After Samsung and LG , Sony has still announced its new televisions for the year 2022 . The company has some of the most advanced televisions on the market. That happens even though, for example, they buy OLED panels from LG, as Sony then introduces various technologies such as motion smoothing to get even better performance from those panels. Now, the company has announced the first QD-OLED televisions.
Currently, the great battle in the high-end televisions on the market is fought by OLED panels and QLEDs . OLEDs do not have a backlight, it is the pixels themselves that light up. In the case of QLEDs, we have a panel of quantum dots backlit by a blue LED panel, and the quantum dots filter that light.
QLED and OLED: each with advantages and disadvantages
OLEDs , when individually controlled, offer better contrast, with deep blacks and very sharp images. However, the maximum brightness is lower, and they are susceptible to wear over time because these LEDs use organic components. Its durability has been improved, but it is still its main drawback.
In the case of QLEDs , they have more brightness and durability, but the control by zones of the lighting is still their main drawback. These televisions require resorting to the use of so-called local dimming zones, which turn off parts of the backlight. Mini LED televisions have more and more local dimming zones, offering thousands of more expensive models. However, this generates a so-called blooming effect, with slight halos around the content if the surrounding panels are off, but they do not exactly match the content displayed on the screen.
Therefore, Samsung is already working on the solution to this failure. To begin with, they are launching Micro LED TVs, but they also started manufacturing QD-OLED TVs in December. Now, Sony has been the first manufacturer to announce the first commercial models with this technology.
QD-OLED: Sony is ahead of Samsung
The Sony Bravia XR A95K TVs use Samsung’s QD-OLED panels , which have only been in the making for a few months. They will be available in two sizes of 55 and 65 inches, both with 4K resolution. Samsung itself was going to announce its first QD-OLED TV at this CES in 2022, but it seems that Sony has anticipated.
Today’s OLED panels use blue and yellow lighting, and by passing it through filters, they produce red, green and blue sub-pixels. Some televisions have a fourth white sub-pixel for improved brightness.
With QD-OLED , blue light is emitted into the pixels, and part of that light is converted into blue and green by quantum dots without the need to use color filters. The blue color is used because it is the one with the most lighting power. With this, greater energy efficiency is achieved, by not having to filter the color, and a higher level of brightness is obtained.
Sony claims that its new QD-OLED televisions offer 200% higher brightness compared to its OLED models, also improving viewing angles by having more brightness and fewer filter layers ahead. The possibility of suffering burn-in is not eliminated with these panels, but the durability is expected to be greater as the pixels are not at the limit of their performance, in addition to the use of three layers of blue pixels.
Sony’s A90K and A80K series still use LG panels with OLED Evo technology, but now the company is going to be the only one on the market to have the best technologies from LG and Samsung. You will be curious to see what type of panel ends up looking better.
Sony televisions also incorporate interesting features, such as a rear panel on the A95K to run cables neatly, or a lift-up stand on the A90K to place the soundbar in front of the TV and not obstruct the view. All televisions use Google TV.
The company has also announced Mini LED televisions with the Z9K (8K) and X95K (4K), X90K, X85K and X80K ranges. All new models feature 120Hz panels, and support with gaming technologies like VRR and ALLM. The Bravia Cam, a camera that allows you to control the television through gestures, can also be used on them.
