Updated for 2026 · reviewed
Chapter 1

TV technologies explained

Every panel type sold in the current line-ups, from edge-lit LED to four-stack Tandem OLED. Each one shows where the light comes from, how the colour is made, and what that means in a real living room.

LCD familyOLED family

Edge-lit LED LCD

LCD familyOlder techAlso called: Edge LED, LED TV, Slim LED

The thinnest and cheapest LCD: white LEDs along the frame push light sideways through a plastic guide plate.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerEdge LEDsLight guide plateDiffuserTransistor backplaneLiquid-crystal layerColour filterFront glass
  1. Front glass — The surface you look at, with anti-reflection coating.
  2. Colour filter — Red, green and blue tinted windows that colour the light passing through each sub-pixel.
  3. Liquid-crystal layer — Each pixel twists crystals to let more or less backlight through — the "shutter".
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
  5. Diffuser — Spreads the backlight so you cannot see the individual LEDs.
  6. Light guide plate — A clear plastic sheet that bounces edge light across the whole screen.
  7. Edge LEDs — A strip of white LEDs along one or more edges of the frame.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. A strip of white LEDs sits along one or more edges of the frame.
  2. A light-guide plate bounces that light across the back of the screen.
  3. The liquid-crystal layer opens or closes each pixel like a shutter to let light through.
  4. A colour filter tints each sub-pixel red, green or blue.
Strengths
  • Very thin and light
  • The lowest prices
  • Fine for daytime TV, news and background viewing
Trade-offs
  • Cannot dim parts of the screen independently, so dark scenes look grey
  • Often uneven — brighter near the edges, cloudy patches elsewhere
  • Narrow viewing angles and modest brightness
Best for
  • A garage, workshop or kitchen counter
  • A second screen you rarely watch in the dark
Names to look for
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

Direct-lit LED LCD

LCD familyMainstreamAlso called: Direct LED, Full-array LED, FALD (with local dimming)

A grid of white LEDs behind the whole panel — the budget workhorse, sometimes with a handful of dimming zones.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerLED backlight gridDiffuserTransistor backplaneLiquid-crystal layerColour filterFront glass
  1. Front glass — The surface you look at, with anti-reflection coating.
  2. Colour filter — Red, green and blue tinted windows that colour the light passing through each sub-pixel.
  3. Liquid-crystal layer — Each pixel twists crystals to let more or less backlight through — the "shutter".
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
  5. Diffuser — Spreads the backlight so you cannot see the individual LEDs.
  6. LED backlight grid — Rows of white LEDs spread behind the whole panel.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. Rows of white LEDs sit directly behind the panel instead of at the edges.
  2. A diffuser sheet blends them into an even glow.
  3. The liquid-crystal layer shutters each pixel; the colour filter adds colour.
  4. Better models group the LEDs into a few dozen zones that can dim together ("full-array local dimming").
Dimming zones and blooming
A few dimming zones
24 dimming zones
Each zone can only dim as a block, so the backlight spills around the bright object — that glow is blooming.
More zones
60 dimming zones
Smaller zones follow the picture more tightly. The halo shrinks but never fully disappears on an LCD.
Strengths
  • More even than edge-lit
  • Inexpensive and widely available in large sizes
  • Nothing to worry about with static content
Trade-offs
  • Blacks are still grey-ish, especially with few or no dimming zones
  • Colour is only as good as the white LEDs and filter allow
  • Viewing angles are narrow on most panels
Best for
  • Guest rooms, home offices and kids' rooms
  • Casual viewers on a tight budget
Names to look for
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

QLED (quantum-dot LCD)

