What Is Neo QLED? Is It Better than QLED and OLED?
Neo QLED is one of the hottest new display technologies for television sets. Samsung adopted this technology in 2021 for its entire 4K and 8K TV range, promising a big improvement in picture quality over the previous generation of QLEDs.
When it comes to buying a new TV, there are a lot of confusing acronyms and jargon, creating confusion for buyers. Hence, we need to explain Samsung’s Neo QLED technology and pit it against more popular options like QLED and OLED.
Here, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about Neo QLED TVs so that you can make an informed decision.
What Is Neo QLED?
Neo QLED is an improvement over the existing QLED displays based on Samsung’s quantum dot technology. The biggest difference between Neo QLED and QLED is that the latter uses traditional LED backlighting, whereas Neo QLED uses mini-LED backlighting. As the name suggests, mini-LEDs are much smaller than conventional LEDs, meaning you can fit more of them and group them into several dimming zones.
With more LEDs and dimming zones, Neo QLED light control can be subtle and precise, resulting in a better contrast ratio across the board. You don’t get nearly as much of a halo effect around a bright object in a dark background, an issue that still plagues the LCD technology to this day. Besides the backlighting technique, Neo QLED panels are still LCDs with quantum-dot technology.
Neo QLED vs. OLED: The Differences
Image Credit: Samsung
For years, we’ve compared OLED and QLED displays with no clear winner between the two. With these new Neo QLED TVs, it gets even harder since the technology further bridges the gap between LCD and OLED.
Let’s start with the main selling point of Neo QLED TVs. With mini-LED backlighting, you now get a higher contrast ratio on Samsung’s 2021 and 2022 range of QLED televisions. For example, when you watch content with black bars, the blacks will actually be closer to true blacks with minimal haloing around the content displayed on the screen.
On the other hand, OLED displays don’t rely on any backlighting, and the individual pixels can turn on or off by themselves. Since an OLED pixel doesn’t emit any light in its off state, you get an infinite contrast ratio, and blacks are actually true blacks. This is an area that OLEDs have dominated ever since their introduction.
Is Neo QLED Better than OLED?
Image Credit: Samsung
The short answer to this question is No.
The long answer is that it depends on what you expect from your TV. Yes, the new Neo QLED TVs deliver much better black levels than the previous QLED models, but it’s still not as good as the true blacks you get on an OLED display. However, the difference between the two is now closer than ever before, thanks to mini-LED backlighting.
Don’t forget that OLED TVs have their own downsides too. For instance, Neo QLED and QLED displays are unmatched when it comes to brightness levels, with peak brightness touching 2,000 nits. Conventional OLED displays can only manage a measly 700 nits peak brightness, in comparison.
So, if you plan to use your next TV in a bright room, Neo QLED would be an ideal choice.
However, it’s worth pointing out that Samsung has addressed the brightness limitation of OLED displays with its own new QD-OLED technology. These new panels are capable of peak brightness levels of up to 1,500 nits, which is comparable to QLEDs, while still delivering the true blacks of traditional OLED displays.
OLED TVs are also susceptible to screen burn-in no matter how much the manufacturer tries to downplay the issue. This has been the main negative of OLED technology ever since the first OLED displays came out. Therefore, if you intend to stick with your TV for years, an OLED model may not be worth buying as Neo QLED will last better in the long run.
Which Neo QLED TVs Are Available?
Image Credit: Samsung
Currently, Samsung’s 2022 Neo QLED lineup includes five 4K and four 8K TV models, starting from as low as $1,199. In addition, they all come in different screen sizes, starting from 43 inches and going all the way up to 85 inches.
But, be prepared to shell out thousands if you want the larger models. For instance, the 85-inch QN900B 8K TV will set you back at $8,499.
The flagship 8K models that cost a premium include the QN900B, QN800B, and QN700B Neo QLED TVs. But do remember that the availability of these models is subject to region. For example, you won’t find the QN700B in the United States. All these TVs cost upwards of $3000 depending on the screen size you select.
If you’re interested in the more mainstream 4K models, you can check out the QN95B, QN94B, QN90B, and QN85B Neo QLED TVs. Note that Samsung doesn’t sell the higher-end QN95B and QN94B models in the United States to push 8K TV sales. Pricing for these TVs starts from just $1,199 and goes upwards for higher screen sizes.
Is Samsung the Only Brand Making Neo QLED?
