When it comes to TVs, one of the most critical aspects that contribute to an immersive viewing experience is the ability to produce true blacks. True blacks refer to the TV’s ability to display absolute darkness, creating an infinite contrast ratio that makes colors pop and details stand out. However, achieving true blacks has been a longstanding challenge for TV manufacturers. In recent years, Samsung’s QLED technology has gained popularity, claiming to deliver unparalleled contrast and color accuracy. But the question remains: is QLED true black?
Understanding True Black and Its Importance
True black is more than just a deep, dark color. It’s the absence of any light emission, allowing the surrounding colors to shine without being diluted by ambient brightness. In the world of display technology, true black is the holy grail, as it enables TVs to produce:
- Deeper contrast ratios: True blacks create an infinite contrast ratio, making whites appear brighter and more vibrant.
- Richer colors: With true blacks, colors become more accurate and nuanced, resulting in a more lifelike viewing experience.
- Improved shadow details: True blacks help to reveal subtle details in dark areas, adding depth and dimensionality to the image.
The pursuit of true black is crucial for creating an engaging and immersive viewing experience. Without it, images can appear washed out, lacking in depth and contrast.
The Challenge of Achieving True Black
So, why is achieving true black so difficult? The answer lies in the fundamental principles of display technology.
Backlighting: The Biggest Obstacle
Most modern TVs use LED/LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, which relies on a backlight to illuminate the liquid crystals. The backlight is responsible for producing the image, but it also creates a minimum amount of light emission, making true blacks impossible. This is known as the “black level” limitation.
Local Dimming: A Partial Solution
To combat the backlight limitation, TV manufacturers introduced local dimming, a technology that divides the backlight into multiple zones and adjusts their brightness based on the content being displayed. While local dimming improves contrast and reduces the black level, it’s still not capable of producing true blacks.
OLED: The Competitor
Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) technology is often touted as the closest rival to QLED in terms of achieving true blacks. OLED panels use an emissive technology, where each pixel emits its own light, allowing for true blacks and an almost infinite contrast ratio. However, OLED has its own set of limitations, such as potential burn-in issues and limited brightness.
Samsung’s QLED: A New Approach
Samsung’s QLED technology takes a different approach to achieving true blacks. Instead of relying on backlighting, QLED uses tiny, precisely controlled crystals to create colors. These crystals, made from a metal-insulator-metal structure, can be precisely controlled to produce a wide range of colors, including true blacks.
Quantum Dot Technology
QLED’s secret lies in its use of quantum dot technology. Quantum dots are tiny, microscopic crystals that can be precisely controlled to emit specific colors. By carefully tuning the size and shape of these dots, Samsung can create a wide color gamut, including true blacks.
Local Dimming and Full-Array Backlighting
QLED TVs also employ local dimming and full-array backlighting to further enhance contrast and color accuracy. By combining these technologies with quantum dot technology, QLED TVs can produce an unprecedented level of contrast and color accuracy, approaching true blacks.
Is QLED True Black?
So, does QLED achieve true blacks? The answer is almost. While QLED technology comes incredibly close to producing true blacks, it’s not quite there yet.
Measuring Black Levels
To evaluate the black levels of a QLED TV, we need to measure its ability to produce darkness. One common method is to use a measurement called the “black level measurement” (BLM). The BLM is expressed in candelas per square meter (cd/m²), with lower values indicating a better black level.
QLED Black Level Measurements
In various tests and reviews, QLED TVs have been measured to have a black level of around 0.001-0.005 cd/m², depending on the specific model and settings. While this is an impressive achievement, it’s still short of true black, which would have a black level of 0 cd/m².
Real-World Performance
In practice, QLED TVs are capable of producing an incredible level of contrast and color accuracy, making them appear close to true blacks in most viewing scenarios. However, in extremely dark scenes or when viewed in a completely dark room, the QLED TV’s black levels may become apparent.
Conclusion
While QLED technology doesn’t quite achieve true blacks, it comes remarkably close. The combination of quantum dot technology, local dimming, and full-array backlighting enables QLED TVs to produce an unprecedented level of contrast and color accuracy, making them an excellent choice for those seeking an immersive viewing experience.
In the end, the quest for true blacks is an ongoing one, with TV manufacturers continually pushing the boundaries of display technology. As we move forward, it’s exciting to think about what the future holds for display technology and the possibility of true blacks becoming a reality.
What is QLED and how does it work?
QLED, short for Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode, is a display technology developed by Samsung. It uses tiny crystals to create colors, resulting in a more precise and wider range of colors. QLED panels use a backlight, just like traditional LCDs, but the key difference lies in the way the colors are produced. In QLED, the backlight passes through a layer of tiny crystals, which emit different colors depending on their size.
