LG TVs are popular among audiences due to their stunning visuals. With the increasing availability of HDR content on streaming services such as Disney, Amazon, Netflix, and Twitch, LG TV knows how to level up by introducing new tech to the market. Since LG released its first batch of QNED TVs, it has quickly become the talk of the town.
But is QNED beating the OLED competition with superior quality? Or is QNED just vaporware? In today’s article, we’ll look at QNED vs. OLED standard. With full comparisons, specs, and pricing information, we’ll arm you with all the information you need to spot the differences. Let’s get to it!
QNED vs. OLED: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Main Difference When rated on a scale of 1-10 | OLED | QNED |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast | 10 | 8.5 |
| SDR Brightness | 6.7 | 8.6 |
| PC Monitor | 8.7 | 8.6 |
| HDR Gaming | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| HDR Movies | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| TV Shows | 8.2 | 8.0 |
| Mixed Usage | 8.8 | 8.1 |
QNED vs. OLED: What’s the Difference?
While QNED and OLED both have advantages and disadvantages, OLED is a better choice for gamers and Netflix fans because it offers near-perfect blacks, better contrast, and superior refresh rates. OLED also offers better viewing angles so people can watch more clearly what’s on-screen without affecting the screen quality.
OLED’s properties also make it ideal for dimly lit rooms. So what does QNED bring to the table if OLED is still superior? The most notable difference is improved performance in harsh lighting conditions, like brightly lit and sunny rooms.
It produces a varied and accurate image with excellent brightness, impressive HDR performance, and impactful color accuracy. However, the black uniformity on the screen may create an issue for some buyers.
Prices and Available models
If you’re looking for the best TV deals, LG offers OLED TVs in multiple sizes as follows:
OLED TV sizes
- 42-inch costs $1,399.
- 48-inch costs $1499.
- 55-inch costs $1,500 and $2,000
- 65-inch costs $1,647
- 77-inch costs $2500-$3000
- 83-inch costs $4,999
- 88-inch costs $19,00 – $29,000
- 97-inch costs $25,000
While the QNED is currently available in the following sizes:
QNED TV sizes
- 32-inch costs $284.99 to $429.99
- 43-inch costs $1500
- 50-inch costs $1533
- 55-inch costs $1,164, up to $3,999.99 for all sizes up to 97 inches
One significant advantage of QNED and LCD over OLED is the cost of mainstream sizes larger than 65 inches. Large televisions are the market’s fastest-growing segment and show no signs of slowing down. 77-inch OLED TVs cost $2,500, which is significantly more than most 75-inch QNED TVs, and the difference is even more pronounced in larger sizes.
QNED Design
- The fifth generation α7 AI Processor uses algorithms to automatically adjust the sound and picture as you watch
- Quantum Dot NanoCell Color Technology delivers more vivid and accurate colors
- Supports HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision
- FreeSync Premium, VRR, Auto Low-Latency Mode, and HGiG compliance
- 120Hz refresh rate for colorful and sharp images
The LG QNED Mini LED is designed to look stunning and hangs almost flush against the wall. It is a super slim design optimized for wall mounting. The LG QNED Mini LED Cinema Screen is intended to deliver the most immersive viewing experience possible.
The enormous display with tiny bezels offers an even more extended viewing area and maximizes your content for a captivating sight. The QNED LED has a metal finish to give off a premium vibe. Also, the screen is flat throughout, with no curves.
The stands are basic, but they do an excellent job supporting the TV. Also, If you do not plan on wall-mounting the TV, have a large table at your disposal. The stands are placed quite wide apart, almost at the terminal ends of the TV. The lower border of the screen stands 2.5″ tall from the base, so you can easily adjust sound equipment without it blocking the view.
The posterior aspect of the TV provides a plain outlook. One of the helpful features here is that the inputs are easily accessible from the sides, even when the TV is wall-mounted. The presence of two clips makes cable management relatively easy.
OLED Design
Since the LG OLED is a self-lit technology that does not require bulky backlighting, it opens up a new world of TV design possibilities. As a result, you get incredibly thin constructions and thin bezels. LG OLED TVs have a sleek design with a luxury feel, and the silver metal back adds to that effect.
The borders measure 0.35″ inches, so expect an almost edge-to-edge display. Also, the TV is relatively thin because it measures only 1.22″ in thickness. As with the QNED TVs, the OLED TVs also require a more expansive table because the stands are wide apart.
But the stands are of top-notch metal quality that supports the TV exceptionally well and does not wobble. However, unlike QNED models, the entire frame is not metal. Only the upper half of the back and front of the stand is metal. The rest of the structure is of solid plastic.