LCD familyMainstreamAlso called: Quantum dot LCD, QD-LCD, Quantum LED

A direct-lit LCD with a quantum-dot film that turns blue backlight into purer reds and greens — richer, brighter colour.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerBlue LED backlightDiffuserQuantum-dot filmTransistor backplaneLiquid-crystal layerColour filterFront glass
  1. Front glass — The surface you look at, with anti-reflection coating.
  2. Colour filter — Red, green and blue tinted windows that colour the light passing through each sub-pixel.
  3. Liquid-crystal layer — Each pixel twists crystals to let more or less backlight through — the "shutter".
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
  5. Quantum-dot film — Nano-crystals that turn blue light into pure red and green, giving richer colour.
  6. Diffuser — Spreads the backlight so you cannot see the individual LEDs.
  7. Blue LED backlight — Blue LEDs whose light will be converted to white by the quantum-dot film.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. Blue LEDs behind the panel provide the light.
  2. A quantum-dot film converts some of that blue into very pure red and green, making clean white light with a wide colour range.
  3. From there it is a normal LCD: transistors, liquid crystal shutters and a colour filter.
  4. Despite the "LED" in the name it is still an LCD — the quantum dots do not emit light on their own.
Strengths
  • Noticeably richer colour than plain LED
  • Brighter than budget LED
  • Strong value — the sweet spot for everyday viewing
Trade-offs
  • Black level depends entirely on the backlight underneath: without local dimming it is still an LED TV with better colour
  • Some "QLED" models are edge-lit — check the spec sheet
  • Viewing angles remain LCD-typical
QLED describes the colour layer, not the backlight. A QLED with local dimming and a QLED without it look very different in a dark room.
Best for
  • The main TV in a living room with mixed lighting
  • Anyone who wants better colour without paying for mini-LED or OLED
Names to look for
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

Mini-LED LCD

LCD familyMainstreamAlso called: Mini LED, QD-Mini LED, Quantum Mini LED, MiniLED

Thousands of much smaller backlight LEDs grouped into hundreds or thousands of dimming zones — bright, punchy, and far better blacks than regular LED.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerMini-LED backlightDiffuserQuantum-dot filmTransistor backplaneLiquid-crystal layerColour filterFront glass
  1. Front glass — The surface you look at, with anti-reflection coating.
  2. Colour filter — Red, green and blue tinted windows that colour the light passing through each sub-pixel.
  3. Liquid-crystal layer — Each pixel twists crystals to let more or less backlight through — the "shutter".
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
  5. Quantum-dot film — Nano-crystals that turn blue light into pure red and green, giving richer colour.
  6. Diffuser — Spreads the backlight so you cannot see the individual LEDs.
  7. Mini-LED backlight — Thousands of tiny blue LEDs grouped into local-dimming zones.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. The backlight is made of thousands of tiny LEDs instead of a few hundred normal ones.
  2. They are grouped into local-dimming zones that each get brighter or darker to follow the picture.
  3. A quantum-dot film (almost always) adds the colour range of QLED.
  4. The liquid-crystal layer still does the fine per-pixel work; the zones handle the broad light and dark areas.
Dimming zones and blooming
Fewer zones
60 dimming zones
Each zone can only dim as a block, so the backlight spills around the bright object — that glow is blooming.
Many small zones
576 dimming zones
Smaller zones follow the picture more tightly. The halo shrinks but never fully disappears on an LCD.
Strengths
  • Very bright — the best choice for sunlit rooms
  • Deep blacks for an LCD when the zone count is high
  • No burn-in concerns, good for gaming HUDs and news channels
Trade-offs
  • Some halo ("blooming") around bright objects on black, especially with fewer zones
  • Picture washes out off-axis on many panels
  • Zone counts and dimming quality vary hugely between models at the same price
Best for
  • Bright living rooms and open-plan spaces
  • Sports and daytime viewing
  • People who want most of OLED's punch with none of its burn-in worry
Names to look for
  • Samsung — Neo QLED
  • LG — QNED, QNED evo Mini-LED
  • Sony — Bravia 3 / Bravia 5, Bravia 7 / Bravia 9
  • TCL — QM series (QD-Mini LED)
  • Hisense — QLED (Q / U6 series), ULED (U7 series), ULED X (U8 / U9 series)
  • Panasonic — W series
  • Roku — Roku Pro
  • Amazon Fire TV — Fire TV Omni Mini-LED
  • Vizio — Quantum Pro
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

