TV Technology 101: What’s the Difference Between OLED and QLED

Televisions are now better than ever. Ultra HD displays and HDR are becoming more and more common, which means that there are a lot of affordable options to choose from. Couple this with the rise of streaming services and high-definition content, and you have the perfect formula for top-notch TV-viewing experiences.

Nevertheless, it can still be challenging to choose the “best” television. (The) Philippines’ appliance stores are always updated with the latest in the tech world, which can definitely be overwhelming for the average consumer. For example, there are now OLED TVs as well as QLED TVs. While they both have LED in their names, they’re actually different technologies that can affect the final output of your TV’s display.

So, which one of these two is the better choice? Here’s a look at the technologies behind OLED and QLED to help you decide.

What Is a LED TV?

To understand the difference between OLED and QLED, you should first understand what a LED TV is. In the most basic terms, it’s a television with a screen composed of thousands of light-emitting diodes or LEDs. These LED lights are able to reproduce colors, making the display more vibrant than LCD TVs.

The problem with old-generation LED TVs, however, is that they aren’t able to reproduce black properly. This is because to show the image on the screen, LED TVs need an always-on white light at the back of the panel. Thus, black usually looks like gray on-screen. What’s more, you need to be in front of the TV to see the image clearly; if you move to the sides, the images won’t be as defined.

These problems are solved by OLED and QLED technology.

OLED Screens

OLED stands for “organic light-emitting diode.” It features a carbon-based film, which lights up when an electric current passes through its conductors. You’ve probably already heard of this if you’ve gone shopping for a new smartphone, since it’s quite common in higher-end mobile devices.

This technology allows each pixel to light up individually. Instead of illuminating the entire screen to show pictures, each LED in an OLED screen can turn on and off on their own.

This simply means that OLED TVs produce “true” blacks by turning off the LEDs, without affecting the LEDs beside them.

QLED Screens

Meanwhile, QLED stands for “quantum-dot light-emitting diode.” Unlike OLED screens, the pixels on QLED screens don’t have a carbon-based film and can’t light up on their own. Instead, the quantum dots (which are like mini semiconductors) are able to filter the white backlight to reproduce color.

The light filtering process creates brighter colors and sharper pictures. Moreover, they don’t suffer from the “burn-in” problem that OLED TVs have. (Burn-in is where a part of an image—usually those that appear in a consistent area, such as a TV station logo—gets “burned” into the screen. It leaves an after-image even if there’s something else being shown.)

Which Is Better: OLED or QLED?

Like any other product comparison question, the answer to the OLED versus QLED debate is “it’s up to you.” Each has its own unique strengths, which means one can cater to different viewing preferences.

•  OLED Pros: Better for Blacks and Contrast

As previously mentioned, OLED TVs are able to produce true blacks. This makes them ideal for TV viewers who prefer high-contrast displays. The sharp contrast of OLED TVs also allows you to see more and sharper details, which can be helpful when watching movies with a lot of elements on-screen or when playing video games.

OLED TVs also have near-uniform viewing angles. Even if you watch from the sides, you won’t experience any fidelity loss from the images. What’s more, because OLED TVs don’t have the need for white backlights, they can be designed so much thinner. If you’re looking for sleek TVs, OLED is the way to go.

• QLED Pros: Better for Bright Colors

If you prefer bright, vibrant colors in your TV display, it’s better to go for a QLED TV. This is especially true if your TV is located in a bright room or if you play a lot of HDR content.

Another advantage of QLED TVs? Their size range. Most OLED TVs produced by popular TV brands usually start at 48 inches. As such, the price can be a little prohibitive. However, with QLED TVs, you can find options as small as 32 inches and as big as 98 inches.  

What’s also surprising is that QLED screens consume less power, even if they provide up to 40% improvement in brightness. This doesn’t mean that OLED TVs are not energy-efficient, however, but rather that QLED TVs consume even less power. The only downside is that, as of the moment, there are only a few TV manufacturers that make QLED TVs so you might be limited brand-wise.

As you can see, both OLED and QLED TVs are excellent when it comes to the display quality even if they use different technologies. In this case, determining which one is better would depend on your budget, personal preferences, as well as the amount of space you have at home.