Expansion of Competition

An LG Quantum Dot TV.
An LG Quantum Dot TV.

 

Quantum dot (QD) TVs and OLED TVs are expected to go head to head in the global TV market this year.

Even though they represent only 1 to 2 percent of a market where 220 million units are sold each year, those high-end products are likely to determine the direction of the TV market as a whole.

According to industry sources and market research firm DisplaySearch on Jan. 18, 1.3 million units of QD TVs are predicted to be sold this year, but the number is expected to be 20 million in 2018. On the other hand, 4 million OLED TVs are likely to be sold this year.

The market research firm said that competition between QD and OLED TVs were the highlight of CES 2015 held in Las Vegas from Jan. 6 to 9. They are now competing in terms of color gamut, resolution, and design.

So far, OLED displays made of light-emitting devices have been widely acknowledged to be ahead of QD displays in delivering real blacks. However, LCD-based QD displays are considered to be the best at the moment. As a result, the two kinds of TVs are fiercely fighting for market share.

DisplaySearch reported, “LCD TVs with backlight units (BLUs) cannot completely prevent unintended light leakage even with quantum dots.” It added, “The color quality of OLED displays that deposits a white device is better, as seen in a low grey mode.”

To compensate for the inferior contrast ratio of QD TVs, Samsung Electronics is said to be competing with OLED TVs using dimming backlight technology.

QD TVs scored high marks in image resolution in the report. So far, OLED TVs have been regarded to differ from UHD TVs. However, the competitive landscape for resolution has changed with the showcasing of LG Electronics' lineup of 4K OLED TVs at this year's CES.

Competition for the thickness of TVs has heated up again.

When LED TVs were introduced at first, TV makers competed to reduce the thickness of their TVs. After that, they tried hard to keep the bezel (the black frame around the screen) as small as possible. Ultimately, the focus of the competition returned to thickness. LG's ultra OLED TVs are 5.9 mm, thinner than ever before. Sony unveiled 4.9 mm think BRAVIA 4K LCD TVs at the trade show, which are the thinnest. Samsung reportedly showcased 6 to 9 mm thick QD TVs at the event.

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