OLED vs QD-OLED [Detailed Comparison]

The new OLED vs QD-OLED differ primarily in the following ways.

With QD-OLED panels, white light is produced without the usage of yellow phosphor because blue OLEDs are also utilised. The three layers of blue OLEDs utilized in this instance emit blue light because there is no phosphor present. Quantum dot nanoparticles are added to the blue light, which is allowed to pass through, on one side to produce the blue hue directly for humans and to create the red and green.

QD-OLED panels feature an infinite contrast ratio and an instantaneous response time speed, just as other OLED panels (such as JOLED and W-RGB OLED by LG).

Wider viewing angles, a broader color gamut, more brightness, and superior burn-in resistance are features of QD-OLED displays, nevertheless.

The sub-pixel arrangements and coatings are additional ways to distinguish these OLED panels.

The quantum dot technology (thus the term “QD-OLED”) improves viewing angles, color gamut, brightness, and burn-in resistance in Samsung’s OLED panels.

The W-BGR OLED panels by LG, which are used in the majority of TVs and monitors, and the JOLED panels by JOLED, which are used in professional-use 27′′ and 32′′ displays, will be compared to QD-OLED panels in this guide.

What is OLED?

Let’s start by examining how what would be a regular OLED TV functions before we look at how QD-OLED works and what makes it so intriguing.

The OLED TV screens that have been available so far have been known as WOLED or White OLED and have been made by LG. The W stands for white and is heavily related to how the traditional OLED technology operates. A yellow phosphor coating is applied on blue organic LED diodes in WOLED panels to create white light, which is then passed through color filters to create the three primary colors of red, green, and blue.

These filters allow for the preservation of a single hue by blocking out various light wavelengths. In light of the fact that this is one of the main distinctions between OLED and QD-OLED technologies, we will now go over the disadvantages of using these filters.

In order to make up for the brightness that is lost when employing these filters, LG’s OLED display augments the red, green, and blue subpixels with a white subpixel. However, OLED panels have never been as bright as LED TVs, even with this fix. At 2% of the screen, a modern WOLED TV can achieve a maximum brightness of 800 nits. The most recent WOLED models with a “Evo” panel and heatsink can achieve that brightness level and even a little bit more, but only briefly and, as we said, in sections of 2%.

As is well known, this brightness is only possible when only a small portion of the screen is white. When the entire screen is white, the brightness lowers to 150 nits in a 100% window.

The ABL (Auto Brightness Limiter) technology, which regulates brightness to prevent early panel wear and minimize burn-in, is responsible for this.

OLED TVs are outstanding in general, which is why they typically receive such positive ratings. They offer perfect black tones, which results in excellent contrast. OLED TVs are the best for watching movies, especially in dimly lit rooms, because they avoid frequent issues with LED TVs like blooming or clouding.

When LG unveiled its “Evo” line of OLED panels in 2021, it made modifications that allowed the brightness to be increased by up to 20% above OLED versions from the previous year.

The selection of OLED TVs with this panel has grown this year, and it is now available in models from other brands, such as Philips or Panasonic, under the moniker “OLED EX.”

OLED vs QD-OLED

Since we now understand how OLED (WOLED) TVs, which up until this point were the standard, operate, we can discuss the variations between Samsung Display’s QD-OLED and LG Display’s WOLED or White OLED.

The organic LED panels used in the new QD-OLED TVs may be turned on and off separately to provide pristine blacks.

In contrast, QD-OLED panels use blue OLEDs instead of yellow phosphor to produce white light, although using blue OLEDs as well. In this instance, three layers of blue OLED are utilized, and since the phosphor is absent, the light emitted is blue. It is possible for blue light to flow through, and on one side, which gives us the color blue directly, Quantum Dot nanoparticles are added. These particles are in charge of producing the colors red and green.

In order to generate an RGB display without a color filter, these quantum dots are positioned in front of the blue OLEDs. When blue light strikes these quantum dots, red and green colors are produced.

This results in a brighter image because the color filters reduce brightness and there is no need to add any white subpixels to try to make up for it. At a 2% window, peak brightness rises to 1500 nits, and at a 100% window, it approaches 200 nits.

QD-OLED TVs provide improved color and can reproduce colors considerably better in extremely bright environments without washing out. This is particularly visible in HDR video since WOLED TVs have a smaller color volume, which causes the colors to become less saturated at high light levels.

The colors are substantially more brilliant in peak light and the color volume by contrast in the new QD-OLED TVs is excellent. The new Samsung S95B and Sony A95K can reproduce a substantially larger range of colors, up to 120% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum, one of the industry standards.

Since blue OLED compounds are known to actually degrade more quickly than other OLED compounds, there aren’t many real RGB OLED displays. Three layers of blue OLED are used in QD-OLED panels, increasing endurance and lowering the likelihood of screen burn-in and screen retention. They have put monitoring systems in place to manage the pixels’ condition and reduce the chance of panel marking.

These new QD-OLED displays also have the advantage of using an anti-glare filter to enhance viewing in extremely bright conditions and a new Corning Astra Glass coating to improve viewing angles.

Subpixel Layout

When it comes to consumer monitors and TVs, there are three main OLED panel producers, and each of them has a unique subpixel architecture.

