I tested a mid-range OLED TV and a flagship Mini-LED 4K TV side by side – here’s what you need to know before you buy
It used to be that the decision between a mini-LED and an OLED TV was simple: if you chose a mini-LED TV, you obviously wanted brightness, and if you chose OLED, you obviously wanted deeper black levels. Over time, however, the discussion has changed, and now both TV technologies try to cover all bases.
OLED and mini-LED technology are often some of the best TVs, and both have evolved dramatically over the years. Today, the best OLED TVs reach a peak brightness of around 2,000 nits, whereas a few years ago it was unthinkable that an OLED TV could reach over 1,000 nits. Even mid-range OLEDs like the LG C4 now exceed the 1,000 nits mark.
The brightness improvements are due to the introduction of various technologies such as microlens arrays (MLA) and QD-OLED, the latter being an OLED panel enhanced with a quantum dot layer.
Mini-LED has also seen huge improvements. TVs from companies like TCL and Hisense feature more local dimming zones for better contrast and black levels, while also offering exceptional brightness—up to a whopping 6,500 nits in some cases. Even affordable models are now capable of extreme brightness. The TCL QM851G and TCL C855 reached peak brightness of 3,583 nits and 2,920 nits, respectively, in our testing.
One of the best Mini LED TVs of 2024 is the Sony Bravia 9. This set takes Mini LED to a whole new level, as its new XR Backlight Master Drive with High Peak Luminance technology delivers contrast and black details so high that it should give OLED TVs a run for their money.
To test how close the performance of OLED and Mini-LED TVs is, I compared Samsung’s Mini-LED flagship QN90D with a mid-range OLED, the Panasonic MZ1500. For my tests, both TVs were set to the “Filmmaker Mode” picture preset.
Outstanding performance in the right areas
I began my reflection with The Batmana dark movie (it’s mastered at 400 nits instead of the usual 1,000 nits) that I use as a test for contrast and black levels. During the crime scene investigation at the beginning, the Panasonic OLED showed noticeably deeper black levels and better shadow detail than the Samsung Mini-LED. However, I was surprised to find that the Samsung also had reasonably deep black levels and excellent contrast, maintaining a balance between light sources like lamps and the gloomy, dark environment. Interestingly, the Samsung was also less susceptible to black crush, maintaining the detail in Batman’s suit and Jim Gordon’s clothing in darker scenes.
I viewed this scene in our test room in both bright light and pitch black. Thanks to its higher full-screen brightness and anti-glare screen, the Samsung performed better in bright light. However, the Panasonic did better in the dark, as the Samsung suffered from the mini-LED’s kryptonite: backlight blooming. This showed up as a halo effect around brighter objects (though it wasn’t as bad as some budget mini-LED models) and was much more noticeable in darker conditions.
Next I saw a more cheerful film, LaLaLand, which features many strong colors throughout. During the opening number (Another day with sun), all of the dancers wear vibrant, colorful clothing, and this was displayed differently on the Panasonic and Samsung. The Panasonic’s colors appeared deeper and more lifelike. The Samsung’s colors, on the other hand, appeared brighter and more vibrant, which better matched the tone of the film. During the night sequences, which heavily favor a color palette of blues, pinks, and purples, the Panasonic again showed more color depth, but the Samsung had a brighter, more dynamic look.
None of these results particularly surprised me, although the Samsung offered stronger competition than I expected, especially in terms of contrast. But there were a few areas where things got a little more interesting.
The fight has begun
The Samsung QN90D’s predecessor, the Samsung QN90C, was one of our best TVs for sports thanks to its high full-screen brightness and excellent motion representation. The QN90D follows in its footsteps and shows excellent motion representation, even without the help of motion setting adjustments. OLED TVs usually have excellent motion representation, but in this case even the Panasonic couldn’t beat the Samsung.
I also noticed surprising differences in sound between the two sets. Panasonic TVs are often some of the TVs with the best sound. The Panasonic MZ2000 OLED has an external speaker at the bottom of the screen for more direct and powerful built-in sound. The MZ1500, which I used for my comparison test, has a similar speaker, so you would naturally assume it would have better sound, but that wasn’t quite the case.
I tested the built-in audio features of Panasonic and Samsung with the Batmobile chase. The Batman. Although the Panasonic had the meatier, punchier sound thanks to its front-facing speaker, I was actually more impressed with the Samsung’s sound, which is enhanced by an OTS (Object Tracking Sound) feature. This placed every impact, tire screech, explosion and roaring engine noise precisely on the screen, giving a greater sense of immersion and connection between picture and sound, and the Samsung’s bass had plenty of power too.
Final thoughts
While these TVs performed as expected to a certain extent – the Panasonic OLED showed better black levels and contrast and the Samsung Mini-LED had brighter and more vibrant images – it was the subtleties and little things that surprised me. The Samsung was nothing to sneeze at in terms of contrast and black levels. The real surprise, however, came in the sound, as the Samsung more than held its own against the Panasonic.
While the Panasonic OLED delivered the better picture overall in my test, the Samsung Mini-LED left me doubting whether I liked it more than the Panasonic. A few years ago, I would have had no doubt that I preferred OLED, which shows how far Mini-LED technology has come.
Further recommendations
