Televisions have never looked better or been more affordable than they are now. From quantum dots to massive screen sizes, you can get huge TVs that look better than the best TVs from a few years ago for a fraction of the price. That doesn't mean it's any easier to find the best option, however. A confusing jumble of acronyms and abbreviations can make it hard to figure out what to buy. From OLED to mini-LED, QLED to ULED, it all starts to seem like they might just be the same just with a different prefix letter.
Whether you're just watching movies, binging TV shows, or games, there's a TV technology that will work better for you than another. All TVs can show all kinds of content, of course, but some work better in certain situations. Fortunately, those technologies are available at a wide range of prices, so it's not just "buy the most expensive option." Weighing the strengths and weaknesses against that price is key. Hopefully the following guide will help.
Samsung OLED and QD-OLED Best for picture quality, but pricey Like Excellent overall picture quality
Excellent contrast ratio Don't like Not quite as bright as some technologies
Potential for image retention
Expensive For the best overall picture quality, most experts agree that OLED is the winner. The combination of perfect black levels and a bright image make images pop in a way other technologies can't quite match. The latest "flavor" of OLED, called QD-OLED, pairs the emissive technology of OLED with quantum dots. This can improve the color and brightness even more than traditional OLED. As a result, these QD-OLEDs are some of the most expensive TVs on the market, per inch, but they're quite impressive. On the down side, there's the potential of image retention. If you watch the same thing all day (cable news, the same video game), the static parts of the screen can "stick." Typically this goes away when you watch something else, but if you only watch one channel for hours at a time, OLED's not for you. Check out the best OLED and QD-OLED TVs.
Read more: Putting the 'Q' in QLEDs: Where Quantum Dots Are Made
Mini-LED Big, bright, with a great image, though not quite as good as OLED Like Bright images
Great contrast
Huge screens Don't like Not quite as good as OLED
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