I vividly remember purchasing my first OLED TV, the LG E8 55-inch, back in 2019, just before the world retreated into lockdown. Let me tell you, it turned out to be the perfect companion for isolation. Initially, I was only vaguely familiar with OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology. I understood that, unlike LCD displays with their backlights, OLED uses self-lit pixels, offering infinite contrast. But it wasn't until I immersed myself in the visually stunning worlds of Final Fantasy XV and The Last of Us Part II that I truly grasped the magic of OLED. It felt like stepping into a nostalgic dream in real time. Naturally, my journey didn't end with the E8.
A few years later, I upgraded to the LG C2 65-inch TV, and since then, I've reviewed numerous devices with OLED displays, discovering that not all OLED screens are the same. In fact, they don't even use the same technology. You might be curious, "How many types of OLED are there?" While there are many, you should focus on three key types: WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED.
WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED: How They Work
OLED technology has been around for decades, with companies from Kodak to Mitsubishi experimenting with it. It wasn't until LG launched its OLED TVs in the early 2010s that the technology gained widespread popularity.
LG's version of OLED is known as WOLED (White OLED). The company doesn't explicitly market it as WOLED because LG positions itself as synonymous with OLED. But what exactly is WOLED? As mentioned, OLED eliminates the need for a backlight by using self-lit pixels, which delivers infinite contrast and vibrant colors. However, the red, green, and blue emitters degrade at different rates, accelerating burn-in. WOLED addresses this by using a white OLED layer combined with an RGBW color filter. This means the self-lit pixels emit white light, which is then filtered into colors. The downside is that this can lead to uneven brightness and reduced color volume. Higher-end WOLEDs mitigate this with Micro Lens Array technology, which uses thousands of microlenses on a single pixel to enhance light focus.
In 2022, another solution emerged: QD-OLED (Quantum Dot OLED), introduced by Samsung. QD-OLED replaces the white OLED layer with a blue one, which interacts with a layer of quantum dot color convertors. Unlike the RGBW filter, quantum dots absorb light, converting blue to red or green without losing brightness, resulting in richer colors and higher brightness.
AMOLED, on the other hand, falls into its own category. It's similar to WOLED but includes a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer that controls pixel charge, enabling faster pixel activation. However, this comes at the expense of OLED's iconic "infinite" contrast.
WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED: Which Is Better for Gaming?
Choosing the right OLED technology for gaming depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you want a straightforward answer, QD-OLED is generally the best choice. However, there are scenarios where WOLED or AMOLED might be more suitable.
Let's start with AMOLED, which is primarily used in smartphones and laptops due to its high cost. AMOLED displays are flexible, ideal for foldable devices, and offer high refresh rates and excellent viewing angles. However, they struggle in direct sunlight due to lower peak brightness, which is ironic given their intended use in mobile devices.
For gaming monitors and TVs, you have the option of WOLED (often marketed simply as OLED) or QD-OLED. WOLED can achieve very high brightness, but this is mainly with white colors. The RGBW filter can cause a loss of brightness in other colors. In contrast, QD-OLED offers superior overall brightness and color vibrancy because the quantum dots absorb rather than filter light.
I've positioned my OLED TV in my living room, facing windows, so it deals with a lot of glare. Yet, the darkest parts of the screen still appear black. Conversely, my QD-OLED monitor on my desk shows a purplish tint in bright conditions. This is because Samsung removed the polarizing layer from QD-OLED displays to boost brightness, which also increases reflections.
While QD-OLED displays might technically offer better color and brightness, WOLED screens can be less distracting in highly reflective environments. Keep in mind, though, that these are theoretical differences. The actual quality of any display depends heavily on its specifications. Generally, spending more money tends to result in a better visual experience.
However, WOLED and QD-OLED might not be the only options for long.
The Future of OLED Is PHOLED
There are several types of OLED, including PHOLED (Phosphorescent OLED), which uses phosphorescent materials to convert energy into light. The challenge with PHOLED is that the blue component has a much shorter lifespan than green and red, which can render the panel unusable quickly.
Recently, LG announced a breakthrough in blue PHOLED technology, paving the way for mass production. LG refers to PHOLED as "Dream OLED" because phosphorescence achieves 100% luminous efficiency, far surpassing the 25% efficiency of fluorescence. This means PHOLED TVs will be brighter and more energy-efficient.
Although we won't see PHOLED displays in TVs for a while, we can expect to see this technology in smartphones and tablets in the near future.
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