For years, Samsung Display has been developing QD-OLED, a new technology that will provide the best of both worlds when it comes to OLED and Quantum/QLED, two of the main technologies used in high-end TVs.

The first QD-OLED models were revealed at the CES event in January, with Sony actually unveiling its version—using panels purchased from Samsung—first, although Samsung’s own QD-OLED TV won a coveted Innovation Award at the show. The award stated that the Samsung QD Display is “the world’s first true RGB self-emitting Quantum Dot OLED display—revolutionizing TV by combining the contrast levels of RGB OLED with the color and brightness of quantum dots for ultimate visuals.”

It’s not clear when Samsung will put its QD-OLED TVs on the market, and the Elec reported last week that Samsung is still deciding how much to spend on QD-OLED manufacturing in the second half of 2022. LG, the longtime leader in OLED panels for the TV market, has not announced any plans regarding this new technology.

TechRadar recently took a look at the technology, reporting that it expects QD-OLED TVs to arrive in stores “in the coming months.”

“In short, QD-OLED is a better version of OLED that combines some of the learnings from QLED and its quantum dot filters with OLED’s self-emissive pixel structure. The result is incredible contrast and significantly improved color saturation,” the report said. TechRadar added that the major advantage is improved color saturation, while one of the disadvantages is that “individual LEDs may burn out or hold a color in between uses.”

Cheaper Than Expected?

Meanwhile, a new report this week stated that Sony’s version of the TV might not be as expensive as first thought.

According to What HiFi, the fifty-five-inch version of the A95K QD-OLED TV may be priced at only $3000, and the sixty-five-inch model may come in at $4,000. While that’s still a lot for a TV, it is lower than the price tag for the most advanced models on the market. The site found these possible prices by analyzing the Sony Reward Points system, which indicated how many points customers would garner by purchasing those TVs. The official suggested retail prices have not yet been announced, however.

In addition, a non-TV product with QD-OLED technology has been officially announced, complete with pricing. The Dell-owned company Alienware has announced a product called the Alienware 34 QD-OLED Gaming Display, which will arrive this spring at a suggested retail price of $1,299.

Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

Image: Reuters.