What is QLED? - TV tech explained

Most people are probably well-acquainted with what LED technology is.

21:46 25 July 2022

Most people are probably well-acquainted with what LED technology is. Standing for light emitting diode, LED technology is a common part of TVs, computer screens and lighting thanks to its bright colours and energy-efficient design. 

 

There’s more than just standard LED TVs though, QLED is just one of a number of recent developments in TV technology and it’s worth understanding to see if it’s right for your next smart TV.

 

So, before you go off searching for the best 43 inch-TV on What’s the Best, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with QLED and whether it’s the right thing for you. 

 

We’re breaking it down, cutting out the jargon and exploring whether a QLED is the right option for you.

 

QLED explained

The ‘Q’ in QLED stands for Quantum-Dots, which sounds very scientific and complex. Thankfully it’s not, it’s actually rather simple to understand once you know how an LED TV works.

 

All LED TVs feature a bank of LED lights that project onto an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display, A QLED simply has a small layer of quantum dots between the two that filter light and help create better colours. 

 

Made from phosphorescent nanocrystals, this layer responds to electricity and light to produce the three primary colours: red, blue and green. This in turn enhances the projected colours for stunning picture quality.

 

QLED TVs are renowned for visual richness and depth of their colour spectrums, QLED TVs are capable of displaying over one billion shades of colour for awe-inspiring picture quality. Partnered with a 4K display and HDR (High Dynamic Range), QLED TVs are quite possibly the best TVs for picture quality on sale today. 

 

Energy consumption is greater than a standard LED TV thanks to the powerful backlight that’s required to work with the quantum dots which may put some off. 

 

QLED TVs also come with a price premium over standard LED TVs, they’re the ultimate option if you’re really into films and getting the best possible TV quality possible but you do pay a premium. 

 

Samsung is an industry leader for QLED technology, but other brands have began to produce QLED TVs too, and prices are starting to decrease.

 

Are there any other alternatives?

The main alternative is OLED. Here the ‘O’ stands for Organic to make Organic Light Emitting Diode. This technology bypasses the need for a backlight, OLED screens are self-illuminating which makes them very energy-efficient while still delivering excellent picture quality. 

 

While the colour isn’t quite up to the standards of a QLED TV, OLED TVs still look better than regular LED TVs and have amazing colour range.

 

The main benefit to OLED is the ridiculously quick refresh rate, which makes OLED perfect for gaming. QLED has a noticeably (in comparison) slower refresh rate which isn’t ideal for online gaming.

 

Like QLED, OLED has a price premium over regualr LED TVs which may be a little off-putting, but it is the cutting edge of technology.

 

To make it really easy; regualr LED is perfect if you’re on a budget, OLED is the best for gaming and QLED is the champion for watching movies.