Televisions - Mini-LED

With their impressive technology, Mini-LED TVs offer picture quality that sets new standards. The following sections provide details about this technology, the differences to OLED and QLED televisions, and important purchasing criteria.

The Mini-LED technology

Mini-LED TVs use an advanced form of LED backlighting, where thousands of small LEDs are built directly behind the LCD panel to evenly illuminate the picture. The high number of LEDs allows for excellent peak brightness and local dimming, enabling dark areas of the image to be truly dark and bright areas to be even brighter. The result is impressive contrast and an excellent choice for HDR content. The tiny Mini-LEDs allow for significantly more local dimming zones to be integrated than comparable LED televisions. However, precise control of the Mini-LEDs and dimming zones is important for a particularly high-contrast image. It is not always easy to identify which television takes advantage of the benefits of Mini-LEDs. At Samsung, televisions with the new QLED technology are called NeoQLED, while at LG, for example, they are referred to as QNED. The models come in both 4K and the even higher resolution of 8K.

Mini-LED vs OLED and LED

The decision between Mini-LED, OLED, and LED televisions is largely determined by the technology used to produce the TV image. LED and Mini-LED TVs operate with different methods of backlighting, while OLED TVs do not require backlighting due to their self-illuminating pixels. This results in OLED televisions still delivering the best black levels. Although LED televisions are primarily known for their cost and energy efficiency, Mini-LED technology offers improved colour and contrast representation. For those looking for a television that optimally displays 4K HDR content with vibrant colours and high peak brightness, a Mini-LED television is the best choice. It provides a good compromise between the brilliant colour and contrast representation of OLEDs and the higher brightness and burn-in resistance of LED televisions.

Advantages of Mini-LED TVs:

• Better brightness and contrast: Thanks to the thousands of small LEDs that create the backlighting in a Mini-LED TV, it can achieve a much higher peak brightness than other TV technologies. This leads to deeper blacks and a greater contrast ratio, which particularly enhances picture quality in dark scenes.
• Local Dimming: Mini-LED TVs feature more precise local dimming technology. Unlike traditional LCD TVs, which have only a few dozen dimming zones, Mini-LED TVs can have hundreds or even thousands. This reduces the so-called "blooming," where light from bright objects can bleed into dark areas of the screen.
• Longer lifespan: Mini-LEDs have a longer lifespan than traditional LEDs. They are also more resistant to so-called burn-in compared to OLED displays.

Disadvantages of Mini-LED TVs:

• Price: Due to the new and complex technology, Mini-LED TVs are generally more expensive than traditional LCD or LED TVs.
• Picture quality: Although Mini-LEDs offer improved picture quality compared to traditional LEDs, they still cannot achieve the same picture quality as OLED TVs, mainly regarding black levels and viewing angles.
• Price: High-quality QLED televisions are more expensive than their standard LCD or LED counterparts.