The posterior part looks plain too. As we discussed, an upper metal part supports and holds the panel, and a lower plastic part for the inputs. The HDMI and other inputs are also rear-facing; if you plan to suspend the TV from the wall, you might have difficulty accessing those ports. The thickness, too, is slightly more significant than the QNED models and measures 1.93″.
Display
OLED displays make use of emissive panel technology. Whereas QNEDs use more advanced versions of transmissive backlit TVs (LED/LCD models). This means that while you’ll almost certainly see bright, vibrant colors while looking at a quantum dot TV, the TV still uses a backlight, and you won’t notice the same unblemished viewing angles.
Having a TV that offers the advantage of quantum dots is undeniable. TVs employ an “additive color” digital light color production process in which grayscale hues (blacks, greys, and whites) are created by mixing up the primary colors, red, blue, and green.
Quantum dots significantly improve red and green color saturation, allowing modern TVs to compete and surpass any other existing technology. Quantum dots could also be the only reason behind the survival of LED and LCD technologies in this era of HDR.
These TVs also use an additive color, allowing for higher light volumes to saturate your colors even further. Additionally, TVs that use quantum dots offer a higher level of brightness. This is due to LED TV’s color saturation going hand in hand with its backlight brightness. As a result, QLED TVs are brighter than the competition, often twice as bright as OLED TVs.
Performance
OLED shows up clearly brighter than other LCD-based displays with a backlight structure. OLED televisions have nearly perfectly uniform screens that retain fidelity from all but the most extreme angles.
Talking about the color resolution, while most QNED and OLED displays have a similar resolution of 4K, both can reach much higher resolutions. Neither tech has significant differences in video or color processing, but OLED wins based on most user reports.
Considering the brightness factor, the most impressive QNED and LCD TVs are more attractive than any other type of TV. This is great for watching TV in really bright rooms. However, OLED TVs are still bright enough for most rooms, and they prove to have a better HDR image due to their superior contrast ability.
Features
- INTELLIGENT TV PROCESSING – The Cognitive Processor XR understands how humans see the real world to deliver intense contrast with deep blacks, high peak brightness, and natural colors.
- OLED CONTRAST – XR OLED Contrast Pro technology allows you to feel the beauty of OLED with immersive depth and realism, pure black, and lifelike brightness. Compare to other OLED TVs and decide for...
- Get the full effect of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X with Sony’s Vertical Surround Engine, S-Force PRO Front Surround and 360 Spatial Sound Mapping
- 360 Spatial Sound that adapts to your environment available with optional rear speakers
OLED screens are much more prone to burn in when compared to QNED or LCD screens. Burn-in occurs when a persistent part of an image remains as a ghostly background regardless of what appears on the screen. This can include a news ticker, a scorecard, or even a channel logo.
It is a problem if you watch Fox News, ESPN, or MSNBC for several hours every day and don’t watch enough other programs. However, as long as you vary what is displayed, you should never experience burn-in.
As a smart TV, QNED comes with smart webOS that LG redesigned in 2021, which displays a complete home page with all the apps. It only takes two seconds to launch YouTube and up to six seconds to change the backlight. Like their QNED counterparts, OLEDs also have the LG content store with tons of streaming apps available.
The option of casting content from your iPhone or laptop is always available too. You can use Chromecast, Roku, and even an Amazon Firestick, but you won’t have to stretch since these apps are available through the TV’s intelligent operating system. For both QNED and OLED, the days of plugging in a streaming device are over.
QNED vs. OLED: 4 Must-Know Facts
- QNED TVs use dimmable LEDs, while OLED TVs use organic, carbon-based material, focusing on better or no color.
- Individual pixels on OLED TVs can be turned off; they produce the best black screen, whereas QNED pixels can only be dimmed.
- OLED TV has superior picture quality, making it ideal for customers who require high-quality images. However, QNED TVs are excellent alternatives for those who do not want to spend a fortune.
- QNED beats OLED when it comes to brightness level.
QNED vs. OLED: Which One Is Better?
LG released QNED TVs to compete with older technologies, and even though they are slightly newer than OLED, OLED TVs remain the best on the market. The most significant difference between QLED and OLED is independent dimming control.
QNED TVs use dimmable lightbulbs, resulting in independent dimming zones. OLED TVs are created from carbon-based organic materials, which are able to recreate a broader range of colors or even none at all.
Additionally, OLED TVs are capable of turning off individual pixels, resulting in some of the best blacks. Overall, OLED TVs have superior picture quality, making them ideal for customers requiring high-quality images and video playback.
However, QNED TVs are excellent alternatives for buyers who don’t want to overpay or shell out a fortune for a massive OLED TV. Since the tech is still relatively new, we can expect the price declines to continue as improvements are made.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©PradeepGaurs/Shutterstock.com.
