Samsung has been a household name in televisions for years. They have always been at the forefront of technology, and they continue to release new and innovative products. One such product is their QLED line of televisions. But recently, they released a new product: Neo QLED. So, what’s the difference?
Neo QLED is the next generation of Samsung’s QLED line. The most significant difference is that Neo QLED uses Mini LEDs, which are about 1/40th the size of traditional LED lights. The result is that Neo QLED displays are brighter and have higher contrast ratios.
The change from traditional LEDs to Mini LEDs is the only noteworthy change in the display itself, but there are changes to the software and the processor. In the end, Is Neo QLED better? This article will compare the two products and help you decide which one is right for you!
Let’s start with a quick review of QLED displays.
What Is QLEDTechnology? What Are Its Benefits Over Traditional LEDTVs?
QLED is the older TV lineup from Samsung, first released in 2017. QLED, or Quantum LED, is a type of display technology that uses tiny semiconductor particles marketed by Samsung as quantum dots. These quantum dots emit light in specific colors, which allows for a wider color range and higher contrast ratios than traditional LED TVs.
Benefits of QLED over traditional LED TVs include:
- Wider color range
- Higher contrast ratios
- Brighter displays
- Better viewing angles
Read Also: Sony OLED vs LG OLED
How Does Neo QLED Compare to QLED?
Now that we’ve recapped QLED technology, we can look at the next generation Neo QLED.
Neo is basically a word that the Samsung marketing team thought sounded cool. According to the dictionary, Neo is a word used at the beginning of a compound word that means new or modified. Neo comes from the Green word “neos”.
That’s precisely what Neo QLED is compared to QLED.
Check the definition here at Dicitonary.com
What Does Neo QLED Stand For?
Neo QLED, according to Samsung, stands for New Quantum Light Emitting Diode.
Neo QLED is the newest TV lineup from Samsung released in 2021. Neo QLED stands for “New Quantum LED.” Samsung is using Quantum dots still, but they are a new technology over the old ones. Hence the fancy marketing word for new: “Neo.”
TV displays are made of several layers, with quantum dots being one of the layers. In the Neo QLED lineup of TV, the quantum dot layer hasn’t really changed from the older QLED lineup.
The part that has changed is the backlight. This is the layer that shines light through the rest of the display. Neo QLED displays use mini-LEDs, which Samsung claims are 1/40th the size of previous LEDs.
More LEDs allow for more dimming zones in what is known as Direct Full Array backlighting. More zones enable the TV to dim or brighten a smaller portion of the screen. This allows for more precise lighting control and less blooming. You will see less of a halo around bright objects in front of a darker background.
The benefits of Neo QLED over QLED TVs include:
- Wider color range
- Higher contrast ratios
- Brighter displays
Yes, the list is the same as QLEDs over older LED TVs. Technology continues to improve.
What Are The Key Differences Between Neo QLED and QLED?
The biggest difference is that Neo QLED uses Mini LEDs, which are about 40 times smaller than traditional LED lights. The result is that Neo QLED displays are brighter and have higher contrast ratios.
The second significant difference is that the Neo QLED TVs have a new processor, which Samsung calls the Neo Quantum Processor. The processor adds these new software-controlled features:
Advanced Contrast Mapping
Thanks to the new Mini LEDs, there are now more brightness zones available that can be controlled by the processor. QLED used 12-bits to control lighting, whereas the Neo QLEDs now have 14-bit control.
Using the formula 2 to the power of n, that means QLED TVs have 2^12, or 4,096, and Neo QLED TVs have 2^14, or 16,384. You can see that adding two more bits quadruples the processor’s control.
Shape Adaptive Lighting
The Neo Quantum Processor analyzes the image and does graphics processing to detect shapes. The algorithm then enhances the contours for better accuracy and brightness control. This new feature is intended to minimize blooming and add to the HDR experience.
Real Depth Enhancer
This is another algorithm that the Neo Quantum Processor runs to help give the perception of depth to images.
EyeComfort Mode
Neo QLED TVs have a light sensor built into them. The light sensor, along with knowledge of the time of day, will allow the Neo QLED TV to automatically adjust the screen’s brightness and tone based on the atmosphere.
Samsung says that blue light levels are lowered at night to help sleep quality.
Samsung released this information in a news release that can be found here.
Sound Quality
There are also audio quality enhancements. Neo QLED TVs have OTS Pro (Object-Tracking Sound) and Dolby Atmos. As part of this, speakers are strategically placed on the TV to make the sound more directional.
Read Also: What Is the Difference Between Nanocell and OLED
Do Neo QLED TV Screens Burn-in?
Samsung’s Neo QLED and QLED TVs are both excellent quality LED screens. A big concern about screens these days is burn-in, a problem commonly seen on smartphones.
Burn-in happens when an image or particular color on the screen is displayed for a long time, and as a result, the screen becomes permanently discolored.
Neo QLED TVs do not have burn-in problems. Fixed images can be displayed on Neo QLED and QLED TVs for any duration without any risk of burn-in. They do not use organic matter susceptible to burn-in like OLED displays do.
Samsung has a page all about Burn-in and how to prevent it that can be found here.
In Conclusion
If you’re in the market for a new TV, Neo QLED TVs are the top of the line from Samsung. They’re still a step below OLED TVs, which Samsung doesn’t produce (LG is the OLED leader), but they are the next best thing.
If you have your TV in a bright room, a Neo QLED TV might be a good option for you. Otherwise, QLED may still be the best option, as the improvements don’t deserve the price difference, in my opinion.
To see Samsung’s opinion on which technology is better, check out this page on their website.