Image Credit: Samsung
Neo QLED is the fancy word Samsung uses for its mini-LED implementation. So, if we’re going by brand terms, Samsung is the only brand that makes Neo QLED TVs.
However, if you want a TV that uses the same mini-LED technology, you have other options as well.
LG uses the term QNED for its mini-LED offerings, and they sit right below its flagship OLED TVs. The QNED models come in 4K and 8K variants, just like Samsung’s Neo QLED lineup. If you’re interested in the 8K variants, you can check out the QNED99 and QNED95 models that cost north of $3000. However, if you’re content with 4K, keep an eye out for the QNED90 and QNED85 TVs that you can get for nearly half the price.
Other brands like TCL and HiSense also sell mini-LED TVs. In fact, TCL was the first brand to come out with a mini-LED TV back in 2019. For instance, you can check out the TCL C825K 4K mini-LED TV with the same quantum dot technology as Samsung.
Neo QLED Brings LCD Technology One Step Closer to OLED
The mini-LED backlighting takes the LCD screen’s black levels to new heights, but it still falls short compared to OLEDs that can produce true blacks.
It’s hard for a backlight to beat a pixel that can turn off and emit no light at all. However, the upcoming MicroLED TVs should rival the picture quality of OLEDs since they don’t need a separate backlight either.
For now, if you want a TV with the brightness of QLEDs and the black levels of OLEDs, Samsung’s new QD-OLED TVs might be worth considering. But remember that you’ll be paying a premium for these panels since the technology is brand new. And as for MicroLED displays, don’t expect them to reach the mass market anytime soon.
LG QNED vs Samsung Neo QLED next-gen display tech explained
David Imel / Android Authority
LG and Samsung are often at the forefront of TV display technologies. When it comes to the bleeding edge, LG is backing its QNED format, while Samsung is peddling Neo QLED. Both boast improved colors, contrast ratios, and peak brightness levels for HDR content, and come in 4K and 8K resolutions. They can look amazing.
But what if any differences are there between these two standards? Which should you have your eye on for your next TV? Let’s dive deeper and find out.
A quick recap on TV display improvements
QNED is a mini-LED based technology. The best way to understand what this means is to go back to the LCD/LED TVs that have become de facto in the past decade.
LCD produces colors by filtering a common backlight. The drawback of its original incarnation was that backlighting would often bleed into dark pixels, hurting contrast ratios. Black portions of an image were never truly black. That made LCD panels markedly inferior next to OLED, especially when displaying HDR (high dynamic range) content.
To narrow the gap, LED TVs introduced multiple backlights with “local dimming.” This allows darker areas of a screen to be dimmed or turned off, while colors and whites remain in their full glory. There are different ways to arrange backlights for dimming, each with their own pros and cons. Full-array local dimming — with a grid of backlights — is the best, but also costly. Edge-based dimming is cheaper, but decidedly inferior and on its way out.
See also: OLED vs LCD display technology
Even with full-array local dimming, the number of dimming zones remains a limiting factor. LED TVs often exhibit “halo” or “blooming” artifacts between lit and unlit zones. Details smaller than the backlight size, such as bright stars in a dark sky, don’t benefit from the enhanced contrast ratio. They can appear washed out compared to the broader image.
Increasing the number of dimming zones helps smooth out these errors and improve performance, but makes panels more expensive. You have to turn to OLED for per-pixel dimming capabilities, but LCD/LED is once again closing the contrast gap. That’s where QNED comes in.
LG QNED explained
LG QNED is the company’s first-ever mini-LED TV technology. This extends the LCD/LED formula we’ve discussed, with 2,500 local dimming zones and up to nearly 30,000 mini-LEDs per panel on an 8K model. The crux of the breakthrough is the small size and density of the mini-LED backlights.
This greatly increases the number of local dimming zones, delivering an improved contrast ratio and reduction in blooming artifacts. LG promises a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, and a 120Hz refresh rate.
The crux of the breakthrough is the small size and density of the mini-LED backlights.
The Q part of the QNED moniker stands for quantum dot, which deals with the color filtering parts of the display. The full title is Quantum NanoCell Emitting Diode. Remember, QNED is still a filter-based LCD technology at heart, and filters block light, resulting in less saturated colors. Quantum dot technology enhances/replaces the traditional colored photoresists in an LCD color filter with sub-microscopic conducting nanocrystals. In LG’s case, QNED uses first-party NanoCell material to shape the spectral power of the backlight, which is then filtered through a quantum-dot enhancement film.
