Hi, I‘m Alex – a home theater enthusiast and display industry analyst. If you‘re considering a premium Samsung Neo QLED or LG OLED television, you probably have some questions surrounding these rival high-end TV technologies. Don‘t worry – I‘m here to explain all you need to know in consumer-friendly terms!
First, What Do These Catchy Brand Names Mean?
OLED stands for organic light emitting diode. In an OLED TV, each pixel produces its own light independently. So when a pixel is off, it‘s completely dark. This allows for infinite contrast and vivid colors.
QLED is Samsung‘s variation of quantum dot LED TVs. It enhances a traditional full-array LED backlight panel with a quantum dot color filter. The quantum dots produce super saturated colors unmatched by OLED.
Samsung‘s Neo QLED sets add a mini-LED backlight with up to 10x as many dimming zones for superior contrast and black levels compared to regular QLED models.
How Do Neo QLED and OLED TVs Compare?
Here‘s a neat head-to-head chart:
| Specification | Neo QLED | OLED |
|---|---|---|
| Black Level | Excellent (0.0005 nits) | Perfect (0 nits) |
| Contrast Ratio | 150,000:1 | Infinite |
| Peak Brightness | Up to 2000 nits | Up to ~800 nits |
| Viewing Angle | Very Good | Excellent |
| Motion Clarity | Excellent | Very Good |
| Burn-in Risk? | No | Yes |
And here‘s how an LED backlight with far more dimming zones than conventional panels delivers a stunning dynamic range:
Real-World Picture Quality
The numbers tell one story, but your eyes reveal some extra details:
- OLED still holds a contrast advantage in darker room viewing with flawless blacks
- Neo QLED excels in bright living spaces thanks to greater peak brightness
- For gaming and sports, Neo QLED‘s motion handling gives it the smoothness edge
- OLED wins on off-angle viewing but Neo QLED quality holds up better than older LCD TVs
CNET‘s reviewer remarked:
"I still give OLED the picture quality advantage overall, but Samsung has closed the gap…Neo QLED proves LCD can look as good in many cases."
Future-Proof Features Check
Modern connectivity must-haves include:
✅HDMI 2.1 inputs (for 4K/120fps gaming)
✅Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
✅AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support
✅Built-in NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 tuner
Samsung Neo QLED and LG OLED models tick all these boxes in 2022 product lineups.
Which is the Better Buy?
We think the 85" Samsung QN85B Neo QLED is an incredible value in its massive screen size class – offering near OLED picture quality for thousands less than a comparable 83" LG C2 OLED TV.
If you covet the slimmest, showpiece design, LG G2 OLED delivers with stunning image quality to match in darker home theater spaces.
Over their lifespan, LG OLEDs face a higher risk of permanent burn-in too compared to the nearly indestructible Neo QLED.
Hopefully this straightforward guide helps steer your buying decision! Let me know if you have any other questions.
