Mini LED Versus OLED: What’s the Difference?

Television technology is getting better every day. And, given the realities of this extraordinarily competitive marketplace, manufacturers are always racing to find the next big breakthrough.

In the past, 4K was a big deal. Next up? The promise of OLED. Now, a hot newcomer has arrived: Mini LED. This highly efficient option could provide an exceptional TV viewing experience. How does this exciting technology compare with the OLED screens that have been in stores for years? Keep reading to find out.

For most people, the concept of Mini LED doesn’t make sense until they understand LED and OLED technology.

OLED TVs look incredible, thanks to each pixel’s ability to turn off completely. This eliminates light bleed from other pixels, allowing for fantastic contrast ratios and deep black colors. On the other hand, LED screens can only dim certain sections of the screen that contain dark images. Therefore, the more zones available to be dimmed, the better the image can look.

This is where Mini LED comes into play. With tiny LEDs, manufacturers can create tens of thousands of individual local dimming zones — a huge increase from the number found in traditional LED TVs.

Apple’s new 12.9 inch iPad Pro already uses this technology and has over 2500 local dimming zones. So Mini LED is here to stay — and it has quickly become an affordable option for most consumers.

As with most things in life, the answer is a little complicated. Right now, OLED sets seem to look a bit better, although this assessment is subjective.

Everyone has different preferences, but the consensus is that OLED displays offer better contrast ratios. This is due in large part to the still burgeoning technology behind Mini LED. However, with most manufacturers only producing sets with around 1,000 local dimming zones, there is certainly room for improvement.

Unfortunately, many manufacturers are hesitant to disclose exactly how many zones their new Mini LED TVs have, making it difficult to shop for a TV online. Essentially, shoppers need to see products in person before deciding what, exactly, they want.

The final takeaway is that OLED televisions are the way to go in the near term, but it won’t be long until Mini LEDs catch up and even surpass them in picture quality.

An important Mini LED advantage worth taking into consideration is production costs. These sets are already pretty much the same price as their OLED competitors, with prices expected to drop further as the technology ages. One report even suggests that, in a couple of years, Mini LED sets will leapfrog OLED rivals in terms of sales.

As of right now, a comparable LG 65-inch Mini LED set retails for about $1599, with its OLED equivalent checking in at $1799. So it’s quite the feat for Mini LED to come in below OLED despite being the newer technology — and this is one of the driving factors behind the previously mentioned report citing Mini LED’s impending dominance.

There’s no wrong decision when it comes to selecting an OLED or Mini LED television. The law of diminishing returns certainly applies to both, but that doesn’t mean these sets don’t look incredible.

If an OLED is available at a great price point, then it’s wise to jump on it. The same can be said for Mini LED, as these units don’t even need to be on sale to be considered a good value.

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