JOLED RGB

OLED panels with the standard RGB subpixel architecture are produced by JOLED. Most applications are created with this subpixel structure in mind because it is the most prevalent one for LED-backlit LCDs as well. As a result, the text appears clear and sharp without any fringing artifacts (assumed to have a respectable pixel density).

LG WBGR

White, blue, green, and red subpixels make up the WBGR subpixel arrangement used in LG Display’s 42″ to 97″ OLED panels. Sometimes, these are also referred to as W-OLED.

The addition of the white subpixel boosts brightness and efficiency, but never do all four subpixels turn on simultaneously.

Samsung QD-OLED

The RGB subpixels in Samsung’s QD-OLED screens are arranged in an unusual triangle pattern.

Due to their subpixel structure, QD-OLED and W-OLED panels can both exhibit visible fringing on small text; nevertheless, these visual abnormalities are rather faint and won’t disturb most users; in fact, they go unnoticed in games and videos.

Panel Coatings

The coating on each of the three OLED screens provides an additional distinction.

The W-OLED panels from LG have an anti-reflective coating and a glossy appearance. This produces mirror-like reflections in environments with intense ambient lighting, yet blacks stay black.

Samsung QD-OLED panels, in contrast, have enhanced blacks due to ambient light despite having a semi-glossy screen covering with fewer mirror-like reflections.

The coating on JOLED RGB screens is comparable to that on QD-OLEDs.

Overall, none of the three OLED panels are as good at handling reflections as most LCDs with anti-glare coating, but they do generate images that are more vibrant and grain-free.

Although LG’s W-OLED panels are slightly better at reducing indirect illumination, it is always preferable to see an OLED display in a dark environment if you want to get the most out of it.

Brightness & Color

In comparison to JOLED RGB and QD-OLED panels, LG’s W-OLED panels have the lowest sustained brightness of about 130 nits for a 100% white window.

Due to ABL (Automatic Brightness Limiter), which extends the life of OLED panels and helps prevent burn-in by reducing brightness based on bright window sizes, this primarily affects regular desktop use and full-screen bright situations.

Let’s imagine, for example, that the entire screen is covered with a Word page that is largely blank. That would restrict you to about 130 nits of brightness on a W-OLED panel. The screen may be as bright as 300 nits if a second dark window were to be placed on half of it.

The display should only be adjusted to 130 nits of brightness in order to prevent these bothersome brightness jumps. While this brightness level may be sufficient for some people, others may find it to be too dim, especially in spaces with moderate ambient illumination.

For typical desktop use, JOLED and QD-OLED panels are favored since they have stronger 250-nit brightness for a 100% white window and can get much brighter without inducing ABL.

Peak brightness for white windows can reach 550 nits or less for JOLED panels, 800 nits or more for ordinary W-OLED panels, 1000 nits or more for QD-OLED TVs, and 600 nits or more for QD-OLED monitors with white windows of 10% or less.

Some LG TVs may attain up to 30% stronger brightness through the use of heatsinks and the most recent Brightness Boosting technology, enabling their premium models, such the G2, to nearly rival Samsung’s QD-OLED displays in brightness. Here is how the HDR brightness of the most widely used OLED screens compares:

*The G2 series uses Brightness Booster in addition to a heatsink for the greatest W-OLED brightness; only 55-inch or bigger LG C2 TVs utilize it; 42- to 48-inch models have brightness closer to the C1 range.

The QD-OLED panel will appear noticeably brighter even if LG’s G2 and Samsung’s S95B have the same measured brightness at different window sizes. This is because LG’s panels, which rely on white subpixels for extreme brightness, are unable to produce very rich colors at the same time.

In other words, the colors of QD-OLED panels are more vivid (higher color volume). Additionally, because people see more saturated colors as being brighter, they have a wider color spectrum, which adds to the overall brightness of the image.

The largest color gamut is found in Samsung’s QD-OLED panels, which cover about 80% of the Rec. 2020 color space. LG W-OLED covers 74% of Rec. 2020, followed by JOLED at about 78%.

QD-OLED advantages over OLED

• Higher brightness level
• Wider color gamut (120% DCI-P3)
• Higher color volume
• Less blue pixel degradation
• Minimized risk of screen flagging is minimized
• Improved viewing angle
• Anti-glare filter

Conclusion

At least for the types that are currently on the market, JOLED panels are designed for professional use. They focus on color fidelity, have the ideal RGB subpixel structure for desktop use, and can maintain adequate brightness levels for their intended use.

Most folks are going to be curious to know how QD-OLED panels compare to W-OLED panels.

Samsung’s QD-OLED panel offers more color volume and, thus, a generally brighter and more vibrant image quality with less harsh ABL because of its high brightness, wider color gamut, and lack of a requirement for white subpixels. Additionally, they provide somewhat broader viewing angles and higher burn-in resistance.

Due to the unique subpixel arrangement of both QD-OLED and W-OLED panels, small text will not appear perfectly clear when viewed closely. Most users won’t have a problem with this, though.

In the end, your decision to use an OLED panel will probably depend on your budget and the available options for screen size, resolution, and refresh rate. We keep track of all current and prospective models in a special OLED monitor guide.