Buying a New TV? Here Are the Phrases You Need to Know

OLED, QLED and mini LED refer to lighting technology

Instead of a light-emitting diode (LED)-backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) television — the most popular type of panel today — some TVs use OLED (pronounced “oh-led”) screens for a superior image. LG, Samsung, Sony and Vizio all make OLED TVs.

Televisions packed with organic light-emitting diodes are incredibly thin because each pixel is its own light source; therefore, no backlighting is required. Along with sharp color and contrast with super-dark blacks, these televisions are more energy efficient than other TV types.

But expect to pay a premium for these televisions.

Other TV makers are offering televisions powered by quantum dot technology, microscopic dots as small as one-billionth of a meter that make up the picture. These TVs generally deliver a wide, more true-to-life color palette than TVs without this technology.

While not quite as thin, quantum dot TVs generally don’t cost as much as OLED TVs. Some TV makers may brand their quantum dot TVs as QLED, such as models from Samsung, TCL and Vizio.

One more lighting-related phrase that has become a big deal is mini LED, which you might see styled as mini-LED or MiniLED. As its name suggests, mini LED televisions house tens of thousands of tiny lights behind the screen to produce a bright and even picture.

More lights packed into a small space result in more precise control of lighting levels. So you won’t see “blooming” issues the way you do with some other TV technologies, when part of a screen that’s supposed to be dark is lit up because a nearby element is brighter.

Mini LED TVs maintain their brightness even in a well-lit room and have a high contrast ratio — the difference between the least bright areas of a monitor and the brightest. Many have a “low latency” mode for smoother rendering of fast-moving scenes in action movies, sports and video games. TV manufacturers that offer mini LED TVs include Hisense, LG, Sony and TCL.

HDR offers brighter whites, darker blacks

While 4K or 8K refers to the resolution of the television picture, that isn’t the whole story. Many of today’s televisions also offer high dynamic range (HDR), which reproduces a wider range of brightness levels, has richer and more realistic colors, and features higher contrast between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks.

When seen side by side with non-HDR content, HDR-enhanced video is incredibly bright and vibrant. You also might see more televisions branded with technologies called HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, which are two improved types of HDR.

Another feature worth looking for is local dimming. As the name suggests, local dimming can dim an area of an LED screen that calls for it while keeping the bright parts of the screen brighter.

Smart TV features will be built in

Even entry-level TVs allow you to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi.

These smart TVs let you access streaming video across many services, including paid giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu and free ad-supported video on demand channels such as the Roku Channel, Tubi, Peacock and Pluto TV. And often you can access video on social network sites such as Facebook and TikTok, music on services such as Spotify and Pandora, and online photo galleries.

In most cases, you choose which apps you want to see on your screen, like icons on a smartphone. Some smart TVs give you a full web browser, too, so you can use a search engine, play interactive games or visit websites.

Also, many TV companies are integrating voice-activated personal assistants, such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Users can press a button on the remote to ask a question or give a command. The voice request could be TV-related: “Play The Bear,” “Launch puppy videos on YouTube” or “Who directed the Barbie movie?” Or it could be something else altogether: “What will the weather be like on the weekend?”

Other things to consider

• Have a “dumb” TV? A streaming box or stick, such as those from Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google Chromecast or Roku, can transform a regular TV into a smart TV and cost as little as $25.
• Higher is better. A TV with a 120 hertz (Hz) refresh rate is better than a 60Hz rate, which refers to how smooth quick motion will render on your TV. If you’re into sports or video games, opt for 120Hz or 240Hz, if offered.
• Get more ports. Look for at least three or four HDMI ports on the side or back of the television, because this will give you more options for connecting components such as a cable box, DVD or Blu-ray player, game console and soundbar to your TV.
• Buy a soundbar. As TVs get thinner, the audio tends to get thinner, too, lacking in a well-rounded sound that includes enough bass. A soundbar can boost the audio significantly.

This story, originally published Jan. 19, 2021, was updated to reflect advances in technology.

Marc Saltzman is a contributing writer who covers personal technology. His work also appears in USA Today and other national publications. He hosts the podcast series Tech It Out and is the author of several books, including Apple Watch for Dummies.