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The QNED Mini LED TVs are LG's latest attempt at bridging the gap between LED and OLED televisions. But how are QNED Mini LED TVs different from other televisions on the market? Here's what you need to know.
The Best of Many Worlds
QNED Mini LED TV is a marketing term coined by LG to refer to its new television lineup that combines quantum dot, NanoCell, and Mini-LED technologies. The "QNED" bit in QNED Mini LED TV is different from Samsung's upcoming QNED technology that doesn't need a backlight and can produce perfect blacks without OLED materials.
According to LG, its QNED Mini LED TVs can produce accurate colors while offering better contrast and deeper blacks.
So what is happening inside these TVs allowing LG to make these claims?
Blacker Blacks and Vibrant Colors
LG's QNED Mini LED TVs are essentially LED televisions, but instead of regular LED backlighting, the company uses mini-LEDs to enhance contrast and black levels. The company doesn't reveal the exact number of LEDs and dimming zones in all QNED Mini LED TV models. But it has said its flagship 86-inch QNED Mini LED 8K model has 30,000 mini-LEDs and around 2,500 dimming zones. TheseMmini-LEDs help the televisions provide enhanced contrast ratio and combat blooming.
Mini-LEDs are only one part of the QNED puzzle. The other big part is NanoCell technology, which is also used in LG's NanoCell TVs. In this technology, LG employs a filtering layer made of nanoparticles behind the screen to remove unwanted light wavelengths and duller color tones. The layer purifies the color output and improves the color depth.
Finally, there is quantum dot technology. It is the same technology that is typically associated with QLED TVs. And, it also attempts to do the same thing as NanoCell technology, although in a different manner. In this, TV manufacturers use a layer of quantum dots or nanocrystals to enhance both color and contrast of the screen. As a result, you get vibrant and significantly boosted pictures compared to a non-QLED TV.
The combination of these three technologies helps QNED Mini LED TVs offer deeper blacks, high brightness, and lifelike colors.
Only on LG TVs
The QNED Mini LED TVs are exclusive to LG. No other TV manufacturer currently sells QNED Mini LED or even QNED TVs. But the underlying technologies, except for NanoCell, are used by other manufacturers as well. For example, the likes of Samsung and TCL use both quantum dot and mini-LED backlighting in some of their TVs.
While Samsung TVs with both quantum dot layer and mini-LED backlighting are called Neo QLED televisions, the TCL's TV model names don't mention the display technologies. Still, you can find them in the company's 6-series and 8-series TVs.
QNED Mini LED TVs vs. OLED TVs
While the QNED Mini LED TVs are a step up from LG's NanoCell TV models, they are still far from challenging OLED TVs. As mentioned, LG's 86-inch 8K QNED Mini LED TV has 2,500 dimming zones, but an 8K OLED TV has 33 million self-emissive pixels. So until the dimming zone number reaches a few million or even a few hundred thousand, LG's QNED TVs won't match the black levels and contrast ratio of OLED TVs.
That said, the QNED televisions have an advantage in terms of brightness thanks to the mini-LED backlighting. They can get significantly brighter than OLEDs, and you don't have to worry about burn-in concerns.
Also, if you plan to get an 8K TV, the QNED models are significantly cheaper than their OLED counterparts. Unfortunately, you won't get the same price difference in 4K models.
Great Potential
LG's QNED Mini LED televisions show a lot of promise. By combining three already available technologies, the company has produced something that is clearly better than its existing LED TVs. And 2021's crop of QNED Mini LED TVs are a first-generation product, there is scope for improvement.
But, if you plan to buy a QNED Mini LED TV model, make sure to read reviews to find its real-life performance. We also have a great guide covering things to look for when buying a new TV. Or, for more help, take a look at our list of the best TVs you can buy.