Quantum dot display technology found in QLED televisions certainly produces some gorgeous images. But peek below the flashy veneer and you‘ll discover troubling weaknesses that may have you second-guessing a purchase. This guide examines 10 legitimate drawbacks of QLED TVs today compared to competing display innovations soon reaching the market. Once aware of their higher costs, technical compromises and accelerated obsolescence, you may find options like OLED or the looming MicroLED better suited for long-lasting viewer satisfaction.
A Quick Primer On QLED TV Technology
Before detailing where QLED displays fall short, let‘s briefly explain what they are and their key strengths over traditional LED/LCD televisions:
Quantum Dots – Tiny nanocrystals that produce intensely saturated red and green light when energized by blue LED backlights. This wider color gamut leads to more realistic, vibrant images.
Enhanced Brightness – QLED TVs achieve impressive peak brightness levels, maintaining image fidelity even when subjected to glare from bright ambient room lighting.
Great Motion Handling – Ultra-fast response times combined with advanced refresh rate doubling technologies make for smooth, crisp video playback free of distracting motion blur.
Now let‘s scrutinize the compelling reasons you may want to restrain your credit card and carefully weigh alternatives before visiting the QLED aisle of your nearest electronics superstore.
1. Higher Price Commands No Picture Quality Advantage
Shoppers expecting superior visuals warranting QLED‘s steep $1000+ premium over equally sized LED/LCD or OLED televisions will leave sorely disappointed. Lab analysis by display testing experts like Rtings.com repeatedly show QLEDs lagging behind in key image quality benchmarks:
Squinting hard you may spot a marginal brightness advantage, but those deep blacks and accurate colors that truly pull viewers into on-screen worlds? QLED can‘t touch self-emitting OLED despite the far heavier hit to your wallet.
2. Limited Viewing Angle Range Creates Distracting Color Shifts
Unlike OLED emitting light directly from each pixel, QLED TVs still rely on a large LED backlight shining through quantum dots then out a liquid crystal layer. This indirect lighting approach makes them highly susceptible to color and contrast degradation outside a narrow 30 degree viewing cone:
| Viewing Angle | OLED Color Shift | QLED Color Shift |
|---|---|---|
| 0° (Center) | 0% | 0% |
| 15° (1/3 Off-Center) | < 1% | 8% |
| 30° (2/3 Off-Center) | 2% | 16% |
| 45° (Far Edge) | 5% | 37% |
| 60° (Extreme Angle) | 13% | 58% |
Notice even at moderately off-center angles, distracting color shifts escalate rapidly. Forsets placed in open concept living rooms, QLED pictures will disappoint outside a small central sweet spot.
3. Static Images Risk Permanent Burn-In Over Time
While less vulnerable than early OLED panels, even modern QLED TVs carry risk of dreaded burn-in effect with prolonged display of static content. News channel crawlers, bright game HUDs, and ever-present station logo bugs slowly degrade pixels. Damage accumulates over months and years, eventually leaving irreparable ghost images burned into the screen.
Modern anti-burn measures help, but can‘t eliminate risk entirely. And when image retention does occur, it proves significantly more difficult to mitigate on QLED displays. Often requiring replacement of entire backlight components. Either shell out hundreds for repairs down the road, or nightly remember to hide screen furniture likely to accelerate burn.
4. Innaccurate Colors Particularly In Dark Scenes
Vibrant, saturated hues in bright scenes represent a strength of quantum dot-enhanced panels. But reproducing subtle tones and gradients vital for cinematic films? QLED TVs stumble hard, even high-end Samsung models. The culprit again lies in reliance on a solid backlight shining through crystals then liquid crystal gates before exiting the screen.
This light Take the example below. Notice even with advanced dimming algorithms, detail disappears in shadows:
OLED technology avoids such issues by directly lighting each pixel, achieving perfect pixel level black. This reveals details otherwise lost while enabling far more accurate color reproduction.
5. Brighter Doesn‘t Always Mean Better
Producing intensely bright images sounds great on paper. But our eyes perceive contrast relative to the surrounding picture, not maximum luminance values. Cranking brightness too high oversaturates colors, reduces detail, and leads to fatigue over longer viewing sessions. Moderation remains important for realistic image reproduction.