In a nutshell, quantum dot reduces the light loss and crosstalk from traditional LCD color filters.
This results in more vivid colors and a wider gamut. Combined with a large number of small locally-dimmed backlights, LG QNED does a decent job at taking on expensive OLED displays. Note that OLED remains LG’s premium TV technology even with the advent of QNED, which now sits between LG’s NanoCell and OLED ranges.
Samsung Neo QLED explained
David Imel / Android Authority
Just like LG’s QNED, Samsung’s Neo QLED is a transmissive mini-LED backlighting technology, and the ‘Q’ in QLED stands for quantum. Neo QLED is related to Samsung’s Quantum Matrix Technology and its picture-optimizing Neo Quantum Processor. Samsung is using a quantum dot layer for enhanced colors, promising 100% reproduction of the DCI-P3 color space.
The standout feature of Samsung’s technology, again like LG, is smaller backlight LEDs. Samsung’s Quantum Mini LED is 1/40 the height of its previous design, allowing for a major increase in density. To achieve its results, the company removes the packaging and lens from the LED chip, replacing it with a new ultra-thin microlayer to guide the LED light.
Samsung shrunk its mini-LED backlights to 1/40 their previous height.
Samsung’s Quantum Matrix technology boasts precise dimming, enhanced local power distribution, and a Black Detail Boost option to extract more detail from dark areas. Meanwhile, the Neo Quantum Processor offers multiple neural network models trained for content upscaling. This should help make the most of a TV’s 4K and 8K resolutions, even with older content.
Other Neo QLED features include 12-bit steps of LED brightness control for local dimming, although this doesn’t necessarily mean a panel supports 12-bit HDR content. It’s likely leveraged after Samsung’s processing chain instead. Neo QLED TVs also sport 120Hz refresh rates, and NVIDIA G-Sync support, the latter eliminating “tearing” artifacts when gaming.
Adding complexity to the situation, Samsung is using emissive micro-LED technology in other TVs, not to be confused with transmissive mini-LED. These models are available in 110-inch, 99-inch, and smaller sizes.
As you might gather, they won’t be a mainstream affordable product any time soon.
Related: MicroLED explained
LG QNED vs Samsung Neo QLED
Both LG and Samsung are banking on smaller, denser mini-LED backlight technologies to close the quality gap between more affordable LCD TVs and premium OLED ranges. While there are bound to be differences in image quality, you have to look at models side-by-side to draw any definitive comparisons.
An interesting point of comparison between LG and Samsung’s technologies is the LCD color filter layer used. While we don’t know what panel layer LG Display is using, it’s likely sticking with In-Plane Switching (IPS) based on previous releases. Samsung has already transitioned to Vertically Aligned LCD, which delivers better contrast than traditional IPS at the expense of narrower viewing angles. This HDR contrast versus viewing angle compromise could be the biggest discernible difference between the two.
While there are important hardware and software differences between LG’s QNED and Samsung’s Neo QLED, the two share a fundamentally similar approach to solving LCD’s contrast and color deficit with OLED TVs.
If you’ve been looking for a near-OLED quality TV without the eye-watering price tag, keep an eye out for TVs powered by mini-LED.
Read more: Display types and technologies explained
Technology Overview Neo QLED
Technology Evolution
The Neo QLED is the result of Samsung’s evolving QLED technology, which uses LEDs that are highly adjustable by the TV user to produce the desired picture quality. That is, QLED TVs have a “quantum dot” filter that makes colors more contrasting and vibrant. The QLED technology itself has been in use since 2017. It uses technologies that use a large number of quantum dots, which emit different light and transmit an image with high fidelity. Quantum dots, to put it simply, are small balls made of materials that have semiconducting qualities, emitting colors that fit certain sizes. The color spectrum directly depends on the size of the quantum dot, and the very essence of the technology is based on this.
Thanks to the various points, the screen becomes very bright, showing the image in the highest quality.