This is what sets QLED apart from other display technologies like OLED. Because the crystals can be precisely controlled, QLED is able to produce a wider range of colors, including deeper blacks and more vivid colors. This results in a more lifelike picture with greater contrast and color accuracy. Additionally, QLED panels are also more energy-efficient and have faster response times than traditional LCDs, making them ideal for fast-paced content like sports and action movies.
How does QLED compare to OLED in terms of picture quality?
QLED and OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) are both considered high-end display technologies, but they have some key differences. OLED panels use an emissive technology, where each pixel emits its own light, whereas QLED uses a transmissive technology, where a backlight passes through a layer of crystals. This gives OLED an edge when it comes to true blacks, as they can turn off individual pixels completely, resulting in infinite contrast.
However, QLED has its own strengths, particularly in terms of color accuracy and brightness. QLED panels can produce a wider range of colors and have higher peak brightness levels than OLED panels. Additionally, QLED is less prone to burn-in and has a longer lifespan than OLED. Overall, the choice between QLED and OLED comes down to personal preference. If you want the absolute best contrast and black levels, OLED might be the better choice. But if you prioritize color accuracy and brightness, QLED is a great option.
What is the difference between QLED and SUHD?
SUHD (Super Ultra High Definition) is a display technology developed by Samsung, but it’s not the same as QLED. SUHD is an LCD-based technology that uses a different type of backlight and local dimming to improve contrast and color accuracy. While SUHD is an improvement over traditional LCDs, it’s not quite on the same level as QLED in terms of picture quality.
QLED, on the other hand, uses quantum dots to produce colors, which gives it a wider range of colors and better color accuracy than SUHD. QLED also has better contrast and black levels than SUHD, thanks to its ability to produce deeper blacks and more vivid colors. Overall, QLED is a more advanced display technology than SUHD, and it’s clear that Samsung is positioning QLED as its premium offering.
Is QLED worth the extra cost?
QLED TVs are generally more expensive than traditional LCD TVs, and even more so than SUHD TVs. However, the picture quality is noticeably better, and QLED offers a range of benefits that might make it worth the extra cost. For one, QLED TVs are more energy-efficient, which can save you money on your energy bills over time. They’re also more durable and have a longer lifespan than traditional LCDs.
If you’re someone who spends a lot of time watching movies or playing games, the improved picture quality of QLED might be worth the investment. Additionally, if you’re planning to keep your TV for a long time, the longer lifespan of QLED might make it a better value in the long run. Of course, it ultimately comes down to your budget and what you’re willing to spend on a TV.
Can QLED produce true black?
One of the biggest advantages of OLED TVs is their ability to produce true black, since they can turn off individual pixels completely. QLED TVs, on the other hand, use a backlight, which means they can’t quite achieve the same level of blackness as OLED. However, QLED TVs have made significant strides in recent years, and they’re now able to produce very deep blacks, even if they’re not quite true black.
Samsung has implemented a range of technologies to improve the black levels of QLED TVs, including local dimming and a feature called “Ultimate Contrast.” These technologies help to reduce the amount of light emitted by the backlight, resulting in blacks that are very close to true black. While QLED TVs might not be quite on the same level as OLED in terms of black levels, they’re still capable of producing a very immersive viewing experience.
Is QLED better for gaming?
QLED TVs have a number of features that make them well-suited for gaming. For one, they have faster response times than traditional LCDs, which means they can handle fast-paced games with ease. They also have lower input lag, which gives gamers a more responsive experience. QLED TVs also support AMD’s FreeSync technology, which helps to reduce screen tearing and stuttering.
In addition to these gaming-specific features, QLED TVs also offer a range of benefits that can enhance the gaming experience. For example, their wider range of colors and higher contrast ratio can make games look more vivid and immersive. They’re also capable of producing higher peak brightness levels, which can be useful for games that have very bright environments. Overall, QLED TVs are a great choice for gamers who want a premium viewing experience.
Will QLED become the new standard in display technology?
It’s difficult to predict the future of display technology, but QLED is certainly a promising development. Samsung has already committed to making QLED a central part of its TV lineup, and other manufacturers are starting to explore the technology as well. Given its many advantages, including its ability to produce a wider range of colors and its energy efficiency, QLED could potentially become the new standard in display technology.
However, OLED is still a very strong competitor, and it’s unlikely that QLED will replace it entirely. Instead, we may see a scenario where both QLED and OLED coexist, each catering to different segments of the market. QLED might become the go-to choice for those who prioritize color accuracy and brightness, while OLED might remain the preferred option for those who want the absolute best contrast and black levels.