RGB Mini-LED LCD

LCD familyNew in 2026Also called: RGB LED, RGB backlight, RGB local dimming

Mini-LED where each backlight zone has its own red, green and blue LEDs instead of white or blue ones — colour is made in the backlight, so nothing is lost converting it.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerRGB LED backlightDiffuserTransistor backplaneLiquid-crystal layerColour filterFront glass
  1. Front glass — The surface you look at, with anti-reflection coating.
  2. Colour filter — Red, green and blue tinted windows that colour the light passing through each sub-pixel.
  3. Liquid-crystal layer — Each pixel twists crystals to let more or less backlight through — the "shutter".
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
  5. Diffuser — Spreads the backlight so you cannot see the individual LEDs.
  6. RGB LED backlight — Separate red, green and blue LEDs that mix light directly, no colour conversion needed.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. Each dimming zone contains separate red, green and blue LEDs.
  2. The TV mixes those three colours directly to match the scene — a red sunset gets a red backlight.
  3. Because there is no white-to-colour conversion, less light is wasted and colours stay saturated at high brightness.
  4. The liquid-crystal layer and a lighter colour filter still shape the fine detail.
Why colour at the source matters
Conventional: blue LED → quantum dots → filter
blue LEDQD filmwhitefilter~⅔ of the lightis blocked
White light has to be filtered down to red, green and blue — each sub-pixel throws away the colours it does not need.
RGB backlight: colour made at the source
R G B LEDsmixed to matchthe scenefilterlittle is lost:brighter, purer
A red sunset gets a red backlight. Less light is wasted, so colours stay saturated even at very high brightness.
Strengths
  • The widest colour range of any LCD, even at very high brightness
  • Extremely bright
  • Less blooming than regular mini-LED because the backlight colour already matches the scene
Trade-offs
  • Brand-new and priced accordingly
  • Still an LCD: viewing angles and per-pixel blacks do not match OLED
  • Every brand uses a different name for it, which makes shopping confusing
Micro RGB, True RGB, RGB Mini-LED and RGB MiniLED are all this same idea under different brand names. Judge them on reviews, not on the name.
Best for
  • Large screens in bright rooms
  • Early adopters who want the most vivid HDR
Names to look for
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

Micro RGB LCD

LCD familyNew in 2026Also called: MicroRGB, Micro RGB LED

RGB Mini-LED with the LEDs shrunk below a tenth of a millimetre, so far more of them fit and dimming zones get much denser.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerMicro RGB backlightDiffuserTransistor backplaneLiquid-crystal layerColour filterFront glass
  1. Front glass — The surface you look at, with anti-reflection coating.
  2. Colour filter — Red, green and blue tinted windows that colour the light passing through each sub-pixel.
  3. Liquid-crystal layer — Each pixel twists crystals to let more or less backlight through — the "shutter".
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
  5. Diffuser — Spreads the backlight so you cannot see the individual LEDs.
  6. Micro RGB backlight — RGB LEDs shrunk below a tenth of a millimetre, so many more fit — and many more dimming zones.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. Same idea as RGB Mini-LED: red, green and blue LEDs make the backlight colour directly.
  2. The LEDs are much smaller, so a panel can hold many more of them.
  3. More LEDs means more, smaller dimming zones — halos shrink and dark scenes get closer to OLED.
  4. It is not Micro-LED: there is still a liquid-crystal layer in front of the backlight.
Why colour at the source matters
Conventional: blue LED → quantum dots → filter
blue LEDQD filmwhitefilter~⅔ of the lightis blocked
White light has to be filtered down to red, green and blue — each sub-pixel throws away the colours it does not need.
RGB backlight: colour made at the source
R G B LEDsmixed to matchthe scenefilterlittle is lost:brighter, purer
A red sunset gets a red backlight. Less light is wasted, so colours stay saturated even at very high brightness.
Strengths
  • Denser dimming zones than any earlier LCD backlight
  • RGB colour purity at very high brightness
  • No burn-in
Trade-offs
  • Flagship-only for now
  • The name invites confusion with true Micro-LED, a different (far more expensive) technology
  • Real-world zone counts are rarely published, so compare on reviews
Micro RGB (an LCD with a tiny-LED backlight) is not Micro-LED (a screen made entirely of microscopic self-emitting LEDs, still a wall-sized luxury product).
Best for
  • Very large, very bright rooms
  • Buyers who want the newest LCD and can wait for reviews to settle
Names to look for
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

