OLED has been the gold standard for years for anyone wanting the best possible picture quality for their home theater. Each pixel is individually lit (or unlit) to achieve perfect blacks and infinite contrast.
Yes, there are some problems: a high entry price, the comparatively low brightness, the limited lifespan of the organic light-emitting diodes and the still not completely eliminated risk of burn-in. It’s no surprise that there is a demand for OLED alternatives, but for many cinephiles an OLED TV is worth it despite the real and theoretical disadvantages.
Micro-LED could be the long-term successor, but unless you have a lot of money, it’s just not practical today. How much? This model from Samsung costs $110,000 for an 89-inch panel.
So what are the current OLED alternatives? In 2024, it really comes down to two options…
OLED alternatives: QD-OLED
The first, QD-OLED, is actually a further development of OLED. However, it targets its biggest weakness: brightness.
To explain the difference, we need to get into the details of how OLED works. OLED (or Organic Light-Emitting Diode, to explain the acronym) consists of an organic compound that glows when electricity is applied. The more electricity is applied, the brighter it becomes.
This is usually white light that is passed through a filter to create different colors. The more power supplied, the brighter the pixel – but this comes at the expense of the lifespan of an OLED TV.
QD-OLED (or “quantum dot” OLED) changes the method slightly. The OLED lights produce a blue light that is passed through a layer of quantum dots, which change the hue to the desired color. Quantum dots are more efficient than the color filters used in traditional OLED devices, so less brightness is lost in the color-changing process. This means content can appear significantly brighter, and there is less of the wear and tear that comes with the maximum brightness of a regular OLED panel.
The disadvantages are few. First, they are not as common. Since QD-OLED is a cutting-edge technology, TVs with this technology are expensive. The smallest available Samsung S95C QD-OLED costs $1,800 and the Sony Bravia A95L starts at $2,800.
Finally, while it’s easy to get a large QD-OLED panel (assuming your bank account allows it), smaller ones are hard to come by. They typically start at 55 inches, but you can also buy a 42-inch OLED TV if you prefer something less imposing for your living room.
OLED alternatives: Mini-LED
(Image credit: Amazon)
Mini-LED technology is an advancement of the traditional LED screen because it relies on backlighting rather than lighting each pixel itself. The difference is that instead of one giant backlight or even just a handful of smaller ones, mini-LED panels have thousands of LED backlights, each measuring less than 0.008 inches.
This means that TVs with this technology can control light levels much better and eliminate pitch black areas. When comparing Mini-LED and OLED, the picture isn’t quite as impressive as if each pixel was individually lit, but it’s a significant improvement over traditional LED TVs and many people won’t notice the difference.
It has three major advantages over OLED. First, due to the underlying technology, mini-LED technology is far less prone to burn-in than OLED. Second, thanks to the backlight, the brightness can be set higher – which is very handy in well-lit environments.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, mini-LED TVs are significantly cheaper than OLED and QD-OLED TVs. Our sister site Tom’s Guide praises the Hisense U8N mini-LED TV – and the massive 85-inch model can currently be had for under $2,000. If you’re 30 inches smaller, it’s only $1,100.
So what is the best alternative to OLED TV?
To be clear, OLED itself isn’t going to change – at least not yet. It still offers unbeatable image quality, contrast and viewing angles.
But price aside, QD-OLED offers all the benefits of OLED without the drawbacks in brightness. And for those on a tighter budget, the best mini-LED TVs aren’t far behind, offering even higher brightness and bypassing issues like OLED burn-in thanks to the backlight.
In short, high-end TV buyers have never had it so good. And things will only get better in the coming years as prices drop and technology becomes more sophisticated.