Televisions have long been powered by quantum dots. but they are often not enough to make the image accurate. However, 2021 has been especially revolutionary for TVs. The technology that helps to see the image better has its drawbacks, so it was replaced by NEO CLED. And there were significant reasons for this. To understand what is the innovation of the NEO QLED system, we will tell you more about the shortcomings of QLED. So, younger models used side lighting that illuminated the panel in a non-full-matrix way. The TV remained thin enough, but the light could not be evenly distributed and guarantee a very good picture. The highest quality TVs were not ideal before, as they worked with the well-known Direct Full Array backlight, which allows light to pass through the panel. But they also depended on the peak brightness possible for a particular TV and on individual “dimmable zones”.
Main advantages of Neo QLED
The Samsung Neo QLED is a significant innovation. Instead of direct backlighting, mini-LED is now used, using many very small LEDs that allow you to successfully control the brightness. You will be able to determine how bright the image will be. You can watch it in the highest quality.
Neo QLED differs from QLED in that LCD panels have a Mini LED backlight. Prior to this, Samsung did not use such technology. Previous OLED backlighting used more power and resulted in faster pixel burn-in. The dynamic range is wide enough thanks to HDR10+ technology. Mini LED — mini-light-emitting diodes, the size of which is one fifth of the size of ordinary ones. Since the diodes are smaller, they fit more on the screen. Therefore, the image acquires new positive qualities.
The size of the LED is now smaller than standard. The optical distance has decreased, the case has become thinner. LEDs now display deeper blacks without creating a halo effect or blurring the image.
Moreover, high peak brightness results in greater contrast.
The new light source is called Quantum Mini LED. It has become a real innovation. His work increases the clarity of the image and makes the world displayed on the TV more contrast.
When illuminated with LED through the LCD panel, black colors may be washed out. But here, manufacturers use local dimming, which deepens blacks.
When Quantum Mini LED technology was introduced, there was a lot of scope for hitherto unknown experiences.
Mini-LED displays images in a new way, with better contrast and deeper blacks than conventional LED-lit LCD panels.
Samsung has introduced Quantum Matrix Technology, 12-bit brightness gradation — a significant innovation compared to the lower gradations that came before. Samsung’s new Quantum Matrix Technology results in much more expressive grayscale leaning toward black through full control of the light source. The image greatly wins in quality.
The technology uses the Neo Quantum Processor with a new scaling order, this is achievable with the help of artificial intelligence, which helps to extract such quality as even greater contrast after improving the quality of neural networks and algorithms that work 16 times more efficiently than previous mechanisms.
Diodes that are smaller than 0.2 mm are most commonly referred to as mini LEDs. Mini-LED technology is cheaper than large OLED TVs.
The size of conventional LEDs means that there are not so many dimming zones — only 384, while with Mini-LEDs there are about a thousand local dimming zones and a huge number of small LEDs. Therefore, the scenes are not so blurred and all shades of deep gray are visible, approaching black.
Quantum Matrix technology reproduces all colors very accurately, which are natural at any brightness. The Neo Quantum processor uses artificial intelligence that changes the scale of the transmitted image.
Neo QLED TVs are equipped with excellent Neo Quantum processors, thanks to which the picture changes very quickly. Data from 16 neural networks at the same time allows TVs to improve more and more the images they transmit and receive more and more necessary resolution in real time.
Other advantages of the new technology
The design of the TV is much more modern than its predecessors.
The Neo QLED range is almost bezel-less, with a minimalist design that fits in almost any space. The glare of lighting that sometimes appeared on the frames no longer distracts from the events that take place in the film. The innovations in TV design are attracting the attention of many buyers who want their rooms to look modern.
Surround sound technology includes OTS Pro, which monitors events on the screen and directs the sound to where the most global course of events takes place at a certain point in time. This quality not only brings more volume to the sound, but also contributes to a greater immersion of the viewer in the atmosphere of the film or program. This is very suitable for action scenes and games in which speech helps to understand what is happening more fully.
Active voice amplification also makes the TV usable. Voice amplification, AVA, contributes to a better perception of dialogues. Thanks to this, the voice of commentators during football is better heard.
In certain films, characters communicate during gunfights, and then the rumble of flying bullets drowns out the voice. This problem also turned out to be solvable. Active voice amplification will help you understand the character’s speech much better, and the impression of the film will be much more multifaceted.
AMD Freesync Premium Pro technology supports games, eliminates artifacts, and makes existing images from a PC or console designed for gaming more and more seamless. You can see every detail of the game.
SpaceFit Sound and Q-Symphony technology analyzes the room and optimizes the sound to suit the environment. For this purpose, additional microphones are used.
