QLED or OLED, what is the difference?

Are you thinking of upgrading your TV but you’re unsure whether you should go for LED, QLED or OLED? What are the differences? Hopefully we can help.

Consider your room, if it’s a kitchen or bedroom and you’re not watching it as much then an LED TV would be absolutely fine. Most are 4K and will give you a decent picture and are pretty much good for everyday usage. If it’s for gaming or movie nights then you might want to consider something a bit punchier.

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode)

This means that is uses a carbon-based film between 2 conductors that emits it’s own light when an electric current is passed through. Exciting right?

It’s a completely unique technology compared to QLED which is a variation of what is already out there. You’ll get a great colour contrast and the blacks will be blacker as the 2 pixels can appear next to each other without affecting the other. There isn’t a backlight like traditional LEDs so the black pixels are completely switched off when they’re off.

As it doesn’t need a backlight, the screens can be extremely thin and can even be pliable.

OLED is made by LG Display but it also sells the panels to other companies so you’ll see them in Sony, Panasonic and Philips screens too.

QLED (Quantum Dot emitting Diode)

QLED is a variation of existing technology and still makes use of a back light but don’t let that reduce it’s appeal, it’s very good tech. The Quantum Dots are still emitting light and will give you a beautiful range of colours, it’s just that the light is passed through via a back light like an LED does.

It does seem like Samsung may change in the future though with the launch of the Neo-QLED on it’s premium models which uses smaller LEDs which means the contrast will be higher.

So what’s the best?

Well both are great, there are differences in all the models so have a good look first. You’ll get a great contrast with the OLED but as the tech is sold to other companies, they’ll all work slightly differently. It also depends on what you’re using it for, OLEDs tend to work better for gaming due to the dark colour contrast and quick movements. QLEDs tend to be a bit brighter so good for sitting rooms, where the family are getting together to watch something.

The Samsung models of QLED will give a great, bright picture with fantastic saturation but it’s worth going for a newer model such as the QN95A or the Q90 8K HDR Smart TV. This will work well if you’ve got a nice, bright room as the colours will really pop. Your colour variation will be great and the contrast is still good too so think about your room and surroundings when picking.

Obviously we can set it up to it's maximum viewing, wall mount it and configure the settings so it's just right for you but also have a look at our Smart TV guide to help with setting up if you're doing it yourself.

As always though, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’re unsure of what you’re picking and we can help!