SQD-MiniLED LCD

LCD familyNew in 2026Also called: Super Quantum Dot, SQD

A mini-LED that keeps blue LEDs but swaps in a "super quantum dot" layer with much smaller crystals, claiming RGB-like colour, extreme brightness and near-zero blooming.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerMini-LED backlightDiffuserSuper quantum-dot filmTransistor backplaneLiquid-crystal layerColour filterFront glass
  1. Front glass — The surface you look at, with anti-reflection coating.
  2. Colour filter — Red, green and blue tinted windows that colour the light passing through each sub-pixel.
  3. Liquid-crystal layer — Each pixel twists crystals to let more or less backlight through — the "shutter".
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
  5. Super quantum-dot film — A newer quantum-dot layer with smaller crystals, claimed to convert light more efficiently and cut light leakage.
  6. Diffuser — Spreads the backlight so you cannot see the individual LEDs.
  7. Mini-LED backlight — Thousands of tiny blue LEDs grouped into local-dimming zones.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. The backlight is a dense blue mini-LED grid with a very high zone count.
  2. A new quantum-dot layer with crystals of only a few nanometres converts blue to red and green more efficiently.
  3. The maker claims the layer also reduces the stray light that causes halos.
  4. Everything else is a conventional LCD stack.
Dimming zones and blooming
Fewer zones
60 dimming zones
Each zone can only dim as a block, so the backlight spills around the bright object — that glow is blooming.
Many small zones
576 dimming zones
Smaller zones follow the picture more tightly. The halo shrinks but never fully disappears on an LCD.
Strengths
  • Claims the colour benefits of RGB backlights without RGB LEDs
  • Extremely bright with very dense dimming
  • No burn-in
Trade-offs
  • Very new — one brand, very few models, little long-term data
  • Claims about blooming still need independent testing
  • Flagship pricing
As of this edition SQD is a single-manufacturer technology. Treat its headline claims as promising until independent reviews confirm them.
Best for
  • Early adopters
  • Anyone shopping the very top of the LCD market who should also read the RGB Mini-LED tab
Names to look for
  • TCL — X series (SQD-MiniLED)
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

W-OLED (white OLED)

OLED familyMainstreamAlso called: WOLED, WRGB OLED, OLED, Tandem WOLED (older 2-stack)

The standard OLED: every pixel is its own white light source with a colour filter, plus an extra white sub-pixel for brightness. Perfect blacks, no backlight.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerTransistor backplaneWhite OLED emittersWRGB colour filterEncapsulation + glass
  1. Encapsulation + glass — Seals the organic layers from air and moisture; the front glass sits on top.
  2. WRGB colour filter — Red, green and blue filters plus an unfiltered white sub-pixel for extra brightness.
  3. White OLED emitters — Organic layers that glow white on their own, pixel by pixel — no backlight at all.
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. There is no backlight. Each pixel contains organic material that glows when current flows.
  2. The emitters glow white; a colour filter turns sub-pixels red, green or blue.
  3. A fourth, unfiltered white sub-pixel adds brightness (the "W" in WRGB).
  4. A pixel that should be black is simply switched off — that is why blacks are perfect and there is no halo.
Why there is no halo
Mini-LED for comparison
576 dimming zones
Even a dense backlight lights a patch around the object.
OLED: per-pixel light
every pixel is its own light
Only the object's own pixels are on. Everything else is switched off — true black, no halo.
Strengths
  • Perfect blacks and infinite contrast
  • Near-perfect viewing angles
  • Instant pixel response — superb motion for games and sport
Trade-offs
  • Not as bright as mini-LED in a sunlit room
  • Colours desaturate slightly at peak brightness because of the white sub-pixel
  • Static content for many hours a day carries some burn-in risk
Best for
  • Movie nights in a dim or light-controlled room
  • Gaming
  • Anyone who values contrast over sheer brightness
Names to look for
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

QD-OLED

OLED familyMainstreamAlso called: Quantum dot OLED, QD OLED

OLED pixels that glow blue, with a quantum-dot layer converting them to red and green — OLED blacks plus the purest colour.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerTransistor backplaneBlue OLED emittersQuantum-dot colour layerFront glass
  1. Front glass — The surface you look at, with anti-reflection coating.
  2. Quantum-dot colour layer — Converts each blue pixel to red or green without a filter, so less light is lost.
  3. Blue OLED emitters — Organic layers that glow blue, pixel by pixel; colour is added by the quantum-dot layer above.
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. Every pixel is a self-emitting blue OLED.
  2. Instead of a colour filter, a quantum-dot layer converts blue to red or green — conversion, not filtering, so very little light is lost.
  3. The result keeps colour saturated even at high brightness.
  4. Like all OLED, black pixels are simply off.
Why there is no halo
Mini-LED for comparison
576 dimming zones
Even a dense backlight lights a patch around the object.
OLED: per-pixel light
every pixel is its own light
Only the object's own pixels are on. Everything else is switched off — true black, no halo.
Strengths
  • Perfect blacks plus the richest colour of any OLED
  • Brighter colours than W-OLED
  • Excellent viewing angles and motion
Trade-offs
  • The panel can look slightly grey-ish in a bright room because it lacks a polariser
  • Fewer sizes than W-OLED
  • Burn-in risk is similar to other OLED
Best for
  • Cinematic viewing with vivid HDR colour
  • Gamers who want the best of both colour and contrast
Names to look for
  • Samsung — OLED (S9 series)
  • Sony — Bravia 8 II, Triluminos
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

Tandem OLED (4-stack)

OLED familyNew in 2026Also called: Four-stack OLED, Primary RGB Tandem, Multi-stack OLED

W-OLED rebuilt with four emitting layers stacked per pixel — far brighter than earlier OLED, aimed squarely at mini-LED's brightness lead.

Inside the panel
↑ to the viewerTransistor backplaneStacked OLED emittersWRGB colour filterEncapsulation + glass
  1. Encapsulation + glass — Seals the organic layers from air and moisture; the front glass sits on top.
  2. WRGB colour filter — Red, green and blue filters plus an unfiltered white sub-pixel for extra brightness.
  3. Stacked OLED emitters — Several emitting layers stacked on top of each other so each pixel can glow much brighter.
  4. Transistor backplane — A grid of tiny switches, one per sub-pixel, that tells each pixel what to do.
Light travels from the bottom layer to your eyes at the top. The colour of the rays changes as each layer does its job.
How it works
  1. Each pixel stacks several OLED emitting layers on top of one another.
  2. The stacks share the work, so each pixel can glow much brighter without wearing out faster.
  3. Colour still comes from a filter and a white sub-pixel, like W-OLED.
  4. Blacks are still perfect — it is an OLED, just a brighter one.
Why there is no halo
Mini-LED for comparison
576 dimming zones
Even a dense backlight lights a patch around the object.
OLED: per-pixel light
every pixel is its own light
Only the object's own pixels are on. Everything else is switched off — true black, no halo.
Strengths
  • The brightest OLED yet — usable in brighter rooms than before
  • All the OLED virtues: perfect blacks, angles, motion
  • Improved colour at high brightness
Trade-offs
  • Flagship-only and expensive
  • Early production has shown some inconsistency (for example faint colour banding on some units)
  • Burn-in risk is lower but not zero
First-generation panels. Early reports of unit-to-unit variation (banding, uniformity) are worth checking in reviews before buying.
Best for
  • Enthusiasts wanting OLED without giving up brightness
  • Buyers prepared to read early reviews carefully
Names to look for
  • LG — OLED evo with Primary RGB Tandem (G / M series)
  • Panasonic — Z series (OLED)
At a glance
Black level & contrast
Peak brightness
Colour richness
Viewing angle
Burn-in risk (lower is better)
Halo / blooming (lower is better)
Motion clarity
Typical price tier (lower is better)

Not covered (on purpose)

Micro-LED — a screen made entirely of microscopic self-emitting LEDs, still a wall-sized luxury product rather than a living-room TV. Not to be confused with Micro RGB, which is an LCD. Plasma and CCFL-backlit LCD — no longer made. Names like 4K, 8K, HDR, 120 Hz describe resolution, signal and refresh rate, not the panel; any of the technologies above can carry them.