How to choose the right screen type
Stuck in screen-picking purgatory? Fear not! We've got a breakdown of the hottest TV technologies, their superpowers, and their kryptonite. Dive in and find your perfect match!
Please use the links below to jump between screen types:
| LED | Full-Array LED | QLED |
| OLED | Neo-QLED | QD-OLED |
LED (including Mini LED & Micro LED)
Stands for: Light Emitting Diode
The tech: A backlight that sits behind the screen or around the edges produces the light through liquid crystals.
The two common types of LED screens are standard edge-lit LED screens as below, or Full-Array LED screens. For more information on Full-Array LED screens, please jump to Full-Array LED screens.
You may also come across:
- Mini LED: This is a more recent technology that is similar to LED except there are many more, smaller LEDs in the backlight. That means there are many more local dimming zones for more accurate colour control.
- Micro LED: Microscopic LEDs self-emit themselves allowing for pixel-level light control — but doesn’t come with the same drawbacks as OLED (like the “organic” part that can limit a panel’s lifespan or potentially lead to burn-in).
| Benefits: | Drawbacks: |
| Brighter image than OLED Great for brightly lit rooms Lightweight and slim Long life and lower risk of burn-in Energy-efficient and more environmentally friendly More affordable than OLED and QLED |
Not as cinematic as OLED as unable to produce true blacks Lower contrast than OLED Lack of true blacks become obvious in darker rooms |
Best suited to:
- Casual daytime viewing
- TVs on a more limited budget
Our favourite edge-lit LED TVs:
Full-Array LED
Stands for: Full-Array Light Emitting Diode
The tech: Full-Array Screens utilise the same LED backlight as edge-lit models, but distribute the LEDs evenly across the back of the screen. This means the entire screen is lit from behind, rather than from either side.
In practical terms, the wider backlight makes Full-Array screens less prone to ‘hazy’ areas of lower contrast as LEDs are better focussed behind each area of the screen. Full-Array Screens typically use a greater number of LEDs meaning they offer more local dimming zones than traditional LED screens, i.e. areas of the screen that can be individually lit.
| Benefits: | Drawbacks: |
| Greater contrast and control of dark and light than traditional LED screens Higher peak brightness than OLED models due to their dedicated backlight Greater number of local dimming zones that can be individually controlled when compared to edge-lit screens |
Don’t handle contrast quite as well as OLEDs May get a slight ‘haze’ around highly contrasted areas of the screen (think of a white moon against a black sky), but this is far more minimal than with some edge-lit LED screens |
Best suited to:
- Brighter rooms as their peak brightness is higher than OLED screens
- All-round viewing, a good option for both movies and sports especially if your budget can’t stretch to an OLED
Our favourite Full-Array LED TVs:
What is Mini LED Full-Array?
Working in the same way as Full-Array screens, Mini-LED models use even smaller LED light sources meaning the screen can be split into more, smaller local dimming zones. The greater number of local dimming zones bring Mini-LED Full-Array screens more in line with OLED options, with better handling of contrast and sharper colours.
QLED
Stands for: Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode
The tech: A backlight that sits behind the screen but with an additional layer of Quantum Dots in front of the backlight to improve colours. This quantum technology users nano lightbulbs, smaller than those in standard LED or Full-Array screens, to give the TV a greater number of local dimming zones.
| Benefits: | Drawbacks: |
| A great middle step between LED and OLED A broader range of colours than LED Excellent brightness levels Longer lifespan than OLED More energy-efficient than LED |
Usually more limited choice as favoured by Samsung only Not as good for off-axis viewing as OLED Not as well equipped to produce true blacks as OLED (although very comparable!) |
Best suited to:
- Brightly lit rooms
- Viewers who want something better than traditional LEDs without the price tag of OLED
Our favourite QLED TVs:
OLED
Stands for: Organic Light Emitting Diode
The tech: Each pixel is self-lit instead of lit by a separate backlight. The light source for each pixel can be individually turned on or turned off, allowing the screen to produce true blacks
| Benefits: | Drawbacks: |
| Extremely cinematic due to high contrast ratios Great for darker lit rooms for serious movie nights Excellent viewing angles - won’t lose contrast if you’re watching on an angle as there’s no ‘gap’ between pixels and LEDs. |
Higher risk of burn-in (where images are retained on the screen), though this has become less and less of an issue as time has moved on and technology has been refined More expensive than LED and QLED Higher running costs |
Best suited to:
- Movie buffs
- Cinema rooms
- Large rooms or rooms with ‘awkward’ off-angle viewing positions
Our favourite OLED TVs:
Neo-QLED
Stands for: Neo (new) Quantum Light Emitting Diode
The tech: The thousands of tiny LEDs in the backlight of a QLED screen have been replaced with even finer and smaller LEDs to create an even more well-contrasted and detailed QLED screen. A greater number of smaller LEDs equals more local dimming zones and brilliant handling of contrast and brightness.
Stands for: Neo (new) Quantum Light Emitting Diode
The tech: The thousands of tiny LEDs in the backlight of a QLED screen have been replaced with even finer and smaller LEDs to create an even more well-contrasted and detailed QLED screen. A greater number of smaller LEDs equals more local dimming zones and brilliant handling of contrast and brightness.
| Benefits: | Drawbacks: |
| Tiny nano LEDs offer better contrast and colour handling than QLED or LED Wider brightness range than normal QLED screens Quantum Dot technology offers more true-to-life colour 8K options are available for those wanting their TV to be at the forefront of screen resolution |
Much, much closer to OLED screens than standard QLED, but contrast slightly better on OLEDs. More expensive than standard QLED models |
Best suited to:
- Brighter rooms as Neo-QLEDs have a higher peak brightness than OLED screens
- A great all-rounder thanks to the number of local dimming zones making details more pronounced, even for sport and gaming
Our favourite Neo-QLED TVs:
QD-OLED
Stands for: Quantum Dot Organic Light Emitting Diode
The tech: Combines the best parts of QLED and OLED screens by adding a Quantum Dot layer to an OLED screen where pixels self emit their own light. QD-OLED displays have more accurate handling of colour than OLED screens and are able to reach a higher-peak brightness whilst keeping the same perfect blacks of OLEDs.
| Benefits: | Drawbacks: |
| Combines the best parts of OLED and QLED screens for the next generation of flagship TVs Higher peak brightness than standard OLEDs due to Quantum Dot layer True-to-life colours Excellent contrast between dark and light on screen as pixels emit their own light source and can turn this off individually |
State-of-the-art technology comes with hefty price tags |
Best suited to:
- State-of-the-art cinema rooms that want to install the best screen type available
- Rooms requiring excellent off-angle viewing
- Suited to a range of viewing types + gaming due to their excellent handling of colour and detail.
Our favourite QD-OLED models: