers to think about when you finalize one.

What You’re Watching

If you’re a movie and TV show enthusiast, then OLEDs are perfect for you. Every frame of the movie is going to have accurate colors with perfect blacks. The same goes for games as well, with the addition that OLEDs also have better response time, which is extremely important for a lag-free gaming experience.

Room Setup

As we mentioned before, QLEDs have higher brightness levels than OLEDs. So if you’re setting up your entertainment center in a brightly lit room, then you’re going to benefit more from QLED than OLED. But in closed and dark rooms, OLED definitely should be the top choice.

Budget

Budget is always a deciding factor when it comes to buying a TV, and OLEDs are the more expensive ones out of the two. Since QLEDs are more affordable, it makes sense to lean towards that if you have tight budgets.

Aesthetics

Yes, there are some enthusiasts who buy big TVs for aesthetic reasons, and if you’re one of those people, then OLED is perfect because of its thin panels and modern look.

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OLED vs. QLED: Which One Should You Pick?

When it comes to choosing between OLED and QLED, this was some of the most important information that you need to know. Both OLED and QLED offer impressive display technologies, but the right choice depends on your viewing habits, environment, and budget.

In our opinion, OLED TVs are definitely the way to go since they offer deep blacks, wide viewing angles, and a premium viewing experience that makes for the ultimate home entertainment center. But if your budget is a little more modest and your room is brightly lit, then QLEDs are perfect for you. As mentioned before, QLED is basically having the best of both worlds. There is no wrong choice here, just preference!

Hope this article answered your questions about “OLED vs. QLED: Which is better?”

If you’re interested in buying 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, or 98-inch+ TVs, then check out our list of the best TVs in this range on our site.