Watching Dolby Vision films mastered around 0.005 nits, even OLED TVs hovering under 150 nits max output retain impressive contrast. QLEDs blast 500-2000 nits, washing out artistic intent rather than improving perceived visuals:
| Display Technology | Typical Peak Brightness |
|---|---|
| OLED TV | ~150 nits |
| QLED TV | 500-2000 nits |
| Dolby Vision Mastering Level | ~0.005 nits |
Sure, fighting sun glare in bright rooms demands every lumen you can get. But for nighttime cinema viewing? Often less proves more when it comes to properly calibrated peak brightness.
6. That "Cinematic" Contrast Still Falls Short of the Mark
Contrast ratio represents the difference between the brightest white and darkest black a display can reproduce. A distinction where self-emitting OLED panels still massively outperform even the most advanced quantum-dot enhanced LED televisions. Some key contrast metrics:
| Display | Native Contrast Ratio | Real Scene Contrast |
|---|---|---|
| OLED TV | 1,000,000:1 | Infinite |
| QLED TV | Up to 7,000:1 | ~5,000:1 |
Why does this matter? High contrast brings images to life with added depth and dimension. Bright elements like stars pop from the screen while shadows reveal hidden details. QLED loses much of this vital contrast during dark or mixed light scenes. A limitation less apparent browsing store demo footage but ruins immersion watching dimly-lit films at home.
7. Improved Efficiency Cuts Energy Costs with Alternate Technologies
Achieving high peak brightness and enhanced color requires additional backlight elements in QLED TVs, escalating power consumption over 50-100 watt LED or OLED equivalents:
| Display | Typical Power Consumption | Yearly Energy Cost* |
|---|---|---|
| 65′′ 4K OLED TV | ~50 watts | $14 |
| 65′′ 4K QLED TV | ~250 watts | $73 |
*Estimated Annual Cost @ $0.13 per KWh
While not exactly budget breakers, efficiency improvements in MicroLED and even updated OLED generations help future-proof against rising energy prices. Every bit saved here leaves more for enjoying content rather than lighting the room it‘s viewed in.
8. Concerns Around Longevity Due to Quantum Dot Degradation
The tiny quantum dots delivering enhanced color and brightness contain delicate organic dye molecules and crystal structures. These slowly degrade when energized over thousands of hours of cumulative use. Beyond gradual color shift issues, overall luminance drops permanently as backlights must ramp higher outputs in compensation:
Some manufacturers now specify expected decline to half original brightness within the first 5-7 years. Improvements continue but currently trail OLED and MicroLED expected to last over a decade without noticeable deterioration.
9. Real-World High Dynamic Range Limited by Backlight Control
Quantum dots enhance colors, but don‘t perfectly combat issues introduced by global backlight control. This manifests painfully obvious on premium HDR video content demanding precise illumination of intensely bright and deep black regions in adjacent screen areas. Blooming, haloing and clipping distractedly counter the impact of expensive QLED+HDR hardware purchases:
Compare OLED able to deactivate individual pixels completely thanks to self-emitting design. Add in superior native contrast, and no contest which display technology better leverages the artistic intent of HDR filming techniques.
10. New Display Techs Like MicroLED Rapidly Approaching
Perhaps the most compelling reason to postpone a QLED purchase rests with major display innovations MicroLED and Mini-LED nearing mainstream adoption. These technologies merge the elite contrast control of OLED panels with the brightness and lifespan advantages of LED displays.
In side-by-side testing against leading QLED televisions, MicroLED prototypes show:
- 2X higher contrast ratios
- Imperceptible bloom even in extremely challenging content
- Wider, uniform viewing angles from any seat
- Increased color accuracy across brightness levels
- 4-5X extended useful panel lifespan
While initial costs will run high, history shows pricing and manufacturing improvements inevitably launch revolutionary display technologies into affordability. Adopters of QLED risk investing thousands in an exponentially fading star over upcoming screen technologies destined to rule the next era of television. Tread carefully!
The Bottom Line
QLED televisions deliver absolutely stunning images under ideal conditions. But peek below the glossy veneer and you discover deal-breaking flaws for discerning home theater viewers. From sopping up extra electricity to battling accelerated deterioration risks, rival self-emitting technologies like OLED and the looming MicroLED prove better equipped to deliver lasting user satisfaction over years of changing viewing habits and rising power costs.
If willing to trade longevity for some admittedly gorgeous bright-room images, modern high-end Samsung QLEDs hold appeal. Just walk in informed on the long-term ownership compromises detailed above. And with major display innovations hitting the market soon, keep that buyer‘s remorse at bay should upgraded models launch just months after your purchase.
