With Black Friday TV deals well underway, you might find yourself stuck between several different shopping decisions. For example, should you buy an OLED TV or a QLED TV? What's the difference between the two? And what type of panel is a better deal?
These questions don't only apply to Black Friday deals. And as we approach the holiday season, the best OLED TVs and best QLED TVs from most major manufacturers are seeing major discounts. Right now, retailers like Best Buy and Amazon are taking hundreds of dollars off top-tier sets.
In one of our favorite Amazon Black Friday deals so far, Amazon has the 65-inch LG C1 OLED TV on sale for $1,796. That's more than $700 off regular price of an impressive LG OLED TV.
There's a bit more variety when it comes to QLED TVs. While LG and Sony dominate the OLED market, there are multiple QLED makers in the ring. Samsung is perhaps best known for touting QLED technology, Quantum Dot sets from TCL, Hisense and Vizio perform well, too.
That said, the best TV we've tested this year is at its lowest price ever. Amazon has the 55-inch Samsung Neo QLED QN90A TV on sale for $1,297. This configuration normally costs $1,799, so you'll save over $500.
Just because you see a stellar deal on an OLED TV or a QLED TV doesn't mean it's the right TV for you. Our TV buying guide covers everything you'll want to consider before purchasing a new centerpiece for your entertainment set up. But when it comes to QLED vs. OLED TVs, and which you should buy during this Black Friday deals season, here's what you'll want to know.
OLED vs. QLED TV: What's the difference?
OLED and QLED are both names for specific kinds of TV panel technology. Neither is necessarily "better" than the other; instead, each have advantages and disadvantages.
OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, a very precise way of creating a picture. Unlike traditional LED or LCD TVs, organic pixels emit their own light when activated, meaning each pixel can be completely turned on or off separately. The result is sharp details, wide viewing angles and deep blacks. In fact, OLED TVs are the only TVs that can deliver true blacks.
By contrast, QLED panels require LED backlighting, which means black areas of the screen will still exhibit some degree of light. QLED is an abbreviated form of "quantum-dot LED," and while the term is most closely associated with the best Samsung TVs (like the Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV) the technology is by no means proprietary.
So no, QLED doesn't get the same inky blacks as OLED, but it has its benefits. For one, QLED almost always beats OLED in terms of brightness and contrast. QLED isn't as susceptible to burn-in, either.
OLED vs. QLED TV Black Friday deals
Perhaps Black Friday OLED TV deals get more attention than QLED TV deals because OLED TVs are generally more expensive. It's rare to find an OLED under $1,000 outside of the Vizio OLED TV. But right now Amazon has the 48-inch LG A1 OLED TV on sale for $896. At more than $300 off regular price, that's one of the cheapest OLED offerings (if not the cheapest overall) we've ever seen.
But LG might not be your brand of choice. Luckily, Sony has some attractive Black Friday OLED TV deals, too. Best Buy has the Sony 55-inch A80J OLED TV on sale for $1,399, or $400 off its normal price. In our Sony Bravia XR A80J OLED review, we found it's one of the most well-rounded TVs we've ever tested.
You'll find more flexibility with QLED TV deals. There are typically discounts dropping QLED TVs well under $100. Best Buy has the TCL 55" Class 5-Series QLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV on sale for $549, for example. The TCL 5-Series Google TV was already killer OLED value, but it's even better for Black Friday.
And if you were looking for something even cheaper, Amazon has the Insignia 50" QLED 4K Fire TV on sale for $379. It's normally $600, so you'll save big thanks to Black Friday TV deals.
Should you buy OLED or QLED?
If you're looking for the most affordable TV options, you'll want to shop QLED. There are a number of options for budgets big and small. You can usually find a good variety of QLED sizes, too.
Another reason to buy QLED is for brightness. If you plan on setting up your new TV in a room with lots of natural light, and would like to watch it during the day time, QLED won't be washed out as easily as OLED.
But if you want the most cinematic viewing experience, complete with perfect blacks and an ultra-precise picture, OLED is the ultimate treat. And with Black Friday deals, you can buy one at the lowest prices of the year. So if you've had your eye on an OLED — especially one released this year — know that you won't find it for less than you will now.
