OLED vs QLED: Which TV Display Is Best For You?

When it comes to TV, you might have heard about OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) and QLED (Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode) screens. Both OLED and QLED are similar yet different in a number of ways. OLED displays have pixels that emit their own light, giving you deep blacks and amazing contrast. On the other hand, QLED displays use quantum dots to make colours pop and brightness shine. Both have their pros and cons, like OLED being prone to burn-in and QLED being a bit more affordable. When we compare OLED vs QLED, it depends on several factors, including its implementation in a specific TV and what type of screen you prefer.  

There are several differences between OLED vs QLED displays that we will explain further in the blog. But before that, let's try to understand what OLED and QLED displays mean. 

What is an OLED Display? 

As mentioned above, OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode. It is a display that uses organic compounds to emit light when an electric current passes through it. Unlike traditional LCD screens, OLED does not require a backlight. The pixels of the OLED display emit their own light, resulting in vibrant colours, deep blacks, and high contrast ratios. This technology offers superior image quality and flexibility, allowing for thinner, lighter, and more energy-efficient displays. 

LG is the only brand that manufactures OLED displays used in some of the best TV brands today. Moreover, Samsung OLED TVs also use these displays, offering a high-quality resolution and image quality. In the OLED vs QLED debate, OLED completely outshines QLED in terms of picture quality. 

What is a QLED Display? 

QLED (Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode) is a display that uses quantum dots to enhance the overall picture quality.  Quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals that emit different colours depending on their size. In QLED, quantum dots are placed before LED display backlighting, resulting in improved colour accuracy, brightness, and contrast compared to traditional LCD screens. QLED offers a wide colour gamut, high peak brightness, and HDR capability, providing a richer viewing experience. 

Examples include Samsung QLED TV, which features Quantum Dot technology to deliver vibrant colours and impressive picture quality for home entertainment. However, Samsung has now started to produce OLED displays due to the audience's increased demand. 

OLED vs QLED: What Are The Key Differences

Both OLED and QLED are widely used TV displays have their own advantages and disadvantages. But if you are looking for the best TV display, here are some of the key differences between OLED vs QLED displays

1. Display

OLED: Every pixel in an OLED display emits its own light variations. When a pixel needs to be black, it simply turns off, resulting in true blacks with infinite colour ratios. OLED panels are known for their deep blacks, vibrant colours, and wide viewing angles.

QLED: QLED displays use an LED backlight system similar to traditional LCD TV display. However, QLED TVs use a layer of quantum dots to enhance colours and brightness. The quantum dots are tiny semiconductor particles that emit different colours of light when illuminated by the LED backlight. 

So, if we talk about OLED & QLED display specifications, OLED wins the battle here as it offers infinite colour ratios as compared to QLED, which relies heavily on backlighting. 

2. Black Levels:

OLED: OLED TVs can achieve true black levels because when a pixel is off, it emits no light at all. This results in excellent contrast ratios and superior image quality, especially in dark scenes, enhancing your viewing experience. If you have a Samsung OLED display, you can see the difference when you turn off the TV.

QLED: While QLED TVs can achieve very high brightness levels, they cannot turn off individual pixels completely. As a result, they struggle to achieve the same deep black levels as OLED TVs, leading to slightly diminishing contrast ratios, especially in dark room environments.

So, if we compare the black levels of OLED vs QLED, OLED displays are much better in colours. 

3. Brightness:

OLED: OLED displays typically have lower peak brightness compared to QLED TVs. While they still offer bright and vibrant images, you cannot use them for bright rooms or HDR content with extreme highlights.

QLED: QLED TVs are known for their high peak brightness levels, making them well-suited for bright rooms and HDR (High Dynamic Range) content. Moreover, they can produce intense highlights and maintain picture quality even in extremely bright environments.

So, if we compare OLED vs QLED in terms of brightness, OLED displays are much better. 

4. Color Accuracy

OLED: OLED TVs generally offer excellent colour accuracy and consistency due to their self-emissive nature. Each pixel emits its own light, resulting in its self-control over colours and minimizing colour bleed.

QLED: QLED TVs also offer impressive colour accuracy, especially with the help of quantum dot technology, which enhances colour saturation and purity. However, some models may have little colour inconsistencies at extreme viewing levels. 

Since QLED displays use quantum dots, the colours they produce are much better than OLED displays. It is one of the main differences between OLED vs QLED to consider when looking for a display that offers good colour schemes. 

5. Viewing Angles:

OLED: OLED displays typically offer wide viewing angles ranging from 45 degrees to 50 degrees with minimum colour shift, making them suitable for large rooms or viewing from various positions.

QLED: QLED TVs may suffer from some colour and contrast degradation when viewed off-angle, more than 55 degrees. It is usually found in cheaper or older models where colour distorts, and brightness reduces. However, recent advancements in QLED technology have improved viewing angles compared to traditional LCD displays.

So, if we compare the viewing angles of OLED vs QLED, OLED  displays offer a much better viewing experience when we look from a specific angle. 

6. Price:

OLED: OLED TVs are generally more expensive than QLED TVs, primarily due to the complexity of manufacturing OLED panels and their superior image quality.

OLED TV Example

• LG CX Series 55-inch OLED TV: INR 1,24,275 approx. 

• Sony A8H 65-inch OLED TV: 190,582, approx

QLED: QLED TVs are more affordable than OLED TVs, making them a popular choice for consumers looking for high-quality displays without breaking the bank.

QLED TV Example:

• Samsung Q80T Series 55-inch QLED TV: INR 99,324 approx

• TCL 6-Series 65-inch QLED TV: Approximately 82 765 approx

So, talking about OLED vs QLED, QLED is much cheaper in terms of price. However, it depends on individuals and their preferences. 

OLED vs QLED: Which One You Should Buy?

In a nutshell,  OLED TVs offer superior black levels, wider viewing angles, and better colour accuracy, but they are typically more expensive. On the other hand, QLED TVs excel in brightness, making them suitable for brightly lit rooms, and they are often more affordable than OLED TVs. So, the difference between OLED vs QLED depends on your preference which one you like. 

So, these were some of the main differences between OLED and QLED. 

Which display do you prefer? Do let us know.