Currently, the great battle in the high-end televisions of the market is fought by the OLED panels and QLEDs. OLEDs do not have a backlight, it is the pixels themselves that light up. In the case of QLEDs, we have a panel of quantum dots backlit by a blue LED panel, and the quantum dots filter that light.
QLED and OLED: each with advantages and disadvantages
The OLEDWhen individually controlled, they offer better contrast, with deep blacks and very sharp images. However, the maximum brightness is lower, and they are susceptible to wear over time because these LEDs use organic components. Its durability has been improved, but it is still its main drawback.
In the case of QLED, they have more brightness and durability, but the control by zones of the lighting is still their main drawback. These televisions require resorting to the use of so-called local dimming zones, which turn off parts of the backlight. Mini LED televisions have more and more local dimming zones, offering thousands of more expensive models. However, this generates a so-called blooming effect, with slight halos around the content if the surrounding panels are off, but they do not exactly match the content displayed on the screen.
Therefore, Samsung is already working on the solution to this failure. To begin with, they are launching Micro LED TVs, but they also started manufacturing QD-OLED TVs in December. Now, Sony has been the first manufacturer to announce the first commercial models with this technology.
QD-OLED: Sony is ahead of Samsung
The Sony Bravia XR A95K TV uses Samsung QD-OLED panels, which have only been in the making for a few months. They will be available in two sizes of 55 and 65 inches, both with 4K resolution. Samsung itself was going to announce its first QD-OLED TV, but it seems that Sony has been ahead.
Today’s OLED panels use blue and yellow lighting, and by passing it through filters, they produce red, green and blue sub-pixels. Some televisions have a fourth white sub-pixel for improved brightness.
With QD-OLED, blue light is emitted at the pixels, and some of that light is converted into blue and green by quantum dots no need to use color filters. The blue color is used because it is the one with the most lighting power. With this, a higher energy efficiency, by not having to filter the color, and a higher level of brightness is obtained.
Sony claims that its new QD-OLED televisions offer a 200% higher brightness compared to its OLED models, also improving the viewing angles as there is more luminosity and fewer filter layers ahead. The possibility of suffering burn-in is not eliminated with these panels, but the durability is expected to be greater as the pixels are not at the limit of their performance, in addition to the use of three layers of blue pixels.
The series A90K and A80K Sony continue to use LG panels with OLED Evo technology, but now the company is going to be the only one in the market to have the best technologies from LG and Samsung. You will be curious to see what type of panel ends up looking better.
Sony televisions also feature interesting features, such as a rear panel on the A95K to run cables neatly, or a lifting stand on the A90K to place the soundbar in front of the TV and not obstruct the view. All televisions use Google TV.
The company has also announced Mini LED televisions with the ranges Z9K (8K) and X95K (4K), X90K, X85K and X80K. All new models feature 120Hz panels, and support with gaming technologies like VRR and ALLM. The Bravia Cam, a camera that allows you to control the television through gestures, can also be used on them.