When shopping for the latest high-end TVs, your main two options are to buy a Neo QLED or OLED TV. Both offer excellent features and image quality, so you can't go wrong no matter which one you choose. However, both have different pros and cons, so it's important to know what you're getting.
We've taken a look at what you need to know and broken it down accordingly.
Excellent brightness levels
Use Mini-LED backlight
8K model available
good viewing angle
Best-in-class pure black even in places with little light
superior perspective
Best for use in darkrooms
Infinite contrast
Both Neo QLED and OLED TVs are significant improvements over previous TVs. They offer better brightness and viewing angles, and they work so well that they even offer advantages over 4K TVs. If you're upgrading from an HDTV, you might not believe your eyes.
However, both have different advantages and disadvantages. For example, Neo QLED is often considered the best option for gamers because it offers higher brightness than OLED without the risk of screen burn-in that OLED does. However, if you watch movies with a lot of dark scenes or watch TV in a dark room, OLED will provide a better experience and be better able to handle low-light conditions.
Which TV panel is best for you mainly depends on how you plan to use it.
New QLEDResponse time between 2 and 8 ms
Ideal brightness for gaming
High-precision lighting area
Response time is about 0.1ms
Risk of aging when used extensively
Self-illuminating pixels handle fast-moving images well
Playing games or watching movies often requires more from the TV and shows how good (or bad) the panel is. Neo QLED and OLED both look great, but there are some fundamental differences.
Neo QLED provides highly precise lighting zones, so it's useful if you play vibrant and colorful games like Fortnite. In contrast, OLED is best suited for games that look darker (like Elden Ring) or movies that have a lot of dark scenes (like The Batman).
Since OLED's response time is almost non-existent, it's best suited for fast-moving scenes. This is not to say that the Neo QLED is not good at gaming/movies, but that the QLED is better of the two.
In the past, OLED panels have suffered from screen burn, which meant that if you left the TV on the same scene or menu for hours, it could become permanently imprinted on the screen. This is less of an issue than it used to be, but some people may still be concerned depending on how they use their TV.
New QLEDMiniLED backlight
Peak brightness approximately 2,000 nits
Higher contrast ratio for better color control
Up to 8K resolution
Excellent color reproduction when viewing content
Peak brightness is approximately 700 nits
Better viewing angles than Neo QLED
No matter what your plans are for your TV, Neo QLED and OLED will look great. Neo QLED is generally best used in bright rooms. Thanks to its Mini-LED backlight and its ability to produce higher brightness, it's ideal for bright and airy TV room settings.
In comparison, OLED is best suited for darker environments, but it offers better color reproduction to the viewer. It also has excellent viewing angles, although this is unlikely to be a major issue unless you're sitting at an awkward angle to the TV.
To future-proof it, Samsung has launched an 8K Neo QLED model, but it can't be expected to have much source material to test just yet.
New QLEDTypically cheaper per inch
Varies by region
The most expensive model is more affordable than its Neo QLED counterpart
Varies by region
Neo QLED and OLED pricing is changing daily, with sales events further changing the cost of new TVs. Generally speaking, Neo QLED is cheaper on a price-per-inch basis, but when it comes to the highest-end options, OLED is more affordable.
In either case, these TVs aren't impulse buys, but prices for both technologies are steadily dropping.
No matter which one you choose, you can't lose. OLED offers a better visual experience, but mainly in a dark room. In brighter rooms, Neo QLED will have an advantage. Again, if you're looking for something with wide viewing angles, OLED is best, but the Neo QLED looks great when viewed from the front.
For gamers, OLED is the best choice due to the non-existent response time, but they may be concerned that leaving a game on the same screen for too long could cause image retention. The Neo QLED circumvents this problem while also looking great when playing particularly vibrant games.
8K is Neo QLED's biggest asset right now, but with the enhancements of OLED, that's slowly changing. Ultimately, no matter which one you choose, you'll get an image that's better than traditional 4K.
Neo QLED is a new type of QLED TV. It stands for New Quantum Dot LED. Neo QLED TVs use quantum dot filters to increase the contrast and color vibrancy of images. Neo QLED is an advanced form of QLED technology.
Neo QLED TV improves on QLED TV. They provide Mini LED backlighting and a quantum matrix layer to control the brightness of the LEDs and Neo Quantum AI processor. Neo QLED also offers superior viewing angles, maintaining color and contrast even at wider angles.
OLED is an advanced form of LED. It stands for organic light-emitting diode. LEDs use a backlight to provide light to the pixels, while OLEDs use organic materials made of hydrocarbon chains that emit light when in contact with electricity.
