QLED TVs are an enhancement of LED TVs and are fast trickling down to more affordable price points. These TVs use a Quantum Dot Enhancement Film in front of the LED backlight in order to attain purer white light to go in the LCD substrate and this in turn leads to wider color gamuts and better dynamic range.
So if you looking for TV technology that’s better than LED-LCD TVs but are not quite willing to pay the high-end OLED price, QLED TVs are what you should consider. Samsung has been the biggest promoter of QLED TVs but many other OEMs including OnePlus, Xiaomi, and TCL are now offering QLED TVs at very competitive prices.
Contents:
- What are QLED TVs?
- Advantages and Disadvantages of QLED TVs
- Best premium 4K QLED TVs (Priced under 2.5 lakhs)
- Best midrange 4K QLED TVs under INR 75,000
What are QLED TVs?
LCD displays are not self emissive and only pass through the light coming from the backlight plane.
As you can see in the conventional QLED block diagram above, a Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF) layer is used between Liquid crystal substrate LCD and LED backlight in order to enhance the quality of light coming from the LED backlight.
Quantum dots are semiconductor particles that emit light based on their size (in nanometers). These particles enhance the quality of white light coming from LED backlight and help LCD substrate to work at higher potential and in achieving purer colors.
Unlike OLEDs, each pixel can not be controlled individually. Like all LED-LCD TVs backlight control and number of dimming zones will have an impact on the contrast.
The new Neo QLED TVs from Samsung use mini LED backlight with more than 1000 dimming zones. LG QNED and other mini LED TVs introduced at CES 2021 follow a similar approach.
Also Read: QD-OLED vs OLED vs QLED vs Mini LED – What’s the difference?
QLED TVs: Advantages and Disadvantages
Since QLED is a transmissive technology (as compared to self-emissive OLEDs), these TVs can get really bright without any risk of burn-in. In fact, these are some of the brightest premium TVs you can get today.
They are also relatively more affordable than OLEDs and can be easily manufactured in all sizes big and small.
Most of the QLED TVs today use VA LCD panel which has better contrast than IPS LCD but relatively poorer viewing angles. VA Panels are also associated with black smearing where blacks smear due to slow pixel transition on dark colors.
Also, the contrast and pixel response time falls short of what you can get from OLED display. The end result depends on how well the manufacturer has implemented local dimming.
Advantages:
- Can get extremely bright
- No risk of burn-in or brightness degradation after years of use
- Easy to manufacture in all sizes
- Cost effective
Disadvantages:
- Contrast and pixel response can’t match OLEDs
- Viewing angles not as wide as IPS or OLED panels
Best Premium 4K QLED TVs
For the premium Range we have included cosumer QLED TVs priced between 1 Lakh and 2.5 lakhs. 8K QLED TVs and Mini LED QLED TVs haven’t been included. Since price keeps varying, we have added linked the updated price and specification page for one popular size model for every TV.
1. Samsung Q95T QLED TV
Samsung Q95T is a high-end QLED TV that starts at INR 1,48,000. Samsung’s Q90T is similar in terms of performance and is only missing Samsung Connect box in comparison.
in India it’s available in three sizes – 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch. The display gets incredibly bright for HDR content and it’s also a very capable TV for gamers. There are 4 HDMI ports (one HDMI 2.1) with eARC, ALLM, VRR supported As all Samsung TVs, Dolby Vision is not supported. As for audio, there are 60W speakers with Dolby Digital Plus support
Also Read: Best Mini LED TVs to buy in 2021
2. Samsung Q80T QLED TV
Samsung Q95T/ Q90T have better design but other than that you won’t be missing out on much with the Samsung Q80T QLED TV. This one too has full array backlight and local dimming suppport (which is missing on Q70T and lower models).
Samsung Q80T QLED TV has HDMI 2.1 port and related features like ALLM, VRR, and eARC. The display gets really bright, there are powerful 60W speakers on board, and HDR10/10+ and HLG HDR are supported. Samsung Q80T is available in 49-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes.
Best 4K QLED TVs Priced Under INR 75,000
In the under 75K price segment, we have included some relatively affordable QLED TVs that provide better picture quality than coventional LED LCD TVs.
3. Xiaomi Mi Q1 QLED TV 4K
Mi Q1 QLED TV 4K is Xiaomi’s most premium TV in India. Apart from a QLED TV panel, this one comes with some important HDMI 2.1 features like ALLM and eARC, which should make it a tad more appealing to gamers and audiophiles.
The Xiaomi TV supports Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10 and HDR10+. Xiaomi’s PatchWall UI is quite decent and well designed and it’s based on Android. Native speakers include four full range drivers and two tweeters and add up to 30W.
4. Samsung The Serif 4K QLED TV
Samsung Serif is one of its kind QLED TV that’s suited to both living rooms and studios and is available in three sizes – 43-inch, 49-inch and 55-inch. It’s successor to Samsung Frame (2019), another viable QLED TV, which was recently replaced by a new 2021 model.
The TV comes with Alexa Built-in, UHD Dimming, 4 HDMI ports, and 40Watts Audio. Like all Samsung TVs, this one too is missing Dolby Vision HDR. You will have to make do with HDR10 and HDR10+ support.
5. TCL C715 4K QLED TV
TCL C715 4K QLED TV starts for INR 45,990 for the 50-inch model and is available in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes as well. This 4K UHD TV with extremely slim bezels supports Dolby Vision HDR, HDR 10/10+ and has 30W native speakers with dolby atmos support.
The TV features Android based software and has far field microphones. This one comes with three HDMI ports (one ARC) and dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity. If you are looking for a decent 55-inch option to view high quality content, the TCL C715 is worth considering.
6. OnePlus Q1 QLED TV
It’s been a while since OnePlus launched its Q1 series QLED TVs – Q1 Pro and Q1 – in India. The Q1 is still a good deal when it comes to decent mid-range QLED TVs in 2021.
OnePlus Q1 includes 4 HDMI 2.0 ports (one with ARC), supports Dolby Vision HDR, HLG and HDR10/10+, and has 50W Audio (Dolby Atmos support) with 2 full range speakers and 2 sub woofers.
7. iFFalcon H71 QLED Ultra HD 4K TV
iffalcon H71 QLED Ultra HD 4K TV is one of the most affordable QLED TVs in India that comes in 55-inch (55H71) and 65-inch (65H71) sizes.
The TV supports Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, and HDR10+. There are three HDMI ports, 2 USB ports, Wi-Fi support, RJ45 LAN connector, hands-free voice controls, and 30W speakers with Dolby Atmos support.
