LG’s mini-LED TVs coming in July, and more

At CES 2021 we (practically) saw that the coming year would be the launch of LCD TVs with mini-LED-based display technology. Now that LG is launching its TVs in July, the games are starting.

Recap:

• Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs feature mini-LED backlights, with models like the 8K QN900A retailing now for about $ 5,000 with a range of screen sizes.
• LG announced its QNED technology as the first mini LED display, but hadn’t released its lineup yet.
• There is a nice in-depth article that explains LG QNED vs. Samsung Neo QLED’s next generation display technology, although the reality is that they will be fundamentally similar.
• OLED TVs remain the benchmark for superior contrast ratios, but mini-LED technology goes a long way in bridging the gap while offering benefits like a much brighter display and, in theory, much longer lifespan and reliability, as OLED is generally less is robust.
• And lastly: Micro-LED displays are the next great technology that offer the same per-pixel lighting as OLED, but without the organic thin film, which means smaller LEDs, brighter displays and also faster response times. It’s a clear winner if the technology can be perfected, and Samsung is currently selling these TVs for more than $ 100,000.

The latest from LG:

• Now LG has announced that it will bring its promised televisions on the market: It now offers models of the 8K series QNED99 and QNED95 as well as models of the 4K series QNED90 in various sizes.
• The price hasn’t been released yet, but since this is a new technology, it isn’t exactly cheap. The only reference I’ve seen is an earlier review from FlatPanelsHD, which lists the 8K QNED99 at $ 5,000 for the 75-inch model, while the 4K QNED90 is listed at $ 4,000 for the 86-inch model.
• LG says of its 86-inch 8K TV: “30,000 LED lights arranged to create around 2,500 local dimming zones to provide a contrast ratio 10 times better than conventional LCD TVs.”

By the way, mini is not mini:

• So 30,000 tiny LEDs offer a lot more dimming zones and power than older types of LCD LED TVs. It’s still a lot of LEDs and a better TV display than anything but OLEDs.
• But the term “mini” for LED sizes is by no means standard.
• For example, Apple’s newest 12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini-LED technology (which Apple calls “Liquid Retina XDR”) and 10,384 LEDs (techinsights.com) in an area that is almost 97.5% smaller (displaywars.com).
• That means you can fit around 39 iPads the same size as LG’s Monster 86-inch TVs.
• And if you did that, you’d get roughly 410,000 mini-LEDs! Check out my math! (Wolfram Alpha).
• I would expect Samsung and LG to continue increasing the number of mini LEDs in the next generations….