4K UHD vs. QLED: Picking the Right Display
Purchasing the right display for your home can be needlessly complicated, and it may, unfortunately, require countless hours of research. So many acronyms exist to describe new advancements in display technology, and it can be dizzying to keep track of them all.
Among these terms are “4K UHD” and “QLED.” Frequently listed in product titles, product descriptions, in advertisements, and even on the boxes in which televisions and monitors are sold, these two terms can convey a lot about your device if you know what they mean.
In this guide, we’ll explain the difference between 4K UHD and QLED displays, helping you narrow down your choices in display selection.
1. What is 4K UHD?
4K UHD is a type of screen resolution. Screen resolution just refers to the number of pixels that are in your screen, and it’s measured both vertically and horizontally, so it gives you a sense of the dimension of the screen as well. Generally, the more pixels there are in a screen, the better – more pixels mean more vivid, life-like detail. 4K UHD is generally considered the highest level of resolution available to consumers; while 8K resolution does exist, it’s not common for household displays. 4K means that an image has 3,840 pixels horizontally (almost 4,000, hence the name “4K”) and 2,160 pixels vertically.
2. What is QLED?
Quantum Light Emitting Diodes (QLEDs) are a relatively new form of LED screen and monitor technology. Emerging sometime in the 2010s as a new term for marketing computer monitors and televisions, QLED has entered the market as a term for any prospective tech buyer to know.
QLED displays improve upon old designs by using quantum dots in their light components to create extremely accurate colors, since they don’t use the typical color filters used in LED/LCD screens, and they also have extremely efficient energy usage. In order to fully understand what QLEDs are, however, it’s important to understand how LED lights work in the first place.
3. What is LED?
Light Emitting Diodes, or LEDs, is a type of lighting technology that powers a vast amount of the technological world, from many screens to phones to lightbulbs, watches, and more.
LEDs create light through the flow of electrons from one area of a semiconductor – called, in this case, a diode – to another. As electrons flow across the diode, they can release what is called a photon, or a light particle. The LED unit is designed to maximize the amount of light emitted by the photons, producing enough visible light to power a number of different technologies.
LEDs are very efficient sources of light, because unlike incandescent lights, very little of the energy they use is lost as heat energy. This makes them an important pick for different kinds of display technologies, because they can generate a lot of light using a relatively small amount of energy.
Typically, LEDs are used as the backlighting in LCD televisions. In this type of display technology, one large light panel is used as the backmost layer of the television. The display creates an image through several layers of light filtration, including color filters that are mixed together to create accurate colors, and polarizing filters to block out the light and create black. Additionally, the display is subdivided into incredibly tiny points of light called “pixels,” which all act in conjunction to create a distinct image.
4. How do QLED displays improve upon LED displays?
QLED technology still relies on the basic technology of LEDs – they are, basically, diodes that emit light – but they use nanotechnology to produce extremely pure forms of colored light in the form of semiconductors called “quantum dots.” These quantum dots can be used in LED
5. So, which should I pick: 4K UHD or QLED?
With all of the different confusing specs listed on display products, it’s easy to wonder which term – 4K UHD or QLED – is the better bet when shopping for a television, monitor, or phone.
However, it’s important to note that these two terms refer to very different qualities in a television or other screen. 4K UHD simply refers to the resolution of the screen, which means the number of pixels in your television on the whole. It is undeniably an important metric, and if clarity of image is important to you, you should opt for 4K UHD over lower resolutions. QLED, by contrast, refers only to the light technology being used to power the pixels. One could very easily purchase a 4K UHD QLED television – in fact, it’s probably harder to find QLED televisions at lower resolution, since this technology is manufactured with consumers looking for the highest-quality screen in mind.
For this reason, it might be better to ask whether a 4K UHD traditional LED screen can measure up to a QLED at the same resolution.
6. 4K UHD LED vs QLED displays
Price
In what is likely not much of a shock, QLED displays rank as much less affordable than LED televisions. They rely on relatively new and sophisticated nanomaterials engineering to produce, which understandably means a higher price tag. While traditional LED screens can be purchased for less than $100 at some stores, QLED screens tend to range between $500 to $5,000. As QLED technology improves, it’s possible that the cost to produce it will go down, resulting in a lower cost.
Color
LED screens cannot compete with QLEDs when it comes to color. QLEDs are designed for the purpose of enhancing display color, with highly accurate color mixing and extremely bright, vivid colors. Their special use of nanoparticles makes them able to produce very pure colors with minimal color loss or color crosstalk. For certain home viewers – like gamers and movie lovers – this level of color is a huge advantage for QLEDs. For other viewers, like more casual television watchers or gamers, this color difference may be considered negligible in terms of overall enjoyment.
Brightness
In terms of brightness, QLEDs beat out most traditional LED displays by miles. Another benefit of their quantum dot technology is that their backlighting produces a large amount of clear light, making their displays much more visible in a wider range of settings. If your home has a lot of light in the TV room and you’re doing most of your TV watching in the living room, you may opt for a QLED that emits a significant amount of light.
However, just looking for a TV labeled QLED doesn’t necessarily mean it will always be brighter than a traditional LED television. When shopping for displays, be sure you look for the number of “nits” your display can produce – this is a measure of its brightness. For outdoor television in direct sunlight, opt for a television that produces 1000 or more nits of visible light.
Size
Both LED displays and QLED displays are available in a variety of sizes. However, LED displays – having been around so much longer – are used much more ubiquitously as displays of all kinds, meaning they’re often produced in a wider range of sizes for more affordable prices. QLEDs are going to be more difficult to find at extremely large sizes, and they are guaranteed to be very expensive. If size is an important factor in your display search – for instance, if you’re purchasing a display to be watched by a large number of people – you may want to opt for an LED over a QLED.
Since QLED displays are much newer than traditional LED displays, they are less common and are not as readily available as other forms of display technology. QLEDs really only hit the market around 2016, and the term is typically only used by a handful of display production companies, namely Samsung. While shopping for QLEDs in-person, you may have fewer options, meaning you might need to compromise on some other factors you’re looking for in a display.
7. The bottom line
Ultimately, your choice when choosing a 4K UHD LED screen or a QLED screen comes down to your viewing habits, budget, and desires in a television or monitor. While QLED may offer exceptional color and brightness, it may also be too expensive for the casual home television watcher. As with anything, you may need to compromise on some other aspects of your display if you’re dead set on purchasing a QLED, including size and price. However, as OLED technologies improve, future QLED displays may be cheaper to purchase and available in a wider variety of sizes.
8. Looking for reliable LED displays?
At LED Sino, we offer several high-quality LED display products and solutions, perfectly suited for clients in a wide range of industries and with a wide range of industry needs. Whether you’re looking for affordable LED display rentals for an upcoming event, or you’re looking to purchase displays for your event center, conference center, auditorium, church, or arena, we can help you get set up with clear, vivid, and reliable LED displays.