Side-by-Side Comparison
Panel Types
QLED vs. TFT LCD
Comparing 2 standards across 7 specifications. 7 key differences identified.
Comparing:
QLED
TFT LCD
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.
TFT LCD refers to the active-matrix driving technology used by virtually all modern LCD panels -- one thin-film transistor per subpixel controlling its voltage -- not a specific alignment type like TN, VA, or IPS, which are all built on a TFT backplane.
Specification Comparison Table
7 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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) | — |
|
Technology Type
|
— | Active-matrix driving layer (not a panel alignment type) |
|
Mechanism
|
— | One thin-film transistor per subpixel |
|
Key Milestones
|
— | 1962: first TFT built (RCA) | 1973: first working TFT-LCD (Westinghouse) |