However, is the premium price tag for these TVs justified? And should you consider one even if you already have an OLED TV? Read on to understand why a QD-OLED TV is a worthwhile investment.
What Is a QD-OLED TV?
In layman’s terms, QD-OLED TV is an OLED TV with a quantum dot layer in front of the blue pixels instead of a color filter used by conventional W-OLED TVs. For years, LG Display has been the sole manufacturer of all the W-OLED TV panels that we’ve seen from TV makers like Sony, Vizio, Panasonic, etc. However, these new QD-OLED panels are exclusively made by Samsung Display.
Using a quantum dot layer instead of a color filter comes with a slew of benefits, and as a result, QD-OLED panels promise the best picture quality we’ve seen from OLED TVs to date. So, let’s look at everything they offer and why you should consider buying one.
1. Better Brightness Levels Than OLED TVs
One of the biggest disadvantages of OLED TVs has been that they couldn’t compete in the brightness department, especially against Samsung’s QLED televisions that could go well above 1,500 nits. Although LG Display has improved the brightness of its W-OLED panels in recent years, conventional OLED TVs still cannot hit the gold standard of 1,000 nits when it comes to peak brightness levels.
Thankfully, since QD-OLED TVs use a quantum dot layer instead of a color filter that cuts down the brightness levels of conventional OLED panels, they can deliver superior peak brightness levels, upwards of 1,000 nits. Sure, that’s still no match for Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs that hit close to 2,000 nits on some models, but it’s still ample for a top-class HDR viewing experience.
2. Better Color Volume Than OLED TVs
Another benefit of the quantum dot layer in QD-OLED panels is that it can display saturated colors even at higher brightness levels. Conventional OLED TVs cover only 80% of the color volume of the P3 color space, whereas the new QD-OLED displays go well beyond that and cover 100%. Simply put, these TVs can reproduce more color in the brightest areas of the picture.
Sure, Samsung’s own QLED TVs may still offer better color volume since they can go even brighter, but this has never been achieved on an OLED display before. One could argue that Samsung has bridged the gap between OLEDs and QLEDs with its new QD-OLED display technology.
3. Low Input Latency and Near-Instant Response Times for Gamers
OLED technology is still at the heart of the new QD-OLED panels, and because of the self-emitting pixels, you can expect near-instant response times below 1ms, which is critical for gamers. As a result, you don’t experience ghosting on these displays during fast-motion scenes.
QLEDs, on the other hand, deliver sub-5ms response times, making them no match for these QD-OLED panels in terms of sheer motion clarity. And as for input lag, the new QD-OLED TVs match the competing OLED and QLED displays, so competitive gamers can rest assured that they aren’t making any sacrifices. Just make sure you use the dedicated game mode setting before booting up your console.
4. True Black Levels
Once again, QD-OLED TVs still use self-emitting OLED technology, meaning the individual pixels can shut off completely based on the content on the screen. You cannot get darker blacks than 0 nits. This is one area where QLED TVs cannot match since they use an LED or mini-LED backlighting that cannot turn off as OLEDs do.
Although Samsung has improved its QLED technology over the years, even the highest-end models with full-array local dimming let some light through. Furthermore, you’d notice blooming around bright objects on a dark background, which is pretty noticeable when the lights are off. You wouldn’t face such issues on an OLED or QD-OLED TV as they do not have dimming zones.
5. Competitive Pricing
When Sony and Samsung announced their first QD-OLED TVs early in 2022, people expected them to cost much more than the current-gen W-OLED models. Fortunately, that’s not the case, as Samsung has priced its S95B QD-OLED TV competitively at $1,999 and $2,799 for the 55-inch and 65-inch models, respectively.
In comparison, LG’s flagship G2 OLED evo TV costs $1,999 and $2,999 for the 55-inch and 65-inch variants. So, you’re not paying a penny more for the newer QD-OLED technology if you’re buying it from Samsung. However, on the other hand, Sony charges a premium for its A95K QD-OLED TV, costing $2,999 and $3,999 for the 55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes.
One important thing to note is that Samsung’s QLED and QD-OLED TVs do not support Dolby Vision and rely on HDR10+ so that the company doesn’t have to pay licensing fees. So, if you want a wider array of HDR content, you’ll need to pay the premium price tag that Sony is charging you.
Should You Upgrade From an OLED TV?
It depends on how old your OLED TV is. As mentioned earlier, conventional OLED technology has improved greatly in recent years. For instance, the new OLED evo panels from LG are noticeably brighter than its older panels. In some scenarios, the LG G2 hits a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, which is a remarkable feat for a W-OLED panel.
If you own a high-end OLED TV from 2020 or later, you may not notice that big of a jump in terms of brightness levels and picture quality for the price. So, we suggest you wait for the second generation of QD-OLED TVs or for the prices to drop. However, if you have an older model, it might be worth swapping it out for a new QD-OLED TV from Sony or Samsung.
QD-OLED TVs Bring the Best of OLED and QLED Technologies
So far, OLED TVs have dominated when it comes to black levels, and QLED TVs have been miles ahead in the brightness department. But Samsung’s new QD-OLED panel incorporates the strengths of both OLED and QLED technologies to deliver the best picture quality that we’ve ever seen in a mainstream television set.
Considering this is a first-generation display technology, you can only expect it to improve in the coming years. So, we are excited to see what more Samsung can do to narrow the gap between OLED and QLED TVs.