Moreover, TVs can be used as computers. You will be able to transfer workflows to their screens and better see every detail of the working document. This is a very important plus for those who work remotely at the computer.
For the benefit of the environment, the consoles are equipped with solar panels.
The packaging is also eco-friendly. It does not take up much space, is made of harmless materials and is painted with dyes that do not pollute the environment.
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Neo QLED and QLED Differences
Anyone interested in Samsung’s new 2021 TVs will notice that Samsung has adopted a new terminology in this lineup: Neo QLED. It’s not the same as QLED, which has been Samsung’s premium TV technology for the past few years. Let’s try to find out what Neo QLED is and how Neo QLED differs from ordinary QLED. We will also find out in which TVs this technology is used. Here’s what you need to know:
Neo QLED is
There are already enough abbreviations on the TV market. This circumstance sometimes causes irritation due to the need to constantly learn new words and terms.
However, the 2021 Samsung Neo QLED TVs do represent a significant change in TV technology. So, if you want to keep up to date with the latest and greatest TV technology, you’ll have to learn that too.
Neo QLED is an evolution of Samsung’s existing QLED technology, which stands for Quantum Dot LED. In other words, QLED TVs use a «quantum dot» filter to increase color contrast and brightness. All Samsung premium TVs have been using QLED technology since 2017.
The company has renamed its SUHD (Super UHD) range to offer comparison to the OLED TVs that now dominate the market. However, the impact of a QLED panel varies depending on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the processor used as well as backlight efficiency.
Low-end QLED TVs use a side-lighting system that, as the name suggests, illuminates the panel in a non-full pixel way. This backlight allows the TV to remain somewhat thin, but the light is unevenly distributed across the screen and therefore does not provide the best picture.
High-end QLED TVs use Direct Full Array backlighting, which allows light to pass through the panel to provide more precise brightness control. This backlight has better contrast between light and dark parts of the screen. Therefore, all of these are critical to effective HDR lighting effects and affect the overall image quality.
However, even these TVs vary in backlight quality, depending on the available peak brightness (1000 nits, 2000 nits, etc.) There is also a difference in the number of «dimmable zones». Depending on this, the brightness level of which may vary. More zones means more control over small and specific areas of the screen.
Samsung Neo QLED changes things up a bit. The direct backlight has been replaced with a mini LED backlight that uses tens of thousands of tiny LEDs for more precise brightness control. It’s not quite on par with OLED with individual pixel control, but it’s certainly a step forward for LCD screens. So, Neo QLED is a trade term used in Samsung TVs that have Mini LED backlighting.
Neo QLED and QLED Differences
Mini-LED backlighting, unlike other backlights used in QLED TVs, should allow LCD panels to get much closer to the performance level of OLED. These theoretical advantages are quite compelling. LCD technology, unlike OLED, has never been the subject of screen burn horror stories.
Read also: Mini LED or OLED which is better
At the same time, they do not fall victim to a possible drop in performance and have a lower price. Of course, the success of Mini LED will depend on how this technology is implemented. The performance of LED-backlit LCD screens of the same price and specification may vary.
A quick look at our many TV reviews is enough to see this. If some TVs lack control over a few dozen zones, can you expect them to get better when they have control over thousands of zones?
QLED vs Neo QLED (backlit)
What are Neo QLED TVs?
2021 was the first year of the Neo QLED TV market launch.
Samsung’s 8K TVs will all have Neo QLED. Samsung’s tradition of bringing together the most advanced TV specs will continue. This means that all Neo QLED 8K QN900A, Neo QLED 8K QN800A and Neo QLED 8K QN700A models are equipped with mini LED backlight.
The QN95A, QN90A and QN85A series are also Neo QLED 4K. The easiest way to find out which Samsung TV has Neo Qled TV technology is to look at the label. It will start with «QN», not just «Q».
Neo QLED — price
How much can you buy Neo QLED? The cheapest Neo QLED backlit TV, the QN85A, starts at $1,300 for a 55-inch TV. However, the largest 85-inch 85QN900 8K QLED TV will cost between $9,000 and $11,700. This is the price range for Neo QLED Samsung TVs in 2021.
Other Mini LED TVs
Samsung isn’t the only TV manufacturer to push Mini LED technology. LG also released a line of Mini LED TVs called QNED. It also uses a mini-LED backlight. Philips will also release some of its high-end MiniLED LCD TVs.
