Mini-LED is a type of display technology found primarily in television screens. These days, most major TV manufacturers, such as Philips, TCL, LG, and Samsung, have mini-LED TVs available to buy or are building new ones with Mini LED backlight technology inside.
Some brands even associate the mini-LED with other types of new technologies. For example, LG's "QNED" line of mini LED TVs is now available worldwide. These TV models feature LG's NanoCell LCD backlight and mini-LED for the first time.
In addition, there are already new TV announcements from the CES 2022 tech expo. Samsung has already announced new TVs at CES 2022, including MicroLED, mini-LED, and QLED TV models. The new mini-LEDs are part of the brand's Neo QLED range of televisions. The big changes to this lineup for 2022 are a new feature called Shape Adaptive Light Control that allows TVs to have better control over bloom, and an upgrade to 14-bit backlighting for more luminance points.
But while you'll find mini-LEDs in many of today's newer TVs, you'll find them in other devices with a screen as well. For example, rumors suggest it could also be used in the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Apple is also using mini-LED technology in its new 2021-inch MacBook Pro (14) and its new iPad Pro, with reports suggesting it could be added to Apple's 2022 MacBook Air and newer MacBook Pros as well.
Now that Apple is actively adding mini-LEDs to its latest products, we can expect to see it in more devices beyond other brands' TVs in the future. It's a very exciting time for mini-LED technology, and if you're shopping for a new TV, you need to learn more.
This is where you'll find mini-LEDs. But how does it work and what impact does it have on your viewing experience? In the following guide, we'll cover the technical details of the mini LED TV, as well as the big question: do you really need a mini LED TV? Read on to find out if this new TV technology is right for you.
Now let's move on to what the technology does. As you might guess from the name, mini-LED cuts down on the LED modules that backlight LCD screens.
LCD pixels can't light up, although OLEDs can, so they need a light source behind them that can shine the light off. This is what creates the necessary shine and color. Because of this extra layer of backlighting, the pixels on an LCD screen can never be completely turned off.
How does this affect your viewing experience? It is better compared to an LCD screen. Blacks on an LCD screen not only lack the inky quality of their OLED counterparts, but if an LCD TV's backlight is poorly implemented and controlled, there can be noticeable irregularity in how the screen describes what it is. which should be uniform areas of black.
A good example is if you imagine the end credits of most movies. There is a black screen with white scrolling text. When watching on an LCD TV, it's normal to see a halo of light around the words or to let the backlight "blend out" from the corners of the screen. The result is that everything that should be black is now more cloudy gray.
We know that no one has ever bought a TV just because of the way it handles the end credits of a movie. But that kind of messy image quality is what has made LCD technology seem more and more second-rate compared to its shiny OLED competitor.
However, there might still be a way for LCD technology to gain a foothold among the best TVs, and that's thanks to mini-LEDs.
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What is a mini LED?
Simply put, mini-LED is a better and more efficient way to backlight an LCD screen.
Officially, a diode no larger than 0,2mm can be classified as a "mini", but that's the consumer electronics industry we're talking about here, and you can expect the word "mini" to be used loosely. However, the basic principle is that smaller LEDs allow for more LEDs.
Installing more and smaller LEDs behind the LCD screen pixels means images can be brighter. This means that backlight control can be more specific and precise. This should allow for better control, which should mean less backlighting and stronger contrasts.
Why is the mini-LED important?
If implemented effectively, mini-LED backlighting should bring LCD panels much closer to OLED performance levels than before. These theoretical advantages are quite compelling.
And, of course, that's without the perceived problems of OLED: LED/LCD technology has never been the subject of screen-burn scare stories, nor is it prey to the eventual but inevitable drop in performance that is the price of "organic." ". OLED element.
Of course, the success of the mini-LED will depend on how the technology is implemented. There is a lot of variation in the performance of LED-backlit LCD displays of similar price and specification; just take a quick look at our many TV reviews to see. And if some TVs lack control over a few dozen backlight dimming zones, can we really expect them to be any better at controlling what could be thousands?
Apple is looking at mini-LEDs for its 2021 12,9-inch iPad Pro, which offers 600 nits of brightness, and its latest 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021) will only increase awareness and enthusiasm for the technology, too.
Where can I buy a mini LED TV?
Intrepid Chinese manufacturer TCL was quick to incorporate the technology into its displays.
TCL fans can opt for the 6-series QLED with Mini LED in the US, or the upcoming C825 QLED in the UK, which will launch at €1,099 for its smaller 55-inch size.
The brand also recently introduced the X925 and X925 Pro, this is the following list of mini LED TVs. We already reviewed the TCL X925 Mini LED 8K TV and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 for its excellent Mini LED black levels, 8K screen resolution, Google TV interface, and built-in Onkyo soundbar.
However, other TV brands are following suit. LG, Philips, and Samsung have all announced mini-LED lineups for 2021, and at CES 2022 we expect to see even more TV models with this display technology inside.
LG's line of mini-LEDs, dubbed 'QNED', immediately became its high-end LCD offering, combining mini-LEDs with quantum dot technology. It sits atop the NanoCell LCD displays that were previously the company's most ambitious LCD TVs.
The QNED99 is the hero of the range. It's an 8K, 120Hz TV with full local dimming (to better show exactly what mini-LED is capable of). It is available in 65, 75, and 86-inch versions. The QNED95 replaces the QNED120's 99Hz panel with just 60Hz, but retains the 8K resolution and all the other tech highlights aside from the 86-inch size.
There are some 4K QNED ranges that are presented in the same way. The QNED90 has a 120Hz panel versus its mini-LED full-array local dimming arrangement, while the QNED85 makes do with a 60Hz panel.
If some TVs fall short when it comes to controlling a few dozen backlight dimming zones, can we really expect them to be any better when it comes to controlling what could be thousands?
At Samsung, "Neo QLED" is how the company describes its mini-LED TVs for this year. In addition to a "microlayer" to guide light from mini-LEDs (perhaps as many as 5000 individual diodes for a single display) through the quantum dots, Samsung has developed its most precise dimming and power distribution algorithms to date.
This all bodes well for the possibilities of the higher-end QN900A. It's an 8K 120Hz display, available in 65-, 75-, or 85-inch sizes. The QN800A retains the 8K resolution and selectable screen size options; it just doesn't have the whistles and bells audio system of the QN900A.
The 4K flag for Samsung is flown by the QN95A and QN90A: both are 120Hz panels, and both come in 50-, 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch screen sizes. The QN95A also includes Samsung's One Connect box, which removes all connectivity requirements from the display. There's also the QN85A, which retains the 120Hz panel of its siblings but doesn't have as many dimming zones or speakers.
Philips, of course, has its unique selling point to bring to the mini-LED party: Ambilight. The 9639 and 9506 are available in 65-inch or 75-inch sizes, and both have four-sided Ambilight and mini-LED backlighting. As with LG, Philips LED Mini TVs sit in the TV series just below the more expensive OLED ranges.
Should I buy a mini LED TV?
Ultimately, there are a few factors that will determine the success (or otherwise) of individual Mini LED TVs.
The panel controller and video processing engine that powers the TV, for example, will have a major influence on display performance, and if they are indifferent components, the sheer complexity of the Mini LED array could potentially create more, instead less. , backlight and contrast issues.
As we near the end of 2021, we can't wait to see what next year brings to Mini LED and whether it will be a key focus for the biggest names in TV tech. It will also be interesting to hear the best TV manufacturers talk about the performance of the Mini LEDs that are already in the world so far. Only then will we know if the Mini LED technology is effective and worth it.
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