OLED vs. QLED
Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 12 key differences identified.
OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) panels are self-emissive -- each pixel produces its own light and switches fully off for true black -- eliminating the backlight every LCD type requires. Response times run near-instantaneous, but organic material degradation makes burn-in a real, documented long-term risk.
QLED, despite its OLED-like name, is not a self-emissive technology -- it's a conventional LED-backlit LCD panel with a quantum-dot film added between the backlight and the LCD layer to produce more precise color. Samsung introduced it in 2017; it still requires a backlight and has the same blooming limitations as other backlit LCDs.
Specification Comparison Table
12 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Contrast Ratio
|
∞ : 1 (Infinite contrast) | — |
|
Viewing Angle
|
178° / 178° (Flawless off-axis) | — |
|
Response Time (GtG)
|
< 0.03–0.1 ms (Near-instant) | — |
|
Color Gamut Coverage
|
100% sRGB / 98–99% DCI-P3 / 75–80% Rec.2020 | — |
|
Peak Brightness
|
800–1,300 nits (Small 3% window HDR) / 200–250 nits (Full field) | — |
|
Burn-in Risk
|
Moderate (Requires pixel cleaning / static mitigation) | — |
|
Backlight / Emissive Type
|
Self-Emissive Organic Diodes (No backlight) | — |
|
Black Level / Minimum Luminance
|
Absolute Zero (0.000 nits, true black) | — |
|
Underlying Technology
|
— | LED-backlit LCD (typically VA) + quantum-dot color-conversion film |
|
Self-Emissive
|
— | No -- requires a backlight, same as any other LCD |
|
Introduced
|
— | CES 2017 (Samsung) |
|
Not To Be Confused With
|
— | OLED (self-emissive, no backlight) |