QLED vs OLED vs LED TVs

[Nikhil]

QLED vs OLED vs LED TVs: Which one is the best?

If you're shopping for a TV in 2025, chances are you're facing a very difficult battle: QLED vs OLED. But what do these terms actually mean, and more importantly, how can you use this information to make the right buying decision?

www.rtings.com

Sharing a pretty decent article online which is a good primer on all that you need to know about the different technologies in TVs today.




The article goes on to elaborate the various parameters that can help determine our choice.

	LED	QLED	OLED
Black Level	Excellent	Excellent	Perfect
Gray Uniformity	Decent	Decent	Excellent
Brightness	Great	Excellent	Decent
Color Gamut	Good	Excellent	Great
Viewing Angle	Poor	Poor	Excellent
Image Retention	Excellent	Excellent	Poor
Motion Blur	Good	Great	Perfect
Price and Availability	Excellent	Great	Decent

Note: The article is US based but has good information for anyone looking to purchase a new TV.
As of now the article was last updated on Feb 2021 which is fairly current on the information available out there.

Hope this useful for those who are looking for information on TV technology and the different parameters.

Regards


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[Donivlapog]

Thanks for sharing. Those parameters summarises it. This QLED is taken as a third category which is encapsulated by the LCD/LED technology, I thought Samsung did well by selling old wine in a new bottle however they have even made it so popular to be pinned down as a new technology!

 

[sanjivnayak]

Out of 8 parameters QLED is better in 6 than OLED.

 

[VRavichandar]

I have a Samsung QLED and it is perfect for my room which is bright in the day and dark at night. Only grouse can be viewing angle. But I rarely sit at the side of the TV to watch it!

 

[sachin.shiva]

If Budget is less LED, Moderate Budget-QLED, Budget no Constraint-OLED.
If you have budget & interest and urge to owe tv go for OLED always best. Will not regret for that extra amount provided you have 4k content,netflix, and gaming rigs like ps4, XBOX, ETC

 

[Donivlapog]

I just went from a bright LED TV(kinda similar to Quantum dots - triluminous display it is called) to an OLED and still getting used to this. I somehow found the LED was strainy to the eyes in dark settings and needed a bias lighting or the eyes had a searing pain. This OLED although not bright and crushes blacks (Greys actually), in dark settings is wonderful watching movies. Already tried Gravity, Everest etc... My 9300D gave me a headache but this TV LG CX is good with the eyes. QLED also is a bright technology. Might not be appealing to some.

 

[Yogesh]

Out of 8 parameters QLED is better in 6 than OLED.

I guess it is 4-4.

 

[jai1611]

Out of 8 parameters QLED is better in 6 than OLED.

Seems 4 - 4

	QLED	OLED	Better
Black Level	Excellent	Perfect	OLED
Gray Uniformity	Decent	Excellent	OLED
Brightness	Excellent	Decent	QLED
Color Gamut	Excellent	Great	QLED
Viewing Angle	Poor	Excellent	OLED
Image Retention	Excellent	Poor	QLED
Motion Blur	Great	Perfect	OLED
Price and Availability	Great	Decent	QLED

 

[fLUX]

Out of 8 parameters QLED is better in 6 than OLED.

How so , I see 2 perfects for OLED and 2 Excellent making it a 4 on 8 in terms of trumps over QLED. However what you are hinting out is true, that the above article seems to suggest QLED is a better overall product than OLED.

Just to give an end user perspective owning both TVs of the 2017 model (QA7F and C7) , the brightness seems to work in favor of the QLED for quiet a few sporting events but apart from that the OLED seems way better for OTT & content streamed from the PC. There are enough user & professional reviews on both so I will not stress further on the PQ.

Another important aspect which is service where LG has clearly trumped Samsung for me. To my ill fate both TVs went dead after the standard warranty period, was surprising to see TVs go bad so fast when our previous Samsung LCD TV lasted a good 10years+ and these are considered their top of the line series. LG made a workaround offer where they could offer me a 2 year extended warranty at a cost and provide a replacement panel for free which I gladly took and have my C7 serve me for at least another 2 years. Samsung refused to entertain any such thing & was quoted a ridiculous 65k for replacement panel whereas a new QLED starts at about 85-90k , to add there was just a 6 month warranty on the panel. What hurt even more was no one was willing to take a stand and either close or escalate the issue, went round & round for 5 long months before I decided it was pointless and we are using the TV as is till it completely goes bad.

 

[lightgamer]

Seems 4 - 4

	QLED	OLED	Better
Black Level	Excellent	Perfect	OLED
Gray Uniformity	Decent	Excellent	OLED
Brightness	Excellent	Decent	QLED
Color Gamut	Excellent	Great	QLED
Viewing Angle	Poor	Excellent	OLED
Image Retention	Excellent	Poor	QLED
Motion Blur	Great	Perfect	OLED
Price and Availability	Great	Decent	QLED

Not to mention that the price thing is actually not an advantage in India for QLED. Samsung's top-end QLED TVs are in fact more expensive than LG's OLED TVs. The Q90R was priced almost twice what the C9 was, and the Q95T actually increased in price over Q80R (which it succeeded).

Also, the colour gamut is wider on modern OLEDs even in rtings own testing. OLEDs like GX/CX go to about 97-98% DCI-P3 coverage which I don't think any QLED has achieved. From their own comparison of CX v/s Q90T(same TV as Q95T).

Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED vs LG CX OLED Side-by-Side TV Comparison

The LG CX OLED is a better TV for most uses than the Samsung Q90T QLED, though the Q90Tstill performs excellent overall. The LG has perfect blacks thanks to its OLED panel and has excellent viewing angles and better motion handling. It also has much better gray uniformity and has a wider color...

www.rtings.com

 

[sanjivnayak]

Agreed with @fLUX on that point of aftersales service of Samsung going bad. But TV segment in general is more or less like that. The panel is way expensive. But OLED is good for use as a monitor and also very very costly. So I prefer a QLED for colour richness and it is cheaper.

 

[jai1611]

My perspective as a current OLED owner and past plasma owner, who has been relooking at the landscape recently:
- When I was looking for an upgrade from my Panasonic plasma three years back, OLED PQ was head and shoulders above similarly priced QLED / LED options
- Recent store visits throw up a couple of observations - first, OLED PQ hasnt really seen much change over the past few years. Second, QLED / LED PQ has caught up at similar prices
- In the current landscape, the decision between OLED and other options would largely come down to the room (how bright) and potentially, content

I may still end up with another OLED because Samsung / Sony have grossly neglected GSync compatibility - even on their HDMI 2.1/120hz options. The main living room TV would eventually shift to LED whenever the upgrade bug bytes

 

[invisiblebond]

one more excellent website: Display Daily

It was free, now paid but if you register there are plenty of free articles!

 

[Nikhil]

My perspective as a current OLED owner and past plasma owner, who has been relooking at the landscape recently:
- When I was looking for an upgrade from my Panasonic plasma three years back, OLED PQ was head and shoulders above similarly priced QLED / LED options
- Recent store visits throw up a couple of observations - first, OLED PQ hasnt really seen much change over the past few years. Second, QLED / LED PQ has caught up at similar prices
- In the current landscape, the decision between OLED and other options would largely come down to the room (how bright) and potentially, content

I may still end up with another OLED because Samsung / Sony have grossly neglected GSync compatibility - even on their HDMI 2.1/120hz options. The main living room TV would eventually shift to LED whenever the upgrade bug bytes

That's interesting. I am looking for a 65 - 75 inch TV for my living room. OLED pricing is way up for this size.
A decent QLED might work out for casual viewing (mostly sports and the occasional movie).


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[jai1611]

That's interesting. I am looking for a 65 - 75 inch TV for my living room. OLED pricing is way up for this size.
A decent QLED might work out for casual viewing (mostly sports and the occasional movie).


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I'd only looked at 55 inch so don't know if the analysis holds at larger sizes. That said, I suspect a QLED or Sony offering may work well

 

[Donivlapog]

@Nikhil, you get Sony 9500H for about 2.75 lakhs, the best 75" TV in current TV market for living rooms. It is FALD, triluminous, very bright TV. Additionally it uses the X1 ultimate picture processor that upscales and smoothens better than most other processors in current market. If you wish to buy a 8000H 75" for a lakh lesser in price, you might find it unusually colourful - artificial almost to regional channels. You will get sick and tired of that excessive unwanted colours. So you may choose to put upfront some amount and pay through installments and get yourself the 9500H 75" with an 18 month EMI of 5k or less a month on top. Or the 65" Sony 9000H for about a lakh and a few thousands. Bajaj finance gives one month's emi benefit as well plus you could bargain in stores like real hard as 21 lineups are coming soon and they want to clear stocks.

 

[lightgamer]

That's interesting. I am looking for a 65 - 75 inch TV for my living room. OLED pricing is way up for this size.
A decent QLED might work out for casual viewing (mostly sports and the occasional movie).

If you're looking for 65", an OLED during Diwali sales (you can get around 1.5-1.6 lakhs) would be a great option. However, if you're looking for 75" TV, then as @Donivlapog suggested the X9500H is an excellent option as OLEDs currently get way too expensive at that size.

I do expect 77" OLEDs to come down below 3 lakhs this year if the global trends are anything to go by, but that's speculation.

 

[crashnburn]

I just went from a bright LED TV(kinda similar to Quantum dots - triluminous display it is called) to an OLED and still getting used to this. I somehow found the LED was strainy to the eyes in dark settings and needed a bias lighting or the eyes had a searing pain. This OLED although not bright and crushes blacks (Greys actually), in dark settings is wonderful watching movies. Already tried Gravity, Everest etc... My 9300D gave me a headache but this TV LG CX is good with the eyes. QLED also is a bright technology. Might not be appealing to some.

The question then is, .. can excess brightness in a dark room watching be troublesome for ones yes?

Some things to think about individually before chasing the High nits/ brightness? I have f.lux-ed all my PC work to low / warm.

PS: A doc friend of my dad used to say, never to watch TV in full dark room.. Unnatural stark difference for eyes & not good.
(movie theaters had to do it due to projections being washed if they dont)

 

[Donivlapog]

From what I observed an OLED panel in dark room does not strain the eyes too much. This is coming off from a bright LED TV 9300D. Even if it is not cathode rays still it is backlighting and not like self emitting source of organic material based light.

 

[crashnburn]

There in also lies the difference in Eye strain.. from Back lit screens vs Kindle e Reader type front lit screens.

Projection surfaces are not light sources o backlit but FRONT Lit surfaces.

I'd think similar notion may apply here.

No one in any culture ever recommends looking directly at a Source of light for long time; Stare at Sun/ Mirror reflecting Sun? No. Stare at Bulb/ Tubelight No. ... Our EYES naturally go in defensive mode.

Only controlled very limited focused Sun exposure I've ever done was a careful Ayurveda procedure for eyes.

May be instead of fousing on dark room tech, we need to focus on "front lit" tech instead of back lit.